Racism Archives - Messy Jesus Business

Episode 66 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe:  Stitcher | Email | RSS | More IN THIS EPISODE In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Father Carl Gales, pastor of Our Lady of Africa Catholic Parish in Chicago, Illinois. They discuss Father Carl’s journey into the Catholic Church and priesthood, his previous career as a concert pianist and the messiness of leadership and service in the Church. They explore the importance of managing expectations and one’s own temperament in service of the Gospel. Father Carl shares the creative and contemplative process that he utilizes to prepare to preach and invite the community to apply the teachings of Jesus to their lives. They also touch on how the Catholic Church could develop into a more inclusive Church that decenters whiteness. “The richness of Blackness needs to be acknowledged, affirmed, cherished, nourished and sustained by us all,” says Father Carl, emphasizing that Blackness is not an add-on. It is essential for each person and be their authentic selves within the Christian community. ABOUT THE GUEST Father Carl Gales, SVD, was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where he began his musical studies. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. It was there that he converted to Catholicism. After working as a director of liturgy and music for several parishes, Father Carl began to discern the priesthood. In 2014 he entered seminary formation with the Society of the Divine Word. After missionary work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fr Carl professed Final Vows and was ordained into priesthood in May 2022. He is currently the pastoral administrator of Our Lady of Africa Parish in Chicago. Our Lady of Africa in Chicago's Facebook page MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh.  Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans. Email us at [email protected] BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness Twitter: @messyjesusbiz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messyjesusbusiness SUPPORT US: https://www.patreon.com/messyjesusbusiness

Episode 60 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe:  Stitcher | Email | RSS | More "Jesus teaches us that differences aren’t deficits. Because a person is in poverty or struggling… that doesn't make them any less human.” - Ralph McCloud IN THIS EPISODE In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh chats with Ralph McCloud, Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. They dig into some of the fundamental concepts of the Campaign's work, especially what it means to have a preferential option for the poor, and the difference between fairness and justice. Ralph talks about the limits of charity and how fear and racism can prevent engaging with the poor, even if, as he says, "Working with low income communities is... very rarely neat." Julia asks Ralph about how he deals with criticism thrown at him, and how he sees the messy balance between living the Gospel and being a part of a divided Church and society. As Ralph adds, "If we prioritize our way of life, our comfort, our income, our ideology, all of these above the call that says love one another, all of these above worshiping and following Jesus, ... that can throw you into a society that is as polarized as the one we find ourselves in right now." ABOUT THE GUEST Ralph McCloud is the Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (or CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. CCHD works to break the cycle of poverty by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities and by educating people on poverty and justice. Ralph has served as the national director for fifteen years. Prior to working at the USCCB, Ralph worked as Division Director of Pastoral and Community Services in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. While in this position, Ralph served four terms on the Fort Worth City Council from 1997 – 2005 and 3 terms as Mayor Pro Tempore. He currently serves on the board of the Catholic Mobilizing Network. Ralph is a member of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Washington DC where he serves on the Finance Council and is a lector. He has served as President of the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators and as a board member of both the National Black Catholic Congress and the Roundtable Association of Social Action Directors. Also, he chaired the County Homeless Commission and was named Tarrant County’s First Racial Reconciliation Award Winner by the Tarrant County Community of Churches. He is also the recipient of the State of Texas Courage Award from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. In 2009, he was awarded the History Maker Award from the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 2009 and Catholic Charities USA’s Martin Luther King Keep the Dream Alive Award in 2010. In 2017, Ralph was awarded the Bishop John Joseph Keane Medallion from the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America and the Harry A. Fagan Award by the Roundtable for dedication and commitment to social justice in 2018. The main site for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, where you can find out more about its mission and projects: povertyusa.org/ More information about the CCHD: https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-campaign-human-development/who-we-are Ralph's writing on Lent: https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-campaign-human-development/lenten-reflections-director-cchd MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh.  Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans. Email us at [email protected] BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness Twitter: @messyjesusbiz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messyjesusbusiness SUPPORT US: https://www.patreon.com/messyjesusbusiness LISTEN HERE:

Season 5, episode 5, of Messy Jesus Business podcast, hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. Photos by Scott Langley. "We are called to create, where nothing exists." - Sister Helen Prejean LISTEN HERE: IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Sister Helen Prejean, who is known for her work to end the death penalty. They discuss how Sister Helen became a minister to Pat Sonnier on death row, which led her to work for justice. "A fire began to burn in my heart," she says. Sister Julia and Sister Helen also talk about how the Gospel calls the Church to be among the poor and on the margins. "To engage in social justice means you're going to...take on the sufferings of people who are voiceless and made to suffer. And you're going to undertake systemic change," Sister Helen explains. Sister Helen also talks about how storytelling has a power to change hearts and minds, and the true meaning of justice. "Justice means that everybody's got a fair shake, and they've got equal access to liberties and freedom and a way to have a livelihood and a life." ABOUT THE GUEST: Sister Helen Prejean is known around the world for her tireless work against the death penalty. She has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to all executions. Photo by Scott Langley. Born on April 21, 1939, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1957. After studies in the USA and Canada, she spent the following years teaching high school, and serving as the Religious Education Director at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in New Orleans and the Formation Director for her religious community. In 1982, she moved into the St. Thomas Housing Project in New Orleans in order to live and work with the poor. While there, Sister Helen began corresponding with Patrick Sonnier, who had been sentenced to death for the murder of two teenagers. Two years later, when Patrick Sonnier was put to death in the electric chair, Sister Helen was there to witness his execution. In the following months, she became spiritual advisor to another death row inmate, Robert Lee Willie, who was to meet the same fate as Sonnier. After witnessing these executions, Sister Helen realized that this lethal ritual would remain unchallenged unless its secrecy was stripped away, and so she sat down and wrote a book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. Dead Man Walking hit the shelves when national support for the death penalty was over 80% and, in Sister Helen’s native Louisiana, closer to 90%. The book ignited a national debate on capital punishment and it inspired an Academy Award winning movie, a play and an opera. Sister Helen also embarked on a speaking tour that continues to this day. Sister Helen works with people of all faiths and those who follow no established faith, but her voice has had a special resonance with her fellow Catholics. Over the decades, Sister Helen has made personal approaches to two popes, John Paul II and Pope Francis, urging them to establish the Catholic Church’s position as unequivocally opposed to capital punishment under any circumstances. After Sister Helen’s urging, under John Paul II the catechism was revised to strengthen the church’s opposition to executions, although it allowed for a very few exceptions. Not long after meeting with Sister Helen in August of 2018, Pope Francis announced new language of the Catholic Catechism which declares that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person, with no exceptions. Today, although capital punishment is still on the books in 29 states in the USA, it has fallen into disuse in most of those states. Prosecutors and juries alike are turning away from death sentences, with the death penalty becoming increasingly a geographical freak. Sister Helen continues her work, dividing her time between educating the public, campaigning against the death penalty, counseling individual death row prisoners, and working with murder victims’ family members. Sister Helen’s second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions, was published in 2004; and her third book, River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey, in 2019. CONTEMPLATIVE MOMENT is a reading from Amos 5:12-15, 22-24. MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is produced and hosted by Sister Julia Walsh, and edited by Charish Badzinski. Email us at [email protected] BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness https://www.instagram.com/messyjesusbusiness Twitter: @messyjesusbiz SUPPORT US: https://www.patreon.com/messyjesusbusiness

Season 5, Episode 2 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. "Little by little, you can make a difference in people's lives."-Adrienne Alexander LISTEN HERE: IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Adrienne Alexander about her family's faith beginnings and how she got involved in politics, social justice and the labor movement. They talk about progress, how it can be slow, yet worthwhile. "I play a lot of defense in my job, but it is incredibly rewarding when you do have those wins that steel you for the next 10 years," Adrienne says. They discuss labor negotiations and the mess of lobbying for justice. "Solidarity is something that's kind of counter-cultural, especially in American individualistic society when everybody's just...trying to personally get ahead," Adrienne explains. Sister Julia and Adrienne also take a look at the labor issues of 2022, including the fight for fair wages, and the importance of protecting essential workers and immigrants who are most vulnerable to risk. And they explore how Adrienne finds hope in the midst of messy politics. ABOUT THE GUEST: Adrienne Alexander has worked at AFSCME Council 31 since 2010 and currently serves as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. She serves on the boards of the Catholic Labor Network and Arise Chicago, a nonprofit organization that works at the intersection of faith and workers' rights. Adrienne is a graduate of Agnes Scott College, a small, women’s college in Georgia, and earned her Master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters, where they attend St. Benedict the African. Contemplative Moment is adapted from the Prayer for Labor Day. MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is produced and hosted by Sister Julia Walsh, and edited by Charish Badzinski. Email us at [email protected] BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness https://www.instagram.com/messyjesusbusiness Twitter: @messyjesusbiz SUPPORT US: https://www.patreon.com/messyjesusbusiness

Season 4, Episode 10 of Messy Jesus Business, hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. "When I say everyone belongs, everyone belongs." - AnaYelsi Velasco-Sanchez LISTEN HERE: IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode of Messy Jesus Business, Sister Julia Walsh talks with AnaYelsi Velasco-Sanchez about how she found her way to Christianity and justice work. They talk about creativity and social change, how they can inspire conversations in movements and how art can be therapeutic. And they explore how imitating Jesus could actually cause discomfort and division in the short term, yet the end goal is unity. "We need to focus on systems just as much as we focus on relationships," AnaYelsi explains. Sister Julia and AnaYelsi also discuss the mess of decolonization, how it requires community and intentionality. And they take a look at the importance of establishing radically welcoming spaces, welcoming those who resist and are uncomfortable, and offering warmth, kindness and love to invite others into the struggle with us. ABOUT THE GUEST: AnaYelsi Velasco-Sanchez (she/her/hers) is an IndoLatinx mujerista offering education, coaching, consulting, writing, and art––all intended to assist people in building an interlocking framework for justice. She is the founder of En Conjunto—a collective of people of color working independently at the intersection of justice and spirituality. She is also the cocreator of the Digital Dine-In Project: a virtual dining and learning experience bringing people together from around the world. She is an independent practitioner but partners as a co-coordinator with Liberation School South and serves on the boards of the Festival Center and Many Languages One Voice in Washington, D.C. Contemplative Moment in this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast features A Prayer for the Reckoning. MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is produced and hosted by Sister Julia Walsh, and edited by Charish Badzinski. Email us at [email protected] BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness https://www.instagram.com/messyjesusbusiness Twitter: @messyjesusbiz SUPPORT US: https://www.patreon.com/messyjesusbusiness

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Sister Nicole Trahan about inclusivity and equity in the Church, privilege and the importance of imagining new ways to share power.

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Waking the Village co-foundress Bridget Alexander about building a non-profit centered on building community, the issue of youth homelessness and the mess of social justice work.

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Sister Emily TeKolste about justice: what it is, and why systemic change is so complicated. They talk about the work of justice, which we are all called to do, how our liberation is bound together, and how we can go about achieving justice.

Sister Julia Walsh talks with author Olga M. Segura about her journey into writing about the Black Lives Matter movement and how the experiences of 2020 gave her courage.