WHAT IS PRISON MINISTRY?

Prison Ministry is a component of the parish Pastoral Care Ministry.
 
The mission of Pastoral Care is outreach, that is, to minister to the needs of the community beyond the walls of the church and particularly to those experiencing a range of dire circumstances. This includes ministering to the hungry, thirsty, naked, dying, homebound, homeless, and incarcerated.
 
Pastoral Care Ministry is answering the call from God to open our hearts to our neighbor and minister to their needs in spirit, soul and body. It is at the same time witnessing to them the love of Jesus in word and deed.

Matthew 25:35-36 Jesus says, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

Matthew 10:6-9 Jesus says, “Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” 
 

Mark 16:15-18 Jesus says, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Prison Ministers answer God’s call to serve the needs of the incarcerated. Many of these inmates are broken spiritually and emotionally, and often physically. When they respond to chapel invitation, they are usually ready to make positive change in their lives, and the healing begins. The result of spiritual healing is new found faith in God, restoration of their personal dignity, restoration to the family of God and at times physical healing. This transformation and new life are witnessed by their cell mates and sometimes challenged by their cell mates. Regular participation in chapel services strengthens their resolve individually. As a Catholic community, they strengthen one another to keep the faith.

Ministry is rendered under strict training and regulation by the institution. Ministry to inmates is regularly scheduled but is secondary to security and may be pre-empted at any moment to maintain security of staff, volunteers and inmates.