Blessed with Diversity

I have been very fortunate to have lived in Rome at two different periods of my life.  During those times, I was blessed with the opportunity to see the Catholic Church as truly one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.  I lived and studied with faithful people from all parts of the world.  As an American male who had spent most of his life surrounded by other white Americans, it was a beautiful learning experience about the diversity and universality of our Church.

In recent weeks, I have been prayerfully discerning my role as a Catholic school leader responsible for cultivating a culture of respect in our school community - one that celebrates our place in this diverse and universal Church and in the world.  It occurred to me quickly that I needed to engage in meaningful conversations with families of a variety of backgrounds in order to better understand their perspectives, especially with regard to race.  The conversations were beautiful, challenging, and graced by the Spirit, I am sure.  There were some very helpful specific takeaways, but in three broad strokes, here is what I have learned:

Holy Family is blessed to be a diverse community.

It sounds cliche, but we really are so fortunate to be such a diverse community.  In some ways, we do look like the global Church in Rome.  The Catholic Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and that takes particular meaning when we appreciate the many nationalities, races, and experiences of our community.  I am honestly very humbled to serve and lead such a community, moreso now than ever, having heard the stories and experiences of so many of our families of a variety of racial backgrounds.

Holy Family will benefit from fostering faithful conversations about racial diversity.

When it comes to matters of race, Holy Family will do well to intentionally engage in more conversations.  From students to adults, it seems that the Holy Family experience is overwhelmingly positive for our families, and that more discussions that include race will benefit us all.  Humble and joyful participation in such dialogue is another example of how we can be authentically Catholic.

Holy Family will benefit from engaging in living the Gospel to address racial division.

At times, the Gospel message was one of compassion and empathy.  At other times, Jesus presented a challenge for those who would listen.  These are both important parts of Holy Family’s history as well, and we will certainly discern how our actions can be more mindful and celebratory of race as we plan for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond.  Action within our buildings and actions that engage our broader community may both evolve as a result of our discernment.  

Catholic schools in the United States have a long history of serving people all races, particularly racial minorities and immigrant families.  Holy Family is so fortunate to participate in such a legacy, and we will do so in increasingly intentional ways that help us to benefit from our diversity.  I am proud to serve and lead our Holy Family community, and I am eager to see where the Spirit will lead us as we venture forward with a spirit of unity amidst our diversity.