More than 300 Faith Leaders and New Yorkers Process in Prayer at Federal Plaza on Ash Wednesday
Christian clergy call for restoration of human dignity at the start of Lent, bearing witness to the human cost of immigration enforcement
New York City – February 18, 2026— More than 300 Christian faith leaders and interfaith partners and New Yorkers gathered at 26 Federal Plaza on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent and one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, to walk in prayerful procession, sing hymns, and bear public witness to what they described as the urgent need to reclaim humanity in the nation’s immigration system.
With heavy rain falling, participants, many with ashes on their foreheads and carrying signs reading “ICE OUT” and “REMEMBER OUR HUMANITY,” processed slowly around the federal building, offering prayers and songs throughout the observance. The gathering was rooted in the Christian call to repentance — a central theme of Ash Wednesday — and reflected the belief that faith demands moral accountability in moments of suffering and injustice.
Bishop Matthew Heyd said the Ash Wednesday witness was intended as an appeal to Christians to reject fear and to return to the core teachings of the Gospel.
“Ash Wednesday calls us to remember that we are all created in the image of God. Today’s vigil serves as a call to reclaim our shared humanity from the chaos and cruelty that ICE raids have brought to our neighborhoods. Human dignity is non-negotiable.”
Throughout the procession, clergy and participants emphasized that their gathering stood in contrast to what they described as the growing influence of white Christian nationalism, which they said distorts the teachings of Jesus and seeks power through fear and exclusion. Instead, they framed the observance as a public expression of a Christianity grounded in humility, compassion, and love of neighbor.
Participants sang hymns, prayed aloud, and walked together in a continuous procession around the building before dispersing peacefully. Organizers said the turnout, despite the cold steady rain, reflected deep concern among faith communities about the human consequences of immigration enforcement and a desire to respond with moral clarity and pastoral leadership.
Ash Wednesday begins the Christian season of Lent, a time of prayer, repentance, and renewed commitment to caring for others. Organizers said the procession was an effort to live out that tradition in response to the current moment. Faith leaders chose 26 Federal Plaza as the site of the procession because it has become, in their words, a place of profound fear for immigrant families. Once seen as a space where people could pursue asylum through legal channels, clergy said the plaza is now known in immigrant communities as a place where individuals who appear for court as required are taken into custody by federal agents as they leave the courtroom. Clergy noted that members of their own congregations have been affected and that they have witnessed these encounters firsthand through court accompaniment and pastoral care.
While explicitly rooted in Christian observance, the procession welcomed participation from people of all faith traditions. Organizers said it was both a distinctly Christian act of repentance and an invitation to broader interfaith solidarity.
The gathering was led by The Rt. Rev. Matthew F. Heyd, 17th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, who was joined in prayers by clergy and faith leaders from across the five boroughs of NYC including:
• The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of New York
• The Very Rev. Winnie Varghese, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
• The Rev. Anne Marie Witchger, Rector, St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery
• Rev. Adriene Thorne, Riverside Church in the City of New York
• The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
• Rev. Paul Rauschenbush, President and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance
• The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharris, Founder and Executive Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights & Social Justice
• Ravi Ragbir, Executive Director, New Sanctuary Coalition
• Rev. Dr. Katrina Foster, Bishop of the Metropolitan New York Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
• The Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director, Interfaith Center of New York
• The Rev. Richard Witt, Executive Director, Rural & Migrant Ministries
• The Rev. Liz Edman, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, The Bronx
• The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon in Residence, St. Bart’s Church, New York
• J. Antonio Fernández, CEO, Catholic Charities of New York
Media Contacts: Liane Ramirez | Kimberly Spell EDNYPR@goodmanmedia.com | 917.497.3122
Photo Credits: Angela James Photography