What is Prison Ministry?
The prison ministry in our Diocese is a pastoral care ministry through which a network of parishes, organizations and volunteers share in the healing ministry of Christ. It involves the direct and indirect interactions with incarcerated men and women with the objective of providing spiritual and corporal assistance to them and provide support and guidance to paroled and released prisoners as they re-enter society. The heart of our prison ministry is to stay close and in solidarity with the brokenhearted (Ps 34) and respond to Jesus' invitation: "(for I was) in prison and you visited me (Mt 25: 36)."
What prison ministry initiatives are we active on?
We seek to serve and bring hope to prisoners through these activities:
We are always looking for more volunteers and help in all these areas. Volunteers gain enormously from this ministry and are often transformed by it. Come join us! The only requirements are a desire to serve those whose decisions or path in life have led them to time in prison and a desire to grow in your faith and what the Catholic Church teaches.
Get Involved
A Catholic approach to restorative justice recognizes that the dignity of the human person applies to both victim and offender. Justice must include more than punishment. Without healing and restoration, a limited approach can leave victims of crime with feelings of neglect, abandonment and anger making reconciliation and healing difficult, if not impossible. Punishment alone cannot address complex social problems in communities, or effectively help end cycles of crime and violence. A restorative justice approach is more comprehensive and addresses the needs of victims, the community and those responsible for causing harm through healing, prevention, education, rehabilitation and community support.
People must be held accountable for their actions but justice and restoration must be the object of punishment which must have a constructive and reformative purpose. The great theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas, wrote in the thirteenth century, "In this life, however, penalties are not sought for their own sake, because this is not the era of retribution; rather, they are meant to be corrective by being conducive either to the reform of the sinner or the good of society, which becomes more peaceful through the punishment of sinners" (Summa Theologica, II-II, Q. 68 A.1).
Rehabilitation and restoration must also include the spiritual dimension of healing and hope. Those who are impacted by crime or commit crime need the healing power that comes from being reconciled with their neighbor and community, as well as with God.
For restorative justice to be effective, it must also address the systemic and structural barriers to healing such as racial and economic disparity, cycles of crime and incarceration and the breakdown of the family. Those returning to the community following incarceration face significant barriers such as homelessness, unemployment, poverty, substance abuse, emotional and psychological stress, and social isolation. Without the proper support to help them succeed, recidivism is likely to place the person in an almost endless cycle that impacts the community and the life and dignity of the offender.
AA DAILY PRAYER FOR JUSTICE AND MERCY
Jesus, united with the Father and the Holy Spirit, give us your compassion for those in prison.
Mend in mercy the broken in mind and memory. Soften the hard of heart, the captives of anger. Free the innocent; parole the trustworthy. Awaken the repentance that restores hope. May prisoners’ families persevere in their love.
Jesus, heal the victims of crime. They live with the scars. Lift to eternal peace those who die. Grant victims’ families the forgiveness that heals.
Give wisdom to lawmakers and to those who judge. Instill prudence and patience in those who guard. Make those in prison ministry bearers of your light, for all of us are in need of your mercy!
Amen.
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