Prison Ministries

Our mission

Is to enrich the faith of inmates in the prisons, jails and detention centers in our diocese. We are a ministry of accompaniment, restoration and hope through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. Our ministry supports parish-based volunteers to excel at their calling to be missionaries in prison. While we are Catholic, we respect and minister to the incarcerated of all faiths. As by exemplified by Blessed Charles de Foucauld, Our Charity will draw souls to Christ and His Church.

Who we are

Men and women, clergy, lay and consecrated, we are the Body of Christ in prison. We are as diverse as the parishes in our Diocese: we come from many countries; we speak many languages; we represent many nationalities, but we all belong to one Faith. We are Catholic.

What we do

On a regular basis, we give inmates the opportunity to attend Mass, receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, study the Scriptures, know their Faith better, go on retreat, learn how to pray, meditate, contemplate and much more. Through our ministry, the person who is incarcerated is able to keep their Faith alive, grow in the Spirit and have personal contact with the Church.

Looking to the Future

We are looking for opportunities to increase our involvement with transitional programs and communities for ex-offenders and their families.

Goals

The Diocese of Charlotte Prison Ministry Working Team is developing a planning strategy for stepping up prison ministry throughout the Diocese. These include:

• Outreach to parishes in our Diocese.
• Recruiting and equipping new volunteers and parish-based prison ministry programs.
• Supporting and expanding current programs.
• Gathering data on all correctional facilities in our Diocese.
• Developing planning maps and other tools to be used by the Diocese of Charlotte Prison Ministry Team.
• Outreach to Chaplaincy programs.
• cultivating and increasing our ever-expanding network of national diocesan prison ministry programs.
• Making materials for prison ministry easily accessible through our website.