When someone states their skin color or culture--"I'm a Black Catholic." "I'm a Polish Catholic." "I'm a Hispanic Catholic." It can be tempting to want to wave it off. We're all *one family*, right? Why do these differences matter? But today's guest is here to talk to us about how our church is bigger than our culture, and therefore, all of our cultures must be allowed to be present.
Shannon Schmidt is a mom, podcaster, and biracial Catholic with a passion for theology and our church. We discuss how her race plays into her faith and why she thinks it’s important for her to embrace her Black Catholic label. Shannon and I also chat about how to fight against using orthodoxy as a shield, the importance of de-centering any one particular culture to instead become a beautifully diverse family, and what’s been bringing her closer to God lately. Enjoy!
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Topics discussed:
Why Shannon started her podcast
Why she identifies as a Black Catholic in addition to being biracial and white presenting
How “reverence” and “orthodoxy” can be misused as shields against other cultures
Why you should balance loving/embracing your own culture and being accepting of other cultures
What’s been bringing Shannon closer to God lately