I Was in Prison and You Visited Me
By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 12/21/06)
What a joyous time of the year. It is the final week
of Advent and just four days away from the celebration of Christ’s
most holy birth. How fortunate we are to find ourselves surrounded by
our brothers and sisters, loved ones and cherished friends, anticipating
His coming.
In this time of joy, then, I would like to turn to a special group of
our brothers and sisters, a group which does not always receive the inclusion
and support that it should: those who find themselves imprisoned in correctional
facilities within our diocese.
Yesterday morning, I had the privilege of celebrating Mass with residents
of the Rappahannock Regional Jail near Fredericksburg. I witnessed in
these men and women a deep thirst for God and hope that we all feel in
our hearts.
The Lord teaches us through St. Luke’s gospel that visiting the
imprisoned is indeed a healing ministry: “The spirit of the Lord
is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to
the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable
to the Lord.” (Lk 4:18-19).
We know as Catholics that visiting our brothers and sisters in prison
is what the Lord would do, for He loved the most vulnerable among us and
we are encouraged to do the same. Many of our brothers and sisters in
prison have never felt love, or have been rejected by their own family
and friends, and need someone to pray for them, to stand beside them.
Like St. Luke, St. Matthew also teaches us the importance of forming relationships
with those who are imprisoned. He records the words of Jesus, “I
was in prison and you came to me” (25:36). This sentence is brief,
with such concise words — yet what a profound meaning it carries.
Those in prison are often the first to be marginalized from mainstream
society. We cannot let this happen. The Lord teaches us to love the vulnerable
and appreciate the dignity of each human person precisely because they
are made in the image of likeness of God Himself, even as we are. They
are a part of our family; they are our brothers and sisters. They are
men, women and youth from our communities, our families, our churches
and schools.
In the United States, there are approximately 2.3 million people currently
serving sentences in a correctional facility, and they need us. There
are nearly 30 prisons or correctional facilities located within and around
the boundaries of our own diocese. The importance and recognition of this
population has not been forgotten. Through Catholic Charities of the Diocese
of Arlington, we have a specific office for Prison Ministry, directed
by Sister Connie Parcasio, S.N.D.S. This vital ministry is indeed a calling.
To minister to the imprisoned is to follow directly in the footsteps of
our Lord. I ask the faithful of our diocese — are we aware of the
tremendous needs our brothers and sisters face? Are we willing to help
and love them as Christ loves us?
Members of our diocese have volunteered with Sister Connie and Catholic
Charities, and have visited those in prison and ministered in various
ways: visiting with them one-on-one, tutoring, sharing God’s word
through Bible studies, and preparing them for Masses and confessions.
Some volunteers minister to those on death row, and help others seeking
reentry into daily society. Often when prisoners are released, there are
few transitional mentorships or relationships for them to rely upon. This
is where the Church can be of great help — to be a friend to someone
adjusting to daily life, both in prison and after. In our diocese, we
are blessed to have many opportunities to minister to these brothers and
sisters while they are incarcerated as well as when they are released.
Prison Ministry likewise ministers to the victims of crime as they seek
healing from their loss, to families and children of both victims and
offenders.
The Prison Ministry volunteers at Catholic Charities come from varied
backgrounds and different age groups and all are invited to participate:
for example, retired professionals, retired military personnel, working
parents, college students, grandparents, and others who feel the call
to serve.
Students in our diocese play a large role in prison ministry. Last year,
Sister Connie created opportunities for students in Catholic schools to
write personalized Christmas cards to residents at local facilities. Many
students at the University of Mary Washington and Christendom College
visit and minister to those in juvenile facilities near their schools.
These opportunities are not only a benefit to those in prison, but are
also important to the staff at the facilities, the families and friends
of the imprisoned, and also to the victims and their families.
I invite each of you, then, in the spirit of celebrating the birth of
the Christ Child, Who loves each person for his or her intrinsic dignity,
to pray for our brothers and sisters in prison. Pray a novena to Our Lady
of Perpetual Help or gather members of our parish together for prayer
services and vigils. If you feel the call to prison ministry, I encourage
you to seek opportunities through your parish and Catholic Charities.
Simply writing a card to a prisoner may give them more hope and ignite
their faith. I saw yesterday how important forming relationships can be
in the hearts of the imprisoned; to see their eyes fill with joy because
others came to visit them. During this time of giving and peace, let us
remember all our brothers and sisters in Christ. May God grant you and
your loved ones a blessed Christmas.
Copyright (c) 2006 Arlington Catholic
Herald
