The parish family and Academy of Our Lady of Mount Carmel remembers, celebrates and honors Juneteenth and in honor of the Juneteenth holiday, we offer this Scripture and Prayer for Juneteenth:
“Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.” Exodus 3:7,9
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15: 57
Eternal God, you made us in your own image,
and became one of us in Jesus Christ.
Look with compassion on the whole human family;
Take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts;
Break down the walls that separate us;
Unite us in bonds of love; and, through our struggle and confusion,
Work to accomplish your purposes on earth;
So that, in your good time,
We learn to live as brothers and sisters, to serve and love in harmony.
Amen.
Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and historically known as Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Emancipation Day) is a federal holiday in the United States celebrating the emancipation of African Americans who had been enslaved. Originating in Galveston, Texas, in 1866, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 throughout the United States. It became a recognized federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. It is commemorated on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas.