When I was moving to the rural parish of Rush City as pastor of Sacred Heart from the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city of St. Paul, I was warned of greater racial prejudices and tougher language barriers in the small town. I continue to grapple with the intricacies of the English language as it is used in Minnesota and the village atmosphere has made it tougher. Whether the warning about racism was right or not, I continue to wonder. After more than two years of pastoral ministry in the rural setting of Rush City and altogether 10 years in Minnesota, I feel sad to note the depth and force of preconceived ideas regarding a personís color, ethnicity, race and cultural background. Can we call it racism? Maybe; I am not sure. But in most of us there is a mechanism at work by which we form assumptions and adopt attitudes toward a person based upon our ideas of that persons nationality, ethnic background and cultural upbringing. Most of the time these ideas of ours are extremely inadequate and based on false premises, so much so our attitudes and assumptions tend to be unjust and irrational. No ethnic group or racial denomination can claim exemption from this predicament.

In the Gospel of John we read Nathaniel asking, ìCan anything good come from Nazareth? (John 1:46).î Probably he had a similar attitude, which he was to correct soon. That attitude of denigrating, writing off, indifference or turning a cold shoulder can often be very hurtful though subtle. Such coldness and insensitivity towards a person or his/her views and ideas is apparently slight yet a painful form of racism. Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul/Minneapolis in his Pastoral Letter on Racism said, ìIt has been my observation that racism in Minnesota is no less real and no less serious than that which I experienced in Louisiana. However, racism here is sometimes more subtle, less blatant . . . Racism here is often more indirect and less open.î

However, some of the recent happenings in our community and in the neighborhoods seem to indicate that racism has not yet lost its sting in our midst. When individuals are prepared to go to the extent of shooting down human beings and deliberately setting fire to homes on the basis of race alone, we cannot ignore the gravity of the situation. I have had experiences of men and women point out to me the use of racial slurs and jokes, seemingly thoughtless, even in the context of our church gatherings. The problem is so deep-rooted that it often shows its ugly and sometimes violent face. It scares me to think that our community has given birth to individuals who give blatant expressions of their racial bias and has provided the breeding ground for irrational hate crimes. It is time that we as Christians took note of the situation and adequately responded to it. Every offense against the dignity and integrity of another person, whatever its nature, is an offense against God Himself in whose image every human being is created. The primary characteristic of the Church we belong to, is its catholicity or universality. The Church embraces all human beings of every nation, race, people and tongue (Rev 7:9). If we are to be the followers of Christ and members of his Church we need to make sure that every human person is treated with due reverence and deep respect.

Our community is becoming more and more diverse everyday. There are people of other nationalities and races moving into our neighborhoods. In 1990 only about 6 percent of Minnesotans identified themselves as nonwhite. In a decade that figure has been doubled. It is imperative that we foster a culture that appreciates the value of ethnic and racial diversity. That process must begin with each one of us.

I am accustomed to hearing from prominent members of our community such remarks as ìWe are not racists, we have no problem here.î These remarks are often results of ignorance or lack of awareness. Our daily experience tells us that racism is a fact of life in our region. Our ostrich approach can only hurt more ethnic populations and eventually cause harm to all of us.

Responding to the sin of racism must begin with each of us examining our own selves on this subject, says Archbishop Flynn. We stand in need of the power of the Holy Spirit to remove from our hearts all traces of racial prejudice. We may also have to re-examine our basic assumptions about the other races and cultures. Seeking opportunities to know and learn about other peoples and races is vital. The more we know the more we can appreciate. Archbishop John Roach said, ìEach of us should examine how our thinking and our actions are influenced by the color of our skin. How has my skin color enhanced my life or hindered me, helped or prevented me from understanding people of other races? How can I enhance my own life by learning more about other races.î (Reviving the Common Good, 1991).

By talking to other people of different races and learning from them we can develop an appreciation for diversity within us and in our community. We cannot afford to tolerate racial stereotypes in any context: work place, church or our homes. We need to watch carefully our language and expressions and those of our family members, especially children who may not realize fully the significance of the jokes with racial connotations. Are we paying sufficient attention to our young people? What are they learning from their friends and how are they coping with the multi-racial environment of their school? We cannot take things for granted. When we work hard to overcome our prejudices and to realize the unity and solidarity of our community, it will in turn reflect the presence of God in our midst.

We believe that the Church is a sacrament, a sign of unity and love. It is a community that functions as a leaven in the wider society, by demonstrating a greater appreciation of diversity, and by recognizing the contributions of all races and cultures. In the 135-year history of our parish community there has been a rich tradition of assimilating the invaluable contributions of the Irish, German and Scandinavian immigrants and they brought wonderful gifts of diverse nature to our community. Today we need to make a conscious effort to continue that tradition of appreciating and integrating the priceless contributions of the different ethnic and racial groups that come into our community and live in our neighborhoods, and thus we become lamps on a lamp-stand for the society.

The Sacrament of the Eucharist we celebrate at the altar should inspire us to be more and more welcoming of others with differences. By eating His body and drinking His blood we become transformed into the body of Christ, a homogenous organism, the members of which are diverse in color and background, but fully integrated and committed to love and justice. Let us work together to make this church of ours a place of welcoming, learning and appreciating of one another and to provide opportunity for dialogue and encounter among peoples of all colors, cultures and races. Then we shall conform more to the body of Christ our Lord.

Fr Xavier Thelakkatt
Sacred Heart Catholic Church

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