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Prisoners’ Sunday is an opportunity to consider how we, as individuals, as a Church, and as communities, are serving our brothers and sisters affected by imprisonment.
Our prisons are in crisis. There are record numbers of people behind bars. Inspectors regularly report instances of vermin, violence, self-harm and people languishing in cells with nothing to do. At the same time, too many people are released with no home, no job, no family and no hope.
The ripple effects of this crisis are felt well beyond the prison walls. The lives of hundreds of thousands of families and children are affected as they, too, serve a hidden sentence. Having a mother, father, husband or wife in prison can have a devastating impact – more than half of families tell us they are struggling to afford the basics for themselves and their children.
This year, Prisoners' Sunday takes place on 12 October, but you can mark the occasion on a day that suits your parish calendar. Your support will help women and men in prison and their families to make a fresh start.
As the leading Catholic charity in prisons, Pact have been helping people in need for more than 125 years. They support prisoners, their families and their children, offering them hope and the chance to turn their lives around. The work of Pact draws on the values of our faith: dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. Pact believes that everyone can make a fresh start, whatever they may have done.
Last year, dedicated staff and volunteers supported 565,000 prison visits and helped nearly 600 people with emergency welfare grants. Pact's work is a lifeline for many thousands of people struggling to stay afloat or to make a fresh start.
“I was in prison, and you visited me” Mt 25:36
In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus makes it clear that a life worthy of the reward of Heaven must involve actively helping people in need – “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Pact needs your help now more than ever. You can:
Find out more on the Pact website.
Source: Pact
