Franciscan Sisters Pray for Healing of Scars of Slavery

Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Kathleen Murphy shares on the St. Francis of Assisi Convent, Greenwood, Mississippi, remembrance of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first African slaves in the United States.

Sunday, August 25 marked Healing Day of National Bell Ringing. This day marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first African slaves on American shores. These captives were taken from present day Angola and were brought to what is now the state of Virginia.

The Sunday liturgy at St. Francis Parish in Greenwood included prayers for the healing of the still-present scars of slavery, as well as the singing of such songs as We’ve Come A Long Way Lord, O Freedom, and the Black National Anthem entitled Lift Every Voice and Sing.


Parish members were invited to join others across the nation in recognizing this day by ringing a bell at 3:00 p.m. Sister Janet and Sister Kathleen took part in this commemoration with the ringing of their own bells on the front porch of the convent. We continue to pray for the healing of racial ills and injustices in our nation which so often find their roots in the evil of slavery.