In a stirring call to action, a New Hampshire Episcopal bishop has warned his clergy to finalize their wills and affairs, bracing for a potential “new era of martyrdom.” Bishop Rob Hirschfeld’s remarks come in the wake of the tragic death of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer earlier this month.
Addressing a vigil honouring Good, Hirschfeld invoked the legacy of past clergy members who risked their lives to protect the vulnerable, including New Hampshire seminary student Jonathan Daniels, who was killed by a sheriff’s deputy in 1965 while shielding a young Black civil rights activist. Drawing parallels to this history, the bishop told his clergy: “I have told the clergy of the Episcopal diocese of New Hampshire that we may be entering into that same witness. And I’ve asked them to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written, because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies, to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.”
Hirschfeld’s comments come amid an uptick in immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has defended the ICE officer’s actions in the Good case, claiming he fired in self-defence as her vehicle began to move forward. However, this explanation has been widely rejected by local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, based on video evidence of the confrontation.
Other religious leaders have also sounded the alarm, urging Christians to protect the vulnerable. Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, has called on the faithful to keep “resisting, advocating, bearing witness and repairing the breach,” while sheltering and caring for immigrants and refugees. Similarly, Rt. Rev. Craig Loya of Minnesota has urged people not to meet “hatred with hatred” but instead to focus on love in “a world obviously not fine,” vowing to “disrupt with Jesus’ hope” and “agitate with Jesus’ love.”
As the nation grapples with the implications of heightened immigration enforcement, Hirschfeld’s message to his clergy serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices that may be required to protect the most vulnerable in our society. In the face of these challenges, the Episcopal leadership in New Hampshire and beyond are calling on their flock to stand firm in their faith, prepared to bear witness and defend the rights of all people, no matter the cost.