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Bishop John H Ricard called for a "complete and thorough investigation into the senseless killing" of Ahmaud Arber in Brunswick, Georgia.

Ricard, the superior general of the Josephites, decried the shooting of the 25-year-old man by local residents while he was taking a jog. His statement to the Josephites came before an incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that the Josephites reported ended in the death of George Floyd and the arrest of several police officers.

Bishop Ricard acknowledged that the Josephites have served the African American community for the past 125 years.  

“This murder is yet another example of an innocent, young black life lost at the hands of vigilantes taking matters of perceived “justice” into their own hands. It is also an example of people acting in hatred and ignorance to perpetuate violence against the African-American community,” Bishop Ricard told the Josephites.

He wrote that the Josephites stand in solidarity with communities, and asks that justice be brought.

“The Josephites call for all law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to investigate not only these crimes but also the parties who shielded the perpetrators from justice,” he told the Josephites.