An essential presence
“I was in prison, and you will come to see me” is the evangelical mandate carried out, until the last consequences, by all those who have made the Penitentiary Ministry their field of work. In each of the penitentiary centers in Catalonia we find chaplains, religious and lay people who accompany the inmates without asking them questions, without judging or condemning, simply being by their side, supporting them in their day-to-day needs, acting as a bridge between the outside and the inside and is, in short, the presence of God and the Church in a world that society often looks at with suspicion.
A recognized work
The world of prison is not easy nor does it generate as much enthusiasm as other areas of pastoral care and forms of volunteering. In a way, they are the last in society, the recluses and those hidden from the eyes of others, but for this very reason it is vitally important to maintain this presence of the Church.
Chaplains and volunteers are an entire institution within the prison, recognized and valued by the same body of officials and by those in charge of the Department of Justice. We can remember the tribute that the Generalitat de Catalunya paid to Sister Genoveva Masip, Daughter of Charity, in the grounds of the old Model prison, on September 19, 2023. In Catalonia there are approximately 110 Prison Pastoral volunteers.
Accompanying and reinsertion
Accompanying the inmates while they are in prison is important, but it is even more important to help them in the process of social reintegration, especially when they do not have family support or when exactly what they need is to get away from their environment. The Obra Mercedària Foundation gives them an opportunity through the Foster Homes and work reinsertion tasks.
A work of mercy
Prison Ministry volunteers deserve our tribute, recognition and gratitude because they are a reflection of God’s mercy in prisons, without prejudice or misgivings.
P.S. From the Human and Christian Mission Foundation we want to congratulate the Church that makes the pilgrimage to Girona for the appointment of its new bishop, Octavi Vilà. We entrust it to him and to the diocese of Saint Feliu and Saint Narcís.
