• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • Advertising
  • CR Radio
  • Printing
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
At the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry’s (NCADDHM) virtual conference “Living the synodality in Hispanic ministry” Sept. 30, Javier Cervantes, secretary of NCADDHM receives Loyola Press Award from Javier Orozco, president of the NCADDHM. (Screenshot)

Bishop Lewandowski calls racism the enemy of synodality

October 1, 2021
By Priscila González de Doran
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Bishop Lewandowski, Feature, Local News, News, Racial Justice, Synodality

Bishop Bruce Lewandoski leads Archbishop William E. Lori’s Journey to Racial Justice coordinating council. (CR file)

When a dark-skinned man wearing old, dirty clothes walked into a church and approached the altar rail, the parish secretary saw him through the security camera and suspected he was about to commit a crime. 

In a matter of minutes, the police arrived and interrogated the man. It turned out that the man’s brother died in his home country and he wanted to light a votive candle beneath a saint’s statue and say a prayer for his brother’s soul.

“Every crisis requires an answer and a plan of action to become a church and a world less racist,” said Auxiliary Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., recounting the incident during a session of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry’s virtual conference Sept. 28-30.

In the case Bishop Lewandowski cited, which happened in a parish outside the Archdiocese of Baltimore, someone had to speak and apologize to the man for the hurt it caused him and someone else had to speak to the secretary about her approach to people in the parish.

Bishop Lewandowski’s workshop focused on pastoral answers to racism. Building on the theme of the conference, “Living the synodality in Hispanic ministry,” the bishop called racism the “enemy of synodality.”

Bishop Lewandowski, who leads Archbishop William E. Lori’s Journey to Racial Justice coordinating council, described synodality as a new term that expresses the identity of the church as the people of God on a pilgrimage toward God’s kingdom. It underlines the common dignity of all Christians and affirms their co-responsibility in the evangelizing mission.

He defined racism as that which makes people see the “other” with suspicion or causes them to attribute negative characteristics toward a particular group of people.

While synodality brings love, unity, understanding, solidarity and fraternity, racism brings the opposite, which is violence, division, prejudice, hatred, destruction and fear.

“God’s dream is a world without racism,” Bishop Lewandowski said, noting that changing attitudes, systems and feelings won’t happen overnight.

“Racism is a life process,” he said. “The goal is to build an environment intolerant to racism.”

Bishop Lewandowski encouraged his audience not to single out other individuals as racists but to make an honest introspection.

“Only then we can look around and detect racist patterns, barriers and obstacles which impede the people to live the synodality in fraternity and unity,” Bishop Lewandowski said. “We have to recognize our past and present where victims of racism are not only African Americans, but also many immigrants.”

We want a transformation to become “more like Christ,” said the vicar for Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore,  “and toward the goal of “an environment which does not tolerate racism.”

The goal is to create an environment that embraces unity, fraternal and Christian love.

To achieve “an environment intolerant toward racism,” Bishop Lewandowski suggested tools for leaders in Hispanic ministry such as support from facilitators, speakers, social media, prayer and resources.

Among those resources were “A Pastoral Letter on Racial Harmony” from retired New Orleans Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, “Open wide our hearts” from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and “A Journey to Racial Justice” from Archbishop Lori.

“Although racism is not an easy topic,” Bishop Lewandowski said, “every crisis is an opportunity for learning in the process of healing, transformation and reconciliation.”

Visit https://www.archbalt.org/journey-to-racial-justice to find more about the archdiocese’s response to racism

Email Priscila González de Doran at pdoran@CatholicReview.org

Also see

New leader for Office of Black Catholic Ministries brings background in social justice

Parishes enter ‘honest conversations’ on race

Remembering Buffalo shooting victims, Catholics pray for end to racism

Archbishop Lori joins bishops expressing sorrow, condemning racially motivated shooting in Buffalo

Panel brings Sister Thea Bowman’s life and legacy to Georgetown audience

Archbishop Lori makes fight against racism a priority

Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Priscila González de Doran

A native of Mexico, Priscila González de Doran joined Catholic Review Media as a staff writer in 2021. She serves the Catholic community writing about local events, Hispanic ministry, and translating articles from English to Spanish.

She earned associate degrees in business administration and information systems, and social and behavioral studies, from Riverside City College in California. She has a certificate in campus ministry from the Dominican Institute in Oakland.

She is a parishioner of Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville, where she volunteers as a youth minister.

Priscila has collaborated with El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización, Periódico de la Red, Pascua Juvenil and Newman Centers.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

Latest Local News

RADIO INTERVIEW: The state of the nation

Archbishop William Lori announces clergy appointments, including two new pastors

Father Roach, noted church historian and longtime pastor, will stay active in retirement

Father Simmons retiring as the oldest active priest in the archdiocese

Father Ruane, known for empowering laity, retiring as pastor of Howard County parish

Latest World News

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in as Supreme Court justice

San Antonio archbishop asks church to be in solidarity with migrants who died in truck

Missionaries of Charity kicked out of Nicaragua

Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, pope says

Supreme Court sides with coach in public school prayer case

Catholic Review Radio

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • RADIO INTERVIEW: The state of the nation
  • Pretzels, treats and reflections during a staycation (7 Quick Takes)
  • When life gives you lemons, serve ice cream cake
  • Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in as Supreme Court justice
  • What would the baby choose?
  • MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Elvis’
  • Archbishop William Lori announces clergy appointments, including two new pastors
  • Father Ruane, known for empowering laity, retiring as pastor of Howard County parish
  • Spotlighting four Archdiocese of Baltimore Distinctive Scholars

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2022 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED