Free Food Distribution….resource for the whole community….
St. Cloud TIMES reported that a free food distribution will be held on Tuesday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Cloud State University in the K parking lot, across from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Produce, dairy and meat will be distributed and volunteers will load food into trunks. Those needing food will not be required to register, fill out paperwork or share identifying information. The event is hosted by Catholic Charities Emergency Service, and food is provided by Second Harvest Heartland and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. “This is a resource for the whole community and especially for those needing a little extra help right now,” said Sue Hanks, program manager. Anyone experiencing “unexpected hardship” during the pandemic is welcome to participate.
Racism: “A life issue…a real and present danger”,,,
Seven U.S. Catholic bishop chairmen of committees within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on May 29, 2020, in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Excerpts from their statement are printed below; and the complete response is available at http://www.usccb.org/news/2020/20-83.cfm Their message is a reminder to all of us that our faith calls us to oppose the injustice of racism. Thanks to Kevin LaNave of the ACC Social Ministry committee for sharing this resource with us.
“Racism is not a thing of the past or simply a throwaway political issue to be bandied about when convenient. It is a real and present danger that must be met head on. As members of the Church, we must stand for the more difficult right and just actions instead of the easy wrongs of indifference. We cannot turn a blind eye to these atrocities and yet still try to profess to respect every human life. We serve a God of love, mercy, and justice.
“While it is expected that we will plead for peaceful non-violent protests, and we certainly do, we also stand in passionate support of communities that are understandably outraged. Too many communities around this country feel their voices are not being heard, their complaints about racist treatment are unheeded, and we are not doing enough to point out that this deadly treatment is antithetical to the Gospel of Life. . . People of good conscience must never turn a blind eye when citizens are being deprived of their human dignity and even their lives. Indifference is not an option. As bishops, we unequivocally state that racism is a life issue. . .
“. . . We encourage our pastors to encounter and more authentically accompany them, listen to their stories, and learn from them, finding substantive ways to enact systemic change. Such encounters will start to bring about the needed transformation of our understanding of true life, charity, and justice in the United States. Hopefully, then there will be many voices speaking out and seeking healing against the evil of racism in our land.
“Finally, let each and every Catholic, regardless of their ethnicity, beg God to heal our deeply broken view of each other, as well as our deeply broken society.
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