Find Your Favorite Catholic Prayer for Diversity and Inclusion to Celebrate Diversity Month
April is known as Diversity Month. There is no better time than now to reflect and pray a Catholic prayer for diversity and inclusion to celebrate the diversity of our world today. Read on to find three prayers to pray this month.
April brings us various month-long celebrations, including National Poetry Month, Genocide Awareness Month, and Celebrate Diversity Month. Started in 2004 to recognize, honor, and celebrate the diversity surrounding us all, Celebrate Diversity Month is a way to bridge gaps and gain a deeper understanding of one another.
There are many ways to celebrate our differences and learn more about each other. Communities like St. Agnes celebrate the month through daily catholic prayer for diversity and inclusion.
Find A Catholic Prayer for Diversity and Inclusion
Did you know St. Dominic used to pray in nine different ways? Following in St. Dominic's Dominican spirituality, remember there is no wrong way to pray for diversity and inclusion. See three prayer options related to diversity and inclusion below.
1. Prayer to Overcome Racism by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Mary, friend, and mother to all,
through your Son, God has found a way
to unite himself to every human being,
called to be one people,
sisters and brothers to each other.
We ask for your help in calling on your Son,
seeking forgiveness for the times when
we have failed to love and respect one another.
We ask for your help in obtaining from your Son
the grace we need to overcome the evil of Racism
and to build a just society.
We ask for your help in following your Son,
so that prejudice and animosity
will no longer infect our minds or hearts
but will be replaced with a love that respects
the dignity of each person.
Mother of the Church,
the Spirit of your Son Jesus
warms our hearts:
pray for us.
Amen.
2. Who is our Neighbor? by Yashoda Sutcliffe/CARJ (Catholic Association for Racial Justice)
Father, you created each one of us in your own image.
Yet yours is a world made glorious by its rich diversity. This we sometimes misunderstand, sometimes fear.
Give us the patience to build on what unites us, to celebrate our differences and to learn from them.
Grant us the wisdom to recognise your Church, beyond the walls of a building, reaching out across all communities, countries and cultures.
Give us the courage to offer refuge to those in need, to challenge prejudice and seek justice for all.
Help us see that you created us in your image. Neighbour or stranger, always our brother or sister.
Amen.
3. A Time to Act by Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales for Racial Justice Sunday 2021
Lord Jesus Christ,
in your ministry
you were approached by people
of many different nations and cultures.
You listened to their cry for help,
treated them with love and compassion,
and brought them healing and wholeness.
In our own time may we provide
to all those who are suffer
the help that they need
and the care that they require.
May we respond to the invitation of the Holy Spirit
to dream of a world made new
where the poor are not forgotten
but are given the opportunity
to live and flourish
with good health and equal prospects.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.
Following the Committee on Cultural Diversity's Initiatives
Most Revered Arturo Cepeda of Detroit serves as the USCCB's Committee on Cultural Diversity Chairman. In his reflection, he urges Catholics to "enlarge the space of your tent," as proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 54:2. Most Reverend Cepeda reminds us that by listening with an open heart, we can move towards al all-inclusive participation as people of God.
While some are called to lead marches or join committees, sometimes minor steps can lead to positive change. Find your favorite catholic prayer for diversity and inclusion in one of the above or maybe a different one online.
Students and families within the St. Agnes community have plentiful resources available to them to further their catholic journey, especially within diversity and inclusion and how it relates to the Church. Visit our Community Culture page to learn more about our initiatives within the community.
