Faith leaders at Spiritus Christi Church in downtown Rochester are asking anyone who participated in Saturday's looting of stores to rethink what they did and consider returning stolen items.
"I understand the rage and the pain of the moment and really the history of really fighting for a more just society," said Reverend Myra Brown.
What You Need To Know
- Reverend Myra Brown of Spiritus Christi Church is urging thieves to return stolen items
- She says that stolen items can be brought to her church anonymously and she will return them to the right owners
- She says that we must take care of each other even while fighting for justice
Rev. Brown took to social media to encourage anyone who took part in looting stores around Rochester to now do the right thing.
"I just realized that I didn't want to stand in any judgment around people's pain and their anguish and their lived experience, but what I did want to do is ask people to rethink the taking of other people's stuff," she said.
"I think that you tell people what you think of them by what you ask of them and so my plea is to say bring the stuff back to the stores you took it from and if you can't do that anonymously then bring it here to Spiritus Christ and I'll return the stuff for you."
"I live in the community and I drive by all those stores boarded up and I realize it is not just about those businesses but there are people of color who were working at those businesses who now don't have a job and so it really goes up against the purpose of trying to fight for social justice for the black community. You cannot inflict more harm to the members of your community while you are doing that."
"We have to get back to modeling a way to take care of each other and to do the work of being neighbors to one another even in the midst of the fight for justice."
Anyone who'd like to return any stolen merchandise is welcome to drop it off at Spiritus Christi Church located at 121 North Fitzhugh Street in Rochester.