Education of the Heart Means Action
Cabrini High School in New Orleans recently sent out a powerful message addressed to both their immediate Cabrini community but applicable to our Cabrini World and the world at large. Their letter confronts systemic racial inequality in the United States, highlighted by the recent killings of innocent black civilians. It clearly lays out the school’s stance against racial injustice, and for an inclusive approach that empowers their students and staff to change society for the better. Importantly the letter states how Cabrini High School is taking action to realize equality and justice within their own community.
The Story Behind Their Letter
Cabrini High School’s headteacher, Ms. Yvonne Hrapmann, explains that “our message was a timely collaboration of Cabrini staff who reflected on heartfelt messages from our alumnae and others who eloquently expressed their desire for Cabrini to be active in bringing justice and equality to the forefront of our work to educate the hearts and minds of our students, faculty, staff, and alumnae, and the broader community as Mother Cabrini would have acted. Our words were inspired from Mother Cabrini quotes, meaningful messages from other Cabrini ministries, our Cabrinian tradition, and with the insight and guidance of Cabrini High School’s No Place For Hate Club Moderator.”
Their Approach is More than What they Teach, it is What They Live
Ms. Hrapmann further elaborates that “Cabrini High School has a truly diverse student body and strong sisterhood of young women and alumnae who reflect the fabric of New Orleans culture and diversity. This dynamic uniquely positions Cabrini High School to make a difference, have difficult but necessary and important conversations, and create the opportunity for our Cabrini community to come together to listen, learn, love, lead, and grow. Ultimately Cabrini High School will provide an even stronger educational experience, one that recognizes and celebrates equity and racial inclusion, while we live out our values of respect, excellence and service.”
The Message
Cabrini High School’s letter is published on this blog site as a living example and a product of an Education of the Heart approach.
“Today, love must not be hidden … it must be living, active and true.”
— St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Dear Cabrini Community,
Our foundress, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Patron Saint of Immigrants, committed her life to the dignity, development, and empowerment of God’s people, especially those who are marginalized. Cabrini High School was founded to uphold this legacy and to provide an Education of the Mind and the Heart—an education that empowers people to change society for the better.
The unjust deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many more before them, have brought systemic racism and the discrimination that people of color have faced for centuries to the forefront. Few of us can comprehend the impact of these atrocities. Our Cabrini family condemns these senseless and merciless actions, and while we cannot begin to understand the hurt, pain, and fear our African American sisters, their families, and the black community live with daily, we share their anger, passion for change, and hope for justice.
Inequality and injustice cannot be tolerated or accepted in our school, our community, or our country. Black lives matter. We must come together in the spirit of Mother Cabrini — as pilgrims on a journey that demands us to open our hearts and minds and gather others along the journey who are willing to walk, work, and sacrifice together to realize equality and justice.
We will take an honest, in-depth look at our school community, actions, relationships, and interactions. We will acknowledge our shortcomings and commit to ways we can improve for the betterment of our diverse Cabrini community.
We will create a safe space for our students, alumnae, and faculty and staff to come together and share their experiences, feelings, concerns, fears, disappointments, and desires for a future free from hate and racism and where injustice is not tolerated.
We will continue to discern, pray, and plan ways to further educate our faculty, staff, and students to raise awareness, support each other, and stand together against racism and injustice. Together, we will move forward from these tragic events and take positive steps to better ourselves and society.
At Cabrini, we are family. Family members sometimes struggle to understand each other and even struggle to get along at times. Families, however, do not give up on one another. Instead, we open our hearts and our minds. We apologize and we forgive. We listen, we learn, and we love. We grow.
The conversations ahead may be uncomfortable, the work will be difficult, and change will take work. Worthwhile, real change always does. Our commitment to self-reflect and do better is heartfelt and sincere. We know change starts with us, individually and collectively. We hope you will walk with us on this journey.
Let us continue to listen, learn, love, and live out the example of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. We are in this together.
MotherCabrini, Pray for Us.
“Our actions flow from values found in the life and teaching of Jesus. We strive to respond to others with compassion and to serve with excellence. We seek to communicate God’s personal love in ways that touch hearts, inspire deeper relationships with God and foster the authentic human and spiritual development of ourselves and others. This is the Cabrinian mission.”
Our Call to Action
Let us within the Cabrini World encourage Cabrini High School in vocalising their stance, continuing in the good work that is before them, with an Education of the Heart approach guiding them along the way. There is a clear call to action for us in their letter too, as inequality exists in all forms wherever we may live, so let us too have open minds and open hearts to see it, and the courage to speak up and take action against such discrimination. As Mother Cabrini exhorts us, let our love be living, active and true.
