About
REV MARIELA
I’m a lover of life/nature; a mother of two beautiful beings; a partner; a friend; a sister…
Professionally, I’m multi-passionate, playing many roles:
I’m a writer, a speaker, a teacher, a coach, and an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister.
My work speaks about the social systems that harm not only our psyche but the whole web of life, and I also teach about the practices and lifestyles that are life-giving to our bodies, souls, communities, and the planet.
I use She/They pronouns.
my life
I was born in Cuba and have a mixed ancestry (Indigenous, African, and Spanish).
I grew up during a time when religion was forbidden in Cuba, which instilled in me a commitment to the freedom of individuals to seek truth and meaning on their own terms.
I have been writing since I was seven years old, trying to make sense of life and my inner world.
My family and I became political refugees in the United States in 1995.
my educational path
In the early 90s I studied Education in Cuba, and in the United States I first attended community college as a single mom at 21.
Later, I received two graduate certificates from Duke University (Communications + Creative Writing).
In 2006, I received an MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College in VT.
And in 2020 I received a Masters of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, where I was honored to receive the Charles Billings Prize in Preaching (given to a graduating student for excellence in preaching) and The Faculty Prize for Religious Leadership (given to a graduating student whose tenure at Meadville embodies the values of liberal religious ministry.)
After three years of seminary, two internships, and a chaplaincy training, I was ordained into the Unitarian Universalist ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma..
I currently live in Michigan with my family, where I like to search for all types of wild mushrooms.
My family and I are grateful to be living here, and we acknowledge that the land we occupy was stolen from The People of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi people. We honor their presence and wisdom as well as their ancestors.