Public Witness Weekly Prayers – June 19

This week, we pray For Diverse Representative Bodies that Reflect their Constituents, For Children Whose Schools Become Battlefields, For Dreamers Living in Uncertainty.

This Juneteenth, Advocate for Racial Justice

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Over 150 years later, Congress designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021. 

For the Episcopal Church, Juneteenth is not only a day of remembrance. It is a summon to truth-telling, repair, and faithful public witness. We honor the joy of freedom while also acknowledging that emancipation was delayed, contested, and incomplete. The legacies of slavery continue to shape racial disparities in wealth, health, housing, incarceration, migration, and political power. 

As followers of Jesus, we reject every theology and political movement that baptizes racial hierarchy, white supremacy, domination, or Christian nationalism. Our faith calls us instead toward Beloved Community: a society where every person bears the full dignity of being made in the image of God and where public policy protects the freedom and flourishing of all. 

As one way to mark this year’s holiday, you are invited to act by using the following action alerts that call upon Congress to address racial injustice and create a society where the dignity and freedom of all are fully respected.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – June 12

This week, we pray For LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers and Refugees Who Cannot Return Home, For Nations Facing Health Crises, For Children Without a Country.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – June 5

This week, we pray For Families Who Have Been Separated, For Dignity, Accessibility, and Participation for People with Disabilities, For Wisdom in Land-Use Decisions.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – May 29

This week, we pray For Human Rights Defenders and Anti-Corruption Advocates, For an End to Child Marriage, For the Protection of Human Dignity in the AI Era.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – May 22

This week, we pray For the Dignity of Those Harmed in Detention, For Religious Freedom and Mutual Dignity, For Healing and the Containment of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – May 15

This week, we pray For the Children of Gaza and the West Bank, For Victims of Gang Violence, For Fairness in Elections and Representation.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – May 8

This week, we pray For the People of Somalia, For Life After Hate, For Those Who Endure Torture.

Public Witness Weekly Prayers – May 1

This week, we pray For an End to Violence in Our Political Life, For Those Whose U.S. Citizenship is Being Challenged, For the Clearing of Landmines.

Stepping Up for Democracy: The Episcopal Church and Voting Rights 

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention has consistently expressed support for fair and free elections and has opposed efforts to suppress the voting rights of United States citizens. The recent Supreme Court Louisiana v. Callais decision further weakens the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations continues to engage Episcopalians in support of voting rights and civic engagement.