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April 23, 2021, Adrian, Michigan – As members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, we Adrian Dominican Sisters strongly support this joint statement with the National Black Sisters’ Conference on the Chauvin verdict, calling on “all people of good will and especially people of faith to join us in working for real and sustainable solutions to the racial divide in our country.”
We, the National Black Sisters’ Conference and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, stand together in our commitment to the sacred dignity of each human person as emphasized in Catholic Social Teaching.
In the aftermath of the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, we recommit to working for real and sustained systemic change in the struggle to end institutional racism in every aspect of our society.
Sadly, we know that the trend of fatal police shootings has only escalated in this country over the last four years. The rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans is much higher than that of any other ethnic group. Starting with the savage beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991 up to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the trend of abuse at the hands of law enforcement has alarmingly increased.
In 2020 there were 1,021 fatal police shootings, and in the first three months of this year 213 people have been shot by the police; 30 of whom were African Americans. Police brutality is only one of the many manifestations of systemic racism; but it is one that too often ends in the death of too many young African Americans.
We believe that we are at a crucial moment in race relations in this country. We must acknowledge and work to eradicate the sin of White Privilege that seeks to affirm the false superiority of Anglo-Saxon culture and way of life.
We must as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. admonished us “learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or perish together as fools.” Therefore, we call upon all people of good will and especially people of faith to join us in working for real and sustainable solutions to the racial divide in our country.
We will not rest and our work will not be done until the belief that all people are created equal and entitled to the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, is a lived reality for every American citizen.
Members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ General Council are Sisters Patricia Siemen, OP, Prioress; Mary Margaret Pachucki, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Frances Nadolny, OP, Administrator and General Councilor; Patricia Harvat, OP, General Councilor; and Elise D. García, OP, General Councilor.
April 20, 2021, Adrian, Michigan – The following is a statement by the General Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters in response to the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin.
With the jury finding Derek Chauvin guilty in the murder of George Floyd, the nation takes the collective breath that Mr. Floyd was denied for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Justice has been served.
We grieve the loss of Mr. Floyd’s life and offer our prayers to his bereaved family who will continue to mourn him for the rest of their lives.
We pray for Derek Chauvin that he may come to understand the monumental consequences of his lethal actions.
We call on all Americans to join in undoing the perduring racism that for too long has imperiled the lives of our Black brothers and sisters, sickened our souls, and debased our democracy. As women of faith who believe that all people are made in the image of God, called “to love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12), we commit to doing all we can to that end.
The Dominican Sisters of Adrian, a Congregation of about 500 vowed women religious and more than 200 Associates, traces its roots back to St. Dominic in the 13th century. The Sisters minister in 22 states and in the Dominican Republic, Norway, and the Philippines. The Congregation’s Vision is to “seek truth, make peace, reverence life.”