Meredith Kimber, left, is seen during a wiccan ritual circle honouring the Earth at the sixth annual Pagan Pride Day at Departure Bay Beach in Nanimo, B.C. on August 28, 2010. Canada's federal prison agency is looking to hire a priest or priestess who will deliver spiritual services for inmates who practice witchcraft. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nanaimo Daily News - Danielle Bell
September 05, 2012 - 4:15 PM
VANCOUVER - Canada's federal prison agency is looking to hire a priest or priestess who will deliver spiritual services for inmates who practise witchcraft.
Corrections Canada has put out a request for a proposal for a Wiccan chaplain in B.C. to provide about 17 hours of service a month, about an hour less service than Corrections says it needs for the Jewish faith.
The job description involves counselling and creating a sanctuary in the prison chapel, which Wiccan Priestess Meredith Kimber says would likely contain a pentacle, sage and candles.
The chosen candidate is also expected to lead Wiccan services, including rituals and hold regular services for holy days, something Kimber says would include ceremonies that invoke the gods and involve casting spells.
Kimber, a priestess at the Temple of the Green Cauldron in Nanaimo, B.C., says she's thrilled the government has recognized a need for Wiccan services within prisons, noting there must be enough demand.
Four government-recognized Wiccan temples operate in the B.C. and Kimber says practitioners don't often go public with their beliefs but her temple reaches about 600 people via email alone.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012