ALISON CASELLA BROOKINS

Preaching, writing, and crafting honest rituals that change lives in Western New York and virtually

WELCOME!

Picture of Alison, a young-ish white person with brown hair pulled back. She is wearing a black button down, green cardigan, and green tie (with a tie clip sensuously peeking out). She is smiling and looking to one side. She's in a conservatory, with greenery behind her.

I'm Alison Casella Brookins (she/her), a free-range chaplain living in Buffalo, NY, on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee confederacy. I do my best to live into a theology of justice, joy, and humor—living for those moments when the world cracks open and something remarkable peeks through. I love collaboration, being goofy, and puns (the highest form of humor).

I have experience in full-time congregational ministry and as a chaplain in hospitals, nursing homes, and addiction recovery. I’m the author of We Own This Now, a full-length play about the Doctrine of Discovery and what it means to “own” land that was stolen (produced and internationally toured from 2017–2023). I mastered the divine at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (MDiv 2017) and was ordained in Mennonite Church USA in 2021. I took a sideways step into health care chaplaincy in 2022, and am currently a resident chaplain in a community hospital in Buffalo. My ordination credentials are held by Central District Conference of MCUSA. While I am Christian, I make no assumptions that you are, and am happy to work with people of any or no faith tradition on their walk with the sacred.

I’m white, gender-playful, with plenty of het-married privilege. I read lots of speculative fiction, run medium distances very slowly, and work hard to give my dogs the life they deserve.

Talk to me!

Stories and Inspiration on the Socials!

What people are saying:

Alison has a real passion for storytelling and excels as a writer, preacher, and teacher. – Brian, ND

I am unutterably pleased and impressed with the custom healing ceremony Alison designed and performed for me. My hopes and expectations, both high, were both exceeded. – Jessica, IN

Alison is one of the main reasons we had such a great wedding! – Jacob, PA

Photography by Charissa Johnson Photography