One of the inmates that was selected for last weekend's Kairos retreat died today after suffering a heart attack at the prison. For privacy reasons his name will be withheld for now. I simply want to acknowledge his passing, which was sudden and unexpected. Our brother not only experienced his 1st Kairos but was a long-time faithful member of the Catholic Community at Rayburn Correctional. In fact, when organized Catholic services ceased for a period of time at the prison, this dedicated inmate helped hold the community together, leading prayers and reciting the Rosary. When services resumed with outside assistance, he was always lending a hand. When I began my CPT at the prison, he graciously became my first interviewee and in reality, guided me through the interview!! He was our song leader and for many years, always led to Responsorial Psalm, which was a tribute to a Catholic brother from the prison who predeceased him.
Our brother was one of the older members of the community and was kind and gentle to all the volunteers, loved and respected by his brother inmates and devoutly Catholic.
He will truly be missed. For now can I just ask for prayers for the repose of his soul, those who will miss him and for his brothers in both Kairos and the St. Peter's Catholic Community at Rayburn Correctional.
Rest in peace. May his soul, and the soul of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace!
Showing posts with label Kairos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kairos. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
My weekend in jail; incredible stories of struggle & conversion
I'm home tonight completely exhausted from my weekend in jail! From 2 p.m. on Thursday until 3:30 p.m. today, the 16th Kairos retreat was held inside Rayburn Correctional Center. Picked by the institution, 24 inmates were welcomed in by a Kairos team of over 20 volunteers made up of men, and women on the support staff, from many different faiths. Of particular interest to me was the number of Catholic volunteers that joined me on this team; 5. I can tell you that I have been the only Catholic on previous Kairos teams at Rayburn. I also, as a member of the clergy staff, was privileged to work with both a Methodist Pastor and an Episcopalian Deacon.
Kairos brings together clergy and lay volunteers in an ecumenical setting to minister over 4 days to inmates that appear to have no active Christian faith life. Through a series of many talks, prayers, songs and spiritual exercises the men are given numerous opportunities to examine and express changes and a stirrings of the possibility of a life lived for Christ. Many men, if not most, will feel moved by the Holy Spirit to publically declare an openness to changing their life and embracing God's mercy and love. The men further explore the sincere opportunity to forgive others; many times those who hurt them and those who played roles in their incarceration.
The men leave a Kairos 4 day weekend truly changed and on fire for Christ! They are encouraged to form community prayer & share groups and will be supported by future visits by Kairos volunteers.
From an abundance of home baked cookies, to financial contributions, to wonderful home cooked meals, to the love shown the men by letters and pictures, many drawn by CCD and Bible school children, these inmates truly get to feel and experience agape love.
It is so gratifying and spiritually fulfilling to serve on one of these teams. For me, the Kairos experience is just one of many tools in effective and faithful prison ministry. Soon, I return to my more traditional role as the pastoral care chaplain for the Catholic community inside Rayburn. And I will continue to support the Kairos ministry as we work together to bring inmates to Christ!
Kairos brings together clergy and lay volunteers in an ecumenical setting to minister over 4 days to inmates that appear to have no active Christian faith life. Through a series of many talks, prayers, songs and spiritual exercises the men are given numerous opportunities to examine and express changes and a stirrings of the possibility of a life lived for Christ. Many men, if not most, will feel moved by the Holy Spirit to publically declare an openness to changing their life and embracing God's mercy and love. The men further explore the sincere opportunity to forgive others; many times those who hurt them and those who played roles in their incarceration.
The men leave a Kairos 4 day weekend truly changed and on fire for Christ! They are encouraged to form community prayer & share groups and will be supported by future visits by Kairos volunteers.
From an abundance of home baked cookies, to financial contributions, to wonderful home cooked meals, to the love shown the men by letters and pictures, many drawn by CCD and Bible school children, these inmates truly get to feel and experience agape love.
It is so gratifying and spiritually fulfilling to serve on one of these teams. For me, the Kairos experience is just one of many tools in effective and faithful prison ministry. Soon, I return to my more traditional role as the pastoral care chaplain for the Catholic community inside Rayburn. And I will continue to support the Kairos ministry as we work together to bring inmates to Christ!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Posting light; retreat time
Light posting this weekend as I am in retreat at Rayburn Correctional. Kairos #16 is now almost halfway thru!! 24 men from inside this state facility are being introduced to all things Christ in this retreat. I'm on the road each day, beginning yesterday and thru tomorrow from 5:30 AM to late in the evening.
Will do what I can but resume in earnest Monday!
Will do what I can but resume in earnest Monday!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Cookies, cookies, more cookies and prayers
The Kairos retreat has begun this afternoon at Rayburn Prison in rural Washington Parish. I've posted before about Kairos prison retreats; an ecumenical Christian effort to bring some of the inmates in an institution into relationship with Jesus through prayer, reflection, sharing and fellowship. Among the many extra nice touches to make the retreat special is the sharing of homemade cookies with the inmates. Each team member is asked to bring 25 dozen cookies to the retreat. This year, by being able to solicit help from two parish communities, Most Holy Trinity, where I am assigned now, and St. Jane de Chantal, where I was assigned before(and my home parish). Now I've far exceeded the 25 dozen goal before, in fact on my last Kairos I believe my total was 66 dozen Well, that record was shattered this year. Due to immense generosity, I was able to deliver 149 dozen cookies!! Do the math, that's lots of cookies.
Cookies are quite the treat but more than just cookies, this is a way to involve many families in prison ministry. Each family who bakes cookies are asked to sincerely pray during the baking process for the men and the retreat team. Offering prayers for inmates is a first for many who accept the call to bake cookies. Many of the same folks who bake also offer financial contributions and still others express an interest in how to get involved in prison ministry.
So tonight, overwhelmed by cookies and prayers, and fortified by our 1st evening inside the prison on retreat, we now hit the sack and ready ourselves for a 5:30 wake up call and day 2 of Kairos 2013!
Cookies are quite the treat but more than just cookies, this is a way to involve many families in prison ministry. Each family who bakes cookies are asked to sincerely pray during the baking process for the men and the retreat team. Offering prayers for inmates is a first for many who accept the call to bake cookies. Many of the same folks who bake also offer financial contributions and still others express an interest in how to get involved in prison ministry.
So tonight, overwhelmed by cookies and prayers, and fortified by our 1st evening inside the prison on retreat, we now hit the sack and ready ourselves for a 5:30 wake up call and day 2 of Kairos 2013!
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Another special "weekend"
I really cherish my weekends because, in part, I grew up looking at weekends at that moment of refreshment and recreation from school and later from work. I always seemed to have busy weekends so I'm also very accustomed to wondering where in the world the weekend went when we reach Sunday evening.
Both of these statements are so true on this summer Sunday night. I longed for the weekend so I could put my secular job in the rearview mirror and embrace some time home with Wendy, but also so I could be actively involved in my passion, ministry related to being a Permanent Deacon for the Catholic Church in and of New Orleans. Friday night gave me that chance to relax with my bride a little bit as we enjoyed a nice dinner together, caught up on our week that was and watch a movie together. Saturday was all day ministry; out of the house before 7 AM and returning home past 4 PM. The event for this particular Saturday was Kairos team training as our team continues to prepare for a mid October retreat. As a member of clergy, I am the clergy lead for our team which includes a Methodist pastor and an Episcopal Deacon. Our training this weekend prepared all of us for the actual happenings of the retreat to be and to preview 8 of the special talks that will be offered at the retreat. We ended with a spiritual devotion that invited all of us to select our burdens and distractions and then give them over(lay them down) to Jesus at the foot of his cross. It was a very beautiful and spiritual devotion.
Working with the Kairos team is a challenging opportunity that blends the gifts and talents, and occasionally obstacles too, of volunteers and clergy from several different Christian denominations. We have volunteers from the Baptist, Episcopal, Catholic, Methodist, Evangelical, non-denominational Christianity and possibly a few more. It's a necessary but difficult challenge but it is a sacrifice that truly makes Kairos work. We show a great deal of love and respect for each other's beliefs without getting lost so much in that which is different and concentrating on bringing a loving caring message of Christ to the inmates who are, for purposes of this retreat, classified as un-churched. Our motto or theme is Listen, Listen, Love, Love and it works.
When I completed my Kairos responsibilities for Saturday, I returned home to find my wife having tackled many home chores while trying to juggle delivery men and repair men as we anticipated a new washer, faster internet service and new satellite TV features. Well, 1.5 out of 3 ain't bad! She was tired and frustrated so it just seemed to me that dinner and desert were in order. It was a nice change of pace! But bedtime would have to come early for me on a Saturday night because 7 AM Sunday Mass comes early.
Today I arose at 5:30 AM, got ready and drove to MHT to be the assisting Deacon at both 7 and 9 AM masses. This morning was also our registration morning for the 2013-14 session of CCD. It was good to see so many children and families around the Church today, some who have been away over the course of the summer. As soon as my last Mass was done, my wife and I drove to New Orleans for a day-long session of inquiry and instruction for the 42 men and their wives who are inquiring about our next class of Deacon candidates, a group that would not be ordained until 2018. At this stage today, these men are still inquiring and will not even make formal application until the spring of 2014. For a Deacon, and his wife, this is a great opportunity to not only be of help in the inquiry sessions, but to relive and remember being in that same situation when we approached Inquiry. For me and Wendy that would have been 2013, 10 years ago. It was a wonderful day to be with these men and wives as well as the candidates and Deacons who were there, like Wendy and I were, to be present and lend a word of encouragement or lead group discussions. A successful day done; we arrived home 6:30 PM.
So there is a degree of tiredness and the realization that work dawns anew tomorrow morning. Where did the weekend go? I will be ready for the challenge of Monday!
A quick side note; please don't misinterpret any thing as I've framed it above to indicate that I work all week(only) and am a Deacon for the Church on the weekend(only). In my day job, I am a manager, I can be involved in any number of things any day, all the time. Traditionally, I am at the office from 8-5, M-F, subject to change. Equally important, I am not a part-time Deacon or only a Deacon on weekends or Sundays. A Permanent Deacon is indeed ordained, indelibly marked; meaning a Deacon IS; as in he is a Deacon at home, at work, at play, 24-7, 365!!! A Deacon does, per a schedule but he IS all the time.
So this Permanent Deacon is one tired but spiritually fulfilled and recharged man. I'm going to wind down a little tonight spending time preparing for my next great adventure; our study of Revelation for the adult faith program at MHT. An I'm praying for a good night's sleep and a productive Monday after a wonderful special weekend!
Both of these statements are so true on this summer Sunday night. I longed for the weekend so I could put my secular job in the rearview mirror and embrace some time home with Wendy, but also so I could be actively involved in my passion, ministry related to being a Permanent Deacon for the Catholic Church in and of New Orleans. Friday night gave me that chance to relax with my bride a little bit as we enjoyed a nice dinner together, caught up on our week that was and watch a movie together. Saturday was all day ministry; out of the house before 7 AM and returning home past 4 PM. The event for this particular Saturday was Kairos team training as our team continues to prepare for a mid October retreat. As a member of clergy, I am the clergy lead for our team which includes a Methodist pastor and an Episcopal Deacon. Our training this weekend prepared all of us for the actual happenings of the retreat to be and to preview 8 of the special talks that will be offered at the retreat. We ended with a spiritual devotion that invited all of us to select our burdens and distractions and then give them over(lay them down) to Jesus at the foot of his cross. It was a very beautiful and spiritual devotion.
Working with the Kairos team is a challenging opportunity that blends the gifts and talents, and occasionally obstacles too, of volunteers and clergy from several different Christian denominations. We have volunteers from the Baptist, Episcopal, Catholic, Methodist, Evangelical, non-denominational Christianity and possibly a few more. It's a necessary but difficult challenge but it is a sacrifice that truly makes Kairos work. We show a great deal of love and respect for each other's beliefs without getting lost so much in that which is different and concentrating on bringing a loving caring message of Christ to the inmates who are, for purposes of this retreat, classified as un-churched. Our motto or theme is Listen, Listen, Love, Love and it works.
When I completed my Kairos responsibilities for Saturday, I returned home to find my wife having tackled many home chores while trying to juggle delivery men and repair men as we anticipated a new washer, faster internet service and new satellite TV features. Well, 1.5 out of 3 ain't bad! She was tired and frustrated so it just seemed to me that dinner and desert were in order. It was a nice change of pace! But bedtime would have to come early for me on a Saturday night because 7 AM Sunday Mass comes early.
Today I arose at 5:30 AM, got ready and drove to MHT to be the assisting Deacon at both 7 and 9 AM masses. This morning was also our registration morning for the 2013-14 session of CCD. It was good to see so many children and families around the Church today, some who have been away over the course of the summer. As soon as my last Mass was done, my wife and I drove to New Orleans for a day-long session of inquiry and instruction for the 42 men and their wives who are inquiring about our next class of Deacon candidates, a group that would not be ordained until 2018. At this stage today, these men are still inquiring and will not even make formal application until the spring of 2014. For a Deacon, and his wife, this is a great opportunity to not only be of help in the inquiry sessions, but to relive and remember being in that same situation when we approached Inquiry. For me and Wendy that would have been 2013, 10 years ago. It was a wonderful day to be with these men and wives as well as the candidates and Deacons who were there, like Wendy and I were, to be present and lend a word of encouragement or lead group discussions. A successful day done; we arrived home 6:30 PM.
So there is a degree of tiredness and the realization that work dawns anew tomorrow morning. Where did the weekend go? I will be ready for the challenge of Monday!
A quick side note; please don't misinterpret any thing as I've framed it above to indicate that I work all week(only) and am a Deacon for the Church on the weekend(only). In my day job, I am a manager, I can be involved in any number of things any day, all the time. Traditionally, I am at the office from 8-5, M-F, subject to change. Equally important, I am not a part-time Deacon or only a Deacon on weekends or Sundays. A Permanent Deacon is indeed ordained, indelibly marked; meaning a Deacon IS; as in he is a Deacon at home, at work, at play, 24-7, 365!!! A Deacon does, per a schedule but he IS all the time.
So this Permanent Deacon is one tired but spiritually fulfilled and recharged man. I'm going to wind down a little tonight spending time preparing for my next great adventure; our study of Revelation for the adult faith program at MHT. An I'm praying for a good night's sleep and a productive Monday after a wonderful special weekend!
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