God can be found in the darkest of places.
Such is the belief of the four men in the Prince of Peace Parish prison ministry, who, once a week, travel to Androscoggin County Jail in an attempt to encourage faith among those who may need it most: inmates.
“We open up a different perspective, or a different world to them that they may not have known,” says Bruce Noddin, who has been working with the prison ministry for a few years. “These guys are human beings. They have made mistakes,” he adds, “They should not be defined by what they have done.”
The small prison ministry team, usually made up of three or four men, travel to the jail each Thursday evening. There, they meet with two separate groups. The first group is comprised of inmates who are awaiting trial for more violent crimes, and the second is made up of those who are in jail for more minor offences. Attendance varies, but generally a few dozen men attend the gatherings, which are held in a “contact meeting room.”
The men of the prison ministry are not priests, but rather regular members of the parish community who feel compelled by God to serve those in need.
“I’m just an average man trying to do God’s work,” comments Al Mercier, who is regarded as the team leader of the prison ministry. When asked about his favorite part of the work at the jail, he responds, “letting the holy spirit take you.”
The inmates call the Thursday night sessions, “Church,” despite the fact that no formal liturgy occurs and none of the four leaders are priests. The sessions begin with reading of the scriptures from Today’s Missal. According to Al, other sources they use to inform and inspire the inmates include Three Minutes a Day, Good News Bible (New Testament), and personal, insightful stories.
After the readings, the team and the inmates take time to interpret the readings, use the readings as a catalyst to constructive discussion, and connect the content to the lives of the inmates. The four men on the team all have different approaches to their teachings. For example, Al and Bruce tend to tell stories and relate their lives to the lives of the inmates, whereas Jon Dandridge and Bert Sylvian tend to base their teachings on Scriptures.
The Prince of Peace prison ministry team has found that faith supports the inmates in times of need. “I just think we are introducing something to them with how to deal with life’s difficulties,” Bruce notes.
In the life of an inmate, there are things that are often out of his control, be it family life on the outside, the attention his legal defense team gives to his case, or, most crucially, what goes on in court. “You don’t have control over these things, and that’s where faith comes in,” Bruce observes.
“You just have to put this in the hands of God, spend time praying, and then you go into court with a level of confidence and feel like there is someone on your side.”
Bruce states that some men will come out of their court hearing with a longer sentence than expected. However, faith gives these men the tools needed to handle the challenges they face in life. Therefore, the information shared by the team goes beyond helping the inmates during their time in jail or prison.
Bert, a long-time prison ministry veteran, remarks, “Once you fall in love with Jesus there are always answers for the questions.”
The four men of the prison ministry strive to foster within the inmates a genuine, fortified relationship with God. This relationship with God enables the inmates to endure the hardships that accompany a life plagued with incarceration and few opportunities, and gives them the ability to find a better path in life.
According to Jon, many of these men had impoverished upbringings and little chance to succeed in life, which often results in a cyclical process of going in and out of jail. Jon also suggests that, once released, prior inmates feel that they are often held to an overly stringent standard of behavior: “some say you can spit on the sidewalk and end up back in jail.”
Although the prison ministry is largely funded by the Catholic Church, it is as non-denominational as possible. Not only do Christians from a variety of denominations attend these meetings, but Muslims and Jews do, as well.
“We get along with all religions,” says Bert, “They have a different way of doing things, but we love them the same.”
In reference to working with people of different faiths, Bruce adds, “I like to focus on, instead of what our differences are, what our similarities are and our common ground.”
Bruce believes that each one of these men are searching for something and hoping that someone can provide an answer. The time in these meetings is not to preach Christianity, but instead to try and help these men find the answers they are seeking. Therefore, “We’re not trying to convert these folks. This is just kind of a way in, and then from there it is spiritual.”
Some of the men of the prison ministry team are motivated by misfortune that has touched their own lives, and they draw on those experiences to create an environment where many inmates can feel comfortable enough to share their problems, hardships, or concerns.
“I like to use my tough life experiences and things that have happened to me,” Bert remarks in talking about how he connects with the inmates. “These guys are human beings who have had misfortunes in their life, just like us,” he continues.
“They’ve made mistakes, we’ve made mistakes, and I’ve made mistakes that I probably should have been in the same place that these guys are in.” Bert adds, “I know the emptiness in this world. I know these guys know what emptiness is . . . we share our stories to help.”
Despite a strong recruiting campaign, the Prince of Peace prison ministry has failed to grow. Bruce notes that the ministry is in need of younger men who can better relate to the inmates than “four old guys.”
If you wish to learn more about the Prince of Peace Kairos Prison Ministry, visit their website at www.princeofpeace.me/outreachservice.
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