The Ambassador’s Fund for Catholic Education awarded the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing a $10,000 grant for the 2021-22 academic/fiscal year. The funded program will support the Commission’s work of addressing and combatting the sin of racism within the geographic boundaries of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Matthew H. McCloskey, Jr. (1893-1973), building contractor and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1962-64), created and funded the Archdiocesan Educational Fund in 1967 to advance Catholic education and evangelization throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This charitable organization changed its name to the Ambassador’s Fund for Catholic Education in February 2020.
Reverend Stephen D. Thorne serves as the chairperson of the Commission. He said, “I am very grateful to the Ambassador’s Fund for their generosity to our Commission. This is truly a blessing to know we have their prayers and financial support to keep this ministry going. In these days marked with so much division, the work of the Commission is needed today.”
The Commission meets regularly to advise the Archbishop on the needs of racial healing and opportunities for dialogue in the Archdiocese. One major upcoming initiative is a Concert for Unity. The concert is scheduled for Sunday, May 15, 2022 in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and will feature various choirs and speakers on the topic of racial healing. The planning committee consists of Charlene Angelini, Director of Liturgical Music and the Cathedral Choir, Marcelle McGuirk, member of the Commission on Racial Healing and cantor at the Cathedral, Sister Lynn Marie Ralph, SBS, Tonya Talyor-Dorsey of the Archdiocesan Gospel Choir, and Damaris Thillet leading the Spanish Choir.
More information about this event will be forthcoming and all are welcome to attend.
About the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing
Launched in 2021 by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, the Commission is composed of 18 people and represents the diversity of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by race, age, gender and language. The Commission is mostly lay faithful from city and suburban parishes. You can read more about the Commission for Racial Healing on CatholicPhilly.com at https://catholicphilly.com/2021/07/news/local-news/new-commission-maps-racial-healing-through-encounter-dialogue-says-archbishop/
For more information, please contact Reverend Stephen D. Thorne at [email protected].
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Contact: Kenneth A. Gavin
Chief Communications Officer
215-587-3747 (office)