Suggested Activity to Promote Racial Harmony in Parishes

Within Home Parish:

• Provide copies of pastoral for church members and hold discussion sessions.
  
• Racial harmony committees from 2 parishes meet and plan activities.
  
• Encourage your committee, principal, DRE, CCD and school religion teachers to attend the course to be given by ICS on February 23 and March 1, 2008. This is a study of the pastoral and is good for advanced/renewal certification. Info available from ORE or www.orearchdio-no.com.
  
• Include a prayer for racial harmony in each Sunday Liturgy.
  
• Put announcements of interest from partner parish in bulletin.
  
• Offer a personal invitation to people from different ethnic groups to get involved in the parish, especially in the liturgy as lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharistic, Altar Servers, ushers.

With Twin Parish:

• Exchange of
  • lectors
  • pulpits
  • choirs
• Joint activities
  • Right to Life committees
  • Men’s clubs
  • Altar societies e.g. help with decorating of both churches for Christmas
  • Choirs e.g. Christmas concert
  • Family Day picnic at a park
  • Youth groups 
    service projects – Thanksgiving baskets, serving dinner to poor
    social evenings
    mixed team basketball games 
    exchange of lectors 
    exchange of youth choirs or soloists
  • Men’s/Women’s Retreats
  • Missions/Guest Speakers/Advent and Lenten Talks
  • Adoration/Holy Hours
  • Catechesis e.g. host classes offered by ICS
  • Stations of the Cross
    
• Some ministries e.g. CCD and CYO could become joint efforts.