Copy Desk Daily, June 23, 2020

Our team of copy editors reads and posts most of what you see on the websites for National Catholic Reporter, Global Sisters Report and EarthBeat. The Copy Desk Daily highlights recommended news and opinion articles that have crossed our desks on their way to you.

For Appalachia pastors, reopening means walking with the poor and vulnerable: Catholic pastors in West Virginia tell NCR about pandemic hardships, including the cancellation of a service trip that was vital for the area, and now, navigating the process of reopening and keeping their parishioners safe.

"St. Mary Magdalene Parish was born from the merger of three Pittsburgh-area parishes in January," Madeleine Davison writes. "The pastoral council planned hospitality Sundays, an ice cream social and a picnic to bring together congregants from disparate neighborhoods. Then COVID-19 struck": Reopening Pittsburgh parish looks to fight racism, unify congregation.

For indigenous protesters, defending the environment can be fatal: According to a comprehensive analysis released earlier this month, "Environmental activists specifically — particularly indigenous activists and activists of color — have for years faced high rates of criminalization, physical violence, and even murder for their efforts to protect the planet." EarthBeat republishes a report from Rachel Ramirez at Grist.

I do not want to die soon: Soul Seeing contributor Tom Smith's most recent encounter with death was with his sister Sharon. She died in March; she is Tom's third sibling to die from a rare type of cancer. Tom is the lone remaining family member. He reflects on the loss, the loneliness — and the resolve — that remains.

At Global Sisters Report: Q & A with Dr. Valérie Julie Brousseau, helping Canadian religious communities prevent COVID-19.