Prison Ministry

Prison Ministry strives to “go forth” with the joy of the Gospel and to be missionary disciples to the poor, especially the poor who are in need within the county jails and state prisons. It is our belief that by bringing Christ to the incarcerated and their families, we can assist them to encounter the living Christ in their day to day activities, social life and the familial experiences that create their individual realities.

When a crime is committed, it offends not only the immediate victim, but the rest of society as well. Supporting the work of faith-based rehabilitation provides those who feel powerless against crime with a practical way to do something about it. Such an approach goes to the very heart of the problem – the need for God in the lives of all who have been affected by crime. Many inmates have been abused when they were children. In turn, their victims have suffered abuse from them. In the end, the only true healing is spiritual. Only God can transform suffering into victory as He did for Jesus. (Source: DISMAS Ministry website)

The Office of Prison Ministry is an evangelizing community and relies heavily upon our diocesan volunteers who are not afraid or hesitant to bring the joy of the Gospel to all people in all places, especially those who are incarcerated in jails and prisons. As such, this office must continue to support their administrative, logistic and spiritual needs to keep them in the streets evangelizing. This evangelization keeps them and us in the “smell of the sheep” and provides this office with the ability to maintain a pulse on what is happening within the flock of the ministry.

We pray that by sowing the seed of the Gospel to the incarcerated, it may land on fertile soil and assist them in finding salvation and lead to an experience of true conversion. This conversion and acceptance of salvation would thus free them of sin; alleviate their sorrow, and diminish the inner emptiness and loneliness in which they all experience. God’s word is unpredictable in its power (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 22).

The Office of Prison Ministry understands and recognizes that every encounter with the incarcerated, the poor and their families and our volunteers, is an encounter with the living Christ. Each encounter should lead to a greater solidarity within the Church through our “apostolic courage of disseminating the Word” and the individual witness of our lives.

Documents and Links

• Catholic Prison Ministries Testimonial: Jennifer Rogers
• Pro-Life Activities: Prison Ministry to Free the Souls of Captive
• Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice