Just before 8 a.m. March 22, nine people gathered outside St. Olaf Parish in downtown Minneapolis in a garden dedicated to St. Francis to pray that saint’s famous prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
Minneapolis
Catholic Leaders Say Floyd’s Death, Demonstrations a ‘Wake-Up Call’
As the nation was gripped by widespread unrest over the weekend in response to the killing of yet another unarmed black man by a police officer last week, U.S. Catholic leaders said recent events served as a “wake-up call” to the racism that continues to plague the country, while encouraging non-violent protests as a means of effective resistance.
Minneapolis Archbishop Calls Floyd Video ‘Gut-Wrenching’ as Protests Grow
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul-Minneapolis called for prayers for George Floyd and his family in the wake of the man’s death while in police custody.
Killing of George Floyd Exposes Blind Spot on Racism, Catholic Advocates Say
Catholics are calling the murder of George Floyd yet another example of a continuing blind spot toward the racism that has plagued the United States since its founding, evidenced by the continuous use of police brutality against African Americans and silence of many Catholic leaders in the face of it.