Most in the men's cell wore clerical garb; many were carrying sacred texts; one smuggled in the "Prison Journals of a Priest Revolutionary" by Philip Berrigan.
Father Berrigan, a Jesuit priest who spent 11 years of his life in prison for anti-war civil disobedience, succumbed to cancer last week. His spirit seemed to hover over the space as the jailed read his words aloud.
The holding cell became a forum for prayer, storytelling, announcements, an impromptu teach-in, planning for next steps, and loud singing and clapping. An Episcopal archbishop stopped by the precinct to see if the conditions inside were adequate. One of the jailed ministers responded: "We're doing fine. The problems are out there." Eager to return to daylight, they were nevertheless experiencing a rare fellowship forged of shared commitment.
The day was, in a sense, a reunion. Many of the seasoned jailed clergy already knew each other, from their work with Latin American liberation movements, the Civil Rights Movement, the struggle in Vieques, the Plowshares movement for disarmament and more. It was as if they were renewing their vows; they were recommitting to an old, sacred struggle with some new details, and welcoming the younger among them.
Father Berrigan, a Jesuit priest who spent 11 years of his life in prison for anti-war civil disobedience, succumbed to cancer last week. His spirit seemed to hover over the space as the jailed read his words aloud.
The holding cell became a forum for prayer, storytelling, announcements, an impromptu teach-in, planning for next steps, and loud singing and clapping. An Episcopal archbishop stopped by the precinct to see if the conditions inside were adequate. One of the jailed ministers responded: "We're doing fine. The problems are out there." Eager to return to daylight, they were nevertheless experiencing a rare fellowship forged of shared commitment.
The day was, in a sense, a reunion. Many of the seasoned jailed clergy already knew each other, from their work with Latin American liberation movements, the Civil Rights Movement, the struggle in Vieques, the Plowshares movement for disarmament and more. It was as if they were renewing their vows; they were recommitting to an old, sacred struggle with some new details, and welcoming the younger among them.