Bishop Hirschfeld Calls Clergy to Prepare for Martyrdom After ICE Shooting
Updated (2 articles)
Bishop Issues Martyrdom Warning at Good Vigil At a vigil honoring Minneapolis resident Renee Good, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld told clergy to finalize their wills and ready themselves for possible martyrdom, linking the call to intensified immigration enforcement and Good’s fatal shooting by an ICE officer in Minnesota; he invoked historic clergy martyr Jonathan Daniels as a model of faith‑based witness; the warning drew national media attention. [1]
Renee Good’s Death Sparks Legal and Political Controversy On Jan. 7, Good was shot dead while driving after an ICE officer claimed self‑defense, a justification defended by the Trump administration; Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz disputed the claim, citing video footage that appears inconsistent with the officer’s account; the incident has heightened scrutiny of ICE’s use‑of‑force policies. [1]
Church Leaders Emphasize Protection of Immigrants Alongside Hirschfeld, Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe and Rt. Rev. Craig Loya urged congregations to resist hatred, bear witness, and care for immigrants and refugees, describing them as beloved by God; they framed advocacy as a moral duty rather than a political stance; their statements reinforce a broader religious response to heightened immigration enforcement. [1]
Historical Parallel Drawn to 1965 Civil‑Rights Martyr Hirschfeld referenced Jonathan Daniels, a New Hampshire seminary student killed while shielding a civil‑rights activist in 1965, to illustrate a tradition of clergy risking death for vulnerable populations; he argued contemporary faith leaders must similarly place themselves between oppressive power and the oppressed; this analogy underscores the bishop’s call to action. [1]
Timeline
Jan 7, 2026 – Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident, is fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer while attempting to drive away during an immigration enforcement operation; the Trump administration defends the officer as acting in self‑defense, but video evidence later calls that claim into question. [1][2]
Jan 8, 2026 – Vice President JD Vance tells reporters, “the death is a tragedy of Good’s own making and a tragedy of a far‑left movement that has mobilized against law enforcement,” and blames “lawmakers and the media” for the incident, while announcing a new assistant attorney general to prosecute abuse of government assistance programs in Minnesota. [2]
Jan 8, 2026 – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey denounces the self‑defense narrative, declaring the officer’s justification “garbage” after reviewing video footage that appears to contradict the claim. [2]
Jan 18, 2026 – At a vigil honoring Good, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld urges clergy to “finalize their wills and prepare for a possible new era of martyrdom,” invoking the 1965 killing of civil‑rights martyr Jonathan Daniels as a historic example of faith leaders who gave their lives protecting the vulnerable. [1]
Jan 18, 2026 – Bishop Hirschfeld frames the call to witness as proactive, stating that “people of faith should not fear death and should stand between the powers of this world and the vulnerable,” echoing other church leaders who call for the protection of immigrants and refugees as a core Christian duty. [1]