From The Desk of Deacon Judy
Jonathan Daniels Pilgrimage- Hayneville, August 10, 11am
Pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place – a physical journey and an inward spiritual journey. At holy and sacred sites, we remember what happened there, who was there, why they were there, and why they are worth remembering. Often pilgrimage is a transformative experience.
Why am I so often drawn to our annual Diocesan Jonathan Daniels Pilgrimage? After over 20 years of experiencing this remembrance of Jonathan and the other martyrs of Alabama, I know the story, I have lamented this time in our history, and have drawn strength and courage to love and serve our Lord in the ministry of welcome for all. Yet I still feel a call to walk in solidarity with others on this pilgrimage.
As a reminder, Jonathan Daniels, an Episcopal seminarian in Boston, answered God’s call to serve with others who sought justice for all during the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. Jonathan came south, helped register folks to vote, was jailed in Hayneville, and literally gave his life for another.
Breanna Carter, Diocesan Missioner for Racial Healing and Pilgrimage sends this message:
“Good Afternoon,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to invite you to join us for the 27th annual Jonathan Daniels and the Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage, taking place on Saturday, August 10, at 11:00 AM in Hayneville, Alabama.
We are honored to have The Rt. Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, as our guest preacher this year. Her words and presence will undoubtedly add profound significance to this event.
We will gather in the courthouse square and begin our pilgrimage procession at 11 AM. The procession will travel from the square to the old County Jail, where Jonathan Daniels and others were detained for a week after being arrested in Fort Deposit for picketing white-only businesses. The procession will then continue to the site of the old Varner’s Cash Store, where Jonathan Daniels was killed. Our journey will conclude at the Lowndes County Courthouse, where we will hold a service of Holy Communion in the courtroom where the man who shot Daniels was tried and acquitted by an all-white jury. To register, please visit the following link: https://bit.ly/JD2024Pilgrimage .
Your past participation has been deeply valued, and we would be honored to have you with us again this year. We look forward to your presence at this significant pilgrimage and to collectively honoring the sacrifices made by Jonathan Daniels and the Martyrs of Alabama.”
Let us pray the prayer for Jonathan Daniels:
O God of justice and compassion, you put down the proud and might from their place, and lift up the poor and the afflicted: We give you thanks for your faithful witness Jonathan Myrick Daniels, who, in the midst of injustice and violence, risked and gave his life for another, and we pray that we, following his example, may make no peace with oppression; through Jesus Christ the just one, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
God’s Peace,
Judy Q+
