People in prison
Sister Marie Roche rsj
I am a Sister of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. I walked through the gates of Rimutaka Prison 17 years ago in my role as the full-time Catholic Prison Chaplain. There are up to 1,000 men inside this prison who I serve through my ministry. Men aged 17 to 85 years, who have families and loved ones and who have committed crimes against other human beings and their loved ones.
I listen to the stories of these men. Stories of mental health, addiction, fear, abuse, dashed dreams and failure that have inevitably led to a cycle of pain, trauma, despair and dysfunction. One of my major tasks in the words of Pope Francis is to invite them to know, ‘the Lord is inside with them’; that there is hope, healing, forgiveness and a way of putting things right so they can be free.
At times the challenges I face would appear impossible. Yet my Catholic faith and commitment offers me and us a way to deal with both the perpetrators and victims of crime. Faith calls us to look through the eyes of Christ and see him in these men no matter how serious their offending: ‘For I was in prison and you visited me’ (Matthew 25:36). When I sit with them I sit with Christ.
Faith also demands I and we reach out in love to victims and do what the Good Samaritan did: ‘Look after him’ (Luke 10:35). It is not for me, an either-or scenario, but a ‘both’ and a mission.
In their statement our Bishops ask us to move beyond election slogans and consider the complexity of many social situations and challenges.
We must move beyond pre-judgments and excuses and work to find a way where our prisoners and their victims are all cared for and restored as fully-human, fully-alive valued members of our society.
Let us pray this month for the grace to deepen our understanding of our common prayer: ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’; which reminds us whenever we pray we all are flawed human beings in need of the compassion, mercy and love of God.
Pope Francis says: ‘Thinking about this is good for me: When we have the same weakness, why did they fall and I didn’t? This is a mystery that makes me pray and draws me to prisoners.’
It is important any ‘solution’ to crime in Aotearoa New Zealand includes consideration of the rights, responsibilities, reconciliation, restoration and rehabilitation for all who are affected by crime and offending.
Sr Marie Roche rsj is a senior prison chaplain at Rimutaka prison.