DURHAM — The diocesan ministries of African Ancestry and Evangelization Network and Native American Catholics were delighted to welcome Brother Mickey McGrath, O.S.F.S. for his second art retreat in the Diocese of Raleigh.
Loving our Neighbors: A Lenten Art Retreat was held Feb. 21 at Holy Cross Church. It focused on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching with a supporting theme of dignity and inclusion. Given the challenging nature of current times, the leadership team of AAMEN and NAC chose to promote the vital teachings of the Church that feature justice and peace alongside human life and dignity.
Brother Mickey has led retreats around the nation, with a particular emphasis on care for creation, charismatic renewal and diverse voices in the Catholic Church. Through the lens of his vibrant paintings, communities learned about the powerful witness of saints and lay people who worked for justice and inclusion, including Sister Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A., St. Oscar Romero and Nicholas Black Elk, a Lakota catechist.
Parishioners listened intently as each principle of Catholic Social Teaching was highlighted through stories and artwork. Particularly memorable in the ‘cry of the poor,’ Brother Mickey recounted his friendship and care for the vulnerable and unhoused in his neighborhood in New Jersey. Each painting held a person in need of compassion, and who themselves gave their gifts back to the world, sometimes in the simplest ways.
Featuring the heritage of African and African-American communities and Native American Catholics was a priority for this retreat, as well as building the connection between the AAMEN/NAC ministry and parishioners through fellowship and creativity.
Participants made their own art; each person reflected their interpretation of a quilt square, often depicted in Native and African traditions as a sign of unity in diversity, cultural history and narrative stories of liberation.
As a result of this retreat, organizers saw deeper inspiration to love our neighbors concretely. Participants were encouraged to engage with the world, not withdraw. The timeless principles of Catholic Social Teaching hold Jesus’ admonition to us all: To love our neighbors as ourselves. Therefore, with greater awareness of mutual belonging in the Church and the enduring witness of Black and Indigenous peoples, people will continue to work for justice and peace in the diocese and in the larger world.
Renée Fisher is administrative assistant for AAMEN and NAC ministries in the Diocese of Raleigh.
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