Religious Services Now Being Held in OH and WV Prisons for Pagan, Wiccans & Satanists

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Druid Priestess, Reverend and Interfaith Minister Donna Donovan

23 JAN 2017
POSTED BY NATHAN GLOVER

Jail administrations of West Virginia and Ohio have given greater freedom to inmates to receive spiritual aid from religions other than the major Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist faiths. Pagan and Heathen inmates are now allowed to practice Paganism, Wicca and even Satanism while in jail with the help of Donna Donovan from the Appalachian Pagan Ministry in West Virginia and Ohio

In West Virginia and Ohio, Druid priestess Donna Donovan from the Appalachian Pagan Ministry, caters to the spiritual needs of prison inmates whom she calls “pan pagan.” The priestess refers to those religious prisoners who don’t adhere to an ‘Abrahamic’ faith, thereby excluding Jews, Christians and Muslims. People who attend the services her ministry conducts include those who follow Heathenism, Odinism, Asatru and even Satanism. For Donovan, it’s not important as to who the attendees at her services believe in. All that matters to her is that they believe in a “higher power.” She told The Columbus Dispatch “The only way to eradicate hate and intolerance is through education. I don’t personally care what your higher power is as long as you believe there’s a higher power than yourself.”

Pagan ways of life are different from conventional Abrahamic religions in that they don’t advocate the supremacy of any deity. Rather, they accept all deities and believe that whether or not any of them are supreme is a something left to the believer. No wonder then, that pagans of all systems find spiritual solace in Donovan’s ministries.

Donovan notes that these ministries are helping the inmates develop a positive spirit, as is reflected by the acceptance that the inmates have of their mistakes and their conscious efforts at trying to improve.

http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/christianity/religious-services-now-being-held-in-oh-and-wv-prisons-for-pagans-wiccans-satanists

http://www.appalachianpaganministry.com/

[Wvdonovan]

1. Thank you

This is Rev Donna Donovan. I would like to thank you for writing this article. Just a few clarifications: Appalachian Pagan Ministry goes in to state prisons, not jails. There is a difference, as they are run by separate governmental agencies. We serve on site monthly at 5 prisons in West Virginia and 5 prisons in Ohio, including Death Row. We also serve, via correspondence, to several Kindreds and Covens across the country.

The majority of the inmates we work with of the non-Abrahamic paths are Heathen (Asatru/Odinist) and Wiccans. About a 60/40 split. Ohio does not at this time recognize Satanism, so they work with us via correspondence. West Virginia, however does, and I have developed an onsite course for them as well.

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2. Welcome to DU!

I didn't write the article though. I posted it here because it's a good place to discuss the intersection of religions and government.

Please feel free to post frequently. You have a valuable perspective. And thanks for your hard work in this area.