May 22, 2023
For Immediate Release
Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Commission on Slavery seeks to study the sin of racism in the local Church, document economic benefits tied to enslaved labor and promote healing
The 17-member commission is the latest in the Archdiocese’s journey to racial justice
BALTIMORE, MD – In March, Archbishop William E. Lori launched a 17-member commission to research and document the ties to slavery in America’s first Catholic diocese, acknowledge the harm to generations of African Americans and prayerfully discern steps the Archdiocese of Baltimore can take to address and repair the injury.
The Commission on Slavery is the latest step in the Archdiocese’s journey to racial justice that follows interviews and listening sessions on racism, the creation of a coordinating council and publication of pastoral reflections. Its members bring a wide range of experiences and includes historians, researchers, clergy, educators, parishioners and experts in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Our work will reach back hundreds of years to the founding of the Premier See, so we can understand deeply the ties between the Archdiocese, the institution of slavery and the inhumane treatment of those enslaved and their descendants,” Archbishop Lori said. “And our efforts will not stop there: We will sincerely acknowledge the harm inflicted generation after generation, through the era of slavery and Jim Crow, to the systemic racism that still confounds us today, and will work closely with the Black community to promote healing and reconciliation.”
“A lot of people say ‘slavery happened so long ago’ and that Black people should ‘get over it,’ ” Adrienne Curry, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministries, said, “They need to understand the intricacies of systemic racism that are involved with that. Going back to the abolition of slavery, to Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights Movement, to redlining – all of that has had a profound effect on the Catholic Church here in Baltimore. The commission will look at that history of racism to help us better understand why we are where we are.”
The archdiocese’s work began in earnest in February 2018 when Archbishop Lori penned his first of two pastoral letters on the subject, “The Enduring Power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Principles of Nonviolence.” The second letter, “The Journey to Racial Justice: Repentance, Healing and Action,” was published in January 2019. The reflections led to the convening of the Journey to Racial Justice Work Group in June 2020. In turn, the Journey to Racial Justice Coordinating Council was tasked in June 2021 with implementing the work group’s recommendations toward education, clergy and seminary formation and more inclusive policies and practices.
The focus over recent years builds on earlier efforts to take corrective action, including the late Cardinal William H. Keeler’s homily in 2000 that apologized for the church’s role in slavery and acknowledged that the first archbishop of Baltimore enslaved people.
The commission is charged with analyzing records, including financial and tax statements, sacramental and census documents and the written works of early archbishops and leaders of religious communities engaged in ministry in Maryland. Opportunities for atonement, repair and community engagement could include the development of educational materials, scholarships, a Mass of healing and reconciliation and investments in Black-owned businesses or focused attention to addressing disparities in health.
Commission members are:
William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore
Bruce A. Lewandowski
Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Baltimore City
Diane L. Barr
Chancellor for the Archdiocese
John T. Butler
Vice President for Development and Mission Advancement for Trinity Missions and a parishioner at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Washington
Geri Royale Byrd
Director of the Archdiocese’s Seek the City to Come initiative
Adrienne Curry
Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries for the archdiocese
Gregory C. Chisholm
Superior of the USA East Providence of the Society of Jesus
Kenneth Gaddy
Associate pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Highlandtown
Raymond Harris
Pastor of Holy Family church in Randallstown
The Rev. Tyler Kline
Priest-secretary for the archbishop
Deacon Seigfried Presberry
Director of the archdiocese’s prison ministry
Tricia T. Pyne
Director of the associated archivists for the archdiocese and St. Mary’s Seminary & University
Deacon Steven Rubio
St. Ambrose Church in Park Heights, Baltimore
A. Skipp Sanders
Historian, and former Director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture
Sherita Thomas
Vice President of Global Associate Experience at T. Rowe Price, a parishioner at New All Saints church in Gwynn Oak and former interim director of Black Catholic Ministries
Yvonne Wenger
Director of Community Affairs for the archdiocese
Hon. Alexander Wright Jr.
Member of the Archdiocese Pastoral Council and parishioner at New All Saints church in Gwynn Oak
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Contact: Christian Kendzierski
Christian.Kendzierski@archbalt.org