Please read about the EPF Austin chapter’s experience with Austin, TX Occupy by Erin Jean Warde, Seminarian at Seminary of the Southwest
Also see Episcopal News Service Coverage
And We Were One Community:
On Monday, my EPF friends and I packed up our things and went down to Austin City Hall to be in solidarity with and to pray with the Occupy protestors. We set up a tent, and got the small grill out that we would be using to make grilled cheese for the protestors. While friends got the grill going, I started setting up the prayer table. We set out prayer books, and cards we had made with prayers on them, and blank cards for anyone who wanted to leave prayer requests with us. As soon as I put up the sign that said “We would love to pray for you!” a woman started walking down the city hall steps to where we were. Her dog had been hit by a car the day before, and she had no money to go to the vet. We anointed the dog with oil and prayed together.
Some of us prayed with people, some of us were trying to fix grilled cheese sandwiches. Within ten minutes of having a tent set up, the police told us it had to be taken down. Once the grill was ready to go, we were told to turn it off because of the burn ban in Texas. The Occupants were thankful for us, and they showed frustration as our plans changed. Grill or no grill, people were hungry. We gave out peanut butter crackers and cheese sandwiches while we came up with a plan. We would have to cook the food somewhere else and bring it back. Half of our group set out to do just that. Clad in cassocks with EPF buttons, they set out to cook the food we wanted to serve.
The rest of us stayed, and we kept praying for people. People left us prayer requests, and wanted to know about our church, and thanked us. We anointed people with oil that wanted prayer. One woman asked for prayer, and explained that her boyfriend had died the day before. We listened, and we prayed. When there was down time, we prayed the General Thanksgiving and other litanies together, in unison. We talked to people, heard their stories, and shared our own.
From down the street, I could see four cassocks headed our way with trays, and I knew our cooks were returning. There was plenty of food for everyone. We even had leftovers. Grilled cheese with tomato. We all feasted, and then we all started new conversations with our new friends. Suddenly, rain poured down, and we moved all of our things onto the steps where people have been living and protesting for weeks. We were welcomed, and we huddled together to escape the rain. We accepted them, and they accepted us, and we were one community.
