On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis will perform one of the seven traditional corporal works of mercy: “to visit the prisoner.” Most of the others acts of mercy—“to feed the hungry,” “to give drink to the thirsty,” “to visit the sick”—seem relatively easy compared to “visiting the prisoner.”
Yet Pope Francis regularly showcases that act. His predecessors celebrated Holy Thursday’s Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. John Lateran Basilica, the papal “cathedral” in Rome. During his pontificate, Pope Francis has gone on Holy Thursday to an Italian jail where—in the distinctive feature of Holy Thursday’s Evening Mass—he washed the feet of prisoners. This year, he visits Rebibbia Women’s Prison in Rome.
How does one get involved in “visiting the prisoner?” Richard Nacchio is a retired New York attorney, now living in Florida, where he visits inmates in the St. Johns County Jail. He spoke with Catholic World Report about this work of mercy.
CWR: You’re are a retired lawyer, which suggests you’ve had contact with prisoners before. Why did you decide to get into prison ministry? Why do you think it’s important?
Mr. Nacchio: The reasons people are drawn to and volunteer for particular ministries are probably as varied as there are volunteers. Does the Holy Spirit move us in a particular direction? In my case I spent ten years in the New York court system, as an Assistant District Attorney and Court Attorney to a New York Supreme Court Justice. [Despite the title, in New York State the “Supreme Court” is a first-level trial court]. I saw the incarcerated under a variety of circumstances. I also visited persons close to me who were incarcerated.
I got involved in this ministry when a “ministry fair” was held after each Mass at my parish (the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine). Each ministry had a table to discuss its work with those who might be interested. Knowing that the harvest is great and the laborers are few, I volunteered.
At this point I should mention the difference between serving at a county jail (which I do) and at a state prison. Inmates at a county jail are serving sentences up to one year (though sometimes longer if awaiting trial on a serious charge) while state prisoners are serving longer sentences. Florida is a state that still imposes the death penalty, so there are some in the diocese who minister to those on death row. Naturally this involves a unique form of ministry but the goal remains the same: repentance, reformation, and ultimately salvation.
CWR: What does “visiting the prisoner” involve?
Mr. Nacchio: I’m usually tasked with visiting the jail on two Saturdays per month as directed by the parish coordinator. There are presently five volunteers that work in the local St. John’s County Jail. We rotate assignments and work in pairs. Fortunately, one of us is an ordained Deacon. Unfortunately, at this location there is no opportunity to make Mass or the sacraments available to the incarcerated. Work is underway to change this but progress is slow with the jail authorities.
I see three groups on a Saturday morning. Participation on prisoners’ parts is purely voluntary. They range from medium to maximum security inmates. I see anywhere from one to whatever number who care to attend, but usually about 15. Many Protestant inmates join us at times. I come prepared with printouts of the next day’s Mass readings. We begin with the Liturgy of the Word, just as it will be found at Mass that weekend. Volunteers are asked for to read the Old Testament, the Psalm and the Epistle. If the Deacon is present, he will proclaim the Gospel; if not, that falls to me. We open up to the inmates to discuss what messages the readings are conveying. When time is up, we conclude with a prayer and go on our way, hopefully better off than when we gathered.
CWR: How do you interact with the chaplain?
Mr. Nacchio: The jail has an official chaplain. His is not a full-time position as he is a Protestant pastor with a ministry some miles away. Our little Catholic group has no contact with him. Our principal contact is a deputy sheriff who is designated to run programs from outside groups.
CWR: Why is it important for lay people to be involved in this work?
Mr. Nacchio: Lay people have a role to play in the various ministries available in the Church. This is particularly so as vocations to the priesthood and religious life dwindle. Each layperson brings to the ministry his own life experiences and those of his family and friends. Take our cohort: I have the privilege of serving with men whom come from diverse backgrounds: medical doctors; sea captains and business people. One is an ordained deacon.
CWR: What do you think the average person might find most striking about interacting with prisoners?
Mr. Nacchio: The fact that those prisoners who choose to participate frequently have a strong thirst about seeking the Lord and hearing His word. Their voluntary attendance is already a sign that they are seeking something in Scripture that on some level they know that they need it. In this, they are already motivated to varying degrees. While a few only want some way to get time out of their cells, this is not true for most who come seeking the Lord.
Most come carrying their well-worn Bibles with them, sharing with us their own readings and what that means to them.
CWR: How has working with prisoners helped you as a Catholic?
Mr. Nacchio: It has opened my eyes to reaffirming the fact that all of us are made in the image of God and imbued with the dignity which that image confers. This is never lost even to those who are accused or convicted of a crime. We all can’t be St. Teresa of Calcutta but we can at least try, in some small way, to help those which our natural inclination may be to shun, seeing our brothers in them instead.
This work also compels me to delve more deeply into the Scripture readings for my next meeting and to better understand the messages being offered. By going to online resources online like the USCCB, I increase my own understanding and can better discuss the readings with the inmates. More importantly, it helps me to reflect on my own shortcomings and to recognize Jesus in those who are afflicted by mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction as well as other problems that have led them to their present state.
CWR: Jesus listed “to visit the prisoner” among the works of mercy, yet it’s probably the least performed of those works. How can the average Catholic get involved?
Mr. Nacchio: I understand this not something that many people feel comfortable pursuing. Many of us have an aversion to entering the jail environment and meeting the incarcerated on a personal level, especially inmates who have been charged with or may have committed abhorrent acts. I underwent fingerprinting, background checks, and orientation before being permitted to begin.
I later learned that a young man whom I met several times was charged with child molestation. Remembering what Jesus said about such acts (Matt 18:6), it is important to look past those facts and help him to pray for reformation and forgiveness. My goal is not to help the incarcerated excuse their crimes or bemoan any just civil punishment they may incur, but to look beyond the present to a future strengthened by faith and God’s grace.
CWR: What is your most memorable experience working in prison ministry?
Mr. Nacchio: Different inmates react differently to our meetings. Most are grateful. We shake hands and exchange words of encouragement. I always get handshakes and an occasional hug. That surprised me. Because we are in the city of St. Augustine, I frequently make reference to the Saint (as a reformed sinner) and to St. Monica whose prayers led to his conversion. As the inmates have access on a limited basis to laptops, one man came back to me to at our next meeting to tell me he had accessed the Confessions of St. Augustine on line and was attempting to get through it. I wished him well and encouraged him to persevere, remembering my own experience reading it when an undergraduate a half century ago.
CWR: What do you most hope to accomplish?
Mr. Nacchio: The most important message I try to leave prisoners with—apart from encouraging these men to continue in their Scriptural readings and deepening their prayer lives—is one of hope. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Spe Salvi : “the one who hopes lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.”
Note: If your parish does not have a prison ministry but you still want to get involved: ask your pastor for a contact; speak to a pastor in the city or town where your county/state jail is located; or call your diocesan chancery. Most dioceses have a person designated as point-of-contact for prison work.
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My neighbor ended up in the clink over a domestic incident and I asked his Dad about when visiting hours were. He responded go online, schedule it and the visit is on zoom. sheesh
They’ve been doing virtual visits a lot since Covid, it just depends upon the correctional facility policy.
My wife started writing prisoners on death rows over 30 years ago and eventually the whole family got involved. Since her passing two years ago, I have attempted to carry on with the writing. These men and women have become part of our family and we have been ministered to as much as we have ministered. It is not them and us, but rather we. We are all on this journey of life together and we help each other to get through it all with Jesus as our Savior and Lord. At present we are awaiting the release of my 60 year old daughter’s fiancé who she has been writing to for over 30 years. She started writing when she learned that he had an execution date for a murder he was involved in. After praying to Saint Theresa’ the little flower, he received a miracle and was granted a life sentence without the chance of parole. After his conversion he became Catholic and began to further his education. After completing his GED he started college courses, and eventually earned a bachelors degree in religious studies. He has since taken many other courses which would equal a masters degree. He is now a prisoner Catholic chaplain, assistant. Two years ago another miracle occurred when his life sentence was lifted, and he was granted the possibility of parole when the governor signed a letter referring him to the parole board. All that remains now is for the parole board to approve his release.
Don’t be afraid if you feel that the Lord is calling you to some form of prison ministry because it can be very rewarding and even life changing. The blessings far outweigh any sacrifice on your part. God bless
I saw the Order of Malta has a letter writing ministry where you can sign up to have them send your letters to inmates minus your personal address & last name if you choose. When you write an inmate in the usual way your full name & address can become known to other offenders in the facility & there are some dangerous people behind bars that you don’t want having that info.
Visiting those in prison is one of the things Christ will ask us about at our judgement but it doesn’t necessarily have to be in-person visits, especially when that can be difficult during lockdowns, etc.
You can send Christian books & educational materials to inmates also as long as you do it through a vendor like Amazon. Every state & facility can have different rules about visits, phone calls, & letters. Literacy levels in correctional facilities aren’t the greatest so I like to send graphic novel style Bible stories, lives of the Saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe, etc. Even those designed more for children have been appreciated.
Sending Christian literature to prisons is a great idea, adding a spiritual dimension to a corporal work of mercy.
Another idea is to help families of the imprisoned, especially children. If memory serves, one Charles Colson had a ministry to send cards, shoebox-gifts, Christmas presents and other similar items to children of prisoners.
Amen, meiron. Thank you for sharing that here.
Excellent ideas all around!
In Ohio, prisoners are allowed to receive printed material ONLY from Amazon.com, NO exceptions. You can send them only letters; no pamphlets, books or reading material, unless it is packaged by Amazon.
Yes, I use Amazon to send books. I don’t know if other vendors are allowed in other states but you definitely can’t mail anything besides letters anymore and even those may be photocopied first before the inmate receives them. Drugs can be hidden under stamps and stickers. Maybe ink too, I don’t know. It’s a shame.
One of the more difficult acts of charity in which Christ identifies with as the least of his brothers at the Final judgment. At times there’s prejudice toward Catholics as was the case on a missionary assignment.
There are others more accessible to the average parishioner [retired attorney Nacchio’s advantage, his professional experience]. As frequently mentioned, visits to the infirm or sick at their homes, med centers, nursing homes. Every town has one. And certainly the willingness to befriend and support the forlorn, the outcast, the persecuted. As a priest it’s part of my mission. Laity must incorporate their own baptismal mission of the common priesthood of the faithful. It’s not enough to make a weekly donation to the parish to meet what Christ expects of us. Some may say this is preachy, moralizing, when it’s actually hard, cold, fact required for our salvation. As a remedy to our complacency interior adoration of the Holy Eucharist.
Everyone thirsts for some personal contact/
That’s the common denominator we need to convince ourselves of, to wit, have faith in.
Mr. Nacchio suggests that the Holy Spirit likely calls each person to different ministry. As Scripture says, the Holy Spirit goes and bestows gifts and charisms where He wills and as the Church needs. The idea of visiting prisoners has held some attraction for me, but there is no prison in my near vicinity. Caring for the homeless or visiting the sick did not appeal to me; nevertheless, a good friend encouraged me to try to service a population which ‘repulsed’ my sensitivities.
Taking up the gauntlet, some months after holding my breath at unpleasant smells and holding back my sadness and anger at unpleasant personalities in the local nursing home, with God’s help, something else happened. Some consolation and sense of blessing began to be given together with the trials. As a Legion of Mary member in a NO parish, I underwent training as an EEM, so began to visit the sick with the Eucharist under my vest. Then I began an ecumenical Scripture Study on Sunday mornings.
Altogether, I received more blessings, I’m certain, than I gave to others. I hope Francis has some sense of God’s closeness as he visits and washes his wards.
My introduction to pastoral care began with the Legion of Mary prior to ordination.
What he said. I have been going in since 2010. The most rewarding thing I have ever done- I had no idea. Truly I can say unto you- it is in giving that we receive. You can’t get an app for that