The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and their companions are committed to the Gospel values of human dignity, justice, and love. Our U.S. Bishops define racism saying, “Racism arises when—either consciously or unconsciously—a person holds that his or her own race or ethnicity is superior, and therefore judges persons of other races or ethnicities as inferior and unworthy of equal regard. When this conviction or attitude leads individuals or groups to exclude, ridicule, mistreat, or unjustly discriminate against persons on the basis of their race or ethnicity, it is sinful.” (Open Wide Our Hearts, 3) We recognize that racial discrimination damages human dignity, divides communities, and contradicts our fundamental values of justice and respect for all persons. Racism is imbedded deep in the fabric of our country and deep in our own hearts. Even with all of the work that we have done as sisters and companions to educate ourselves about racism, we acknowledge that racism is so ingrained in our society and world that we need to dismantle it piece by piece, day by day, one action at a time.

The Work of Racial Justice and Our Corporate Stand

Since 2019, the Dismantling Racial Discrimination Committee has been working to educate our sisters, companions, and coworkers about the issue of systemic racism and how it impacts us as individuals, as a community, and as a society. As Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, we are committed to the Gospel values of human dignity, justice, and love. Racism is an affront to human dignity, and we acknowledge the profound moral imperative to dismantle racism in all its forms. We recognize that racial discrimination damages human dignity, divides communities, and contradicts our fundamental values of justice and respect for all persons.

In May 2025, after a period of prayer and reflection, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia took a Corporate Stand on Dismantling Racism:

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and our companions take a Corporate Stand on Dismantling Racism in ourselves, our congregation, our nation, and our world. We acknowledge our responsibility to confront systemic racism through prayer, education, and advocacy. We commit to examining our own biases while working to create equitable policies, to amplifying voices of color, and to building authentic partnerships that advance racial justice. In a spirit of continuous conversion, we also commit to speaking up with compassion when we observe words or actions that may perpetuate racial bias, recognizing that authentic transformation requires both accountability and courage.

You can learn more about our corporate stand here.