About us
statement of purpose:
We seek to be a Catholic voice encouraging our faith communities to challenge and own the history of racism in our Church and community, to engage in the difficult conversation around race, and to participate in action for racial justice in the wider community. Our collaborative recognizes that it is our spiritual duty to combat the sin of personal and institutional racism.
Our story:
We are a multiracial group of religious and lay Catholic leaders from parishes and organizations across the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The collaborative formed in September 2017, just before St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley was acquitted of the charge of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith. In anticipation of that controversial verdict and the racial tensions surrounding it, members of the collaborative drafted a statement calling upon Catholics to wrestle with the difficult realities of racism in our faith community and the broader society. Since its founding, the Catholic Racial Justice Collaborative has identified key initiatives to raise awareness of racial inequity and work toward just solutions; it meets monthly to further those efforts.
our goals:
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To organize ourselves and our Catholic communities to take action to combat racism as it exists in our Church, in ourselves, and in our society
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To provide tools and resources for Catholics to learn about personal and institutional racism
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To elevate and amplify the voices of Catholics of color, particularly Black Catholics, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis
with members from parishes across the archdiocese of St. Louis
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St. Clare of Assisi (Ellisville)
St. Cletus (St. Charles)
St. Cronan
St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist
St. Francis Xavier “College” Church​
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (Mehlville)
St. Margaret of Scotland
St. Matthew the Apostle
St. Pius V
St. Roch
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (Florissant)
Sts. Teresa & Bridget
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The Catholic Racial Justice Collaborative includes members from over 20 parishes and schools in St. Louis City and St. Louis and St. Charles counties, including:
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Ascension Catholic Church (Chesterfield)
Chaminade High School
Holy Infant
Immaculate Conception Maplewood
Marianist Retreat Center
Mary, Mother of the Church (Mattese)
Our Lady Queen of Peace
Pax Christi USA
Sacred Heart (Valley Park)
Sisters of St. Joseph, Carondelet
St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Church
St. Ambrose
St. Augustine
St. Catherine Laboure
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For more information on the collaborative and how to join, call Kathy McGinnis at (314) 369-3821.