Angela Lewis of St. Eleanor Parish in Collegeville is one of the fifteen members of the Commission on Racial Healing in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, writes Matthew Gambino for Catholic Philly.

The commission was announced by Archbishop Nelson Perez on January 18, the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It will gather for its first monthly meeting in February.

Here, the members “will encounter each other as sisters and brothers with respect and love,” wrote the archbishop. “Through this encounter, all of us will be led to action as we seek to live out the Gospel and eradicate the sin of racism.”

Auxiliary Bishop John McIntyre formed the commission. He worked with several local pastors to identify the members and invite them to the commission.

More than half are Black Catholics considering that “affects the Black community in a particular way, (and) membership should reflect that,” said McIntyre.

The intention behind the commission is to get people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to talk about racism and any ideas and recommendations that will come from it.

Read more about the commission at Catholic Philly by clicking here.