There are many ministries in the Church that visibly show the Works of Mercy. But then there are some, like prison ministry, that operate behind closed doors. Not just closed doors; locked doors.
On a rainy Saturday in mid-June, a group of current prison ministers and those interested in the ministry gathered at the Diocesan Center in Harrisburg for camaraderie and support. The day started with Mass, celebrated by Father Matthew Morelli, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Lancaster and a minister at the Lancaster County Prison.
“This year is a Jubilee Year,” said Father Morelli. “It’s so important for us in our ministry and our own personal testimony in the prisons to let people know that. Where do they find true freedom? Where do they find true liberty? Where do they find true forgiveness? They don’t need to wait for a court date. They don’t need to wait for their release. They already have Christ among them.”
“But what is faith without works?” he added. “In this Jubilee Year in particular, we are called to be missionaries of hope. To go out and share that Good News with everybody. The mercy that the Lord offers us is hope.”
As an evangelization effort, prison ministry is one of the more missionary-focused types of ministry, as the people in need of hearing the Good News can’t come to us. We have to go to them, said Father Morelli.
Following the Mass, Deacon Francis “Frank” Skorija, who serves at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Harrisburg and the Dauphin County Prison, gave a reflection on his work in prison ministry.
His path to prison ministry started during a trip to Rome in 2010. Day after day, the trip itinerary visited church after church and shrine after shrine. In looking for something different, Deacon Skorija and his wife explored the city and ended up lost.
“We ended up at the Church of St. Joseph the Carpenter,” he said. In the middle of the church was a staircase leading down into a basement of sorts. At the bottom of the steps was a room with a small stream running through it.
“It was the prison where both St. Peter and St. Paul were held before their executions,” explained Deacon Skorija. “For the first time, it hit me that our Savior was a convicted felon.”
This experience propelled Deacon Skorija on his path to participating in prison ministry. His early involvement included helping with the music ministry and then, as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Even while going through formation for the Permanent Diaconate, Deacon Skorija continued to volunteer with prison ministry.
“I found that each week, just being present was a way for God to work,” he said.
As a minister in the Dauphin County Prison, Deacon Skorija has shared God’s mercy with people of many backgrounds.
“The message of Jesus is not just about faith, but faithfulness,” he said, explaining that as a Christian people, we often speak about having faith, but our actions don’t reflect that faith. “Today, the violence we see in our state and nation…it’s a sign that we still live as a people with only half the message.”
“We have to make room for all at the table,” he said. “The spirit of God lives in you and me. It means carrying with a mother’s love the forgotten. They [the incarcerated] are beloved children of God. The Holy Spirit has appointed you to go out into the world with boldness.”
Prison ministry can be challenging, but it is also very rewarding. Many of the current prison ministers attending the event offered comments on how much they gain from this ministry and from their work with the incarcerated.
“Prison ministry begins with having a heart like Jesus,” Deacon Skorija said. “Part of our pastoral DNA has to include a willingness not to judge the incarcerated.”
“Even if they can’t join us at Mass, they are part of the One Body of Christ,” he added. “The Catholic Church was founded by an innocent, convicted capital criminal.”
To learn more about prison ministry in the Diocese of Harrisburg, please contact Deacon Armando Torres, Director for Culture and Outreach, at DATorres@hbgdiocese.org.
(Photos by Rachel Bryson, The Catholic Witness.)
By Rachel Bryson, The Catholic Witness
