Prison Ministry

Helping to redeem, restore and reconcile

Our ministry’s volunteers are committed to helping our brothers and sisters to “redeem, restore and reconcile” their lives. Below is a testimony from a released offender, a volunteer, and the previous coordinator of the Prison Ministry, Maureen Donegan.

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Services

Ministry to Those in Prison  

Our in-prison ministry addresses the spiritual needs of the incarcerated through Mass, fellowship, letter writing, Bible study, Alpha, Taizé prayer, rosary making, volunteer-led discussions, visitations and more.

Engaging with Parishioners and Catholic Students  

We invite all Catholic elementary and high schools to make Christmas and Easter cards for those in prison and those on the streets. We do a variety of projects with our schools to raise awareness of those marginalized and incarcerated.

Wrist rosaries and other collaborative projects

The wrist rosary project is a collaboration with federal institutions and Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Vancouver to raise funds for local non-profit organizations like Operation Smile.

Men and women in the federal institutions have the chance to “give back” by making wrist rosaries for the students in the schools. The students each receive a wrist rosary made by an inmate and then are taught how to make one to sell in support of the non-profit organizations. We believe this is a great way for many hands to work together to have a positive impact on our world locally and abroad.

When we visit the classrooms, it also gives our volunteers an opportunity to share what Prison Ministry is all about and why we “visit prisoners” (Matthew 25:31-46). The students and teachers enjoy the one-hour session while learning about one of the Corporal Works of Mercy.

Presentations at High Schools

We arrange for released offenders who have turned their lives around to share their faith journey with Catholic high school students.

For instance, Ryan Prasad, is a former inmate. Prasad thanks Catholic volunteers who brought him into the faith and he now pays it forward by speaking to youth at Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese. He is a dynamic speaker who gives of his time to speak to senior high school students about his journey of experimenting with drugs, participating in the drug crime world, incarceration, and freedom. Since Ryan is young, he relates well to the students and his story hits home with many students.  

Helping Those Released from Prison  

Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA)

Vancouver/Fraser Valley Circles of Support and Accountability (VFV CoSA) is a community based volunteer program that assists people who have committed a sexual offence on their release from prison.

Our goal is to substantially reduce the risk of sexual victimization of community members by assisting and supporting released individuals in their task of integrating with the community, and leading responsible, productive and accountable lives. l

Support for Released Offenders Program

This program is designed to support released offenders with no sexual related crimes.

The volunteer is:

• Available for pro-social encouragement and practical elements

• Accessible by cellphone only, no contact by email and no contact or sharing on any social media platform. Inmate must be released into the community before communication begins.

• Able to talk, particularly during difficult times

• Open to meet in a public place, i.e. coffee shop, restaurant. If another location is chosen, the CCJS committee must agree upon it

• Free to assist in finding employment, setting up a bank account, using public transportation, etc.

Support for Victims and Families of Inmates

Healing Circles of Support for Those Affected by Crime

The Archdiocese of Vancouver has developed Healing Circles of Support (HCS) for those whose lives have been affected by crime. Our primary goal is to provide a caring, healing, and emotional support network to those impacted by crime. HCS is a program for survivors of crime, offered to everyone, free of charge and regardless of religious beliefs or affiliation.

Women’s Support Group for Mothers and Wives of Incarcerated Men

A support group for sharing practical information and providing emotional support. For more information, call (604) 226-6964.

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In institutions where loneliness abounds and isolation is the reality every day, it is presence— both human and divine— that we can give.

To date, over 200 volunteers from our Archdiocese visit offenders in 14 prisons and provide support to released offenders through community support groups.

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Frequently Asked Questions