Provincial Statement On Recent Gun Violence and Hate Crimes

March 24, 2021
Dear Members and Companions,
We pray for the victims of gun violence in the United States, most recently, those in Boulder, Colorado and in Atlanta, Georgia. Our corporate stance against gun violence affirms our belief in the sacredness of life and calls us to demand that local, state, and national legislators to pass reasonable laws that will curb the culture of violence within our nation.
Equally concerning to our community is the continued violence against minority communities in the United States. The recent uptick in violence against people of Asian descent is unacceptable and is of special concern to the Kansas City Province because of our close relationship with the Vietnam Mission and our members from Vietnam.
The Kansas City Province stands in solidarity with victims of acts of hate. We embrace and support our Incorporated Members, Companions, and Precious Blood Volunteers of Asian descent. We will continue to educate ourselves about issues of violence and hate, and speak out against actions that lessen the sacredness of life.
Peace in the blood of Christ,
V. Rev. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
Provincial Director

Orlando Companions Visit With Justice Advocate Working Against Human Trafficking

As we continually discuss where the cry of the blood is calling us, the Orlando Companions wanted to learn more about human trafficking. This horrific crime is prevalent not only in Florida but across the United States and around the world.  On Tuesday, March 8, the Orlando Companions invited other Companions and Members from around the country to participate in a virtual discussion with Sr. Jeanne Christensen. Sister Jeanne is a member of the Sisters of Mercy and serves as the justice advocate against human trafficking for the Sisters of Mercy. She works with many anti-human trafficking groups on the local, state, and national levels.

Sr. Jeanne suggested the following links for more information on the work to stop human trafficking:

 

End Capital Punishment-No To The Death Penalty

by Gabino Zavala, Peace & Justice Director

At 1:31 am EST on January 13 Lisa Montgomery was executed by the United States Federal Government. She became the first woman executed in nearly 70 years. Her life was marked by extreme child sexual abuse, torture and neglect which led to serious mental illness. Our government continued this abuse by executing Lisa. Our Federal Government has executed 11 people in the last seven months during a pandemic. The executions of Corey Johnson and Dustin Higgs are scheduled this week.

As a Precious Blood Community, we promote the sacredness of all human life. As such we have taken a corporate stance against the death penalty. We promote life from conception to natural death. That is what it truly means to be pro-life.

The execution of Lisa Montgomery and the others executed in the last seven months have furthered the cycle of violence in our society. As Precious Blood family members, let us continue to strive to be pro-life Catholics.

Please read the statement from Kelly Henry, issued after Lisa’s execution.

Provincial Council Statement Regarding January 6th’s Violence in Washington, D.C.

As a religious community dedicated to the spread of the Gospel, we condemn the violent protest at the capitol building in Washington today. It is one more indication that we as a society are more and more placing our trust in violence and force to solve our problems rather than working together to resolve our differences. Although these rioters are a relatively small group, their actions can make us think that what binds us together as a country, as a people, is disappearing. But in the days ahead, the rest of us will speak up with words and actions to make clear that we are one country, united by the Gospel of compassion, care, concern, justice, and love. So, as we move through this crisis, we will do so by trusting in each other and in God’s providential care. Let us keep our leaders and each other in prayer.

Provincial Council Statement Regarding Voting

Soon we will be electing national leadership for the next four years. It will be our opportunity and moral duty to choose leaders who reflect gospel values, especially those values that are at the core of our Precious Blood Spirituality. As the Leadership Team of the Kansas City Province, we want to state some of those main values clearly and urge everyone to use them as a guide in voting.

Justice
All are created equal and have equal rights to the basic necessities of life. This includes (among other things) food, shelter, health care, employment, educational opportunities, and freedom from discrimination of any kind. Our elected officials have a moral responsibility to enable all to have access to these basic necessities and should not relinquish this responsibility by handing it on to the free market, charitable organizations, churches, or any other entity.

Protection of Life
All life is sacred, as Cardinal Bernardin so eloquently put it with his “Seamless Garment” image. This includes life that is unborn, on death row, on the battlefield (on both sides of the battle), elderly, and disabled. This also includes a concern for quality of life, not just keeping people physically alive. We are called to elect leaders who will work to protect life in all these areas, not just in a few areas.

Ministry to the Marginalized
This is one of our major charisms as a community, and we are called to elect leaders who embody this charism also. It is not difficult to identify those who have been forgotten, who have no voice or do not “count” in our society – minorities, refugees and immigrants (both documented and undocumented), the economically poor, criminals, non-Christians, etc. We do not vote simply for our own interests. We vote for the interests of our whole community, the human community. The leaders we elect need to represent the whole community.

Interconnectedness of All
We are all one Body of Christ, intimately connected to each other and to creation. We need to choose leaders who believe and live this truth. This would be reflected in a leader who values working with other leaders and other countries. Such a leader would also work to reduce the divisions between us, like the division between the “have’s” and the “have nots.” Since human survival is intimately connected to the health of our planet, protecting our natural resources would be a priority for a good leader.

Reconciliation
Our mission as a community is to promote reconciliation, and we choose leaders who will do the same. This requires an ability to see both sides of an issue and to facilitate dialogue and discussion to iron out differences. An appreciation of and tolerance for diversity is needed for Reconciliation, which enables the bridging of differences. Pitting one side against another is the opposite of Reconciliation.

In a perfect world, there would be ideal political candidates whom we could choose from. But no candidate is perfect, and no candidate models the values mentioned above perfectly. That means we must decide which candidates come closer to living these values and vote for them. This is hard work, and it would be easier to cast our vote based simply on one party, or one person, or one issue. But that would be shirking our personal moral responsibility to make our choices based on all the values we hold dear, and which the gospel calls us to uphold.

May the Spirit of Wisdom guide us as individuals, as a community, and as a country as we cast our votes in November.

Provincial Council
Fr. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
Fr. David Matz, C.PP.S.
Br. Daryl Charron, C.PP.S.
Fr. Keith Branson, C.PP.S.
Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S.

At Home With the Word: Glass Half-Full

by Vicky Otto, Companion Director

If you ask people who know me, I hope they would describe me as a “glass half full” kind of person. I try to see the brighter side of life, be grateful for all that I have been given and focus more on the positive perspective of things. It is hard these days to be the “glass half full” person. We are living during a global pandemic. There is violence on our streets. Wildfires are burning throughout California and other parts of the world; many people have lost their homes due to flooding from recent hurricanes. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and even their homes due to the economic downturn. Many farmers have lost their crops because of the derecho storms, and yes, there have even been reports of locust storms in India. Amid all of this, we are in the midst of a political election that at best could be described as contentious, drawing in even religious leaders to make accusations that unless you vote one way, you are not a good Catholic.  If you feel like it is all too much, you are not alone.

A few weeks ago, one of the readings at Mass reminded me of how to stay true to who I am during these turbulent times. In the Book of Kings, we heard of how Elijah found the Lord, not amongst the chaos of the various storms that he experienced, but a tiny whispering sound. Have you heard the whispering sounds?  I have when I heard the story about the three-year-old girl who, with just a little help from adults, backed 1000 cookies for the essential workers in her city. Or the couple whose wedding reception was canceled due to the pandemic who not only took the catered food to a homeless shelter but served their new guests in their wedding attire. I also heard the whispering in the story of a nine-year-old boy who was recently adopted, who is on a mission to care for every elderly or sick dog that has little hope for being adopted. He said, “I know how it feels not to be loved or cared for, and I don’t want any animal of mine to feel that way.” I  heard it loud and clear in a national movement called “Freedges.” Food pantries, restaurants, and cafes around the country are putting out refrigerators outside the doors of their establishments and filling them with healthy vegetables, fruits, and other food that is free for anyone who needs it. The organizers said that they wanted to provide a way for people who are struggling to get what they need without fear of shame.

I’m sure there are thousands of stories just like these today in our country and in our world. They remind me that even among what many would consider the worst of time, there is still inherent good in the world. We have a choice today, to continue to bring forth the kingdom of God by acting upon those “whispers” that bring forth good in the world or becoming paralyzed in fear.  Fr. Jeff reminds us in a recent letter that Gaspar didn’t wait for peace to fulfill his calling to found our Congregation. As sons and daughters of Gaspar, we too must lead by faith, not fear. It is in that respect that we all must become “glass half full” children of God.

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