Saint Dismas Prison Ministry
 | |
| Established | 2000 |
|---|---|
President | George Williams |
Director | Ron Zeilinger |
| Affiliations | Catholic |
| Website | DismasMinistry |
Saint Dismas Prison Ministry was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2000 to offer spiritual services for Catholic prisoners in the United States. The president is George Williams, a Jesuit priest.[1]
Description[edit]
The ministry provides prisoners materials such as Bibles, rosaries, and other prayer resources, as well as faith study courses.[2] It provides materials for training those involved in prison or jail ministry.[3][4] Prisoners and prison chaplains who are not Catholic may also request the materials.[5] It collaborates with parishes and dioceses.[6][7][8] It was named after Dismas, the repentant thief.
It hosts an annual, national conference with speakers such as Sr. Helen Prejean.[9] It publishes a ministry newsletter three times a year.[10]
History[edit]
The ministry was founded in 2000 by Ron Zeilinger who found no "Catholic organization of a national scope providing Catholic materials”, and also that prison volunteers who were not Catholic outnumbered Catholics ministering in prisons by 40 to 1.[11][12]
In 2010 the ministry reached over 700 prisons in 43 states and 116 dioceses.[13] In 2018 it reached 12,000 inmates. Since founding it has supplied 128,400 Catholic Bibles and 163,400 copies of Pray in the Spirit: Catholic Prayers for Inmates.[14]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Board of Directors". Dismas Ministry. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Inmate Services". Dismas Ministry. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Messengers of Hope". Dismas Ministry. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ↑ Lori Hadacek Chaplin (July 3, 2017). "Prison Ministry: From Convict to the Diaconate". Catholic Digest. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Dismas Ministry. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Freedom behind bars". Our Sunday Visitor. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
- ↑ Company. "Deacons see prison ministry as blessing behind bars". Our Sunday Visitor. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ↑ Brian McCauley (April 5, 2018). "Prison Ministry Conference" (Press release). Saint Mary of the Assumption. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Bridges of Hope: Our 2018 National Catholic Prison Ministry Conference" (Press release). Dismas Ministry. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Newsletter". Dismas Ministry. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Dismas Ministry: Spreading God's Word in prisons". Angelus News. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ↑ Everett, Paul F. (2005). The Prisoner: An Invitation to Hope. New York: Paulist Press. p. 180. ISBN 9780809143016. Search this book on
- ↑ Amy E. Rewolinski (September 1, 2010). "Dismas Ministry celebrates 10 years". Catholic Herald. Milwaukee. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Dismas Ministry". Our Sunday Visitor. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
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