Upcoming Justice Pilgrimage
The Center is gearing up for the Justice Pilgrimage which will include one clergy person from all of the Dioceses in Province IV. This is a pilot which will become an ongoing part of the work to mobilize clergy in the racial healing work throughout the Episcopal Church. We believe that the most sustainable and productive racial healing work will be done at the parish level in the Church. Of course, Centers such as this one and other entities will serve as catalysts and supporters of that work and while that is a very valuable contribution, it is not enough.
The parish is a community of people who are committed to one another and who gather on a regular basis to embrace the journey of spiritual formation. Since racial healing is a major part of the work of becoming a whole person, it needs to be a major part of what is happening in the local parish. But it is often difficult for that work to be done because there is resistance and, in some cases, actual hostility toward it. In cases of extreme resistance, it is difficult for clergy to find the pathway to doing the work in their parish. The Justice Pilgrimage initiative is designed to offer support and opportunities for clergy to become “a half shade braver” in embarking upon intentional racial healing work in their respective parishes.
The Justice Pilgrimage participants will develop a six-month plan for implementing intentional racial healing work in their respective parishes following the completion of the Pilgrimage. The Center and all of the participants will provide supportive encouragement to everyone involved in the ongoing work and the group will gather at the Center at the end of the six-months. The re-convening of the group will be to assess the past six-months and to reflect upon the challenges and opportunities as well as considering the next steps which will allow for building upon the work that has been completed.
The Center will be hosting Justice Pilgrimages at least twice a year. The 2020 participants will be selected from an application process that will be publicized later and will include clergy and lay persons and will be open to anyone in the wider Episcopal Church.
The Center is gearing up for the Justice Pilgrimage which will include one clergy person from all of the Dioceses in Province IV. This is a pilot which will become an ongoing part of the work to mobilize clergy in the racial healing work throughout the Episcopal Church. We believe that the most sustainable and productive racial healing work will be done at the parish level in the Church. Of course, Centers such as this one and other entities will serve as catalysts and supporters of that work and while that is a very valuable contribution, it is not enough.
The parish is a community of people who are committed to one another and who gather on a regular basis to embrace the journey of spiritual formation. Since racial healing is a major part of the work of becoming a whole person, it needs to be a major part of what is happening in the local parish. But it is often difficult for that work to be done because there is resistance and, in some cases, actual hostility toward it. In cases of extreme resistance, it is difficult for clergy to find the pathway to doing the work in their parish. The Justice Pilgrimage initiative is designed to offer support and opportunities for clergy to become “a half shade braver” in embarking upon intentional racial healing work in their respective parishes.
The Justice Pilgrimage participants will develop a six-month plan for implementing intentional racial healing work in their respective parishes following the completion of the Pilgrimage. The Center and all of the participants will provide supportive encouragement to everyone involved in the ongoing work and the group will gather at the Center at the end of the six-months. The re-convening of the group will be to assess the past six-months and to reflect upon the challenges and opportunities as well as considering the next steps which will allow for building upon the work that has been completed.
The Center will be hosting Justice Pilgrimages at least twice a year. The 2020 participants will be selected from an application process that will be publicized later and will include clergy and lay persons and will be open to anyone in the wider Episcopal Church.