Lenten Reflection: Solidarity, Forgiveness, and Redemption
“This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand in getting back on the right road, to give you a hand to help you rejoin society. All of us are part of that effort, all of us are invited to encourage, help and enable your rehabilitation. A rehabilitation which everyone seeks and desires: inmates and their families, correctional authorities, social and educational programs. A rehabilitation which benefits and elevates the morale of the entire community.”
Pope Francis, from his remarks to the detainees at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia
Christ calls each of us to a life of faith and service. During the Lenten season, we take the time to reflect on that faith and service and on our relationships with God and the world around us.
When reflecting on issues of social and criminal justice and how principles of justice impact our relationships, we commit to the traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. By focusing on these disciplines, we enrich and strengthen our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with each other.
Scripture tells us that the foundations of each of these relationships are our relationships with the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable. This Sunday’s Psalm and refrain remind us of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and that no one is beyond God’s grace and redemption. The Psalm calls us to likewise practice mercy and forgiveness. (Psalm 130: 1-8)
“With the Lord, there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”
In particular, we are called to care for our neighbors who are in prison and for those who have been released and continue to be impacted by their incarceration. Under the principle of solidarity, we are taught that we are all one family in the body of Christ: that our relationship with the prisoner is not one of “us and them” but a relationship of “we”, that we are all responsible for each other, and that if one suffers, all of us suffer.
“Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you are in one body.” Hebrews 13: 3
Caring for, and removing the barriers to, those who have been marginalized in society by the prison system is a moral imperative, recognizing that we are all children of God and brothers and sisters. Catholic Social Teaching approaches the care and support of the incarcerated, and of those who were previously incarcerated, through the lens of God-given human dignity, and confirming that a person’s worth is not lost by the commission of a crime or by their imprisonment. We are obligated to compassionately support our neighbors who are in prison, welcome them as they return, and support the integration of former inmates to our communities.
Moreover, Catholic Social Teaching calls for a criminal justice system that is not focused solely on punishment and retribution. Rather, a just system must also focus on restorative justice practice designed to heal harm, create accountability for those who have caused harm, and restore relationships among victims, perpetrators, and the community. A just system should provide an opportunity for rehabilitation of individuals and right relationships.
Recognizing that many in our criminal justice system are also impacted by mental health challenges, we have developed The Basilica Criminal Justice Ministry specifically with these teachings in mind. The ministry is dedicated to supporting our neighbors who are impacted by criminal justice system by raising awareness, advocating for system change, and accompanying those impacted by providing active mentoring, resources, and solidarity. https://mary.org/criminal-justice-ministry/
Our Criminal Justice Advocacy team works with the community to raise awareness and advocate for change in support of those facing challenges at the intersection of criminal justice and mental health. The current focus for this team is the intersection of Juvenile Justice and Mental Health where we are working to create awareness and advocating for change, justice, and healing for impacted young people. We are partnering with mental health and corrections professionals to impact the Minnesota Legislature.
Our Reentry Mentoring Ministry matches trained volunteer mentor teams to accompany Returning Neighbors reentering our community after jail or prison, who may be struggling with mental health challenges, and who have expressed a desire for a spiritual connection. By accompanying and mentoring, we walk alongside our Returning Neighbors, listening to their story, and helping them recognize God’s presence in their journey. We recognize our fellowship with our Returning Neighbors by asking not “what did you do?” but rather “what happened to you?”.
In both activities we work closely with the criminal justice system, The Basilica, and community partners to care for our impacted brothers and sisters.
As we prepare for Easter, we ask you to consider opportunities to reflect and take actions toward God’s call for us to recognize the prisoner as our brother or sister, whether in prayer, humble meditation and reflection, or action. If you are interested in learning more about the Criminal Justice Ministry activities at the Basilica or to find resources to learn more about our criminal justice system and the charitable opportunities throughout our community, please reach out to a member of our Criminal Justice Leadership team.
“When I Was in Prison” by Timothy Schmalz