Descendants of some people accused of being witches want their ancestors names cleared and dignity restored

Pagans have come a long way from being hanged to being ordained. Witches and pagans have been persecuted throughout history. Some cases still have not closed. One such case is that of Mary Barnes, who was sent to the gallows in the year 1663. She and 10 others were hanged in Connecticut for witchcraft. Their graves can’t be found. The bodies of the condemned were dumped in a hole to be forgotten. However, those who wanted their memories erased did not succeed. Mary Barnes’ legacy made its way through seven generations to 82-year-old Bernice Mable Graham Telian.
The retired university administrator wants to clear her ancestor’s name. She and others are trying to clear the names of the 11 people executed for witchcraft in Connecticut between 1647 and 1663. Connecticut’s history of executing witches dates back at least 40 years before the Salem Witch Trials. Untold numbers of suspected witches and pagans were executed before witchcraft was removed from the state’s capital crimes list in 1715.

Connecticut has yet to follow the lead of other states that have recognized those sent to the gallows during that turbulent time in U.S. history. The state says it doesn’t grant posthumous pardons. The Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network joins Telian in her efforts to clear the names of the 11 accused and executed on the gallows so long ago. Telian hopes to see her great-grandmother cleared in her lifetime.

Unlike Connecticut, other institutions are not so backward. We are all children of the same universe. The Universal Life Church recognizes this simple fact and is open to all people. Every spiritual leader deserves legal recognition. Pagans and witches can become ordained with the Universal Life Church. Not just a piece of paper or honorary title, after being ordained, a witch can officiate at weddings and perform all the functions of an ordained minister. Witches and pagans have come a long way from the days of being persecuted for their practice. They can now join those of all faiths in legal recognition for their ministers. Everyone deserves to have his or her faith and religion recognized legally. A great victory for all, everyone’s rights are now recognized. Let’s hope Connecticut can restore dignity to the names of those persecuted so long ago. Become a minister online and receive the legal recognition you deserve as a Wiccan priest or priestess.