This year’s theme for Racial Justice Sunday “Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21): Promoting Racial Justice in our Parishes. Racial Justice Sunday is devoted to the promotion of racial justice in our Catholic parishes across England and Wales and society and an encouragement to be conscious of the need for justice in all its forms.

When Christ commissioned his disciples he intended the message of his reconciling ministry, death and resurrection for all peoples, times and places. The word that came to summarise this reality was the Greek word ‘Katholikos’ – Catholic – meaning universal. Our model for community wellbeing has to be as diverse as the disciples

Jesus called and the places they were sent, as varied as the parables he taught, as extensive as the good news Jesus preached. It is an ongoing encouragement for us today that the early Church was this diverse in her make-up of believers and in her geographical spread. As the Letter of James tells us – God shows no partiality in what he has created.