Racial Equity Ministry

Book club meetings will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at St. Odilia, 3495 Victoria St., Shoreview.

For more information about this book club and /or to join, please contact Beth Aune [email protected] or Donna Scheck [email protected]

REM Book Club discusses Voices of Rondo

On March 13, a few of us gathered to discuss our reading of Voices of Rondo, the latest Racial Equity Ministry Book Club recommendation. The book is a collection of oral histories of former residents of St. Paul’s historic Black community, offering individual reflections on the life, joys, and struggles of the people of Rondo up to the time of the construction of the I-94 freeway. 
Our discussion was lively and full of reminiscing, as some of us had grown up in or around Rondo and identified with experiences described in the reading. We also talked about the injustice of the loss of community in the name of progress, and what we might learn from that experience.​​

"Racism is a serious offense against God precisely because it violates the innate dignity of the human person. At its core racism is a failure to love our neighbor. Since we cannot claim to love God unless we love our neighbor, we can only be one with God if we reject racism and work aggressively to remove it from our personal lives, our church, and our society." In God's Image, a pastoral letter on racism, written in 2003 by the Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn when he was Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Ministry Mission:

To lead and motivate our faith community to make intentional steps toward becoming a parish that is committed to racial and ethnic equity, fosters a sense of belonging among people of all races, respects the humanity of each person, creates a culture that inspires transformative change, and welcomes diverse populations.

Important Links:

• Fr. Rask Letter on Racial Justice (2020)
• The Christian Response to Racism (2020)
• Open Wide Our Hearts Pastoral Letter on Racism (2018)
• In God’s Image Pastoral Letter on Racism (2003)

Click Here to access the following resources for learning more about racism and what you 
can do about it:

• Data Sheets on systemic racism related to several areas (federal policies and laws, 

        education, employment, health and healthcare, housing, policing, and incarceration).

• Resources for learning more and getting involved: 
  • Book List
  • Ongoing Education Opportunities
  • Organizations

Published Articles from REM and Members

1. Racial Covenants (Fall 2024)
2. Immigration Article (Fall 2024)
3. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (July 2024)
4. Immigrant Heritage Month (June 2024)
5. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 2024)