The Spiritan Provincial Leadership Team of the Province of the United States is saddened and extremely concerned at the events of the past week. We were heart-broken on learning the death of George Floyd. We mourn the loss of life and the destruction of property over these past days.

We strongly denounce every form of violence whether it takes place in the form of police brutality, destruction of property or putting lives in danger as a result of rioting and looting. As Spiritans, we stand against all violence, and we believe that only non-violent protest will bring the justice and peace that God desires for all people.

At this time when Christians celebrate Pentecost, the outpouring of God’s Spirit of Love on the world, we believe that God is calling us to listen to each other as we seek a deeper understanding of what is happening in our country.

These events challenge us to address the underlying systemic issues that cause inequality and division within our country. We believe we are on a journey of conversion, and that it is only with the power of the Spirit that true change is possible.

As members of an international missionary community, we celebrate the great diversity that is represented in our membership. Almost half of the members of our province membership come from ten different countries, representing many cultures and languages.

We are enriched by the tremendous gifts this multi-cultural membership represents. Throughout our history, our mission has been enhanced by many different ethnic groups united in our common mission of proclaiming the Gospel to those most in need.

We celebrate that many of the Spiritans working in the United States today are people of color. We stand together in supporting those of our members who have experienced first-hand the scourge and shame of racism.

In our history as a Congregation in the United States, we have been blessed to work with vibrant and faith-filled African-American communities across the country. The experience of discrimination and injustice is not foreign to their reality. We continue to stand with them in the struggle.

We recommit ourselves to addressing the sin of racism within our own community and in our country we hold dear. We commit ourselves to self-examination, to prayer, and to advocacy for the elimination of racism in all its forms.

We call for fundamental reform in the way policing is carried out in this country and for fundamental legal reforms regarding the violence and death perpetrated on unarmed people of color.

As Spiritans, we recognize that this transformation can only take place with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, offered to all, can restore our capacity for conversation and dialogue and loving relationships.

The message of the Gospel is clear: God is Love. God is revealed fully in Jesus Christ, who gives us one commandment, that we love one another as Christ has loved us.

We pray, and we invite you to join us in prayer for God’s grace and guidance for citizens and leaders of our cities and country. May we, as one people, move together toward understanding, healing, and creating a just society where all are treated with the dignity they deserve.

Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth!

Members of the Provincial Council on behalf of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Province of the United States William Christy, Jeffrey Duaime, Anne Marie Hansen, Michael Onwuemelie, Francis Tandoh, Daniel Walsh, and Martin Vu.