Prison ministry continues to make difference in men’s lives

Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated Mass at all Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison units in Beeville on Dec. 9 and 11, and, as one prison chaplain said, “…let the glorious light of the Gospel shine in the darkness…” The bishop’s visit to the units during Christmas time has become a tradition that both the bishop and inmates look forward to every year.

“The men really needed this blessed day. Oh! How you lifted all our spirits…Christmas is so hard on the men, being that they are so far away from their loved ones and home.  You helped fill that terrible void of loneliness with the love of Christ and His Holy Word,” Garza West Chaplain Robert Styers wrote to Bishop Mulvey and volunteers.

This year, Bishop Mulvey had additional volunteers in the form of the 12-men Fourth Degree Honor Guard of the Knights of Columbus who participated in the Mass at the McConnell Unit on Dec. 9 and some returned on Sunday, Dec. 11, to the Masses at Garza West, Garza East and the W6 Trustee Camp. Knights came from Corpus Christi, Alice, Mathis and Beeville.   

Also assisting the bishop were Msgr. Louis Kihneman, III, Father Peter Marzalek, SOLT and Father Jerry Drolshagen, SOLT who heard confessions and helped with the sacraments, as well as concelebrating Mass with the bishop. Approximately 180 inmates attended Mass at the McConnell Unit, with two being baptized and eight confirmed. 

This year, prison officials allowed both the north and south sides of the Garza Units to attend the special Mass. Normally the north and south wings alternate Mass on Sundays resulting in Mass being available only every other week for the men. Approximately 100 inmates attended Mass at the Garza West Unit where the norm is approximately 50-60 in attendance. John Zimmer helped the bishop and priests at the Garza West Unit.

A similar number of 100 men attended the Mass at Garza East. Bishop Mulvey confirmed one inmate. Volunteers Laly and Nick Cardenas and Maria King assisted, while the priests heard confessions. Wally Gomez played the guitar and sang during the Mass. Five regular volunteers and five ladies from the Life in the Spirit prayer group from Our Lady of Victory in Beeville also helped out. 

Bishop Mulvey closed out the day at 6 p.m. with a third Mass at the Trustee Camp, which is a smaller unit and approximately 28 inmates attended. Regular volunteer Estevan Cortez, Jr. assisted.  

Encouraged by previous stories in the South Texas Catholic about the bishop’s visit to the prisons, Edward Cantu, Master of the Fourth Degree Knights, volunteered in a three-day Kolbe Prison Ministries retreat in October at the McConnell Unit, a maximum security facility. Kolbe Prison Ministries is an initiative of a group of men from the Texas Hill Country who began ministering the word of God in prisons throughout the state. 

Cantu met with several inmates privately during the retreat and said he “was heartbroken with all the stories told by the inmates.” 

“All the men had the same story. All come from poor environments, dysfunctional families without any love at home or ever exposed to God. These men never had a chance,” Cantu said.

Approximately 150 inmates participated in the Kolbe retreat organized by Deacon Roger Rosenbaum, Diocesan Director for Prison Ministries, and Esteban Cortez, Director of the Kolbe program. Some of the inmates were serving 10 and 20 year sentences, others life sentences. They were Catholics, Christians, Muslims, atheists and others. At the end of the retreat, Cantu said, all the men were praying the Rosary, including the Muslims and atheists. All regretted their mistakes that put them in prison, and most of the non-Catholics had plans to join RCIA. 

Touched by the inmates and their suffering, Cantu—being the head of the Fourth Degree Honor Guard—promised the inmates he would bring them to the bishop’s annual Christmas Mass. This was the first time that the Knights participated in the Mass. He said the inmates were very excited. 

“Most of the Honor Guard members had some concerns about participating inside a maximum security prison,” Cantu said. “However, after pushing a little, the Honor Guard agreed to participate. Once inside, the Honor Guard found the inmates very friendly, caring and appreciative of their participation. All the Knights that participated in the prison Christmas Mass are now more committed to joining Deacon Roger in his prison ministries.” 

“The Knights of Columbus were remarkable in their inner-action with the men,” Chaplain Styers said. “It was so good to see them care enough to sit shoulder to shoulder with the men and minister and take time for them. The men’s faces just lit up…”

 The chaplain also thanked Bishop Mulvey “for always being real and in touch with God’s people, to reach their hearts in time of great sorrow and need.”

“I so look forward to having you and all the good brothers with us on unit. These men need you, as do I,” Chaplain Styers wrote to the bishop.  “Thank you for making the love of God and Christmas real and alive for these men…they need Jesus Christ more now than ever before.  Thank you for bringing Christ home to the lives and hearts of these men. You are making a difference.”