Community Conversations is a monthly virtual meeting held on the third Wednesday of each month from 10am-noon (CST). Using the USCCB's pastoral letter on racism, "Open Wide Our Hearts" as a guide, these monthly dialogues seek to provide safe space for difficult conversations about race, faith, and justice that are grounded in our Catholic teaching of the dignity of the human person. Each session features a talk by a knowledgeable expert, followed by small group discussion. All are welcome!
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Wednesday, January 15: The "Jim Crown North" and the Untold Struggle for Civil Rights In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Community Conversations will feature a talk from Dr. Matthew Washington, author of The Jim Crow North: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Dr. Washington will speak about the often untold struggle for civil rights outside of the southern states, including how an inter-racial working class alliance in Pottstown, Pennsylvania was instrumental in working for racial justice in that state.
Wednesday, February 19: The Gift of the Black Catholic Family Servant of God Thea Bowman famously asked, "What does it mean to be Black and Catholic?" In honor of Black History Month, Fr. Reginald Samuels, Pastor of St. Laurence Church and Vicar for Catholics of African Descent, will help us unpack recent surveys that point to the gifts of Black Catholic families such as resilience, faithfulness, and family unity. How might these gifts be received by the universal Church?
Wednesday, March 19: Open Wide Our Hearts Overview and Update Seven years after the publication of the latest USCCB document to address the sin of racism, how has it impacted the way that race and social justice are discussed in the Catholic Church? Ms. Danielle Brown, former Director of the USCCB AdHoc Committee Against Racism, will join us to discuss what changes have we seen (or not seen) in our parishes and Catholic institutions.
Wednesday, April 16: The Shroud of Turin, Mystery and Miracle Join us during Holy Week for an enlightening talk by Nora Creech, an expert on the Shroud of Turin which is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus. How can contemplating the human face of Christ, help us to see the face of God in all people?
Wednesday, May 21: Delexit Nos - The Human Heart of Christ Amy Auzenne, MSW, MACE will lead a discussion on Delexit Nos, Pope Francis' encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How can we experience the divine love of God in our daily human existence? And how can we be a source of that love to others in this fraught and divided society?
Wednesday, June 18: No meeting / Unity Explosion Catechetical & Liturgical Conference in Galveston, Texas
Wednesday, July 19: Fr. Martin de Porres Ward, Our Brother in Brazil Brother Douglass McMillian, OFM, will speak about Franciscan friar Fr. Martin de Porres Ward, a 20th-century African American priest who overcame great personal and social obstacles to become a beloved mentor and missionary in Brazil. In 2024, Fr. Ward became the seventh African American to have his cause for sainthood officially opened.
Wednesday, August 20: Clear Justice: Making the Legal Process Fair & Transparent Judge Stacy Allen Barrow will speak about how our legal system can mitigate bias in the courtroom and make the legal process more transparent to citizens. Judge Allen Barrow presides over the 487th Harris County Criminal Court. She has presided over 1500+ felony matters and issued written opinions in 50 Post-Conviction Writs of Habeas Corpus before the TX Court of Criminal Appeals. Judge Allen Barrow has served as a youth ministry leader and catechist in her parish for many years.
Wednesday, September 17: Latino Youth - Gifts and Challenges Latino youth are one of the fastest growing demographics in the United States. Jeanette Gonzalez, Associate Director for the Archdiocesan Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization, will help us understand the unique gifts and challenges of this important group of young people, and how they are shaping the future of our communities.
Wednesday, November 12: TBD
Wednesday, December 10: TBD
Provided by Larry Payne
Amy Auzenne, MSW, MACE is the Director of the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston. Amy has worked as a lay pastoral leader in the archdiocese for over twenty years, serving children, youth, adults, and families. Prior to working for the Church, Amy was a school and community social worker in Houston for nearly a decade. She holds a bachelor's degree in American Studies from Mt. Holyoke College, a masters in social work from the University of Houston, and a masters degree in Catholic education from the University of St. Thomas (Houston). She will complete a third masters degree in Faith and Culture with a focus on Catholic feminism from the University of St. Thomas in May 2026.
In 2018 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Commitee on Cultural Diversity in the Church published a new pastoral letter on racism, "Open Wide Our Hearts: the Enduring Call to Love." The letter outlined the terrible consequences of the sin of racism, and recommended concrete actions to address them. Among these, the bishops called on "all of our educational institutions to break any silence around the issue of racism, to find new and creative ways to raise awareness . . . and to teach the virtues of fraternal charity."
Community Conversations began at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring, Texas in October 2019 as a way to break open this important pastoral letter. When the Covid pandemic began in 2020 the meetings moved to a virtual format. Since that time, Community Conversations has gathered on the third Wednesday of every month, featuring dynamic speakers who have addressed a variety of topics pertinent to the pastoral letter, social justice and issues of our faith and culture.