FACEBOOK @FLORIDACATHOLIC June 12-18, 2020
FLORIDA Catholic
OR NDO DIOCESE
GLENDA MEEKINS
of the Florida Catholic staff
ORLANDO A sea of people dressed in black moved slowly and deliberately down Church Street in Orlando, June 5, 2020 as hundreds of people mourn George Floyd, an African American who died while in police custody in Minnesota on Memorial Day. The crowd remembered not only Floyd, but hundreds of others who died unjustly before him. It was the 10th day of public expressions of outrage over Floyd's death, but this was different. This was "A Walk for Mourning and Restoration," called for by Christian leaders to help pro- mote healing through prayer. As the massive crowd walked beneath gray skies, verses of Scrip- ture interspersed with the names of 100 of the 400 lives lost due to racism since 2014 echoed through the air. The walk began at Camping World Stadium and continued for one mile to Division Avenue, on the edge of the Parramore district. Although only able to attend briefly, Bishop John Noonan told the Florida Catholic , "As a religious leader, it is my duty to offer my sup- port to Pastor Tim Johnson as he gathers all the religious leaders of Orlando to pray. As he said 'a time to weep, a time to mourn and a time to heal.' St. Paul reminds us, when one member of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer because we are one body. Black men and women are suffering right now in our com- munities because of the loss of re- spect for all human life." Recalling Pope Francis words to his general audience just days earlier, Bishop Noonan noted the pontiff's "'great concern' at 'the dis- turbing social unrest' in the United States following 'the tragic death of George Floyd,' which he attributed to 'the sin of racism.'" Echoing Pope Francis' words, he affirmed, "We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacred- ness of every human life." "Today, I join the Church in St. Paul and Minneapolis, and in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism," he added. "Today, I ask all Catholics to join me with our black brothers and sisters in pray- ing." "A Walk for Mourning and Res- toration" served as a reminder of whom we are called to be and of- fered the hope that it is indeed possible-to love one another and be "our brother's keeper" (Gn 4:9). Following Pope Francis' request, "Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends, and let us implore the national rec- onciliation and peace for which we yearn." A portion of "Open Wide Our Hearts," a pastoral letter offered by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2018 reads, "We read the headlines that report the kill- ing of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement officials." That verbiage could easily be a headline from the day the video of Floyd's death went viral. "So how is it that
Catholics join Christian leaders in A Walk of Mourning and Restoration
Walking from Camping World Stadium on Church Street to Division Avenue, hundreds of mourners, including elected officials, Christian leaders, and priests lament the deaths of innocent black men and women over the years. The walk is intended to promote healing and restoration within the community in Orlando. (GLENDA MEEKINS FC) Father Leo Hodges of St. Andrew Parish in Orlando, left, seminarian Zachary Parker, center, and behind him, Father David Scotchie of Nativity Parish in Longwood, walk in solidarity with the community to pray for repentance, restoration and healing, June 5, 2020 in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood. (GLENDA MEEKINS FC) Orlando Police Chief Orlando Roln and Sherriff John Mina (in green) walk with Commissioner Regina Hall, right of Sheriff, in A Walk for Mourning and Restoration, June 5, 2020. The walk was led by mostly Christian leaders in the community. (MAURICE BEAULIEU FC)
PLEASE SEE WALK, A2
SEE RELATED STORIES
, Pages A4, A12-A13
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