Presentation Sisters Statement on Racial Justice
The recent violent death of Mr. George Floyd weighs heavily on the hearts of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Aberdeen, SD. We stand in solidarity with and offer our prayers and sympathy to the Floyd family and to all persons of color whose dignity and well-being are violated by white privilege and systemic racism in our country.
While the rights of all Americans come with birthrights, persons of color constantly find themselves on trial to be awarded these rights; this is the system of white privilege. This insidious evil, inaugurated by the slave trade, threaded through and has become firmly seated in American culture.
We Presentation Sisters acknowledge being complicit in this personal and institutional injustice. We join with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in asserting, “It is long past time to dismantle white privilege.” We pray for healing of this national sin and we invite all people to join with us in the work of conversion.
Jesus told the rich young man, who might prefigure the richest nation on earth, that to love one’s neighbor as oneself is a measure of one’s love of God. Nano Nagle, who risked her life to empower the oppressed of her day, hands this legacy of love of God and neighbor to Presentation Sisters, and we pray to be worthy of the gift.
June 5, 2020
