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Prison Ministry was my first passion
after becoming a Christian at the age
of 44. Before I converted to Catholicism,
I visited the prison for several years
with a non-denominational group.
There is little sympathy for inmates
around here, so it is not easy to attract
support for them. It seems that people
tend to forget the prisoners unless they
have a relative inside. There is also an
antipathy generally to Catholicism and
its devotional practices in our area
which is predominantly Methodist since
the early 18th Century. Some Protestant
prisoners are an obstacle too, as they
make fun of our veneration of images
calling it, .
I wrote to our Gov. Larry Hogan and
asked him to lift the lockdown of the
clergy and allow religious services for
those in State Correctional Institutions,
in particular our local State prison.
It has been over a year now! I know
people who have sought work at this
prison as correctional officers and they
y
tell me the place is a
!
Some of the prison officers trade in
drugs and sex with the inmates and
there are some bad gangs inside.
Before the lockdown, I accompanied a
Catholic priest who acted as chaplain
at this prison when he went in to offer
Mass for these poor souls. After the
lockdown, I contacted the priest to
ask if there was any way I could get
religious materials into the prison for
the Catholic inmates. He told me, “They
don’t need any more of those things.”
And, as he was the chaplain, they
would only pile up on his desk. I have
heard that he does not like devotional
materials and I am not sure that he is
fond of the Rosary. This encounter really
upset me. I know from reading your
prison reports that the prisoners,
especially now, are hungry for religious
materials, prayer cards and books:
THEY ARE HUNGRY FOR GOD! If there
is any way, please help me reach inside
this prison. < USA >
For those who will die today
without Priest or Sacraments,
my Jesus, have mercy!
Every time I hear from you, it is a
blessing. You were concerned that you
had lost the little book I wrote. Patti,
don’t you remember how I misplaced
my soul and you helped me find it,
and put it where it belonged? We all
misplace things. Some things just mean
more than others. You helped me find
what meant the most! < Tyrece - FL >
I am currently incarcerated at the
Lockhart facility in the faith-based
dorm. Two more Catholic inmates are
here with me. One of the inmates
gave us your name and address. We
would love to have a blue Rosary like
the one you sent her. It was beautiful
and not just plastic. We want to have