On Friday, January 23rd Minnesotans are joining together for a Day of Prayer and Fasting in response and opposition to the actions of the federal government against the state of Minnesota. We will have a powerful day of non-violent action rooted in faith.

All of ECMN is welcome to participate in this day in whatever way feels meaningful. Prayer, fasting, protest, solidarity, acts of compassion and support are all welcome.



As Bishop Loya said in the churchwide prayer vigil last week:

“We may not feel like we are able to stop what is happening in this place, or others that are surely yet to come. But no matter the outcomes, we will not be moved. We will continue to stand up. We will continue to stand with. We will march in the streets, and deliver food to those locked in their homes, and flood our legislators with calls for the madness to stop. And because we have each other,  because we are carried along by the Spirt’s river of love, the weariness will not overcome us. The anger will not consume us.”

When we gather together to pray and to root ourselves in community, we position ourselves to act from Christ’s love.

You can learn more about the wide variety of opportunities to gather by clicking here and reading below.

Please note, this event is being planned by a coalition of organizing groups in Minnesota. ECMN is not at the planning table, so, for more dynamic and reliable information about these events, please use the links in this email to sign up for updates.

Episcopalians at the March

For those interested, there will be a larger march in Downtown Minneapolis in the afternoon of January 23rd.

Episcopalians are invited to gather at the Gethsemane building (905 Fourth Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404) for a time of prayer and a word from Bishop Loya before making our way together to join the larger group a few blocks away.

Gethsemane's doors will open at 1pm.

Prayer at Gethsemane will begin at 1:30pm.

The rally outside of US Bank Stadium will take place at 2pm.

Clergy are invited to vest for the march (if you can fit it over your snowsuit). One message that this event is trying to make very clear is that this issue is one about which Jesus has something to say.

Gethsemane does not have a parking lot, but there are paid ramps and on street parking available around the building. we highly encourage carpooling or using public transportation.

This building is not currently regularly used and has been winterized. This means that there are NO WORKING BATHROOMS on site. Please plan accordingly.

You can learn more about the march by clicking the link above.

Evening Prayer Service

If you are in the metro, there will also be a Prayer Service for Truth and Freedom at 7pm CT on Jan. 23rd at Shiloh Temple (1201 W Broadway, Minneapolis). Register to join here.

Safety Considerations

It’s going to be frigid, even by Minnesota standards. Please do your own discernment about if the temperatures will be unsafe for you.

We encourage everyone to be mindful of their vulnerability when determining whether or not to show up to this in person event. It has gotten some significant publicity, and will be under great scrutiny. Please do your own personal calculations of the potential cost before deciding whether to attend in person.



Other Opportunities

If you are in greater Minnesota or cannot attend in person for any reason, note in particular, there are several opportunities to participate:

If you are a clergy person, you can sign on to the Day of Prayer and Fasting for Truth and Freedom. At this link you can publicly endorse the day and offer other ways you and your congregation can participate: https://bit.ly/ClergyTF

Join a national prayer call in support of Minnesotans at 8:30am CT on Jan. 23. You can register to join us in community and prayer here: https://bit.ly/Jan23MorningPrayer

 At 1:30pm, stop for a moment of prayer while those Episcopalians gathering in person in the cities prepare for a march.

If you are in Greater MN, there are prayer events emerging. If you would like to offer to host one in your community, reach out to Todd Lipppert (tlippert@isaiahmn.org) to add a local prayer service to our public calendar.

If you are doing the service in the evening, in particular, we would commend the use of the liturgy created for last week's churchwide vigil, which you can find here.



Donate

ECMN has ministries on the ground doing heroic work for immigrants in our faith communities and neighborhoods. In addition to praying and marching, we invite you to also donate to support this incredible work:

Migrant Support Fund

The ECMN Migrant Support Fund provides rapid, flexible financial assistance to meet urgent and emerging needs of immigrant individuals and families across the diocese. Funds are used to:

• Provide emergency food, housing, and basic necessities

• Assist with rent, utilities, and temporary lodging to prevent homelessness

• Cover emergency medical, childcare, or family support expenses

• Help stabilize families so they can remain safely together

Thousands have already been put to use to support our community members, I ask that you please be generous in donating as the need continues to expand.

You can find all the information you need to donate online or send in your check by clicking here.



Give to Casa Maria

Casa Maria is a food shelf and clothing closet ministry of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Richfield, serving immigrant families from across the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, many of whom are undocumented.

In response to increased fear around leaving home, Casa Maria has expanded food delivery services to ensure families can safely access food and essential supplies. Donations support:

• Expansion of home food delivery

• Increased variety of foods

• Ability to meet other needs of food shelf regulars

Please consider making a gift to Casa Maria so more families can be served in the coming days and week. Checks may be mailed to: St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 7227 Penn Ave S, Richfield, MN 55423. Please put ‘Casa Maria’ in the memo line.

Donate Food Shelf Items

Please consider donating these much needed items:

Eggs, milk, butter, chicken, ground beef in tubes, tortillas, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, cooking oil, sugar, flour, masa, shelf stable juice, diapers of any size, baby wipes, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, toothpaste. ALDI or Cub gift cards.

These items may be dropped off at St. Nicholas anytime on Tuesdays from 10am-3pm or on Saturdays from 2:30pm-4pm.

To volunteer, please contact Casa Maria at: casamaria@saint-nicks.org.