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"the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." - MLK 

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Note: The ideas and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the authors' and should not be ascribed to the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes or its members. On August 5, 2021, we archived old blog posts. You can find the archive by clicking here.


 

Archive for the "Racism/Other "isms"" Category

Remembering Victims of Slavery

March 21, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 

The racialized system of enslavement brutally dehumanized Africans and their descendants for centuries. Its legacy persists to this day. You are invited to take some time to view the short 2023 video messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the address by Professor Bryan Stevenson on reckoning with the legacy of slavery and creating a new era of liberation, justice and truth that our world desperately needs.  

On a trip to New York in February 2023, Justice Coordinator, Tracy Abler, visited the Ark of Return memorial on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. This was dedicated on March 25, 2015 and serves as a permanent memorial to the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, which the UN has acknowledged as one of the most horrific tragedies of modern history. Tracy will be in New York again on March 25 and hopes to visit the memorial again in honor of the 9-year anniversary of its installation.

 

Eliminating Racial Discrimination

March 21, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination commemorated the tragic day in 1960 when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid. In 1979, the UN General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination should be organized annually in all States (3/21-3/27). Learn more.

Three years ago, UNESCO created this video. It still calls us to:” Read. Observe. Learn. Listen. Keep Quiet is not an option. Take Action!”

 

In this divided and wounded world, recognizing and addressing systemic racism and racial bias is essential if we are to witness and reveal the oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent. The School Sisters of Notre Dame offer links to other dismantling racism resources.

Farmworkers Awareness Week

March 21, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

National Farmworker Awareness Week is March 25-31. It is a call to action for communities to help raise awareness of the millions of essential workers that plant, raise, grow, handle, harvest, pack and ship the food we consume. It emphasizes the important and essential contributions they make to the food supply chain. You are invited to take time to read this very inspiring article about the Fair Food Program and the difference it is making for farm workers. Additional resources for awareness building and engagement are available from the Equitable Food Initiative and on the National Farm Worker Ministry website.

Click here for prayer resources.

#SheDares Art Competition

March 07, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Join Women for Women International’s art competition between now and March 18 for a chance to win a goodie bag and a voucher to get yourself more art supplies! 

How to Enter: 

  • Create a piece of art on the theme #SheDares. You can use any creative medium you’d like.
  • Enter a post on social media and share what the piece means to you - who or what inspired your art?
  • Submit your piece by March 18, 2024.
  • The winner will be announced on March 29.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Not an artist? There are many other ways you can celebrate this month. View this page to read stories, register to attend virtual events, receive book recommendations or tune into podcasts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, CSA’s JPIC Office made a donation to Women for Women International to help women struggling to regain their lives and their dignity as they recover from the ravages of war. You can also make a donation here.

 

Black Catholic Messenger

March 07, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

In Fall 2020, the Black Catholic Messenger was formed among a group of Black Catholic laypeople and allies who agreed that the Catholic media landscape was missing something: an online publication for Black Catholics. They decided to change that.

Visit their website to enjoy a variety of Opinions, Events, Poetry, Reviews and more or enjoy a subscription at blackcatholicmessenger.org

The CSA JPIC Office recently made a small donation to support the mission of Black Catholic Messenger (BCM) and the many services that help bring Black Catholic media to the world. 

Additionally, National Catholic Reporter has designated a page to BCM stories, which can be found here: www.ncronline.org/authors/black-catholic-messenger

 

LGBTQ Catholic Resource

March 07, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Outreach is an LGBTQ Catholic resource that offers news, essays, resources, and community for LGBTQ Catholics and those who minister with them in the Catholic Church worldwide.

The Outreach website features original articles from theologians, scholars, church leaders, family members and many others, both lay and clergy. It also provides information about our conferences and gatherings.

Outreach operates under the auspices of America Media, a Jesuit ministry, and is rooted in the love of Jesus, who reached out to all those who felt excluded. James Martin, S.J. is the editor at large at America Media and founder of Outreach. He is also a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and a member of the Synod of Bishops. Learn more at https://outreach.faith/

The CSA JPIC Office made a small donation to Outreach to support their work. You can, too!

Black Stories. Black Truths.

February 22, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

An NPR video series celebrates the Black Experience

National Public Radio offers a collection of some of their best podcast episodes and features from across the Black Experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same 5-minute segment of Black Stories. Black Truths. Listen here.

 

CSA Celebrates the FDL CommUNITY

February 22, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

United for Diversity’s 15th Annual CELEBRATE commUNITY was held February 17, 2024, at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Expo Center and CSA was there.

More than 60 booths were set up representing the beautiful diversity of the Fond du Lac community by way of culture, religion, ability, identity, language, food, and music. Additionally, several organizations and agencies were present to show the community how they represent and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in Fond du Lac.  

Sister Rose Kowalski and Associate Tracy Abler were part of the opening ceremony, bearing flags for the countries they were representing, Nicaragua and Tanzania. Sister Rose spent 40 years living and working with the people of Nicaragua. Tracy has been working with Sister Stella Storch, OP, and recently took over leadership of the Aids Orphan Sewing project in Bulkoba, Tanzania.

CSA was a co-sponsor of the event and actively staffed their booth with several sisters and associates throughout the four-hour event. They shared a variety of informational brochures on the conservancy and tours, the Associate Relationship, upcoming events such as their Earth Day Fair, sign-up sheets, and of course, their big smiles, passion, and charism.

Sisters Julie Ann Krahl and Clare Lawlor were found representing St. Vincent de Paul’s Getting Ahead Program booth. CSA was also seen in the smiling faces of Sister Ruth Battaglia with Sustain Fond du Lac; Sisters Jean Braun and Josephine Goebel and Associate Carol Cooper with All God’s Family LGBTQ+ Support Group; Sister Mary Rose Obholz with Fond du Lac Literacy Services; and Sister Donna Innes with the FDL Center for Spirituality and Healing along with Associate, Michael Ketterhagen.

We are very grateful to CSA photographer, Mary Christopherson, for catching many of the memories. See all the photos here.

 

Depolarizing Ourselves

February 22, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Troubled by polarizing political conversations with friends and family? Help is on the way!

I recently attended my first virtual national debate with an organization called, Braver Angels. The mission of Braver Angels is simple—to bring America together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.

The February 8 debate topic was “Resolved: Close the Border.” Nearly 200 participants attended this 2-hour debate via Zoom. The debate was led by a chairperson who laid out the rules: 1) There is no hierarchy; all have the right to share opinions. 2) Only say what you truly believe. 3) There is a special procedure for asking questions; you only ask the chair and not address the giver of the speech. 4) Speeches are limited to 4 minutes each. This is “The Braver Angel’s Way.” The resolve is introduced and individuals go back and forth to state their reason why they affirm or not affirm the resolve. This allows both sides to hear one another and hopefully be touched by the other's response/experience. There is no intent to change minds.

I sat as a silent observer, only tempted to respond a couple of times, but I never did. I cannot express how refreshing and humbling this experience was, and how grateful I am to have had it. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear what “the other side” thinks and why. You find there are valid points you had not considered. You find there is hope in people bridging their differences.

The next debate is Thursday, February 29, at 7 pm CT. The topic: “Resolved: My Vote Doesn't Count.” I encourage you to register and experience this. When you register, you have the opportunity to sign up as a speaker, if you’d like. Otherwise, if so moved during the debate, you can chat with your assigned “whip” and let them know you’d like to be considered as a speaker, if time allows. These debates are offered for free or appreciate donations. You can also become a Braver Angels member for $15 and participate in the debates and many other helpful training sessions and webinars at a reduced or no cost.

Now, Braver Angels is not the only organization doing this type of work. There are others that I have not yet looked into. I welcome anyone to look into others and let me know what you think! tabler@csasisters.org

Check these out!

 

CSA’s latest Chapter statement calls us to: Strengthen the bond that unites us. We deepen the bond by:

  • Acknowledging and owning our historic and current realities.
  • Addressing our unexamined narratives.
  • Moving forward with creative resolutions toward reconciliation and justice
  • Committing to develop mutual relationships through synodality, education, and awareness of culture, history, and politics. 

 

 

Fair Maps at Last!

February 22, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

After more than a decade of living with some of the worst partisan gerrymandering in the country, Gov. Tony Evers signs fair voting maps into law for Wisconsin.

February 19, 2024, was a great day for democracy in Wisconsin when the state finally got fair maps. The maps don’t guarantee a legislative majority to the Republicans or to the Democrats. Wisconsin is an evenly-divided state and the new maps make it likely that our State Assembly and State Senate will reflect that. 

This spring’s nonpartisan election is April 2. Please vote and remind your friends, family and neighbors to vote. To see what is on your ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov. For our democracy to keep working for us, we need to participate in all elections. We also need to remember that our elected officials work for us and may need to be reminded of that from time to time.

 

 

1 comment

Transforming Grace

February 22, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

LCWR invites members to join in collective discernment on the work of transformative justice.

Between November 2023 and November 2024, CSA is partnering with Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), who is looking at the 2024 U.S. national election campaign through the lens of transformative justice. LCWR invites all to engage in this collective discernment on “What is ours to do in this time?” The work of transformative justice is grounded in contemplation and is an engagement in learning the skills and practices that will lead to decision-making and action that leads to being in right relationship with Earth and all human persons.

The transformative justice initiative for this year is entitled, “Transforming Grace: The Work of Transformative Justice.” “Transforming Grace” invites participants to take responsibility for the personal and collective responses we can make in the challenges we will encounter during the national election period. The initiative follows the liturgical calendar. During each liturgical season, LCWR will be providing one-page reflections that can be used personally and in groups to look at how we can respond to the challenges of this time in the United States in ways that might create harmony and increase understanding of differences. These reflections include: a short video, a brief reading, two or three questions intended to deepen conversation, and a prayer grounded in our contemplative commitment. Each reflection tool will be designed for a 60-75 minute session.

Read the reflections.

The schedule is as follows:

Transforming Consciousness:  November 2023 thru the Christmas Season
Transforming Presence: January 2024 thru Lent into Easter
Transforming Care: Easter Season into Pentecost 2024
Transforming Practice: June 2024 thru November 2024

 

February is Black History Month - Let’s CELEBRATE!

February 08, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Indulge yourself in the plethora of events, readings, videos, and other resources to deepen your knowledge of black history. 

A Google search will undoubtedly take you to hundreds of interesting places, but we’ve gathered a few of our favorites to get you started in your learning and celebration of Black History Month:

The National Museum of African American History & Culture highlights 2024 with the theme of Art as a platform for social justice.

Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) are the Founders of Black History Month. Their website offers many interesting resources to include this video.

National Black Sisters’ Conference

African American Midwest website

Smithsonian events, arts resources, podcasts, and general resources

Alicia Garza, one of the three women who conceived of and popularized the slogan #BlackLives Matter refers to February as Black Futures Month in this YES! Magazine article.

 

New Season: SSND Called to Action Podcast

February 08, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Season 4 of the SSND Podcast Called to Action focuses on the issue of racial justice.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have supported women’s education and enrichment since its founding in 1833. To continue the tradition of education and enrichment, SSND Central Pacific (CP) Province created a podcast, Called to Action, which features sisters, lay colleagues, associates and SSND ministry leaders in our communities. The conversations in each season cover the five Shalom focus areas of Care of Creation, Immigration and Refugees, Human Trafficking, Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace and Racial Justice.

Subscribe to their podcast, Called to Action, through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A new episode is released every other week!

You can also listen to recordings of last three seasons and get caught up in season four from their website.

Support Full Circle Healing Farm in Milwauke

February 08, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Full Circle Healing Farm is a family-run, small-scale regenerative farm that is focused on food justice, racial justice, and providing access to fresh food and healing of mind, body and spirit to families in the Milwaukee metro area.

Full Circle Healing Farm: Farm, Healing Center, and Apothecary was established in the Milwaukee area in 2022. Martice Scales and wife, Amy Kroll-Scales are co-founders and run the farm with their sons, Mason and Maxwell. Their incredible story demonstrates generational healing in action. Martice is a descendent of a grandfather whose farm was swindled from him in the Jim Crow South. Martice is not only reclaiming farming, but he and Amy are paving the way for BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ farmers across the country. 

Their newest endeavor is purchasing their own farm and creating a new home for Full Circle Healing Farm, while protecting the farmland in perpetuity. They have three months to raise $1M. You are invited to join their Farmraiser Kickoff on Saturday, February 17 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at City School, 8684 N. 76th Place, Milwaukee. There will be drinks, light appetizers, and a silent auction. Suggested donation to attend is $50, paid at the door with cash or card. 

You can also contribute online to this incredible venture. The CSA JPIC Office has made a donation. Please share this information with your friends, potential donors, and potential low-zero-interest loan partners. 

Pictured below are members of the LCWR-9 justice promoters and the Nuns & Nones Land Justice Project, now called Land Justice Futures. Visit www.landjusticefutures.org

 

Journeys with Dementia

January 25, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Earlier this month, in a recent presentation by Susan McFadden, co-founder of the Fox Valley Memory Project in Wisconsin, I learned some encouraging and meaningful things. Most notably is that all 72 counties in Wisconsin have dementia care specialists whose job description includes encouraging social opportunities for people with dementia. Actually, the word “dementia,” as Susan describes, is going away and will soon be replaced with a term that carries less stigma - “neurogenic disorders” or NGDs. More and more families, medical staff and caretakers are using the specific name of their loved one’s type of NGD when describing their disease.

Wisconsin is home to at least 130 “memory cafes” which are free social events designed for people living with memory loss and their caregivers. This is the most of any U.S. state, according to one national tracker. Other programs such as SPARK are located throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee and Colorado. They provide programs for people with memory loss and their caregivers. 

Susan’s presentation took me back to the learnings from another presentation that CSA Regional Coordinators invited me to last October. The presentation, “Journeying with Sisters and Loved Ones with Dementia '' was presented by Dayna Hurst, a dementia and memory care specialist and consultant with the National Religious Retirement Office. It was from Dayna that I first learned that “dementia” is the umbrella word for several types of diseases to include Alzheimer’s Lewy Body, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy dementia, alcohol-related dementia, and others. Through Dayna I also learned a few ways to physically support our friends and family with a form of dementia, but maybe most impactful was learning how to support our loved one emotionally, as well as ourselves. Dayna stressed we need to let go of what was, let go of our own agenda, to accept that we are the ones who have to change because our loved ones no longer can, and of course, to support our own wellbeing.  

For these reasons, I was grateful to hear from Susan recently and to learn of the many wonderful opportunities our state offers for respite care, caregiver support, dementia education, and more. Unfortunately, many of these programs require participants to be able to ambulate without assistance, feed and toilet themselves, and interact socially with others, so these programs do not work for those with severe cases of dementia and additional medical issues.

But these efforts for others must continue to expand. In a January 2, 2024 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it was reported that as of 2020 there are an estimated 120,000 Wisconsinites over the age of 65 living with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. We know those numbers will only continue to grow as Wisconsin’s population ages. Read the full article.

This has all grabbed my attention of late as one who is currently watching dear friends struggle with multiple diseases, including one or two types of dementia or “NGD.” It’s been as difficult to watch my friend slip away from her diseases as it is to watch her husband fight his stress, depression, and exhaustion in caring for her.

 

New Braver Angels Podcast

January 11, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the political divide. When all voices are heard, civic renewal grows.

Done with the divisiveness in our politics and dreading the 2024 presidential election? Ready to transform yourself and possibly others? Host Monica Guzman is joined by guests from across the political spectrum to unearth tools, insights, and messy real life stories that can guide you over the divide in your everyday life. So whether you’re Red, Blue, or something entirely different, “A Braver Way” will help you hear and be heard by people who confound you.

The most recent podcast, “Can we fix what COVID broke?” was released in two parts this week. Find “A Braver Way” wherever you listen to your podcasts or listen online.

In addition to their podcasts, Braver Angels identifies films for people to watch on their own and then offers an opportunity for an online discussion. Learn more here. Their next online film discussion is happening January 11 at 7 pm CT regarding the film: “Democracy and Faith Under Siege: Responding to Christian Nationalism.” For those without the time to watch a film, I imagine you will learn quite a bit just from the discussion! 

Watch the film: 

 

Youth Powered for Unity Fights Hate & Extremism

January 11, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Community Powered, a project of Wisconsin Humanities that helps Wisconsin communities unearth and tell local stories, is piloting a new program as part of the White House’s United We Stand initiative on hate crimes, violence, and domestic extremism.

During March, April, or May 2024, they will train 5-10 high-school-age youth to serve as facilitators in various locations throughout the state. Training will be done in two parts:  A 1-day training for youth facilitators and then a 2-hour community conversation open to the broader public. The skills taught in this training will focus on planning and organizing conversations, fostering engagement and addressing conflict, and communicating difficult material to a varied audience.

Wisconsin Humanities is currently seeking partners to help implement these training sessions in communities throughout Wisconsin. Interested organizations or individuals are encouraged to join a Zoom meeting on Thursday, January 25 at 1pm. Details are available by contacting Benny Witkovsky (benny.witkovsky@wisconsinhumanities.org

Read the history and the outreach flier

 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - A National Day of Service

January 11, 2024
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

On Monday, January 15, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed in the United States. We honor his leadership in the struggle to dismantle racism and to promote justice, peace, and the beloved community. As we embrace his struggle today, and as we remember his inspiring words and life’s witness, we invite you to spend time with this reflection resource. This year, The King Center is sponsoring a Beloved Community Teach-In with free resources. Learn more about The King Center

MLK Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to help improve their community. All are encouraged to find events in your area or consider other opportunities to serve here

For those living in the Fond du Lac community, there are several opportunities for building community and providing service:

  1. Sunday, January 14, at 3 pm, the FDL Area Ministerial Alliance (FAMA) is planning a virtual MLK service at the Bread of Life Cathedral of Hope. No registration required. Simply log into the Zoom call.  (If the link fails, use Meeting ID: 820 0966 0958   Passcode: 4hMAgW)
  2. Monday, January 15, area high school students are invited to the CSA Motherhouse for a special intergenerational, heart-led dialogue with Sisters and Associates, focusing on anti-racism and bigotry. The 11 am-2 pm event includes a pizza lunch. Registration required.
  3. Marian University (45 S.National Ave, FDL) hosts two events on January 15 
    1. Annual Community Prayer Breakfast
    2. A reading of the Dr.Martin Luther King Letter from Birmingham Jail from 12:15 - 12:45 pm in Dorcas Chapel
  4. 33rd Annual Fox Cities MLK Celebration at Lawrence University (510 E. College Ave, Appleton) on January 15 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. There will be a musical performance and a keynote speaker. Click for more information.

To find opportunities to perform acts of service throughout FDL County, visit Fondy Volunteers.

 

Systemic Racism Wins at the UW Board of Regents

December 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents reversed itself last Wednesday and voted to approve a Republican-brokered deal that would unlock pay raises for employees and fund UW-Madison’s new engineering building in exchange for slimming its diversity, equity and inclusion staffing.

The board had previously rejected the plan in a 9-8 vote, but days later, three regents who initially voted against it flipped their votes, resulting in a 11-6 vote to approve the deal, which Democrats, the UW-Madison student government and members of the Legislature’s Black Caucus called racist and discriminatory. Read the full story

Read the full resolution.

In an AP News article, Bob Atwell, a member of the UW Board of Regents, was quoted to say: “Politics is how the sausage is made, unless we prefer tyranny.” In this same article, it was noted that Assembly Republican Speaker Robin Vos, who brokered the deal with Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, tweeted that the plan is the first step in a continuing GOP effort “to eliminate these cancerous DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) practices on UW campuses.” Yes, you read that correctly - blatant racism on full display. Read the full article.

Yet, there is some hope for humanity…Board of Regents member Angela Adams, who voted against the plan both times said, “the very premise of this deal is a nonstarter. I did not join this board to be thrust into political gamesmanship. Supporting DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) on campus is not something we should be exchanging, in my opinion, for dollars.”

What are the students saying? Read this call to action.

Forbes.com is also covering this story.

Pope Francis Allows Priests to Bless Same-Sex Couples

December 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

In Pope Francis’ new, signed document, he distinguishes between different types of blessings and opens the way for blessings to be given to same-sex couples, but still makes it clear a blessing is not the same as a sacrament of marriage.

In a NY Times article from December 18, 2023, reporter Jason Horowitz reports: “The new rule was issued in a declaration, a rare and important Vatican document, by the church’s office on doctrine and introduced by its head, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who said that the declaration did not amend “the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage,” because it allowed no liturgical rite that could be confused with the sacrament of marriage.” Read the full article.

As one might imagine, many media sources are covering this newly developed story. Here is a similar article from America Magazine.

…and another from NCR

In this article, Father James Martin, S.J., editor at large for American magazine, calls the announcement an early Christmas present. Merry Christmas one and all!

 

Ojibwe Storytelling Series

December 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

In Ojibwe culture, winter is storytelling season. The Wisconsin Historical Society is celebrating by featuring Ojibwe storytellers in a four-part virtual series in January.

Tune in virtually each Tuesday evening at 7 pm from January 9 - 30, 2024 to hear from Ojibwe storytellers from the Lac Courte Oreilles, Sokaogon, Lac du Flambeau and Bad River Tribes. This is the third year the Wisconsin Historical Society is hosting this series, which has brought in listeners from across the state, country and globe to listen to and learn from Ojibwe narrators.

Register now to save your spot!

White Supremacy and American Christianity

December 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

In October 2023, Network offered its third installment of White Supremacy and American Christianity. A powerful series led by the wisdom of Dr. Robert Jones and Fr. Bryan Massingale.

Network has created a new reflection/discussion guide for anyone to use as you watch the final webinar. Please share with your friends, community members, and anyone else who might be interested.

If you have not had a chance to watch White Supremacy and American Christianity, you can access all three installments on Network’s website.

Milwaukee Housing, Race, and Equity Workshops

December 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity’s Housing, Race and Equity Workshop is a 2-hour interactive, discussion based, opportunity to better understand how local history has impacted our housing patterns. By examining primary sources and data maps, we’ll seek to understand how segregated housing was a conscious institutional choice and the very real effect these decisions have had on the Milwaukee metro. After looking at recent housing trends, we’ll have the opportunity to make a commitment to affordable housing and learn a few ways to take informed action.

Agenda:

In Activity 1, we explore the health of Milwaukee today using data maps that document various physical, mental, social, and economic indicators.

For Activity 2, we use a historical timeline chronicling both national and local events from 1896 to 1968 to understand the roots of Milwaukee’s segregated housing.

With Activity 3, we review some of the key federal legislation and the critical local socio-economic factors that affected housing in Milwaukee since 1968.

Activity 4 highlights some of the important housing challenges facing Milwaukee today, along with the initiatives driving the current momentum towards more equitable housing, as well as what you can do to create positive change.

The workshop is offered from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. on numerous dates in the first half of 2024 (all sessions are the same), so you can pick the date that works best for you:

  • January 17
  • February 15
  • March 13
  • April 10

All sessions are in-person. 

Registration is at Housing, Race and Equity Workshop Sign Ups. Individuals can also sign up to be on the email list for future opportunities via this same link!

Monthly Learning: Recognizing our Biases and the role of Media

December 07, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Each month, we will share a new topic and and provide a list of the resources to help you explore. 

Recommended Resources:

8th Annual Black Nativity

December 07, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

"Black Nativity by Langston Hughes returns for its 8th Annual Holiday Musical Production, December 7-10, in Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall. Hughes’ joyous holiday musical is a testament to his timeless work, telling the story of the Nativity through a combination of scripture, poetry, dance and song from the African-American perspective."

Tickets are $50 each.

Learn more and get tickets.

Protect Native Land and Sacred Spaces from Fossil Fuel Extraction

December 07, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Native Organizers Alliance has worked to support the Greater Chaco Coalition in their call on the Biden Administration to protect Chaco Canyon and to respond with urgency to the acceleration of threats to our sacred places from climate change and fossil fuel extraction.

Urge Interior Secretary Haaland to move forward with the Honoring Chaco Initiative to protect the region from extraction industries and prioritize the health of its communities in a sustainable environment. 

Providing Sensory-Friendly Access to Mass

December 07, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Immaculate Conception Parish will be hosting a Sensory Friendly Mass at Noon on Sunday, December 10, 2023. A special invitation is extended to any person (and their families) with sensory issues. This includes autism, developmental disabilities, mental health issues and those with Alzheimer's and dementia. This Mass will provide softer and less dynamic music, dimmer lighting, and pictorial resources for those with special needs. 

Read the full story to learn more about what to expect and future 2024 dates

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Oh, No! Not CRT!

December 07, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The renowned , presented: "Oh, No!  Not CRT!! Undoing Distortions and Misinformation" on November 18, 2023. Professor Ladson-Billings is a nationally renowned expert on Critical Race Theory, and on how to teach in culturally diverse classrooms, with a particular eye to what makes teachers successful teaching African American students. 

The Creating Beloved Community team of Taking a Faithful Stand for Equity consists of leaders from: Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, MICAH, Wisconsin Council of Churches, Wisconsin Council of Rabbis, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, and WISDOM. Taking a Faithful Stand for Equity started as a one time teaching webinar whose work expanded into a statewide campaign working on equity with a particular focus on what is happening in our schools. Currently this group gathers for monthly webinars featuring speakers on a variety of topics related to equity and a time for local organizing around the state. 

Dr. Ladson-Billings challenges us to 3 E’s - Education, Experiences, and Expand (circle of friends). As CSA engages in the study of racism, this particular webinar is highly recommended. Please watch the 1-hour recording here:

Dr. Ladson-Billings also suggests the book, “And We are Not Saved” by Derrick Bell.

Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice also offers this list of resources for combating racism

They also offer many additional videos on YouTube.

A Look at the Other Side of American History, the Untold Stories

November 16, 2023
By submitted by CSA Associate, Kelly Robe and Sister Dolores Lytle, CSA

"We never learned this in school" is often heard while discussing Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States.  

Although we're familiar with stories of successful Americans (many of us have lived through most of the twentieth century), Zinn's book invites us to look at history from the side of women, factory workers, Native Americans, African Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers from Columbus' arrival through President Clinton's first term. Our country's battles for fair wages, eight-hour workdays, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, and racial equality have been fought at a grassroots level against violent resistance.  

Reading about rampant racism, robber barons, unionizing workers, attacks on Native Americans and foreigners, inflation, soaring market prices, and the inequality of women elicits a sense of deja vu--there's nothing new under the sun.  

Our Declaration of Independence says all of us have an equal right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet our American system of government supports the interests of the wealthy.  Racism and other inequalities are still alive and well in the land of the free. Contrary to familiar narratives we grew up with, the United States has not always welcomed the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free. Systemic inequality and economic oppression have not resulted in a smooth melting pot of diversity. America is not always the hero on a white horse fighting for the underdog, but rather a shrewd corporate machine that selectively becomes involved in war for economic and political gain. It's easy to hold the belief that our system is broken; what's not easy is examining history in detail and concluding the system is operating exactly as it was designed.  

This book invites us to hear the evening news differently. When troops are assembled for war, what must their families and jobs relinquish? When whole neighborhoods are destroyed, how are they made livable again? Who cares for the wounded and buries the dead? Our hope is that A People's History of the United States will broaden our understanding of the social and political pressures of our day. We must look for those who are disenfranchised and abandoned and find ways to support them fully living the values expressed in our country's founding declarations. 

(There is a copy of Howard Zinn’s book, “A People’s History of the United States” in the CSA JPIC Resource Library.)
 
 

Preparing for Elections in 2024

November 16, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The theme for the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin this year is “Preparing for Elections of 2024.” Read the Issues Briefing

Three days of programming were recently aired and the recordings are now available.

Watch to learn what voters face in 2024 and beyond. From redistricting, to protecting election workers, to tearing down barriers that prevent access to vote, our democracy has never been more at risk.

Thurs, November 9 - Setting the Stage: Redistricting in Wisconsin

Sat, November 11 - Citizen Action at the State Level: Wisconsin Constitutional Amendments

Tues, November 14 - Overcoming Barriers to Voting & Election Administration Challenges

 

Resources to Honor Native American Heritage Month

November 16, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

I have been impressed by so many articles and activities that I have come across, or that have been shared with me, that I must share with all of you!

First, since May of this year, CSA has been sponsoring a monthly series at Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts called, The Art of Storytelling. November is the last month and will feature “storyteller” Jessica Ryan, Vice-Chair of Brothertown Indian Nation. This will happen on Friday, November 17 at 11 AM in the Cafe 1906 room of Thelma - 51 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac. In addition to sharing Brothertown’s story and some traditions, community members are invited to weave a red willow dreamcatcher to bring home. This is a free event. All welcome to join and help celebrate National Native American Month with the community’s local tribe.

Second, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offered a series of three stories that highlight indigenous knowledge of nature. The first title of the series really says it all - their knowledge is key to navigating climate change, but will enough people listen? I trust you will enjoy these easy, but thought-provoking, reads: 

Great Lakes tribes’ knowledge of nature could be key to navigating climate change. Will enough people listen?

Indigenous approach to agriculture could change our relationship with food. And help the land in the process.

Tribes do their part to keep air clean. Now, they want to make sure pollution from afar doesn’t put that at risk.

Third, on Monday, November 27 at 6 pm, a local group of women - indigenous and non-indigenous - who have named themselves “Winnebago Water Women,” will be gathering for a Full Moon Ceremony at a local residence in Fond du Lac. If you would like more information about this or any upcoming monthly ceremonies, please contact me at tabler@csasisters.org

Lastly (even though I know there are many, many more), PBS Wisconsin Education offers engaging Wisconsin Biographies about the people who have made history and shaped our state. Their stories are geared toward children, grades 3-6, but I find them very interesting and easy to follow. I wish my teachers had access to these stories and shared them with me 4-5 decades ago!

This month’s spotlighted story features Electa Quinney: Mohican Teacher and Mentor. I hope you will take the time to watch it, share it with others, and be sure to visit the website to continue your learning about other change makers.
 

Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?…You

November 01, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Ebony Vision will host its 10th Annual “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner…You" event on November 11, 2023 from 3pm – 5pm at the FDL YMCA. This event, over the last 10 years, has brought all of the Fond du Lac community ethnic groups together to break bread and celebrate who we all are in the community, which is key to community inclusiveness (even virtually through Covid). 

All are invited to join. If you’d like to bring a dish to pass, please enter your dish with its list of ingredients (you never know who is allergic to the smallest spice) by Friday November 3rd at 5pm. Use this form: https://forms.gle/krrfWmQkeVWZZt4v9 

This annual event is named after the 1967 American romantic comedy drama film with the same name. The movie, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner starred Spencer Tracy (his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn. The film was one of the few films of the time to depict an interracial marriage in a positive light, as interracial marriage historically had been illegal in manu U.S. states. It was still illegal in 17 states, until June 12, 1967, six months before the film was released. In 2017, on its 50th anniversary, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. 

In addition to a fabulous, inclusive dinner, guests can try their luck at a 50/50 raffle, which will help support the mission of Ebony Vision, which is to impact and improve the Fond du Lac Community and surrounding areas through unified efforts that educate and enhance the African American culture. 

 

November is Native American Heritage Month

November 01, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. has resulted in a whole month designated for that purpose.

The Sisters of St Agnes commit to being good stewards of the land, to showing special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions, and to collaborating with First Nation People today on issues that impact our common home, and the common good. All are challenged to commit to some action during the month to support the Indigenous voice. Multiple online discussions, events and ceremonies can be found on the Native American Heritage Month website. This Web portal is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

Pictured: Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of Interior; the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet Secretary.

Wisconsin Sisters celebrate Native American Heritage Month in Numerous Ways

November 01, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Join CSA at the last session of Thelma’s Art of Storytelling, which will feature the stories and heritage of the Brothertown Indian Nation, and partake in other relevant programs across the state.

The Congregation of Sisters of St Agnes (CSA) has sponsored the speaker series for Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts’ Art of Storytelling series, which started in May 2023 and will conclude on November 17. At this seventh and final event, Jessica Ryan, Vice-Chair of the Brothertown Indian Nation will provide insightful information about the history and culture of the Brothertown and their heritage in Fond du Lac, WI.

This is a free community offering and CSA is hoping for a great turn out. Please plan to attend! The program starts at 11 a.m. on November 17 in the Cafe 1906 room at Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac.


Additionally, the Sinsinawan Dominican Sisters have several events planned throughout Native American Heritage Month. Visit their website to learn more: https://www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter/events/

New Ways Ministry welcomed at Vatican

October 19, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

In a moment once unimaginable, Sister Jeannine, SL, met with Pope Francis to thank him for his openness to blessing same-sex unions, as well as for his opposition to the criminalization of LGBTQ+ people in civil society.

The 50-minute meeting took place the afternoon of Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at Casa Santa Marta, the pope’s residence in the Vatican. Three New Ways Ministry staff members were also present at the meeting.

Read the full article from New Ways Ministry.

 

 

Team CSA Steps Up to Stomp Out Suicide

October 05, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

CSA Sisters and Staff among 136 total participants in NAMI Fond du Lac’s Second Annual Step Up to Prevent Suicide Campaign.

NAMI Fond du Lac is a local affiliate of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), a grassroots organization founded in 1979, with a mission to empower those young and old affected by mental illness and reduce stigma through support, education and outreach. One in five Americans live with a mental health condition. According to a statistic shared by the Center for Suicide Prevention, an average of 135 people are directly impacted by every death by suicide. That means 40-50% of the U.S. population is affected by suicide every year. 

NAMI Fond du Lac’s second annual Step Up to Prevent Suicide campaign was July 16 to September 9. In an effort to raise awareness and funding, supporters could sign up individually or as a team in a friendly competition with other individuals and teams to achieve the highest mileage and fundraising. All were encouraged to set a goal of 125 miles, the perimeter of Fond du Lac County. Most achieved that, and then some. 

For the second year in a row, CSA formed a team of 10 individuals, who pledged to put in steps and raise funds to support NAMI’s mission. Team CSA members included: Sisters Sue Seeby, Peg Spindler (not pictured), and Jean Salchert. Sister Jean received the team's MVP Award, not only for raising the most funds by appealing to her generous friends and family, but also because she was a top “stepper” on the team and increased her total mileage almost weekly. Others on Team CSA were staff members: Chelsea Koenigs, Dena Rose Kryzanowski, Dusty Krikau, Jenny Lukowski, Lisa Schuler, Suzanne Flood, and Tracy Abler. Both Lisa and Tracy shared that they are personally close to individuals who suffer from mental illness and/or have committed suicide, and they walked for them.

Team CSA walked nearly 2,500 miles of the total 31,500 recorded during the campaign and donated and raised nearly $1,000. We give thanks to all who supported our team so we could support others through the mission of NAMI.

 

 

U.S. Celebrates 3rd Annual Indigenous Peoples Day

October 05, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a U.S. national holiday in 2021 to honor Native American peoples and to recognize their cultures and contributions to our society. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated the second Monday in October; this year it is October 9. Here in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Brothertown Indian Nation will be celebrating their 40th annual Homecoming on October 21. The celebration is held at their community center, 311 Winnebago Drive. It is a special time for members to gather and reconnect with relatives, to learn, share, dance, shop, and eat together. Simply, it is a time to engage in culture.The public is welcome to attend! View this flyer for details.

 

Visit brothertownindians.org to learn more about Brothertown’s Heritage and Culture. 

Additionally, you can honor Indigenous Peoples Day by:

Free Leonard Peltier

October 05, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Native movement leader Leonard Peltier has been unjustly imprisoned for nearly 50 years; he is the longest-incarcerated political prisoner in U.S.history. Mr. Leonard was targeted for his leadership role in the American Indian Movement for Indigenous rights and sovereignty and must be set free.

For his 79th birthday a few weeks ago, relatives at NDN Collective led a 1,600 mile caravan from Pine Ridge Reservation to Washington, D.C.. Hundreds marched and rallied at the White House, and 35 Indigenous activists and allies were arrested as part of a direct action calling on President Biden to free Leonard.

Only President Biden has the power to release Peltier from federal prison, and he will only do so with enough public pressure. Groups like Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, gathered 90,000 petition signatures so far, and we’d like to get to 100,000 signatures before Rep. Raúl Grijalva delivers the petitions to President Biden this Friday, October 6th ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 9th).

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for Leonard’s immediate release and said that Peltier “continues to be detained because he is Native American.”

Leonard is locked in a cage for a crime he did not commit. While in prison, Leonard has endured years of medical neglect and torturous solitary confinement.

As the longest-incarcerated political prisoner in our country, Leonard was targeted for his leadership role in the American Indian Movement for Indigenous rights and sovereignty.

To convict Leonard, the FBI withheld and falsified key evidence and coerced witnesses to lie (they all later retracted their statements). During the trial, one of the jurors even admitted to prejudice against Peltier for being Native.

Please sign and share the petition calling on President Biden to correct this outrageous injustice. Leonard Peltier deserves to live out his days with his family on his ancestral homelands.

Monthly Learning: Becoming Anti-Racist

September 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Each month, we will share a new topic and and provide a list of the resources to help you explore. This month, we invite you to “Define Race and forms of Racism.”

Recommended Resources:

What if… in 1977 there really was a great example of Anti-Racism?

September 21, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The Social Justice Ministry at Holy Trinity in Washington, DC seeks to assist parishioners in deepening their relationship with God through acts of justice.

They are inviting you to join a restorative justice webinar on September 23 at 9 AM CT to hear how God used the relationship of two men to shape their future careers, help them navigate life’s challenges, both blessing and suffering, and demonstrate God’s love for all God’s creation, “every tribe and tongue.”

Ken Boretti and Carl Reid grew up in different worlds. Ken, a cradle Catholic, is of Irish and Italian descent and hails from Beverly, Massachusetts. Carl is African American and was the product of the military community which was integrated by President Truman’s Executive Order 9981 in 1948. By 1977, Carl had lived in Fort Bliss Texas, the Panama Canal Zone and was graduating from high school in Hampton Roads, Virginia, home to three military installations. Boston, just 24 miles from Beverly, was a flash point for race relations as parents resisted busing measures to integrate schools, sometimes violently. Despite these differences, Ken and Carl [as roommates] became close friends and brothers in Christ at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. 

Walk with them a moment to hear their story. Register here.

Reckoning with Dangerous Memories in the History of U.S. Catholic Women’s Religious Life

September 07, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The Center for the Study of Consecrated Life presents an online event which will overview the mostly unreconciled histories of slavery and segregation in U.S. women’s religious life as well as some notable attempts to make reparation for the enduring sin of anti-Black racism and exclusion within Catholic boundaries. 

Dr. Shannen Dee Williams, a historian of the African American experience with research and teaching specializations in women’s religious and Black freedom movement history is the featured speaker for the free, online event titled, “Reckoning with Dangerous Memories in the History of U.S. Catholic Women’s Religious Life” on September 27 at 5 pm CT.  Learn more and register here. 

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Williams is also speaking on September 13 on a similar topic. Details were included in this article from the August 17 edition of Bending the Arc.

 

Challenge Day Returns to Fond du Lac High School: Volunteers Needed

August 17, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

An important 4-day interactive program helps area high school students experience their power to affect change and to discover the humanity they all share.

Challenge Day is a daylong experiential workshop for students in 7th - 12th grades. What began as an anti-bullying program has become so much more to people around the world. Participants experience powerful love and belonging, connect across lines of difference and move toward creating the culture they want in their schools and communities.

United for Diversity is teaming up with the Fond du Lac School District in offering a Challenge Day experience to every freshman student this fall, over the course of four days, October 16-19, 2023. This will be the seventh year Challenge Day has come to the Fond du Lac High School. School administrators praise the event noting they’ve seen immediate results in student behaviors, engagement, empathy and understanding. 

The cost to bring two trained facilitators in from California and to offer students lunch and snacks throughout each day is over $17,000. Event organizers, led by Scott Rodman, have started to receive generous support from organizations, businesses, and individuals in the community including the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes JPIC Office. In addition to funding, approximately 100 adult volunteers are needed to make this event happen, 25 per day. Volunteers are present to facilitate small groups, keep an eye on behaviors, and participate in a supportive role. As a past volunteer, I can attest to the powerful dynamics of the day. It is an emotional experience as you watch youth transform right before your eyes. Oprah Winfrey has said, “This is how we change the world.” Watch her video and others here. 

 

The next monthly offering of Thelma’s Art of Storytelling, sponsored by CSA, will be held on Friday, August 18, at 11 am. Scott Rodman is the featured speaker and will be talking about Challenge Day and the need and role of volunteers. The public is invited. See details here.

 

If you are interested in being a volunteer for any one or more of these days, or have questions, please email tabler@csasisters.org or call 920-907-2315.

 

Difficult Searches for Black Catholic Nun History

August 17, 2023
By Dusty Krikau

Join the Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious for a free webinar about the barriers still in place when researching the history of US Black Catholic women and girls.

Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious is presenting the webinar Still Mining the Forgotten: US Black Catholic Women and Girls and the Challenges of the Archive with Dr. Shannen Dee Williams.

Wednesday, September 13
2 PM Eastern, 1 PM Central, 12 PM Mountain, 11 AM Pacific.

This webinar is free to attend, but registration is required: https://forms.gle/4CQtrvJ228t6YMu19  

 

About the webinar:

Scholars of US Black Catholic women and girls, religious and lay, face a host of barriers in the fight to recover, reclaim, and write histories of their subjects. This presentation will outline these core barriers as well as consider the politics, challenges, and necessity of building traditional and nontraditional archives for this largely overlooked group of American Catholic women.

About the presenter:

Dr. Shannen Dee Williams is Associate Professor of History at the University of Dayton. A historian of the African American experience with research and teaching specializations in women’s, religious and Black freedom movement history, Williams is the author of Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle, which was published by Duke University Press in May 2022. Subversive Habits was named a top five book published in religion by Publishers' Weekly in 2022. It also received the 2022 Letitia Woods Brown Award for Best Book in African American Women's History from the Association of Black Women Historians.

Dr. Williams’s research been supported by a host of fellowships, grants and awards, including a Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, a Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Fellowship in Religion and Ethics from the Woodrow Wilson National Foundation, an Albert J. Beveridge Grant from the American Historical Association and the John Tracy Ellis Dissertation Award from the American Catholic Historical Association. Her work has been published in the Journal of African American History, American Catholic Studies, the Washington Post, America Magazine, and National Catholic Reporter. 

 

Monthly Learning: Define Race and forms of Racism

August 03, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Each month, we will share a new topic and and provide a list of the resources to help you explore. This month, we invite you to “Define Race and forms of Racism.”

Recommended Resources:

International Day of Indigenous Peoples 2023

August 03, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The United Nations observes World’s Indigenous People on August 9th and offers resources and stories of hope and struggle. In 2023, it recognizes indigenous youth as agents of change for self-determination.

Violations of the rights of the world's Indigenous Peoples have become a persistent problem, sometimes because of a historical burden from their colonization backgrounds and others because of the contrast with a constantly changing society.

In response to this problem, let’s remember every August 9 that Indigenous Peoples have the right to make their own decisions and carry them out meaningfully and culturally appropriate to them.

In this context of demand for self-determination, Indigenous youth are working as agents of change at the forefront of some of the most pressing crises facing humanity today. Learn more here.

Join the August 9 Commemoration Event where speakers will share their expertise and experience about the role of indigenous youth in exercising self-determination in the context of climate action and the green transition, mobilizing for justice, and intergenerational connections. 

 

13th National Black Catholic Congress

July 20, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The 13th National Black Catholic Congress theme is “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive.” The scriptural basis for the theme comes from Habakkuk 2:2−4: “Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write down the vision; Make it plain upon tablets, so that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is a witness for the appointed time, a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint. If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. See, the rash have no integrity; but the just one who is righteous because of faith shall live.’” 

“Like Habakkuk, we must lament about what has been going on and struggle to understand how God is present,” says Rev. Raymond Harris, who also provides these other spiritual considerations and wisdom regarding the 2023 theme.

In a National Catholic Reporter article from July 18, 2023, Marianist Sr. Nicole Trahan, chair of the board of the National Religious Vocations Conference, states, “The Congress is an opportunity to respond to two challenges: that religious congregations and seminaries are not racially representative of the U.S. Catholic church, and that young people of all races are walking away from the Catholic faith or, for most, they’re just walking away from faith in general.

The four-day event, held at National Harbor in Maryland, will feature a keynote address by Cardinal Wilton Gregory. Gregory, who has served as Washington's archbishop since 2019, was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2020. The 2023 Congress will be the first time the event is held with a Black cardinal. Learn more here: https://www.nbccgathering2023.org/Home

 

The Humanity Project concludes with participants exploring their Privileges

July 06, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Pictured are participants in line for the Privilege Walk, listening for instructions.

On June 6, 2023, members of the virtual 2022-2023 cohort of The Humanity Project: Telling the Untold Story met in person for their final session at the CSA Motherhouse. Sisters and Associates joined members of the Fond du Lac community in monthly virtual sessions that engaged in topics such as race as a social construct; segregation through red lining, white flight, and divestment in urban communities; racism in education and criminal justice systems; the war on drugs and black criminalization; how media informs our implicit bias; and concluded by exploring white fragility and privilege. 

The Privilege Walk activity was chosen for the end of the year and not the beginning as it requires trust and a sense of safety for all participants; something that is gained throughout the monthly sessions together. Twenty-seven statements were made and participants were asked to take a step forward or back as they applied. For example, if either of your parents graduated from college, take one step forward. Or, if you were ever stopped by the police because they felt you were suspicious, take one step backward. After all statements were made, participants quietly looked around to see where they were standing and where others were. It was a powerful activity that left many seeing the unspoken advantages the dominant culture has over people, especially people of color. The session leaders gave other examples of how our society has not treated everyone equally. In many ways (wealth, language, gender, skin color, sexuality, ability, education, body size, mental  health, etc.) we value certain traits and experiences preferentially, giving others privilege and power.

 

The Privilege Walk is based on the work of Peggy McIntosh’s article called, “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” This activity can also be done with a partner or a small group of people using this worksheet

You may also enjoy this 18-minute YouTube TEDxTalk from Peggy McIntosh - “How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion.”

 

Movement Leaders Dream Big for Reparations

July 06, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

YES! launched a series of interviews conducted in Atlanta at a recent conference organized by the Decolonizing Wealth Project.The Alight, Align, Arise conference helped to mobilize the movement for reparations for Black Americans.

For more than 40 years, a bill to establish a Congressional commission to consider reparations to Black Americans has languished in Congress. House Resolution 40, originally drafted by the late Rep. John Conyers, has been introduced in every congressional session since 1989. 

Reparations are about more than just a check or financial restitution. At their root, reparations are about repair—recognizing the historic and ongoing harm caused by the trans-Atlantic slave trade and all that followed, including Jim Crow segregation, voter suppression, continued police violence, and ongoing systemic racism in housing, employment, education, and more. 

Read more from YES! magazine here >>

Kicking off Pride Month with Authentic Conversations!

June 15, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

On June 1, 2023, the CSA Leadership Team joined other sisters, staff, and community leaders for a powerful presentation of one person’s journey to conscious living as a transgendered person.

CSA partnered with the Arc Fond du Lac to bring Dr. Elijah Nicholas to Moraine Park Technical College to kick off Pride Month with LGBTQIA+ training. Dr. Nicholas (he, him, his) took a room of Fond du Lac community members on a fascinating journey through his own conscious living and his gender transition, while helping others to understand: gender and sexuality, what thriving looks like, why pronouns matter, and conscious-driven decision making.

The purpose of the training was to provide a safe environment for discussions that lead to authentic employee inclusion, genuine welcoming of all employees, and understanding/empathizing with differences within the organization. Among the many facts Dr. Nicholas shared, he noted that trans individuals are twice as likely to be unemployed and cisgender employees make 32% more money per year than transgender employees. He also referenced a Cornell study in 2018, indicating 93% of peer reviewed research demonstrated that “gender transition” improves the overall well-being of transgender people (Cornell University, 2018). They thrive in the workplace when the whole work team transitions with them. Of course, this takes work, and why it is important for organizations to have policies and practices in place to support not only the person transitioning, but those around them. 

Scott Rodman, a United for Diversity board member, was one of the attendees, and thought “it was an excellent program.” He continued to share, “Since I’ve been a friend of a transgendered woman for 5+ years, I thought I understood the problems that trans people have. I do, but there is always something more you can learn from this kind of presentation. The speaker shared intimate emotions and feelings about his trauma from childhood to adulthood. It made me dig deeper about how I can be a better friend and it made me appreciate that she considers me to be a trusted friend with whom she has shared her life story.“   

Pride Month is an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to history, society and cultures worldwide. In most places, Pride is celebrated throughout the month of June each year in commemoration of its roots in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. However, in some areas—especially in the Southern Hemisphere—pride events occur at other times of the year. Read more here: https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/pride-month

For the latest Catholic LGBTQIA+ updates, subscribe to New Ways Ministry mailing list: https://www.newwaysministry.org/

Here in Fond du Lac, Pride Picnic is celebrated at Lakeside Park on Sunday, June 25 from Noon to 8 pm. Watch this video to learn more.

Celebrating Juneteenth - June 19, 2023

June 15, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. President Joe Biden signed the bill  on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth the eleventh American federal holiday and the first to obtain legal observance as a federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was designated in 1983.

The holiday commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation in the U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation to free enslaved African Americans in secessionist states on January 1, 1863, but enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, would not learn of their freedom until two years later.

On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed the community of Galveston of Lincoln's proclamation. Though it was issued years prior, enslavers were held responsible for telling the enslaved they were free, and some ignored the directive. Maj. Gen. Gordon demanded Galveston locals comply with the proclamation.

More than half of states will recognize Juneteenth as an official public holiday in 2023. Find out where your state stands here.

Locally, here in Fond du Lac, CSA is a co-sponsor of Ebony Vision’s 15th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, which will be held on Saturday, June 17th from 11 am to 5 pm at Buttermilk Creek Park. CSA is committed to developing mutual relationships through education, awareness of culture, and history. Sisters and Associates will be on hand to meet and greet Fond du Lac community residents and update visitors on the work of CSA, as well as provide a fun children’s activity. 

Pictured here is Sister Josephine Goebel helping a young man consider his place on CSA’s “Tower of Love” project at last year’s Juneteenth event.

Looking for something to do on your own time? Consider watching the film, “Who We Are - A Chronicle of Racism in America.” Using humor, heartbreak, passion, and outrage, Jeffery Robinson interweaves storytelling, interviews, archival and present-day video footage, to provide an illuminating and sobering account of racism in the United States. Watch the movie trailer here. 

 

Whose Earth is it? Decolonizing Echotheology

June 01, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Jawanza Eric Clark discusses his book, Reclaiming Stolen Earth: An Africana Ecotheology in a powerful lecture, co-sponsored by four religious organizations in the New York area during Laudato Si' Week 2023.

In his work, Dr. Clark argues that the problem of impending ecological devastation cannot be solved without a repudiation of the whiteness that created it. This means naming and rejecting white epistemological hubris, which objectifies the land and misunderstands the spiritual potency of nature, and creating space for formerly colonized and oppressed perspectives to inform our response to ecocide and make their contribution to the restoration of the Earth.


Please watch “Whose Earth Is it? Decolonizing Echotheology

California task force on Slavery Reparations is starting to bear fruit

June 01, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

On May 18, 2023, the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes joined the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas’ Justice Team and several other local, state, and national Catholic organizations, congregations, parishes, etc. in endorsing the historic work of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-American Who Are Descendants of those Enslaved in the United States. Specifically, CSA endorsed the general concept of studying reparations for African Americans and promoting awareness and conversations, but not specifically the Task Force, or the Interim Report. 

Details: The California State Legislature and the California governor formed the nine-member Task Force in 2020 after the brutal murder of George Floyd (Assembly Bill 3121). The Task Force - the first in the nation – was commissioned to pursue a 3-part mandate to:

  • research/study the history and harm of slavery in California;
  • educate the public and elected leaders about its findings; and
  • explore a wide range of potential reparations as defined by international law.

The Task Force issued their first comprehensive interim report last June, 2022 and began holding public hearings: lifting up the history, dispelling myths, proposing possible approaches to address the intergenerational harm in health, housing, education, compensation, etc. Linked here is the report’s 29-page executive summary. Their work is already bearing fruit, forging new ties across race, class, culture, and religion. Another indication of its power is the escalating attacks and efforts by the right-wing news media to distort their findings as they draw near to issuing their final report. To learn more, visit: https://supportreparations.org/

 

Raising Trans Awareness and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion with Authentic Conversations

May 18, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

CSA has partnered with the Arc of Fond du Lac and United for Diversity to bring the community a special program called, "Authentic Conversations: Conscious-Driven Decision Making to Enlighten and Evolve" with Dr. Elijah Nichols. 

Dr. Nichols has helped others increase their Trans Awareness and elevate company morale without forcing change on company or culture or individual religious beliefs. All are invited to attend this in-person training session:
 

Thursday, June 1, 2023

8:00 - 9:00 Registration and Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 Presentation
10:30 - 11:00 Questions & Conversations

Moraine Park Technical College
Fond du Lac, WI
Building O, Conference Center, Room O109C

As CSA is a major sponsor for this event, there is no cost to attend if you are a CSA affiliate. Contact Tracy Abler at tabler@csasisters.org for the coupon code.

 

REGISTER HERE:
Authentic Conversations: Conscious-Driven Decision Making to Enlighten and Evolve – The Arc Fond du Lac (arcfdl.org) 

Come energize your morning with others!

 

Remembering George Floyd – May 25

May 18, 2023
By Tracy Abler and guest contributors

I vividly remember where I was the morning following the murder of George Floyd. I was working from home, physically and emotionally unable to focus on anything but the video (over and over again), the outcries of injustice, and the relentless feeling of pain, disbelief, and frustration that followed me for days. I also remember the first phone call I had with anyone that day. It was a coworker who merely agreed, “ya, how terrible” while hardly skipping a bit in her normal conversation that I was no longer able to listen to. I needed to find “my people” - others with the same emotion and need to take action. For weeks and months following, I continued to turn to those supporters, who are now my confidants, teachers, and treasured friends. These friends and I have been doing the work of telling the untold history of racism that was largely re-ignited May 25, 2020.

I think it is important to not only say his name, but to remember who George Floyd was. He was a man raised in a racially segregated and economically impoverished Houston neighborhood. He was a descendent of a formerly enslaved Black farmer, whose wealth was stripped away by the politics of white backlash. His mother grew up as one of 13  children, searching in vain for an escape from intergenerational poverty. His father was an inspiring musician with a weakness for alcohol and extramarital carousing. George himself struggled with drug addiction, frequent arrests, and a man whose muscular physical interior hid a gentle soul that battled with pain, anxiety, claustrophobia, and depression. Why did society and our criminal justice system fail to see the humanity of Mr. Floyd so badly? What have we been taught? Or maybe worse, what have we not been taught?

I co-lead a program called, The Humanity Project: Telling the Untold Story. We use videos, activities, and courageous conversations to help our participants see racism as a social construct; understand how forms of slavery and attacks on Black Americans have continued since the 13th Amendment, just in new forms and disguises; and have taken a hard look at discriminatory laws and practices that continue to create generations of wealth and education gaps and disproportionately criminalize Black men and women. 

Nearly 40 CSA Sisters and Associates have participated in The Humanity Project since its inception in 2015. The 2022-2023 program year is coming to an end. Our final session is being hosted by Motherhouse Sisters in Founders Hall on June 6th. I look forward to this in-person interaction and am grateful to CSA for their steadfast work around racial justice and its intersecting forms of bias, prejudice, and injustice.

I have invited other Sisters and Associates to also share their experiences of George Floyd’s murder and their awareness of racism today. Here are some of their responses:

“George Floyd’s murder got national recognition because a bystander took action and filmed it on her phone. Ordinary people got a national movement started because they noticed and did something. It helped me realize that some of the seemingly insignificant things I notice and do can have repercussions. The few interactions I have had in the past couple of years are anything but spectacular, yet, I hope they have sent a small ripple into the Fond du Lac community. 

"One example stands out. I was leaving St. Mary’s Church at noon one day and a Black bicycler caught my eye. I smiled and we greeted each other. As I reached the center of the street he turned around and asked me about the Church building. Then asked me to pray for him. ‘Yes’ I said, ‘but let’s get out of the middle of the street.’ He proceeded to sing a song before we prayed.  Really, the song was a part of the prayer.” - Sister Josephine Goebel, CSA

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“I live in Minneapolis and the area where George Floyd was murdered was very close to where my brother and his family live. I was going through a period of no immunity and was literally stuck in my home with a foreign exchange student from Kyrgyzstan during this time.  My children were delivering groceries to me. The rest of my family however was very active. My son and his wife and young sons went down to the area to clean up the next day.  That was what many of the residents were doing along with passing out water, food and other necessities. That area of uptown where George was murdered is now a food desert after this incident. There was a march down my street in protest and the picture of the murder of a friend of my daughter’s when he was sitting in a car with his girlfriend and young child in the back also flashed into my mind.  We set up neighborhood watches on my street and exchanged phone numbers. I saw trucks and cars with out of state plates coming into our neighborhoods to create problems. Most of the people of Minneapolis were not violent. The city has calmed down, but there needs to be more education and mental health professionals going out on calls with the police or instead of them in many cases.  I still pray that this horror makes a difference!” - CSA Associate, Lynn Barber

Read about the George Floyd Community of Care in Minneapolis.

-----

“I particularly remembered how racism affects us at Mass on Mother's Day. I recognized many people who were there but when I asked myself who was missing, I remembered the mothers and their families at the border who were trying their best to preserve lives without shelter from the sun, food, water or bathrooms for their children. We continue as a society to kneel on the necks of those who cannot defend themselves. Like George Floyd, their name is Jesus.” - CSA Associate, Mary Gorske

-----

“When I think back on this event, I recall discussions with two black women at my workplace who were not faring great in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. It's the 21st century, yet there we were, the same horrific record continued to play... They were both challenged by a sense of isolation: in many workplaces, politics and religion are taboo topics. Since no one at work was talking about George Floyd, they felt their white co-workers either were not affected by this murder, or perhaps didn't care. And before I reached out to the only black person on my team, I hesitated momentarily, unsure if I should. Does a black person really want to hear from a pasty, middle-aged white woman right now?   

"I recall my anger from the news footage, which morphed into incredulity and sorrow like the inside of a lava lamp. If a police officer really believes their life is in danger, they don't keep their hands in their pockets.  A jury agreed." - CSA Associate Kelly Robe

Kelly also shares the instructions on one of the signs at the George Floyd Memorial Square that continue to be a good reminder for her, and should be for us all:

  • ­ Decenter yourself and come to listen, learn, mourn, and witness. Remember you are here to support, not to be supported.
  • ­ Seek to contribute to the energy of the space, rather than drain it. Bring your own processing to other white folks so that you will not harm BIPOC [black and indigenous people of color.]
  • Visitors are encouraged to be ‘mindful’ of whether their “volume, pace, and movements are supporting or undermining” efforts to ‘decenter’ themselves and urges them to not take pictures of people without their consent.
  • If you witness white folks doing problematic things, speak up with compassion to take the burden off of Black folks and our siblings of color whenever appropriate. Seek to engage rather than escalate, so that it can be a learning movement rather than a disruption. 

RISE & REMEMBER.

 

Developing Mutual Relationships through the “Art of Storytelling”

May 18, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

Our CSA journey calls us to “strengthen the bond that unites us” by committing to develop mutual relationships through education and awareness of culture, history and politics. As such… 

You are invited to attend the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, “Art of Storytelling” series beginning May 19th!

The Art of Storytelling is a series of diverse storytellers in our community sharing their life experiences and stories from their cultures. CSA is sponsoring this series.

In honor of AAPI (Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander) Heritage month, the May 19th speaker is Ger Xiong. Ger will share her experiences growing up as a Hmong girl being born in a refugee camp, coming to the U.S., and how she sees the cultural changes.

The series will continue the third Friday of each month, May through November, with a start time of 11 am in Thelma’s Café 1906, 51 Sheboygan Street.  This is a free, in-person event, and open to the public (please share widely).

More details here: https://www.thelmaarts.org/event/art-of-storytelling-asian/

 

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month

May 04, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

In a country where hate crimes have increased over 100% against Asian Americans from 2020 to 2021, it is important we acknowledge and honor May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. 

The Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) announced this year’s theme is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” 

The Library of Congress, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and others join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who have enriched American’s history and are instrumental in its future success. Visit https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/ to engage in the rich art, music and culture of our AAPI siblings.

 

CONCERNING LOCAL NEWS STORY:

As outrage grows over Wausau teacher who used racial slurs, Asian community demands action

Take Action >>

 

The Freedom to Vote Act

April 19, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

The Declaration For American Democracy coalition is circulating a Freedom to Vote Act sign-on letter that they will send to Hill offices and the press around the introduction. CSA has joined this effort by signing onto the Freedom to Vote Act letter. 

The Freedom to Vote Act will finally take action against some of the largest issues plaguing our democracy. It is a critical transformative legislative package that would create national standards to protect our freedom to vote, get big money out of politics, combat parisian election subversion, and guarantee that congressional districts are drawn to give fair representation to all.  

Actions may include a Call-In Day, a Social Media Storm, and Lobby Visits. Please watch your email and social media platforms to learn how you can join in activities to lift up this bill. Your organizations can also sign on by filling out this form

 

Supporting our trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive siblings

April 06, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

March 31 marked International Day of Transgender Visibility. The CSA Leadership Team and JPIC Office joined other congregations across the country in supporting our trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive siblings by signing this statement honoring Trans Day of Visibility.

For others stirred to learn more, support or act, please consider the following:

Learn: Check if elected officials are attacking LGBTQ+ rights in your state legislature with this nationwide anti-trans bill tracker: Trans Legislation Tracker

Support: The Trevor Project, Transgender Law Center, New Ways Ministry, or another organization supporting transgender individuals

Evaluate: Assess your religious community’s capacity to fully welcome trans folks, including internal attitudes, behaviors, policies, and having gender-neutral restrooms. 

Act: Consider signing on as an individual, congregation or organization to the declaration: “Beloved by God

The Church Addresses Colonialism and the Doctrine of Discovery

April 06, 2023
By Tracy Abler, Justice Coordinator

On March 30, 2023, the Dicasteries for Culture and Education and for Promoting Integral Human Development issued a joint statement on the “Doctrine of Discovery.” The USCCB added a statement in response to include saying, “We welcome the statement’s renewed repudiation and condemnation of the violence and injustices committed against Native and Indigenous peoples, as well as the Church’s ongoing support for their dignity and human rights.” The full statement can be found here.

CSA is proud to collaborate with Pilgrim United Church of Christ, the Alliance for Justice and Brothertown Indian Nation to bring a special Blanket Exercise to Fond du Lac, WI on Friday, April 21st from 5-8 pm at Pilgrim UCC. A blanket exercise is an experiential group activity that leads participants through 500+ years of Indigenous history that highlights the relationships with European explorers, colonial settlers, and the U.S. federal and state government. Participants will learn more about the Doctrine of Discovery and how the attack on indigenous culture has also affected the environment. Brothertown Indian Nation will be providing the meal and a free will offering will be taken. Registration is free, but space is limited.

Register here to participate: https://forms.gle/dS7FnM7dvAQXArPy5

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