Ivers sends message of hope, community
Letter to the Editor
Father Mike Ivers spoke a message of hope about a vibrant Catholic community last week. We were among the many students and teachers who attended an incredibly inspiring and challenging talk last Tuesday entitled "Call to be Church After Church in the African-American Community."
Father Mike is pastor of St. Agatha's, an African-American parish in inner city Chicago. St. Agatha's is situated in a neighborhood that many would be ready to reject as violent and hopeless — 49 percent of residents live below the poverty line, 67 percent of students drop out of local high schools and gangs are an all too tragic reality.
But the parishioners have responded to these challenges by providing safe places for youth, educational assistance and parenting classes and countless other outreach and support programs. As Father Mike describes, the St. Agatha's community strives to continue "Church After Church." Dance, music, drama and preaching shape the celebration of Sunday liturgy, and each parishioner regularly reaches out to welcome new members into this thriving Catholic community. Father Mike remarks that, "The streets of Chicago are ALIVE" with the Spirit of Christ, and he encourages the Notre Dame community to share in St. Agatha's mission. We are challenged to face racism, sexism and violence with the courage and compassion modeled by Jesus Christ.
Given this energizing message, we were disappointed by the representation of Father Mike's speech in The Observer. The article focused almost solely on a comment by Father Mike that the Catholic Church is a "racist and sexist institution."
We respond today in order to clarify this remark, and also to lift up the message of hope that was the heart of Father Mike's speech. In Luke 5:4, Jesus urges the disciples to, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Father Mike suggests that we too must push beyond our normal comfortable circles and delve into "deep waters" to foster relationships and build community. Father Mike did in fact say that the Church is a racist and sexist institution. Since we make up this Church, we need to go into the deep water and address these issues.
Witnessing the example of Father Mike, who has given his whole life to service and love for this very Church, we recognize that he is willing to honestly acknowledge the Church's shortcomings. Such recognition facilitates the growth that the Church needs, as is evident in parishes such as St. Agatha's. The history of a Church that once owned slaves and the pain of women who yearn for the opportunity to serve the Church as priests are not easy issues to face and discuss. But Father Mike states that "there can be no renewal without reconciliation. "The first step toward this reconciliation is recognizing the sins of racism and sexism.
And we can start here at Notre Dame. Father Mike welcomes many students to share in the community of St. Agatha's and he challenges us all to action. We are called to be the Church even after Church. This means confronting difficult issues and struggling into the deep water. Here we must each lower our nets in an effort to harvest relationships that will fulfill the demanding vision presented by Christ.
Let's build the community and begin the conversation.
Lynette Grypp
Senior
Howard Hall
Sheila Provencher
M.Div.
Off-Campus
Beau Schweitzer
Senior
Off-Campus
Don McNeill, C.S.C.
Director
Center for Social Concerns
Andrea Smith-Shappell
Director Senior Transitions
Center for Social Concerns
Jennifer Grubb
Senior
Welsh Family Hall
Nora Jones
Sophomore
Farley Hall
Katie McDonough
Junior
Howard Hall
Patrick Parks
Junior
Dillon Hall
Rona Reodica
Senior
Walsh Hall
Carin Weingarten
Junior
Cavanaugh Hall
February 17, 2000
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, February 21, 2000
