A Time of Heavy Sadness. What can Catholics do?

June 4, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
I write to you today with sadness in my heart at the sudden passing of longtime parishioner Tim Neeb. Tim was one of a kind – gregarious, of generous spirit and tender hearted. My heart breaks for Deb, Angela and the Neeb family. I am thankful for the opportunity to have traveled with Tim and Deb and the other pilgrims to the Holy Land and to have blessed their marriage in Cana – on their wedding anniversary! Please keep Tim, Deb, Angela and the Neeb family in your prayers. We will announce funeral arrangements when they are finalized. Today, we will celebrate the life of another longtime Lourdes parishioner, Barbara Bye. Barbara, like Tim, was gregarious, a great storyteller and for years led a first-class tour of the Little French Church of Minneapolis. Please keep Barbara and the Bye family in your prayers.

Today, the world also mourns the senseless death of George Floyd as many will gather to celebrate the life of a man who was beloved of God. The memorial service is at 1 p.m. and there will be a link on the Lourdes website. I also invite parishioners to take part in a virtual event this evening on the Christian response to the death of George Floyd, which will include Lourdes’ parishioner Ryan Hamilton. Further details can be found in today’s Constant Contact and on the parish website.

If you are like me, you are likely experiencing a heavy sadness at this time and, perhaps, a sense of helplessness. What can Catholics do to respond in this time of need? I am linking here a piece I recently wrote for MSP Catholic, a site that serves young Catholic adults in the Twin Cities. You may find something helpful here in terms of how Catholics can respond to the present crisis.

I ask you to join me in praying for social renewal and greater justice and peace in our nation. Evidence abounds regarding the deep-seated roots of racism and racial injustice which have persisted for far too long in the United States. As a people, we must marshal the will to confront this national sin and to do the hard work of transformation and restoration. For Christians, we know that the God of mercy, justice and peace will help us in this critical work of restoration, but we must reach out to God for help.

I implore members of our community to step outside your own experience of the United States to accompany, in Christian charity, people of color in their experience of life in America, an experience which is often starkly different than our own. My transformation regarding a greater sense of racial injustice began a quarter century ago in law school as I listened to and witnessed the experience of my African American classmates. This sense and accompanying sadness and dismay have deepened as I have taught several African American law students who have shared similar experiences of injustice and harm, brought about solely because of the color of their skin.

I see a clear role for restorative practices which can provide a forum for people of color to tell their stories – stories that similarly include injustice and harm. Some may say, you are inviting or creating a culture of victimization. No, this act of accompanying another as they seek greater justice and respect is human, Christian and simply the only way to true transformation, healing and reconciliation. This type of work - truth and reconciliation - has been done effectively in South Africa and other places that have experienced deep-seated injustice. We must name and face the harm, so that authentic transformation and healing can occur. Catholic social teaching, which emphasizes the attainment of justice and human flourishing, as well as restorative practices provide particularly effective tools to help guide conversations onto greater justice and healing. Thus, it is critical that Catholic leaders – pastors, bishops and lay leaders step up in this time of need.

Next, I would like to address other matters related to the life of the parish. After consulting our Lourdes Leadership Team (LLT) and our Liturgical Logistics Group (LLG), I am pleased to announce that public Masses will resume at Lourdes, Tuesday, June 9 at 12:05 p.m. Beginning Monday, June 8, a rosary will be prayed at 12:05 for the intention of healing, justice and peace in our community and nation. Mass will be celebrated, according to guidelines developed by our LLG, Tuesday – Friday at 12:05 p.m.

Lourdes will resume weekend Masses on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 14 at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. in the church. The 10:00 a.m. Mass will continue to be livestreamed throughout the summer, including this weekend for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. We may add a Saturday evening Mass outside in the courtyard at a further date this summer, guided by demand and evidence of greater public safety in the community. Parishioners may register for weekend Masses online at this link, beginning Tuesday June 9 and through the close of business, 4:30 pm on Thursday. Or, you can call the dedicated number listed on the registration page and parish staff will enter your information on the online form for you.

The parish has a number of exciting and informative opportunities on tap for parishioners this summer, including three book clubs that will be offered, respectively, by Fr. Evans, Professor Susan Stabile and me. Information on these opportunities is forthcoming. There will be a parish-wide celebration via Zoom which will take place Thursday, June 18 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. More information will be shared with parishioners soon. And what would a Lourdes summer be without sharing the gift of music – Dr. Jacob Benda has put together a fantastic lineup of musical offerings which will be livestreamed from Lourdes.

Lastly, thanks to all of our parishioners and friends who continue to generously support the parish and our mission – your help during this challenging time is greatly appreciated! Stay well, be safe, work for justice and peace in our community and nation and remember, as always, that God loves you with a deep and abiding love. We remain United in Faith and –
United in Christ,
Fr. Daniel Griffith