Attendees Asked to "Open Wide Your Hearts" at Listening Session

In 2018 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued their pastoral letter on racism, “Open Wide Your Hearts.” The document called people to have an enduring love for people of different backgrounds.

“Racism still profoundly affects our culture, and it has no place in the Christian heart … what is needed is a genuine conversion of heart, a conversion that will compel change …” the bishops wrote.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge responded to the document by hosting a listening session in 2019 and hearing about the struggles of those who are marginalized because of their skin color.

"It was a wonderful experience," said Bishop Michael G. Duca.

The diocese was going to host another session when COVID started, and plans were set aside. The Office of Black Catholics revived the idea and held a second listening session on Aug. 9.

"My experience was exactly the same," said Bishop Duca. "It was a wonderful experience that builds a foundation for unity that can only be accomplished when people really listen to each other."

Bishop Duca talked at the session about the importance of listening to heal racial divides.

"In this day and age, we are quick to give our own opinions about things, defend our cause, hold our ground," said Bishop Duca. "And we believe that we see reality in its truth."
Above photo: Pictured with Bishop Duca and Archbishop Emeritus Perry is Shareena Grant, associate director, Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. 
Above photos: Pictured are some religious items which speak of the various cultures of the Catholic faith.
The unique challenge and gift that these listening sessions provide is a structure that demands that we simply listen to another person, according to Bishop Duca. Listening requires hearing how people experienced the church and the world around them.
Bishop Duca remembers the adage, “So often we listen with our answers running" (Marriage Encounter). 

"When someone begins to talk, ask a question, or describe an experience, early in the conversation we begin to think about how we're going to respond," said Bishop Duca. "Our listening sessions do not provide for a time of response. The most profound response is to allow the words of the speakers to affect us, change us, make us more empathetic; to hear about struggles without explaining them away."

Four people shared their stories about how racism impacted them.

One woman spoke about how a young White friend of hers received a love letter from a White young man. The friend's mother scorned her because she thought the letter was written by a Black man. The friends never got together after that because the parents of her White friend thought their daughter was seeing a Black man.

A Latino woman discussed how she experienced racism and sexism in the workplace, but she persevered and found success.

A lawyer talked about trying to bridge the gap between the races when he was in Catholic schools. He still strives to bring racial diversity to schools.

Another speaker pointed out that a White co-worker told him to do tasks a certain way. The speaker pointed out to the co-worker that doing it the way he told him would cause problems and take extra time to do it. The co-worker ignored him, and problems occurred, and the job took extra time. 

The co-worker was fired, but the supervisor found out and asked the co-worker to come back. Because of the color of his skin, the speaker had to apologize to the coworker.

Bishop Joseph N. Perry, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Chicago, spoke about the events of Pentecost.

"That crowd, as narrated by the Acts of the Apostles (Chapter 2) evidenced a variety of peoples with different shaped noses, different colored eyes, various skin tones, and color, speaking different languages depicting the ethnic and racial backgrounds of those gathered in Jerusalem that day … Given a cacophony of languages and dialects representing those gathered, remarkably, everyone heard the words preached that day in their own language," said Archbishop Emeritus Perry.

"You and I are here today by reason of what happened in Jerusalem on that Pentecost. We are the gentiles to whom the faith was given by expressed direction of the Lord Christ himself and enabled further by St. Paul, a Jewish convert to the ChristTop photo: Pictured, from left, are Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Perry, Bishop Michael G. Duca, and Deacon Alfred Adams, director of the Office of Black Catholics of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. ian faith himself."

From Pentecost emerged the template profile of the church, pointed out Archbishop Emeritus Perry.

"No one group was meant to own the Jesus story. The Gospel was ordered to stretch beyond its Jewish cradle to be given to all nations of whatever language or background or ethnic or racial definition. As the book of Revelation (chapter 7) proclaims: 'from every nation, race, people, and tongue,' so it was meant to be, a daunting task indeed."

By human nature conditioning, the template was lost, or at least appreciation for it was lost. In America's experiences, that resulted in slavery, segregation, and the exclusion of full participation in society. This was true from within communities and the church.

Love binds people together, emphasized the archbishop emeritus.

"We ask the Lord to refine our hearts. How can we call upon Jesus to deepen our love for someone today?" asked Archbishop Emeritus Perry.

We live in a fallen world too much turned in on itself, pointed out the archbishop emeritus.

"We are a wounded world bound up merely in the shadows of that heavenly temple the book of Revelation speaks of in which we wish to abide someday truly as brothers and sisters, as one human family."

According to Deacon Alfred Adams, director of the Office of Black Catholics for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, the next step is to host listening sessions at the deanery level. His hope is then it will be introduced into people's homes.

"Racism is a learned behavior. It's learned at home," said Deacon Adams.

He added, "As I look back in my life, hope has not disappointed me yet. Every time I pray for something, it seems to come about, not when I want, but when God does, when the timing is right. I believe it will happen ... the seed is planted."

To read the document "Open Wide Your Hearts" visit usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/upload/open-wide-our-hearts.pdf.