Recognizing the diversity of the United States culture, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has developed a handbook to help its individual conferences — and even other Catholic groups — to better understand the multicultural face of God.
“More and more we’re encountering a diverse people, trying to understand where they’re coming from,” said Ray Sickinger, who coordinated the nearly three-year-long effort to develop the handbook.
Titled “A Vincentian Guide to Diversity/Multicultural Issues,” the handbook offers 12 sessions for groups to reflect on how God is represented by the diverse people that make up American society and how to better respond to their needs. Individual sessions address specific groups of people: Native Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, European Americans, African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, migrants, refugees and travelers, and homosexuals.
Each session opens and closes with prayer. Some include Scripture references. Reflection time is built in as well. Most of all, they offer food for thought on the people of God’s earthly creation based on Vincentian ideals.
Sickinger, professor of history at Providence College, is on sabbatical to write a book on Blessed Frederic Ozanam.
Tags: Diversity, formation, Sickenger, SVDP, USA
