UUCatskills

09/01/2026

08/30/2026

The UUA has signed on to a letter calling for the termination of all deportation proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi, a lawful permanent US resident, Columbia University student, and Palestinian human rights activist.

Mohsen’s spiritual practices of Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism inform and are informed by his championing of human rights through active organizing, peace building, and policy reform.

The deportation proceedings against Mohsen aim to punish him for speaking out against the genocide in Palestine. His case is a clear example of the United States government violating the principles of free speech that are enshrined in the American democratic tradition and the Constitution.

As Unitarian Universalists, our foundational commitments rest upon values of pluralism, justice, inquiry and debate, and democratic freedom of expression for all people.

We lift up the call for the end of legal and political proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi and stand with the Palestinian people in their struggle for peace, justice, and freedom.

Please sign on and share widely with UUs! Sign on: https://bit.ly/Mohsen-Sign-On

Image description: A dark blue overlay on Mohsen Mahdawi standing with both arms outstretched, smiling and walking through a doorway. A blue ribbon at the top says, "Sign On: Unitarian Universalist Support for Mohsen Mahdawi." Large white text below reads, "'As UUs, we are enriched by Mohsen's spiritual depth, his moral courage, and his authentic commitment to Love at the Center and the possibility of universal healing through justice.' - Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister, First UU Society of Burlington." The UUA and Side With Love logos are at the bottom.

08/29/2026

Join us!

08/28/2026

A word from Rev. Rob,

A little girl from Locust Ridge, Tennessee, tucked into the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, grew up in a one-room cabin with eleven brothers and sisters. They had almost no money, but they had music, faith, family, and an abundance of love. That love flowed through her veins and became the foundation beneath everything that followed.

From the mountains of East Tennessee, that little girl made her way to Nashville, carrying a voice the world would soon recognize. We watched Dolly Parton move from country music to movies, from the Grand Ole Opry to stages around the world. But, the greater measure of her life was never simply what we saw beneath the lights; it was what she did when the spotlight was turned toward someone else.

As a progressive minister, and a boy from the South, I see (and hear) in Dolly’s life a living testimony to the truth that love is not merely something we feel. Love is something we practice. Jesus taught us to care for “the least of these,” and as a self-professed Christian, Dolly has made that teaching visible through her generosity. Through her Imagination Library, she has placed hundreds of millions of books into the hands of children. When wildfires devastated her beloved Sevier County, she helped families rebuild their lives. When the world faced a pandemic, she gave $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to support COVID-19 research, including work connected to the Moderna vaccine.

And I am especially grateful for the way Dolly has made room at her table for people whom others, while claiming the name of Jesus, have too often pushed away. She has spoken with warmth and respect about LGBTQ+ people, defended our dignity, and refused to let religious condemnation have the final word. In a world where q***r people are still told that our lives are sinful, our families are lesser, or our belonging is conditional, Dolly’s welcome becomes more than kindness. It becomes a quiet prophecy: God’s love is wider than the boundaries people build in God’s name.

Dolly reminds us that faith need not be used as a weapon. It can become shelter. It can become bread, and a song that helps us find our way home.

Dolly sang, spoke, walked, lived and loved in truth.

She reminds me that following faith is not about guarding the gates of belonging. It is about opening them wider, setting another place at the table, and trusting that love: holy, generous, courageous love, will always have the last word.

Rev. Robert Blair Jr.

08/28/2026

In a world that too often rewards polish and perfection, Craig Rowland reminds us of the power of honesty, openness, and simply showing up as we are.

Authenticity can be an invitation. When we share something real about ourselves, we make a little more room for others to do the same. And sometimes community begins in those small moments: reaching out, speaking truthfully, or extending an invitation before the words are perfect.

As Craig reminds us: “Truth is magnetic.”

May we carry that spirit into the ways we speak, connect, and create space for one another. 💛

Read “A Shared Path” by Craig Rowland at the link in the comments .

08/25/2026

A powerful work of art can help us remember what must not be forgotten—and ask what repair requires of us now.

At King’s Chapel in Boston, “Unbound,” a 14-foot bronze and granite sculpture by artist Harmonia Rosales, honors the 219 people enslaved by past members and ministers of the congregation. The memorial is part of King’s Chapel’s broader effort to confront its history, including ongoing work centered on reparative justice and reconciliation.

Read more in UUWorld at the link in the comments.

08/20/2026

Federal court records have revealed that the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis was among Minnesota churches and community organizations secretly surveilled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Unitarian Universalist Association condemns this intrusion into a house of worship and the targeting of people exercising their constitutional rights to organize, dissent, and act according to their faith.

First Universalist has been clear that this surveillance will not deter its ministry or its commitment to its neighbors. As Rev. Jen Crow told UU World, “We are not surprised and we are not daunted because we are clear about who we are and what we do.”

Our faith calls us to courageous, prophetic work—and to act together against intimidation, government overreach, and attacks on the right to organize peacefully.

Read more about what court records reveal, First Universalist’s response, and the UUA’s statement in UU World at the link in the comments.