On the weekend of 9 February 2020, the Catholic Church in England and Wales celebrates Racial Justice Sunday.
The theme of this year’s Racial Justice Sunday is ‘You are at the heart of the Church’ and celebrates the contribution Travelling Communities make to the Church in England and Wales.
Historically, Gypsies, Roma and Travellers have experienced discrimination both in the wider society and, sadly, within the Church.
The aim of this Racial Justice Sunday is to celebrate the contribution that the Travelling Communities make within our parishes and to encourage parishioners to be more welcoming towards fellow Catholics who come from a Traveller background.
We have a number of resources available for download to help you engage with this year’s Racial Justice Sunday:
A4 poster with a quotation from St Pope Paul VI.
Pledge cards encouraging parishioners to download and to commit to. The cards have a series of quotations from Pope Francis which come from an address he gave during a pilgrimage for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers which took place in Rome in 2015.
Suggested bidding prayers that may help readers in our parishes to engage with Racial Justice Sunday.
If you require more information or advice about working with members of the Travelling Communities you can contact:
Father Dan Mason
National Catholic Chaplain for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers
01277 624891
Alternatively you can visit these websites:
travellermovement.org.uk
Traveller Movement
gypsy-traveller.org
Friends, Families and Travellers
margaretclitherow.org
The Margaret Clitherow Trust is a charity dedicated to working with Travellers run by Father John Chadwick of Portsmouth Diocese.
Questions to help facilitate discussion in your parish, group or school.
All are included in the mission of Christ and His Church. Let us walk together, pray together and work together.
