Carl J. Peter Lecture: Preaching Against Racism

CHUKWUMA ODIGWE ’25, ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON

Every year, the North American College invites a guest speaker to give the Carl J. Peter Lecture—a talk that provides us with insights on an essential topic for future priests: preaching. This year, Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville spoke to us about preaching against racism. While the topic of racism often elicits discomfort and strong reactions from listeners, Archbishop Fabre offered practical advice and encouragement to preach against racism from the pulpit.

When preaching, the priest’s goal is always to lead others to Christ through God’s grace. This desire was revealed in the questions that seminarians asked about preaching on racism during the lecture: “What are some of the practical steps we can take to prepare a homily addressing racism?”, “How should a priest preach on racism when he is assigned to a parish where his parishioners are predominantly of a different race?”, and “Is it right or wrong to have a ‘colorblind’ view towards race?”

Archbishop Fabre reminded us of the importance of staying aware of recent events when preparing homilies because they will be on the hearts of those in the pews. He encouraged us always to bring a Gospel perspective, to include the teachings of the Church in our homilies, and to never lose focus when confronted with various secular movements and agendas. He affirmed that race is an important part of who we are and that adopting a ‘colorblind’ view can fail to acknowledge one’s full personhood. We were reminded that we should not stray from addressing racism in our homilies when it is important to and should uphold what we preach about in our own lives.

In our second year of theology at the NAC, we begin to practice writing and delivering homilies. At times, it can be quite challenging! Archbishop Fabre’s lecture was a reminder of our need to be attuned to the hearts of the faithful as we prepare to preach. As preachers of God’s Word, our responsibility is always to form hearts to be like Christ through God’s grace. May all priests keep this goal in mind every time they preach to the faithful. n