Prison ministry urges love

By Desiree Nelson

SASKATOON — Gathered in a circle at St. Michael’s Parish May 6, a group of people from the Saskatoon diocese heard Peter Oliver and Dianne Anderson speak about prison ministry.

Entitled Incarceration, Release, Rehabilitation, the talk challenged listeners to love other sinners as Christ loved all of us.

Oliver, chaplain at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, and Anderson, who co-ordinates the diocesan prison ministry office, described the needs in prison and restorative justice ministry, stressing the connections to the Catholic faith.

Anderson described the work she does in prison ministry, including one-on-one visits with inmates at the Correctional Centre, leading the rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy on Thursdays, offering a talking circle on Fridays, and co-ordinating a mass on Saturday afternoons.

Anderson said that her own Métis background helps her bring First Nations spirituality and culture to the prisoners. For instance, smudges are one of the cleansing and healing ceremonies offered to inmates.

Anderson described helping inmates find a balance through the image of the medicine wheel, using the analogy that you will get farther with a round tire than a flat one.

Her ministry goes beyond the walls of the prison, and includes attending court to be present for both the accused and victims, along with helping inmates after they have left the jail.

Oliver offered statistics about the prison, and many expressed surprise at the rates of incarceration, the type of crimes committed and the lack of resources allocated to correctional institutions.

He also spoke about the “tough on crime” campaign and the statistics that disprove the effectiveness of this strategy.

Oliver emphasized the integration of Christian faith in working with the prison system. He pointed out that Jesus’ life was similar to a court case: he was arrested, tried and executed. We need to ask ourselves where we live out our call to love others and pray for them, said Oliver, noting that the church is a compassionate body with those who are sick, but Christians often forget to pray for the accused and their victims.

Participants were reminded that only the most sensational stories appear in the media, but people are sent to prison for a variety of reasons, the most common being breach of probation. Such breaches often occur as a result of lack of resources and support once an inmate has completed his sentence.

Catholics have the opportunity to assist in this ministry, Oliver said, even if it is simply by praying for inmates and their victims. He stressed that Christ calls us to love everyone. Jesus was the first to stand up and love the sinner and the unlovable, he said; now it’s our turn.