For the next several weeks, St. Aloysius-St. Agatha Parish in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood will prayerfully remember African Americans who lost their lives during incidents with law enforcement officers.
About 60 people gathered on the front steps of the church after the 10 a.m. Mass on June 14 for a remembrance ceremony that included reading the names of 10 people who died at the hands of police since 2014. Included during the June 14 ceremony were Tamir Rice of Cleveland, who was shot and killed outside of Cudell Recreation Center Nov. 22, 2014 at age 12, and Tanisha Anderson of Cleveland, who died at age 37 on Nov. 13, 2014 while in police custody. Some held Black Lives Matter banner while others had small signs with messages urging an end to the violence. Ten others held wooden crosses with the names and cities of the dead.
As the church bells tolled, each name was read and followed by a minute of silence. After that, the group solemnly marched on St. Clair Avenue across East 109thStreet to the front of the church parking lot where the crosses were installed along the fence.
Father Mark Hobson, St. Aloysius-St. Agatha pastor, offered a remembrance and a blessing. He said the crosses will serve as a memorial to those who died. The previous Sunday, June 7, the parish had a prayer service in memory of George Floyd, whose May 25 death at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota sparked days of protests across the country and world.
During Mass on June 14, Father Hobson told the congregation the celebration of Corpus Christi, the body and blood of Christ, was a celebration of our oneness with Christ. “We all need Christ,” he said.
If he had to pick a title for his homily that day, Father Hobson said he likely would choose “Be Mindful and Remember.”
He told those gathered for Mass that Jesus only died and rose from the dead once, “but the power of his death and resurrection is remembered in every age and at every Mass.”
Mindfulness is something Father Hobson said we are working on, noting that black people are mindful of the disadvantages they have with white people. “I hope we all are becoming more aware of that so that the playing field begins to level.”
He said our God is a God “who restores us. He created us and he can do anything. There is no cultural brokenness that can prevent him from healing us. He has the power to save us.” When we are filled with frustration and anger, we can hold onto the hope that God will save us, he added.
Father Hobson also asked his parishioners for their help.
“I’ve become aware that I’m a participant in racism sometimes in ways that I’m not aware of. I need you to point it out to me – even if it hurts. Tell me as a gift to your pastor because I can’t grow without your help.”
St. Aloysius-St.. Agatha parishioners – who will be wearing masks and observing social distancing -- plan to distribute healthy treats to passersby at noon on June 19 to mark Juneteenth, the observance of the end of slavery on June 19, 1865.
St. Aloysius-St. Agatha Parish is at 10932 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland.