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Show Religion 6 Saturday, Mey 11, 1996 “The Daily Herald —— America Catholic ministers see faces of Christ in prison in grip of Editor's note: Thefoliowing is the third of a threepart series detailing the prison ministry efforts of three separate religious organizations at the -Utah County Jail. All names of inmates included in this story,are pseudonyms. fascination with war America’s obsession with — our appetite for — weapons and the military contigues to amaze and depress me. . With no meaningful challenge to our military might anywhere, the Archdiocese of San Francis- co. “If God seems to be saying to and about what society is doing you, ‘Go, get involved in this to help them. People are discovmission work,’ give yourself ering that there’s a need there. some time to explore the validity it’s like we've walked into a bestofthatcall,” the Dominican nun seller. tells the volunteers gathered Sister Stankowski’s inside the parish office. “Pray In 1988, Sister Stankowski about it. If the call remains, find began writing letters to the out from each other and me what Twas in prison and you visited can best help you accomplish me (Matthew25:36). your special task.” Be mindful of prisoners as if She continues: “The Lord is sharing their imprisonment calling you to minister. That's (Hebrews 13:3). Matter Unorganized evenon the horizon, we continue to: spend the biggest share of our discretionary budget on arms and the military. We call it “defense” spending Weall remember Congress voting togive the military $7 bil- * lion morefor this year’s budget than even they had asked for. But new we've perked up their appetite and taught themto be tess modestin their requests: The Pentagon, encouraged by the chairmanof the House National Security Committee, plans to ask for a $13 billion increase for next year! Evenmoredistressing, “the Administration is seeking more than $73billion for investmentin new weaponsnext year, more than any other country will spend onits entire military.” (The figures and quotation come from The Nation, May 13, 1996. Even discounting the editorial bias, I havecometotrust.thefigures.) I can understandthe military 2 for all it can get. But, with ve World at peace and with America’s former threat now without fangs and essentially broke I can’t understand the needfor all those new weapons. For me, far too much ofit comes frompolitics and hunger for power and profits, both from he various services from the armaments industries. Andit’s fed by the notorious graft and pork for politicians that poisonthe D s e the strange developed vat are far too terrible to ever be used. So we develop more sophisticated weapons for “small” wars that can be controlled like the kindthat killed morethan 100 Lebanesecivilians last month(with both Lebanon and Israel blaming each other and Israel explaining that, war” and.that wehaveto expect such mistakes in war). Whatevertherationale, though, whatever the explanations and excuses, weapons of war are eventually intended to kill people, presumably the most important of God's creatures. Oh, we may use themto destroy “military targets.” But war is ultimately a “people Versus-people” affair, evenif the Sister Janet M. Stankowski begins with a reflective reading from the New American Bible’s Isaiah 61:1: “The spirit of the . Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me; He hath sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.”” Thenshe asks God — through prayer — to help the local RomanCatholic volunteers reach inmates at the Utah County Jail. “Help us to be your gentle compassionate reminderof love, care and mercy,” she pleads. The 48-year-old woman, a member of the Roman Catholic Dominican Order of Sisters, is meeting with three parishi from Provo’s St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church to help them in their prison-ministry assignments. imprisoned children of ioners attending St. parishter’s Catholic Church in American Fork, where she served as administrator for seven gs She liked why you're here. This is not the corresponding with the inmates, even though she didn’t know Roman Catholic Church’scall, or St. Francis’ call. This is God's call.” them personally. She sent information to the task. incarcerated about the parish and “Everything won't be smooth, told them they were loved and butit’s up to us to be there for our ing with criminals is not physical considered members of the con- people, as gently as we can,” she attack. More serious is the rapid gregation even though they were says. And she cautions: “One ofthe greatest hazards to people work- you must have a sense of trust. You must realize you're powerless and that you're like a prisoner when you enter the jail because you're ing a world You Prison minister Robert you don’t know much Espinosa, who provides a Sunday have to completely trust the Lord morning prayer service to the for the first time in your life. I've inmates, says prison ministry is been lead along.” the most important calling he’s For many years, the Roman had in the Roman Catholic Catholic Soiete Sr ce burnout of enthusiasm, commitmentand interest...You're highly in prison. howthe process works. I appreciate you walking the walk with my church here.” “She felt misunderstood and Church. “You definitely feel like about her children being raised Espinosa says the jail’s recep- Sister Stankowski explains the teers demonsirate geauine concern and commitment to the number of inmates will be released, rehabilitative efforts are essential. In April of 1994, Sister interested, capable and you can Stankowski received a telephone do a lot, but wait until you hear call from a female prisonerat the whatwe're inviting you into and Provojail who told her, “I want me. She promises: “You're sharing yourfaith and the prisoners will respond; but you mustchall: yourselves to move out of your faith area and do something new that will energize you and those you touch.” Then the religious woman talks about what she considers media hype over prison ministry. She speaks about the 1995 film Dead ManWalking, based on the 1993 autobiography of the same Sister Stankowski coordinates the efforts. The. prison ministers title by Sister Helen Prejean, a are Lydia Farell, of St. Peter's New Orleans nun who became Catholic Church in American spiritual advisor to a death row Fork; and St. Francis of Assisi inmate convicted offirst-degree parishioners Robert Espinosa, murder in Louisiana’s Angola Dona Suffern and Phil Boban. State Prison. The book recounts The volunteers provide prayer Sister Prejean’s hesitant involveexperiences, Mass prayers, Bibie ment, beginning with a friend's readings and Roman Catholic requestthat she become a penpal instruction for Catholic and non- to a prisoner, Catholic inmates. Area Catholic The pastoral associate at St. priests offer the sacraments of Francis of Assisi Church thinks baptism,reconciliation, marriage Prejean’s book and the movie are and Eucharist when necessary. the best publicity Roman Each minister is approved by Catholic nuns have received in a the Roman Catholic Diocese in long time andare refreshingafter Salt Lake City. Each has read and perpetual sappy and unrealistic studied Sister Joan Campbell's portrayals ofreligious women in The Ministry To The Imprisoned, the media. “For us (nuns) this which has given them an was a very important work. This overview of‘prison ministry and wasa very importantpoint in our practical guidelines to pursue the lives. We now think society is gospel mandate to visit those in seeing us as weare called to be jail. and notas other strange entities. Sister Campbell is the staff This was wonderful.” chaplain at the Federal CorrecEspinosaagi Tt was needtional Institution, Pleasanton, in ed. There’s a lot of interest in Dublin, Calif. She worked for this. | have heard so many news years as a chaplain in adultjails reports about jails and prison and prisonsandin juvenile facil- ministry. There’s also a lot of ities in Washington state before interest in the death penalty. serving for eight years as coordi- There's a lot of interest in jails. nator of detention ministry for We're waking up to what's going otc i ae making “ poss ‘i t sa be an Pe) patiosbit ty mbiosis its,this re et ip betweenbig government and big military and’ SN “e ly wrong withour ote tnst™OUSpci wit oe obsession. I eep comingback to myultimate measure: How must our Savior and be besponding ? From oy rite of umute Eee tive, Se see Ps obsession only «a Me conto re= of love, the Prince of oe ee TAP who an a at peace themselves : Ae Sore 1 ze that is ae ee ‘cotsthe aye peak ae = the love : area rat come oe ie aeons oe sc iis . love and peace _ Marden Clark is retired professorof English at Brigham Young University. advocacy for by her mother. She wanted some- tion to the Christian work is cold churchis interested in the incarone to pray with her.” and that respect from prison offi- cerated soeerneed supShe promised the woman she cials and inmates comes slowly to wil imprisonwould find a way to get into the — and then onlyafter the volun- aa gs because a high jail. Today, the spiritual director says God wascalling her to work cause. “That's what will make a with the inmates. difference,” he says. After visiting the jail without He observes the transient consuccess, corrections officials ditions at the jail, with many asked her to produce an official inmates entering and leaving the letter from the Diocese of Sait facility. He’s surprised at the Lake City formally identifying number of Spanish-speaking her as a Roman Catholic nun qualified to minister to the needs ofthe inmates. Tt took two months to finally visit the female prisoner. “Detention ministry is to read the gospel and understand how Jesus calls us all to minister to each other in our hours of greatest need; to understand our sinfulness but more importantly the love and forgiveness that Jesus offers each one ofus; to recognize the face of Christ in all prisOners as wereflect on Jesus’ own experience of prison and being treated as a criminal; and finally Prison minister Phil Boban, a teacher at Pleasant Grove Junior High School, says he wants to teach inmates about the Roman Catholic Church because they need to know more about their inmates. He's fortunate he can faith. communicate with them. He's The 35-year-old Orem man also concerned about the high adds, “This sounds interesting. percentage of inmates who suffer Thisis totally new for me. I don’t mental illnesses and other prob- know what to expect.” lems. Hetries to always rememMinister Dona Suffem, a Prober the inmatesare also humans, vo resident who works with peoparticularly his brothers and sis- ple with disabilities, says she ters in Christ. doesn't know what attracted her Espinosa works at the Harold B. to prison ministry, but admits Lee Library at Brigham Young she’s always been mad at sociUniversity. He’s been involved in ety's “out of sight, out of mind’ prison ministry for more than a approachto incarceration. year. He approached Sister “You get to the other side Stankowski when he was consider- (prison) and you feel bad for th ing attending theology school. € persons who have committed When the Catholic nun talked the crimes because they're hurtto share the love of Christ with about the spiritual needs of the ing. Those who have a conall men and women.” inmates at the jail, he became inter- science have a real need,” SufChristians in ested. “I wasn'tsure if | wanted to fern says. Sister Stankowski encourages doiit, but it was sort of like, put your ‘The 58-year-old woman, who the volunteers to be attentive! to money where your mouth is,"” began prison ministry three the jail’s procedures. She tells The 45-year-old man says the months ago, thinks her weekly them that while there are many religious woman planted the visits are helping a few of the prisoners who will be interested seed. “The whole mysterious inmates. “Even helping a small in their message and that crime thing is that the ministry sort of number is worth it. Just a tiny fates are skyrocketing, they are happens. You're never really sure grain that goes forward is worth just a few of ministry laborers of what's going to happen. The it. If it’s one person,it’s worth who will survive the difficult miraculous thing aboutit is that it.” Prepackaged Catholic communionhasitcritics By JUDY PINO Knight-Ridder Newspapers. “It would take us more than an hour “I don’t condemnthe use ofthe prepackbefore to prepare the bread and pour the aged cups, but we would never use it in the Catholic Church,” says Michael Derrick, assistant director of Offices of Worship for Missionary Baptist Church, which draws the Archdiocese of Miami. Weapons are terrifyingly imperhe was sharing with them — is now pack.200 to 500 for Sunday services. i “Now we “Tt doesn’t feel or seemright,” says Rev. sonal. The people may be led by aged and bold in fatelevee, ecuclt just pass the cups downthe pew. Riley Wiese, assistant crookedpoliticians or vicious dic- sealed cups, 210 to a case. pastor of the First Wise, whois also director ofthe 850,000- United Methodist Church of South Miami. tators or by honest leaders honJuice fills the bottom half; the wafer’s in member Florida General Baptist Convenestly concerned for their people “Something as basic as communion should the top, separated by a seal. tion, said his group and the 8.5 million- be the thing that should be changed.” But the people are the ultimate The Celebration Cupis being marketed to ™ember National Baptist Convention USA victims: “It is almost too commercialized. It large churchesasanalternative to preparing endorsed the cups. >” And so wehave thedistressing + their seems like too much ing with holy own sacrament. But some people are queasy. irony of our leaders constantly things,” says Eric Larson, a professor of complaining about big governmentbut repeatedly voting for and obsessively seeking the very source that big government grows by. and feeds aoon, that provides the involved in mistreated. She felt Catholics this is what Jesus Christ wants incarcerated. In 1983, the weren't respected at the jail. She you to do. This is what it’s all Catholic Bishops of New York was worried about facing life about. it’s an immediate direct State issued a pastoral statement impri and was d PP on criminal justice. ity to be right there.” MIAMI — The communionof the Last Supper — Jesusinstructing his disciples that he would live on throughthe bread and wine Juice,” says the Rev. James C. Wise, pastor of Southwest Dade, Fla.’s Mount Pleasant Teligious studies at Florida International University. The Celebration Cup has been on the market for five months and is already being used by 1,000 churches nationwide, says the maker, Chic }0-based Compak . The cups, which webne coed for 12 to 14 cents each, have a one-year shelf life. “Churches can save money because they can store the ie cana” said Brian Cline ianof theae aceist Bookstore ~ chain in Broward County, distributors. , one of the Human efforts won’t affect outcome of Armageddon Whatgood is it for a man to the confrontations on Earth are gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul (Mark 8:36)? only a falloutof cosmic battle which is waged in the spirit word of prophecy. It calls up. in expendable pawnsused to achieve Armageddon is another buzz- the imagination, the great final conflict of evil against good. Here are the cosmic forces of destiny fightingin rivers of blood which flow up to the horse's bridal reins. There are scenes where mil- lionsof dead bodies are begging to be buried. Hail storms and lightening rushtheir fury before armies which clash on the planes of Jezreelin absolute disregard for the truth. It is from these passagesthat manyofthe end-time “pop” nov- els have viewed end -time events, The problem with this viewpoint js thatit will distort the events and concentrate upon mankind's involvement without viewing the whole picture. It then appears that the entire scene pertains to human involvement. We must always remember that’ world. Humansare simply John GQNREQHE the man of sin, who is the False Prophet, is revealed. That does not occur until the midst of Tribu- lation (II Thessalonians 2:3-4; that God will be forever faithful. Christ's return does not occur until after the tribulation is over (Matthew 24:21-31). When the seventh inherent the millennial kingdom may not have any relationship to years and days. It is Daniel 7:25 & Revelation 11). angel sounds the trumpet. It is the signal for Christ's return: “There were grea: voices (redeemed humans) in heaven saying, “The kingdoms ofthis Soul Food the machinations of Satan. The contrast is that in God's humans, are created in his image, are indispensable and of eternal value. Therefore, “God so loved the world that he gavehis one and only son (John 3:16), The ipn and return of Jesus does not hy until after, a Greek word which has been translated to mean a span of time, actually means the The span of time which is enough to know that God will be faa and that his promises will be kept. * There are two kinds of people implies who dvastiteah anata Of Jesus (It was in the cross that Jesus gained victory over Satan). Those who identify with Jesus’ death and pomiietin are _free of Satan. The world calls humans to “love one another.” its view of love is quite different of God. Son et ‘The world would accept all in God's eyes: Those sealed to gods and all beliefs. world are become the kingdoms God and those sealed to Satan. Without a savior, where do we of our Lord, and of his Christ; and The main battle is not between the 80? Prophecy tells us that there is: we shall reign forever and ever’ armies of mankind. Human No other name under heaven (Revelation 11:15).” achievement will avail nothing in whereby we must be saved. Only The hope of Christianity the annals of . in the name of Jesus Christ is is that priests, who are the Humans, since and Eve, there hope beyond this mortal life. saints of the church and of Israel, will be with Jesus on that great dayof his return. The term “s thousand years” is a symbol of God's never-ending faithfulness. The millennial kingdom which seems to spark doctrinal division and debate may be nothing more than have demanded eaphpe to decide what is good what is evil. They wish to play god. Humans think control their owndestiny butis do not,I Human control oft word ean, nad Eentose " ‘Whatever the world seem to : offertothe Christianwashed ia ' the blood of the Lamb, it is evi- dent that, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world John 4:4), The(IRev. John Conlon is pas ; the New beginnings F Charch |