D
ear Volunteers and Friends,
Alleluia! Christ is risen, let us rejoice and be glad! It is with a grateful heart that I am writing this today! I hope and pray this finds you happy and healthy during these strange and uncertain times.
Our lives have changed drastically in a matter of weeks. We continue to mourn for what was and hope for what will be. As with all journeys, there will be hills and valleys, blue skies and cold nights as well as weeds and flowers along our path. As my senior mourns the loss of his many "lasts" with his friends, we also rejoice in more time as family before he leaves for college. Although we worry about trying to provide for our family on only one income, we grow in the opportunity to completely trust in Jesus and His will for us. As we long for the days where we can embrace our loved ones, we are grateful for long phone conversations and handwritten letters, rather than a simple text or social media post.
I am reminded during this pandemic, it is not so much what happens in our journey that builds our character, rather how we choose to respond to the events, that transform it. I pray these events mold us more fully into the people He is calling us to be.
The diocese has many spiritual resources to help you during this pandemic. To view these resources visit the diocesan website
here
.
We are all anxious to begin serving inside our facilities once again and I am hopeful that one day soon, we will be with our incarcerated brothers and sisters. Until that time, we will remain in communication with all our facilities and their chaplains. We will be sure incarcerated men and women continue to receive the resources needed to help them grow in their faith while unable to receive the sacraments.
At this time, I do not know when we will be able to begin services. I will be in contact with all program volunteers weekly to inform you of the status of your services. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
I
am delighted to share some good news during these difficult times. Martha Bellamy joined our team as administrative assistant for the Prison and Jail Ministry on March 9. Martha has been a wonderful addition to our team and is eager to learn and serve our volunteers and the incarcerated. I invite you to read Martha's letter of introduction
here.
Martha will now be the team scheduler for Kent County in addition to her many administrative tasks. Kent County Team volunteers, please see her message to you in the
Team Updates
portion of this newsletter.
Journey of Hope Through Restorative Justice
F
or those who follow us on Facebook, you were able to view images of artwork created by our friend Eric Boldiszar, an inmate at Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility, during the last two weeks of Lent.
The display, "Journey of Hope Through Restorative Justice," includes 10 original pieces and descriptions from Eric.
This artwork was created as a gift from Eric to those who contributed to the 3rd Annual West Michigan Restorative Justice Conference. Each piece is unique and portrays some aspect of the healing power of restorative practices. Y
ou may learn more about the events that led to the creation of this display,
here.
Below is one piece in the display and Eric's description.
