As many of you are aware, for the 21 years that I was pastor at Resurrection Parish, I was also responsible for serving as Catholic chaplain at the women’s prison in Muncy.

Recently, it has become challenging for Resurrection Parish to continue that ministry. Given that St. Boniface Parish is the only parish in this county with two priests, Bishop Bambera asked to resume this ministry.

What does that mean to us as a parish?

In the first place, it adds a Sunday evening Mass at the prison. On a normal Sunday, that allows Fr. Dias and me each to celebrate two Masses. If one of us is away, we’ll fall back on other solutions. We can use a communion minister to preside over a Liturgy of the Word with the distribution of communion. Those resource people have been in place for a considerable time already.

Secondly, with an additional Sunday Mass, it opens up another opportunity to take a Mass intention. Granted, the Commonwealth isn’t going to let you on prison grounds to attend that Mass. But, for folks who probably would attend the Mass offered, or if you strongly want to keep an anniversary of a loved one’s death, that Sunday evening option might be useful.

Thirdly, the Commonwealth does recompense the parish. We’re paid for the time our parish priests are serving the prison community. Those funds basically partially underwrite our clergy salaries.

Lastly—and most importantly—St. Boniface and St. Ann Parishes will be given the opportunity to perform a work of mercy. When Fr. Dias or I celebrate Mass there, you’re giving up a priest so that imprisoned women might be visited. You don’t do that just for your priests or for the inmates, you do it for the One who said, “I was in prison and you visited me.”