"the gods are already present"

Wiccan Protest Chaplains Courtney Weber and Mary Caliendo recently contributed to this post on The Wild Hunt a blog which offers a modern Pagan perspective.  Courtney and Mary both share their stories of being involved with the occupy movement and what it means for them to work as Pagan chaplains.
As Courtney explains:
Pagan Chaplaincy is a unique animal. Our faiths are widely diverse and do not contain a central belief code. Therefore, what is the role of a spiritual worker whose very beliefs are defined by respecting the personal beliefs of others and not attempting to influence them? As it turns out, this unique quality of Pagan spirituality is an excellent fit for the Occupy movement. There is a prevalent antagonism within the movement toward organized religion. Sympathizing Chaplains of various religions frequently face hostility, many of them often hearing, “Religion is one of the reasons we’re in this mess!” In these sorts of situations, Pagan Chaplains are able to fly under-the-radar. Where one Chaplain might face hostility and rejection in a situation due to their religious affiliations, that situation might be more open to a Pagan Chaplain. Paganism itself mirrors the Occupy movement in its lack of centralization and leadership. Pagan Chaplains are effectively able to get close to the heart of the various matters that come up within the movement as we do not have the same barriers of suspicion and prejudice that face many of our colleagues from mainstream religions.
Check out the whole post here to read more!

being a "chaplain to the protest"

On the Fellowship of Reconciliation site, Protest Chaplain Matthew Arlyck talks about being a chaplain to the protest on Thursday evening as he worked jail support while others marched across the Brooklyn Bridge.  He writes:
"Throughout the 4+ hours I spent there last night, the care I provided didn’t look much like pastoral care; I didn’t have any particularly spiritual conversations or engage in any prayer.  I did what everyone else did - helped to get weary protestors, many of whom had been held handcuffed in 1 Police Plaza for 10-12 hours, get plugged back into the outside world.  (Now, how can we begin to approach with the same spirit our 2 million incarcerated sisters and brothers when they are released back from correctional facilities into our communities?)  And yet I knew I was exactly where I needed to be."


Read the entire blog post here.

"my job is to be a presence of calm and peace"

Protest Chaplain Romall Smalls was profiled in the New York Observer's 40 Portraits From Occupy Wall Street: Tent City.  Read his thoughts on chaplaincy at OWS and then scroll through the other fascinating portraits!

Life is a sweet jubilee

Protest chaplain Melissa Hinnen has been writing about faith and Occupy Wall Street on this great blog for awhile.  Read about her thoughts and experiences and take a look at some of the resources she has compiled like OWS specific prayers!

"Jews must join the fight"

One of our Protest Chaplains, Carolyn Klaasen is doing some badass work with Jewish Voice for Peace that is related to Occupy Wall Street.  Check out this article in "New Voices," a National Jewish student magazine to read more about her stance on "occupying the occupiers."

Protest Chaplains Carolyn Klaasen and Jami Yandle 

down at Zuccotti Park earlier this fall.

A Good Morning's Work

A Good Morning’s Work:  Reflections on a Chaplain’s Shift at OWS

by Posey Krakowsky

            I am a Protest Chaplain at Occupy Wall Street.  Our group formed spontaneously about 6 weeks ago in response to the occupation.  As people of faith, we feel called to respond to those who are brave enough to lift their voices in prophetic, peaceful protest to the inequities and injustice they see before them.  Since our first visits to the sight in September, we have been working steadily to define and refine our mission there.  We are a diverse, interfaith group.  We are comprised of both clergy and lay members.  Our main purpose is to bear witness to the voices of the occupation through listening, presence, and prayer.  We do not have an agenda; we are there to listen and be present for them wherever they are.  We are willing to give of ourselves so that others may be supported in their efforts to be heard.  To that end, we are trying to establish a constant chaplaincy at Zuccotti. 

But I think our work affects many more than the residents of Zuccotti.

Last Thursday, I worked the morning shift with a fellow chaplain, Renee Monrose.  During the time we were there, we spoke to at least 20 people who were visiting the occupation for the first time.  Two were women from Argentina.  Some were from other parts of the United States.  Many were New Yorkers.  At least three were from Poland.  Some were fellow clergy members.  Several were students from local colleges, coming down to do research for assignments. They all had the same questions: What is a Protest Chaplain?  Why are you here?

The work we did that very morning provided answers to these questions: bearing witness took many forms that day.  Our help ranged from the practical (answering questions about where to find particular resources) to the pastoral.  One man spoke to us with distress of having been kicked awake in his tent just a few hours earlier.  Another told us of how he and his wife had lost their house and car: his wife, an attorney, had been laid off, and was out of work for nearly 2 years.  Renee spent a long time speaking with a medic who works at Zuccotti – he had witnessed and tried to defuse the incident earlier that day.  Another man told us that he had just arrived from Ohio; he was planning to visit every Occupy site across the country in order to show his support. All of these protesters expressed frustration with the status quo, hoping that their willingness to stand against “business as usual” would inspire our country to re-examine and reconsider what we are doing.  Hearing their stories was humbling – we felt honored that they would open up to us.  As we listened, we realized they were no longer strangers, they were neighbors we had not yet met.  By the time we finished talking, they were friends.

Explaining this to the “visitors” was another form of chaplaincy we did that day.  To see the looks of appreciation on the faces of those who came from other countries – these were moments of joy.  To feel the support from our fellow clergy from other states – these were moments of revitalization.  To answer the earnest questions from the college students – these were moments of hope.

This was a good morning’s work.  I look forward to my next shift in the park.

"we pray because we believe another world is possible"

Check out this sweet article by "Busted Halo: an online magazine for spiritual seekers."  It features one of our Protest Chaplains along with occupiers of faith, religious activists, and clergy.  As one United Methodist pastor put it, "What should occupy your heart, your soul, your mind? Nothing but LOVE."

You can also see those featured in the article in this video clip, courtesy of Busted Halo, from a recent Sunday service at OWS.  Occupy Faith NYC holds interfaith worship services at Zuccotti Park each Sunday at 3:30 pm.

Occupy the Collar

Check out this great blog post about being a GenderQueer, UCC chaplain at OWS by Jami Yandle! Jami is a protest chaplain and a third-year Master's of Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary. Jami is seeking ordination in the United Church of Christ.

Occupy the Collar

"as people of faith serving our people we need to be here!"

Check out our own Protest Chaplain, Erica Richmond, in this video on the PBS website: Religious Voices from Occupy Wall Street.  Also in the video are Rev. Michael Ellick of Judson Memorial Church and Rev. K. Karpen of St. Paul and St. Andrew.  Rev. Ellick reminds us that people of faith have been working for justice as long as religious communities have existed!  Our work continues...

Statement of Support for Occupy Boston

The members of Protest Chaplains NYC stand in solidarity with Protest Chaplains in Boston. We are deeply troubled by the violence Occupy Boston experienced during the early morning hours of October 11th. As people of faith and members of Occupy Wall Street we seek to embody radical love in our intentional presence at protests and people’s movements for justice. We continue to pray that all voices will be heard and that people can continue to speak up about economic injustice and political disenfranchisement. The police backlash in Boston only deepens our commitment to this sacred work. - Protest Chaplains NYC

Protest Chaplains

We are Protest Chaplains - NYC. As people of faith called to embody radical love, Protest Chaplains - NYC commits to being more deeply and intentionally present at protests and people’s movements for justice. We are grieved by the ways religion has been misused to support violence, greed, and exploitation of poor and working class people, people of color, immigrants, women, people with disabilities and queer people. We offer a listening ear and a ministry of prayer, presence and support to all people engaged in the difficult task of crying out against injustice and living out their deepest commitments.