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Pope Francis’ speeches were inspirational and his examples stimulating while he was in the U.S. in 2015! Walking his talk, “to reach out to the marginalized” the Pope visited a maximum security prison, Curran-Fromhold CF. The Pope gave his encouraging talk to 100 inmates who were chosen based on good behavior and mass attendance. While there has to be punishment for crimes, we should remember what the Pope said, “confinement is not the same thing as exclusion. All of us have something we need to be cleansed of, or purified from. May the knowledge of this fact inspire us to live in solidarity, to support one another and seek the best for others.” For the full speech, please review the Pope’s YouTube video.
At St. Joe's Father Bob Kreckel walks the talk. He and parishioners are part of a team that conducts a prison 3 day retreat called Residents Encounter Christ, REC. We minister to men in Attica, Auburn, Groveland, and Livingston and the women in Albion Correctional Facility. Here is a link to more information about the Prison Ministry of Upstate New York, PMUNY,
Help one of the most vulnerable groups that Pope Francis’ endorses by visiting prisoners with groups of other Catholics. The volunteer approval process takes a while, up to 60 days.Contact: Ann Bell - [email protected]
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prayer for prisoners
- May they allow God to work in them and accomplish His purpose in their lives
- May they remain strong in their faith and know that if they ask for forgiveness they will be forgiven
- May they be blessed with strength to stay away from harmful associations that will lead them astray