THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OMAHA
| SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 |
catholicvoiceomaha.com
INSIDE
archomaha.org
CONVERSING WITH THE LORD
MAN ON A MISSION
Gang unit officer, athletics organizer and Catholic education advocate are just some of the ways he’s served. PAGE 4
MIKE MAY/STAFF
Lisa Brandon and her four children, Emry, 12 (to her right), and (front row) Irick, 13, Kyler, 8, and Rylen, 5, kneel in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament Aug. 20 at St. Matthew the Evangelist Church in Bellevue. The parish has a growing devotion to the Holy Eucharist. See story on PAGE 8.
SALESIAN VOCATION
Brother’s road to religious life manifests the gentle, persistent call of God. PAGE 5
MULTIPLICATION FACTOR Fourteen people were given “talents” and challenged to step out in faith to make them grow for the glory of God and the good of neighbor. How did they fare? PAGE 6
Decisive or divisive?
The Catholic response to Critical Race Theory By Joseph O’Brien
For the Catholic Voice
For many, the election of Barrack Obama as the first African American President of the United States in 2008 represented a highwater mark of Americans’ willingness to see beyond the racial “color line.” Yet, little more than a decade after his election, Americans seem to be more divided than ever on the questions of race and how to understand them in areas of law, education, politics and culture. In particular, one approach to teaching about race – Critical Race Theory (CRT) – has provoked strong opinions on how racism is to be properly viewed and taught
in our country. For some, it’s a necessary corrective for past centuries of racism still ensconced in American culture. For others, it promotes the very sort of thinking it purportedly tries to fix. So what’s one to think? Does CRT offer an important, if not necessary, perspective in trying to
overcome racism in our nation? Or does it actually perpetuate racism? And if CRT is fundamentally flawed, does the Church offer a better approach to race and race education? WHAT IS CRT? From its origins in the 1970s
in the writings of several American legal scholars, CRT has now become a major force in cultural and academic politics. Many schools of higher learning, Catholic and otherwise, are integrating it or elements of it into classroom study and campus culture. RACE EDUCATION >> Page 10
CATHOLIC FAITH ON CAMPUS Catholic Voice
Each September, the Catholic Voice takes a special look at higher education from a Catholic point of view, examining current issues, especially as they affect Catholic colleges and universities. In this issue, we look at how one of today’s biggest and most challenging issues – that of race – is being addressed in classroom teaching and cam-
INDEX
News 2 Higher Education 10
pus life using two different perspectives: Critical Race Theory and the Church’s social teaching. That’s our lead story, beginning on PAGE 1 and continuing on PAGES 10-11 . Turn to PAGE 12 to read about how Catholic college students are living out their faith and showing mercy to those in need by using their training and newly-acquired occupational therapy skills while serving the homeless.
Spiritual Life Commentary
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Finally, we examine the value proposition of Catholic higher education. Given its higher cost compared with public colleges and universities, we asked two Catholic college presidents to describe the “Catholic difference” offered by their institutions. And we talked to one parent who is happy that her son is finding the Catholic difference at a Newman Center while attending a public university. PAGE 13
Classifieds 25 Resurrection Joy 26
Calendar Local Briefing
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