Faith leaders gather each Monday at Columbus Circle in New York City for Multifaith Mondays, a public vigil for democracy. They set candles and a microphone near Central Park, and commuters stream past. Organizers distribute signs reading “Justice Matters” and “Witness to Democracy.” The Rev. Jacqueline Lewis calls the Trump administration a threat to freedom, prompting the crowd to respond with song and prayer.
A Sanctuary in the Street, Fueled by Music and Memory
The group aims to create a sanctuary mood amid traffic and sirens. Clergy lead a cappella hymns with drum and guitar, and some songs come from Minneapolis protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Participants chant, “We are many, we are one,” and vow to keep fighting. The half-hour service combines worship with sermonizing on food insecurity and health care.
Immigration Crackdown Shifts the Vigils Toward Mourning
As immigration enforcement expands, the vigils focus more on immigrant communities and grief. Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum says the gatherings counter the idea that everyone agrees with Trump. She argues that people must express dissent publicly because private anger solves nothing. Attendance rises with the news cycle, and some attendees call the vigil their weekly “church.”
Organizers Build an Interfaith Coalition for Rapid Response
Founders come from major New York faith institutions and rights groups, and more clergy have joined. The Rev. Adriene Thorne says she felt weary about impacts on marginalized people, but she leaned into solidarity. Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman says the vigil repurposes an old tradition into present action. The services draw passersby and nonreligious activists, and organizers also host civic forums.
Supporters See Resistance, While Detractors Question the Rhetoric
Supporters describe Multifaith Mondays as prayerful resistance that keeps them engaged in justice work. After the fatal Jan. 7 shooting of Renée Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis, more than 200 people attended a memorial, and organizers read the names of those who died in ICE custody. Sunita Viswanath invokes Kali as “rageful resistance,” and Kleinbaum ties speeches to Jewish immigration history. Detractors may object to labeling the administration “fascist” or mixing worship with protest, and some interfaith spaces have fractured since Oct. 7, 2023. Organizers insist that openness matters, so they continue to welcome everyone.
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‘We’re praying with our feet’: a year of pro-democracy prayer vigils in New York
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