St. Mary Star of the Sea
Prison Ministry
I first met Das (not his real name) at San Quentin when he wrote a note to the Catholic Chapel asking for some sort of assistance. I went to visit him at his “house” (cell), first donning the armored vest required of all who enter “the Hole” (administrative segregation – or solitary confinement). This is where the men, though separated in a long, five-tiered cell block; can talk between cells and also yell and scream between tiers - often in a loud cacophony of frustration and rage.
The noise level can be almost unbearable (they tell me this nightmare of noise sometimes continues all night long).
Das was a slight, gentle, middle-aged Hindu man from an East Bay Indian family. He was anxious and concerned that his family did not know where he was; especially worried about his father who “would now be extremely upset.” The man was trembling and seemed almost ill with worry. Before I left we prayed together for help and peace to the God of all humankind and, because he said that he had no problem with Christian prayers, we concluded with the Our Father.
I subsequently visited him weekly a few times, counseled patience, and encouraged him to write to his family; even though probably from the slowness of the prison mail system, he was getting no response. Finally he did hear from them and from his father who was happy to hear news from his son.
This little series of events is an example of tier ministry at San Quentin. I have also offered Sunday communion services at times both at the main chapel and to a small group in one of the units.
Probably the main activity for Catholic volunteers, both men and women, is attendance at Sunday Mass for “the mainline” or regular prison population, who enjoy meeting and talking to interested outsiders: this contact tends to make the men feel less isolated and can increase their hope for normalcy someday in the free world.