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All Saints participated in the BRIDGE Racial Justice Faith Weekend by showing two videos ( Seek Justice and Expand Me, also shared on this site) at the 10:30 and 5:00 Masses on Sunday Feb. 19.
Father Tom Kessler and Father Jay Davidson addressed justice issues in the weekend’s 4 masses.
Rich Couture and Brenda Meyer encouraged faith communities to present their faith traditions for racial justice within their own congregations during the weekend and helped plan the U of E sponsored Community Prayer Service. There were 66 people who participated and of that group eleven attended All Saints. Rehema Mageto played guitar and sang as people gathered and Fatima Seib played violin selections to enhance prayer, reflection and meditation after each speaker.
We Need the Moral Compass for Justice – Rob Shelby, PhD, Vice President for Talent & Community and Chief Inclusion & Equity Officer, University of Evansville
Study Leads to Action – Ed Scharf, Vice President, Temple Adath B’nai Israel Chair, Social Action Committee
Address the Past for Healing Now! – Sophie Kloppenberg Senior at Mt. Vernon High School and justice advocate
A Call to Stand – Rev. Floyd Edwards, Mt. Olive Galilee Baptist Church, Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment (CAJE), human relations and housing advocate
All Mankind is from Adam and Eve – Humaad Khan, Youth Director, Islamic Society of Evansville
Dr. King’s Prayer: Social Justice Now! – Rev. Gerald Arnold President Emeritus, NAACP Evansville Branch, Senior Pastor, Independence Baptist Church, Program Staff, CenterPoint Energy YMCA
Rev. Floyd Edwards of Mt. Olive Galilee Baptist Church and Emma Jean Couture, Kathy Reitz and Brenda Meyer hosted the Evansville Housing Pilgrimage February 18th at the Evansville African American Museum. Kelley Coures, presented by video about Evansville racial housing history. 50 participants enjoyed the discussion and a tour of the museum.
Did you know that Evansville had a pilot trained at Tuskegee during World War II or that the Lincoln Lions Basketball team beat teams across the country even though no local schools would play them? Highly recommend you visit the museum to find out more of the rich history this museum shares.
Join us on February 18, 2023 from 1 – 3 pm at Evansville African American Museum on 579 S Garvin St in Evansville for a Conversation about the history of race and housing in Evansville.
Kelly Coures, with the City of Evansville, will discuss the impact of events in Evansville’s racial housing history. Visit the All Saints Parish website for more information. SIGN UP TODAY
Nine Justice Pilgrims meet October 30th to watch the movie Till about Emmitt Till’s mother’s journey for justice for her son’s murder in 1955. We found the message disturbing about how hate harms in so many ways. It is well worth seeing, but be prepared to experience strong emotions and to be stunned even 67 years later.
Bonnie Wink, Rita Eades, Kathy Reitz, Bartell Berg, Brenda Meyer , Rich Couture and Emma Jean Couture witnessed the dedication of a new historical marker and bench on the courthouse grounds at Mt. Vernon, Indiana on October 23, 2022.
The ceremony makes us all aware of the events that occurred in October 1878 when 7 men were denied justice and murdered by mob violence. A young 17 year old student , Sophie Kloppenburg, made this her research study and pressed for the men to be remembered, ultimately getting the County Commissioners to approve a proper memorial.
It was remarkable that with little promotion people came forward to attest to this event and make it a part of our shared history. The crowd was too large to all fit into the room where speeches were made explaining the events and the importance of remembering. But all were able to participate in the outdoor portion.
Sixteen pilgrims of the Faith and Justice Pilgrimage to St. Louis met to talk about their experience October 20. A pilgrim is supposed to visit, pray, and be changed by the places they visit. So, we talked about what we expected from the experience, how we were touched by various events throughout the day and what impact that had on us. We learned that we have been exposed to new ways of seeing or thinking about the world around us.
Our group is considering ways we can continue deepening our faith and increasing our commitment to seek social justice. Here are upcoming events you may want to consider:
October 30 – Get a ticket for the 4:00 pm showing of the movie Till at AMC on the westside. Watch the true story of Emmett Till’s mother’s 14 year journey to get justice for the death of her son, Emmett Till and then meet us for a discussion at Hacienda afterwards. Contact Brenda Meyer at 812-457-5529 or bmeyer@evdio.org.
November 5 –Crossroads Christian Church, at 10800 Lincoln Avenue, is offering a Poverty Simulation exercise starting at 9:00 a.m. Contact John Heflick at 812-858-8668 for more information.
All Saints and Mt. Olive Galilee Pilgrimage committee is starting to plan for future pilgrimages based on the St. Louis pilgrim’s feedback. We have started planning for a 1-day pilgrimage in late spring 2023 to Cincinnati to visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. There is interest in traveling south to Atlanta, Selma, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Memphis in a longer 3 or 4 day pilgrimage in the fall of 2023. We expect to offer shorter ½ day programs to the African American Museum and other locally important justice sites as well. More information to come.
St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church
Old Courthouse at Gateway Arch National Park
Podcast about the St. Louis Memorial to honor enslaved people
