Day of Fellowship and Formation Focuses on Catholic Faith Behind Prison Walls

People interested in or actively involved in prison ministry learned about serving “the whole ecclesial body of Christ” during a day of fellowship and formation on Feb. 22.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge Office of Life, Peace, and Justice sponsored the event, which took place at St. George Church in Baton Rouge.

In their presentations, the chaplains of prisons in the diocese reported the incarcerated people are encouraged by visits from people outside of their prisons.

“Especially (prisoners) on the cellblock don’t have guys in a social network. They’re stuck in the cell block 23 hours a day. When a ‘free person,’ that’s what they call us, visits they love it because they can have a conversation with someone else besides a prisoner in a cellblock," said Deacon Billy Messenger, chaplain at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. 

Deacon Messenger and the other chaplains noted the prisoners embrace opportunities to learn about and grow in the Catholic faith. They are involved in Bible studies, educational opportunities, praise and worship, Mass, and Communion services. Some of the incarcerated men enroll in the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA) program and enter the church.

Deacon Jeff Easley, co-chaplain at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, said, “The guys at Elayn Hunt don’t really expect volunteers to be theologians that are that much more ‘spiritual’ than they are. But they want them to be open, honest, sincere, and offer their friendship. Friendship is the key more than any theology or particular event they are involved with. They want connection.”

Father Tom Ranzino explains some of the liturgical books used for prison ministry.Staci Polozola, co-chaplain at Elayn Hunt, said she initially became involved in prison ministry to see “what happens behind the razor wire,” among other reasons. Her time at Hunt is a spiritual journey that showed her the prisoners’ need for a positive female role model in their lives.

“I act as their mother, their disciplinarian, sometimes their nagging sister, the bratty sister, and sometimes their ‘offended wife’ who would look at you and say, ‘Did you just call me an old lady?’” said Polozola.

She emphasized to those who are considering volunteering, “No skill sets are needed … no singing, no theology. You come with a pure heart, and I promise you’re going to find Jesus there.”

Deacon Tim Messenger likewise said he tries to be a father figure to the incarcerated women at Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. During the flood of 2016, the women were relocated from the prison’s St. Gabriel location to the former Jetson Correctional Youth Center in Baker. A new large facility is near completion at the St. Gabriel site, and the women prisoners will be moved from Jetson back there this summer. This should expand opportunities for volunteers at that time, according to Deacon Messenger.

Matthew Pineda, community engagement manager for the Louisiana Parole Project, spoke about opportunities to volunteer with the program. The Parole Project supports individuals who have served long sentences and acts as a bridge between businesses, industries, and prisons to place qualified formerly incarcerated persons in jobs.

Val Browning, a Kolbe Ministries Retreat core team member, discussed the mission of Kolbe Ministries. The program hosts three-day retreats focused on the agape love of Jesus Christ and the fullness of truth of the Catholic Church.Val Browning discusses opportunities available through Kolbe Prison Ministries of Baton Rouge.

Speaker Father Tom Ranzino, director of the Office of Worship of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, discussed why prison ministry matters. Father Ranzino is, likewise, involved in prison ministry by offering Masses at the prisons, etc.

When a person is imprisoned, they are placed away from the public eye and behind high fences for security reasons, explained Father Ranzino.

“These people are removed from people’s sight and too often, from the hearts and minds of the folks who are ‘free,’” he said.

Society prefers to keep distance from the imprisoned. 

“Our prison ministry matters,” Father Ranzino said, “because the way of Jesus is a different way of relating to the incarcerated.”

Jesus pointed out that when we are caring for prisoners, we are caring for him, stated Father Ranzino.

He referred to Jesus’ depiction of the final judgement as depicted in Mt. 25:35-46: “When did we see you in prison and visit you?” Jesus answers, “As you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters you did it to me.”

Prison ministers share in a wide mission field in the prison system, according to Father Ranzino. U.S. jail and prison systems are home to nearly 1 percent of all working age Americans.
Chaplains Deacon Jeff Easley and Staci Polozola share how prisoners at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center have been receptive of Catholic-based teachings and worship opportunities.“For every 20 families of five sitting down for dinner in our neighborhoods, one family is experiencing an empty chair,” said Father Ranzino. “Caring for the imprisoned is an opportunity to evangelize prisoners who have lost faith in God and lost hope for their futures – and, at the same time, witness the Gospel to imprisoned people’s loved ones.” 

No one is disqualified from God’s mercy, which starts with God through the Church, emphasized Father Ranzino. 

He reminded attendees that when they serve the incarcerated, they are serving in an ecclesial (church) ministry.

“At times, some of you are offering spontaneous prayers with the incarcerated, petitions of intercession or litanies of praise of God; at other times, some of you are presenting the official liturgical prayer of the Church found in one of the ritual texts of the Church. Either way you are an ecclesial minister, serving the prisoners, serving the Church, serving Christ,” stated Father Ranzino.
 
He talked how the ritual books of the church are used. He also explained the guidelines for extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and how they must be trained. 

Father Ranzino also instructed attendees on how volunteers are to pray with prisoners.

“Over the course of time, when you are visiting and praying wiChaplain Deacon Billy Messenger talks about how prisoners embrace the Catholic faith at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.th the imprisoned, you come to realize that many of these people have become brothers and sisters in Christ while in prison,” said Father Ranzino. “So, when the Lord returns, we will sit side by side with them at the Banquet of the Lamb. 

“Concrete walls and barbed wire cannot keep Christians from encouraging one another with this future reality. Our futures are bound up together. Most of the world goes along unconcerned about the imprisoned. The relative hopelessness of long imprisonments urges Christians to encourage our little flocks and to look with them toward our final and future redemption.”

For more information on becoming involved in prison ministry, visit diobr.org/prison-ministry or email [email protected]