Many of us have busy lives and do not always have a focus beyond our family’s needs and our responsibilities. It isn’t that people don’t care, and especially at St. Francis, where we have had extraordinary community involvement since the parish’s founding, but just sometimes the problems of the world can be too much. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded of how much we have and how blessed we are. These reminders come in many forms, and one was the “Love Forward Together March” in mid-February.
As Casey Slock, the coordinator of the Justice and Peace Ministries at St. Francis and a march participant, says, “The Love Forward Together March was about peace and justice, not grievances. Bishop William J. Barber (Repairers of the Breach founder, former director of the North Carolina Chapter of the NAACP, and long-time Civil Rights leader) emphasized that point, saying the world had plenty of that. We came to Love Forward Together for a future of living wages, ending poverty, voting rights, education, welcoming immigrants, healthcare, enfranchisement for formerly incarcerated, saving our environment, labor rights, and religious values, not religious nationalism.”
“We marched about 7 miles each day (it was a 50-mile march) and rode intermittently on charter buses when rural roads were trickier, or we needed to move more quickly,” recalled Casey. “We walked very slowly because some folks had canes and quite a few were in their 70s and 80s, but most folks were probably in their 50s.” She says about 200 people turned out in Wilson on the first day, Wednesday, and then again on Thursday. More came on Friday, and on Saturday, she said many more were marching from Shaw University to the Capitol, where thousands joined the rally, forming a very large crowd in front of the stage.
Why was she there? “Our parish is actively serving, encountering, and advocating for people who are poor or marginalized in the community,” she says. “The Justice and Peace office invites everyone to reflect on how God calls them to respond to the social mission of the Gospel. Mary Ellen McGuire (Director of Justice and Peace) and I want to connect parishioners and community members so we can work together.” Individuals representing a range of faiths, races, and opinions marched two by two from Wilson to Raleigh for a shared purpose: the common good. “Friends from our parish and North Raleigh also joined the March,” said Casey, adding, “For me, it was a miles long walk for justice as well as personal discovery.“ A video featuring singer Willie Nelson includes Casey and other parishioners who participated in the March.
Thomas Eck was one of those friends who joined Casey at the rally, and he reflected that we sometimes need a reminder of how we can come from a place of privilege. He says, “Like so many of our parishioners at St. Francis, I’ve never faced oppression. I’ve never had to choose between food and healthcare. I have never once worried that my right to vote might be obstructed or marginalized. I’ve never dealt with the impossible situation of finding a job after incarceration. I am thankful for all of that, but it also grieves me that the leaders we elect continue to make choices that knowingly and systemically place those who didn’t grow up as I did into those circumstances.”
“Bishop Barber’s message for this march wasn’t about division,” emphasized Thomas. “Instead, he demanded solidarity, consideration of the common good, and recognition of the dignity of others. If these concepts sound familiar, they should; they are the very virtues underpinning Catholic social teaching.” He adds, “Jesus told us there is one commandment from which everything else flows: To love one another! Regardless of whether you lean left or right, vote red, blue, or a little of both, I don’t think it’s too hard to see that the world as it is today doesn’t always reflect Jesus’ call to love one another very well.”
Casey, both in her professional role and her personal life, espouses the values shared at the March. Still, she says this was a different experience for her: “When you are relatively new at advocacy, like me, joining a movement takes a lot of courage and trust. On each of the four days, I felt proud to attend, yet anxious.” ‘Who was I aligning with, and what do they believe? Will someone next to me carry a sign I don’t believe in? What will people think about my involvement in this movement? Is there a potential for violence? Can I trust the leaders of the movement? Am I being prudent or skeptical?’
Yet, despite these questions, she says, “Communities encouraged us as we walked, waving and smiling from cars and porches. Teachers lined up the school and daycare children along the sidewalk to cheer us on. Even when some people chose not to make eye contact, and one person yelled, ‘You should be ashamed,’ we marched on, knowing they missed the point. From Wilson to Raleigh, the folks I met cared deeply about people, peace, and justice for all. Bishop Barber was a kind, prophetic witness to the Gospel, and I think God is pleased when we cooperate on what’s good, loving, and true.”
Thomas adds about the experience at the rally: “I’m not familiar enough with Bishop Barber’s work or well-versed enough in the many nuances surrounding the societal issues he shines light upon to know if I fully agree with his views. But I do know that anytime someone shows me a path that puts love at the center of their cause and their messaging, that’s something we should all support. Unity, not division; Love, not hate. That’s what the Love Forward Together march was all about.” That is also why so many from our Parish went to stand in solidarity.
Thomas was happy to come out in support of the March and advocated continuing the effort. He says, “I’m not sure if everyone is aware of Casey’s ‘The Day of Prayer for Compassionate Leaders‘ initiative, but I think it’s an easy and natural way for parishioners to heed Bishop Barber’s call to ‘Love Forward Together.’ She is working to create a movement that seeks to bring the world closer to God’s vision by touching the hearts of leaders through prayer.” Her effort recognizes that those who choose politics as their life’s work have a great hand in shaping our society, yet are still humans who need our prayers.
Thomas says, “Active participation of those who lead our Justice and Peace Ministries shows they truly ‘walk the walk’ in everything they do, sometimes quite literally.” Casey adds, “We can always wonder whether the person ‘walking beside us’ has a YouTube channel supporting abortion, guns, or capital punishment. But I think God is pleased when we cooperate on what’s good, loving, and true.” Reviewing her experience, she remembers a quote from Galatians 1:10: ‘Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.’ The St. Francis Justice and Peace office is always available with opportunities to further God’s presence in the world through action.
