Denver Catholic

BY AARON LAMBERT T he death of George Floyd on May 25 has once again sparked a national conversation about racism in American society. As Arch- bishop Samuel J. Aquila put it, "Racism has no place in the Gospel message or any civil society"; other bishops have echoed this sentiment. This conversation is a necessary one and there are many voices that deserve to be heard. One of those voices is that of the black Catholic community. The Archdiocese of Denver is home to a diverse community of faith, and we asked three local black Catholics to share their perspectives on this pressing issue: Kateri Williams, Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver; Janaye Matthews, a Colorado State University student who grew up at Cure d'Ars Parish; and Dustin Caldwell, a parishioner of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and member of the Julia Greeley Guild. DENVER CATHOLIC: As a Black Catholic, how are you feeling in this moment of history? KATERI WILLIAMS: It's been tragic. It's a tragic time. But it's been a time that really has called upon the need for prayer and the need for to remain faithful and hopeful, to rely on our faith. And for me, it's been bittersweet because I can see where God is working through all of this, and that's where we often meet crises, in our brokenness. For me, it's just been a time of sadness and a time of deep reflection. It's been a time of racial fatigue. I know for me personally is that it's opened wounds that have never quite healed. And we all have stories. There's not a single 4 DENVER CATHOLIC | JUNE 13-26, 2020 A conversation with Black Catholics on racism Around the Archdiocese Q&A

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