Sixteen members of the Diocese of South Carolina became the first graduates of The Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing’s Preparing Pilgrimages & Pilgrimage Leaders Program.
The graduates are now certified to facilitate and lead Pilgrimages of Racial Healing. Through deep spiritual formation and practical preparation, they were equipped for morally courageous leadership: to respect human dignity, realign with God’s vision, and help restore justice in the world around them.
The two-day intensive and ongoing consulting partnership prepares dioceses, parishes, and communities to bring racial healing and justice work to life in their own contexts. Participants gain tools, imagination, and support to facilitate brave conversations about race, foster authentic community, and align their work with The Episcopal Church’s call for racial reconciliation and healing.
The Diocese of South Carolina was the first to participate in both the Pilgrimage of Racial Healing and the Preparing Pilgrimages & Pilgrimage Leaders Program. Since then, the Diocese of Oregon and other dioceses have also engaged in the preparation program.
Learn more about Preparing Pilgrimages & Pilgrimage Leaders.
Adapted from the Center’s May 2026 newsletter.