Bishop of Metuchen says racism is justice issue, spiritual crisis

PISCATAWAY – Speaking to a group of young black people, all Catholic high school students in the Diocese of Metuchen, the Most Rev. James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen, said, “I’m here to listen to you.”
 
“I have the awesome responsibility of guiding and shepherding the 650,000 souls of our diocese and I want to be the best shepherd I can, and so I want to hear directly from you,” said Bishop Checchio.
 
The virtual listening session, which included students from Immaculata High School in Somerville and Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, was held the morning of June 12, nearly three weeks after the tragic death of George Floyd which sparked national unrest and protests across the country.
 
Acknowledging the struggles the students are facing in these days, first in quarantine as a result of COVID-19 and now the visible reminders of the deep wounds caused by racism, the bishop invited them to share their experiences of encountering racism and share how they are processing this historic moment to overcome racism in a world that has already been rocked by a global pandemic.
 
“I’m grateful for your sharing and I want to hear about you and your experiences,” he said. “I want to hear what you’ve experienced in life and how you view this situation that we’re all seeing.”
 
The stories the students shared were both “inspiring and heartbreaking,” said Bishop Checchio.
 
According to the bishop, one of the students told him that his mother regularly has conversations with him, talks that could be expected from any parent. She says things like, “be the best you can be; push yourself to do great things; be careful; and avoid getting into trouble.”
 
But, more than that, he added, the talks often take an emotional turn because “his mother also worries for her son’s safety as a young black man and the death of George Floyd only compounded her fear.”
 
“It saddens me to know that these young people face instances of discrimination, prejudice, and racism, and have encounters fraught with fear, leading them to ask themselves, ‘what can I do to eliminate my chances of dying or being another victim,’” said Bishop Checchio.
 
Likewise, the students agreed that being black in America is tiring.
 
Even if they are not facing brutality, the students – one of whom will go on to study next year at one of the highest ranking universities in the country – said they often face the thought that people may think they are not worthy of all they have achieved, even if it is a direct result of their merits.
 
The mental exhaustion can creep in at any time, the students added, even when it relates to something as minute as taking a group photo.
 
“One of the students told me that when she is chosen for a special role, she can’t help but wonder if she was chosen because of her efforts, or because it would make for a good photo opportunity,” said Bishop Checchio. “Gratefully, she acknowledged that her school would not perpetrate that kind of injustice.”
 
Noting that “God made us all in His image and likeness and we believe that when we look at another person, we believe we can see God in them,” the bishop said this moment in history will hopefully “lead us to a more just society and bring about a spiritual awakening of all of us, of God’s goodness to us and God’s gifts to us.”
 
“Racism is a justice issue, but it’s a spiritual crisis too, one that requires a spiritual response in addition to our actions,” said Bishop Checchio. “Hopefully, praise God, our current situation lights a spark and becomes transformational for all of us and for our society.”
 
As part of the Diocese of Metuchen’s spiritual response to racism, Bishop Checchio directed a time of sustained prayer in the month of June, a month traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
 
By holding the livestreamed diocesan prayer services in June, the bishop said “we are trying to raise consciousness and bring it up in our prayers to move people’s hearts.”
 
Taking its name, in part, from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, the prayer services called "Enduring Love: Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for racial harmony, peace, justice and healing in our nation,” are being livestreamed from different parishes throughout the diocese every Friday at 5 p.m. during the month of June.
 
The first prayer service was held June 5 at Sacred Heart Church, a worship site of Holy Family Parish, in New Brunswick; the second was held June 12 at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Dunellen; the third will be held June 19 – the Feast of the Sacred Heart – at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen and will be presided over by Bishop Checchio; and the final prayer service will be held June 26 at Church of the Sacred Heart Parish in South Plainfield.
 
The livestreamed prayer services will be available from the Diocese of Metuchen’s website: www.diometuchen.org, and Facebook page: www.facebook.com/diocesemetuchen.
 
Through these prayer services, Bishop Checchio said he seeks to bring an increased focus on unity and peace that is born from authentic justice rooted in the dignity of each person made in the image and likeness of God.
 
“All forms of bias, bigotry and racism have no place in the community of Christ,” he said. “Our baptism calls us to work tirelessly in all the ways we can to overcome these sins against our sisters and brothers.”
 
For more information and resources on overcoming racism, visit: diometuchen.org/enduringlove.