April 16, 2025 Say No to Ice Event

Dear Sisters and Brothers of Emmaus -- and Friends: We need to show our unified support for immigrants this Wednesday, the 16th of April in Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square as an Emmaus Community!

Below is an email from David Dodd, who is graciously coordinating the event:

1. Community leaders - please arrive by 4:30pm and wear religious symbols, garments, insignia as appropriate. 

2. Members of Emmaus should show up and huddle at 4:45. Look for our banner(s).

There is a brief ritual at the end of the hour which shows how we're binding ourselves together as a wider community of peope who love and support our immigrants. We're creating tat Blessed Community of people who care ! Things we're asking you/your church folks to bring (please let us know if you can):

Anybody from Emmaus care to join in this request? I'm thonking I have a lot of old ties that scould be used....hmmmm.

1. Colorful strips of fabric 3ft in length 2 inches wide (we'll need about 200 total).

2. Six large baskets to hold the fabric strips

3. A table to hold the baskets during the press conference before the start of the ritual.

4. Snacks and a case of water

The small group planning the ritual element for this Wednesday's event (Xavier, Chris Fortin, and myself) just finished meeting, and I put together a rough timeline (below) for the entire. Below that timeline there is a brief description of the ritual of solidarity, which entails passing out strips of cloth to those present who will be asked to form a circle. Ben will teach the simple song ("Bind Us Together"), and we will sing it a few times as we tie our strips of cloth together to form a single circle of fabric. That creation will then be gathered together and given to the clergy present at the event, who can use it for any future events, or possibly rotate it amongst the congregations and spiritual gatherings as a symbol of our solidarity and determination. 

As noted, we need a few things: roughly 200 strips of colorful fabric (depending on our estimated attendance--that seems like a good ballpark but maybe I'm off base), six large baskets to hold the fabric strips, and a table to hold the baskets during the press conference before the start of the ritual. I will introduce the logistics of the ritual to the gathered community.

Timeline for Press Conference and Ritual, April 16, 2025 

5 p.m. Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa

Leaders arrive at 4:30 Choir and Emmaus folks arrive at 4:45–brief rehearsal 5:05: Choir -  “Siyahamba” 

5:10: Opening Prayer - Joe Salinas Ben will coordinate and get Joe’s introduction in writing

5:15: Acknowledgment of Religious Harm - Ben will read in English/Barbara in Spanish

5:20: Welcome/Importance of Sanctuary/Demand of County - Lindsey/Renee

5:30: Speaker from ALMAS Libres - Gaby, Soco, otra compa? Renee will confirm

5:35: Connecting sanctuary to Passover - Rabbi Irwin

5:40: IDTF: Linda Evans

5:45: Student Speaker - keeping schools safe from ICE Chad will coordinate

5:50: Make a demand of the county/Call to Action - Bev Spears 

5:55: Move us into ritual - Lindsey/Renee

Teaching the song for the ritual - Bind us Together - Ben

Steps for the ritual:

David will explain to everyone

Form a circle

Start singing

Everyone gets a piece of material

Tie to the right

Tie to the left

Bring the circle into the center and gather the finished fabric circle

Hand to clergy when done!

Harm Acknowledgement Prayers to be said during the event:

We, interfaith religious leaders of Sonoma County, stand here in solidarity with the migrants and immigrant communities, while also acknowledging that our actions and inactions, and those of our faith traditions and denominations throughout history, and including this present moment, have done harm to migrants, Indigenous people, and religious minorities around the world. 

We acknowledge that much of the harm being done to migrants in this present moment is done in the name of religion. While we reject this expression of so-called faith, we know that the xenophobia of this present moment builds on a history of colonialism and genocide supported both tacitly and explicitly by religious institutions. For the ways in which our religious institutions have participated in such egregious harm - both in the present day, and throughout history - we apologize. 

We know that others have been harmed by religious institutions as well. Members of the LGBTQAI+ community, women, and other marginalized groups continue to live in fear and experience emotional trauma because of the history of denigration of LGBTQAI+ people by faith communities. In so much as we, as people of faith, have denied the rights of self-definition, integrity, and humanity of others, we have diminished ourselves. 

For these transgressions against migrants, Indigenous people, and immigrant communities, we apologize. We ask for your forgiveness, and we affirm your sacred worth. We commit ourselves to doing better. We will work within our respective denominations and traditions to change viewpoints, practices, and policy. We will work to make our houses of worship true sanctuaries. We will listen when you express your hurt, and we will work to make amends as we find our way to shared healing. We pledge to be here now, and in the years to come.

LGBTQ: Harm Acknowledgement

We, interfaith religious leaders of Sonoma County, stand here in solidarity with the LGBTQAI+ community, while also acknowledging that our actions and inactions, and those of our faith traditions and denominations throughout history, and including this present moment, have done harm to the LGBTQAI+ people.

Members of the LGBTQAI+ community continue to live in fear and experience emotional trauma because of the history of denigration of LGBTQAI+ people by faith communities. Many houses of worship and Faith organizations have communicated to LGBTQAI+ people, both implicitly and explicitly, that they are not of sacred worth, and therefore not worthy of our love, care, and respect. Our traditions have done this by misuse of biblical text, by not questioning biblical text, by placing heteronormativity and gender binary at the center of our rituals, values, and symbolism, and by failing to acknowledge the Image of the Divine in the face of every person. 

We have denied the LGBTQAI+ community the rights of self-definition, integrity, and humanity. By our actions, we have diminished you, and in doing so we have diminished ourselves. 

For these transgressions against the LGBTQAI+ Community, we apologize.  We ask for your forgiveness, and we affirm your sacred worth. We commit ourselves to doing better. We will work within our respective denominations and traditions to change viewpoints, practices, and policy. We will work to make our houses of worship even more inclusive. We will listen when you express your hurt, and we will work to make amends as we find our way to shared healing. We pledge to be here now, and in the years to come.