PRISON AND JAIL MINISTRY NEWSLETTER

July/August 2026

Dear Volunteers and Friends,

As we enter the hazy days of summer, I am grateful for the gift of time.

In the slow arrival of this new season, I am reminded that some of life’s most powerful transformations happen while we wait and hope. In a world that prizes instant results, quick fixes, and self-promotion, suffering and harm are often passed along rather than healed and transformed. May we remember that time and the journey itself are among our greatest restorative gifts. It is in these spaces that hope takes root and transformation begins. May we never deny ourselves, or others, the gift of time and presence.

On May 25, Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”). The encyclical focuses on safeguarding the human person in an age of artificial intelligence. As new technologies emerge, the Holy Father offers the Church and the world moral and spiritual guidance rooted in the Gospel and the Church’s rich intellectual tradition. The Pope signed the encyclical on May 15, which was the 135th anniversary of the promulgation of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. You can find the text of the encyclical and other resources on the diocesan website.

“In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened

by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of

humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the

splendor of which no machine can ever replace.” (par. 15)

Information Session

On Thursday, June 11 I held two new volunteer Information Sessions. We had 6 participants at the daytime session and 4 participants attended the evening session. Please hold all participants in prayer as they discern their call to serve in unfamiliar places.

Michigan Restorative Justice Council

We are excited to share that the Restorative Practice Training has been approved at Richard A. Hanlon prison in Ionia. I will organize this two-day training on Aug. 25 and 26, and Christine Gilman, Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan will facilitate the training. Please keep us, our incarcerated friends, and facility staff in your prayers as we prepare for this important training.

We also hope to offer this training soon for the men at Muskegon Correctional Facility who are part of the Restorative Justice Alliance Group.

New Services

The men who attend our level II service at Bellamy Creek requested a secondary service for a weekly Bible Study. We are grateful for Acting Chaplain Mayberry who facilitated approval for this request. The Bible Study will begin on Tuesday, July 21 from 6:20 - 7:20 p.m. We will start the study with Introduction to the Bible Little Rock Scripture Study. If you are a current Bellamy Creek volunteer and would like to help lead this study, please let me know.

MDOC Kent County Justice Involved Reentry Resource Summit

Prison and Jail Ministry will again host and sponsor the Michigan Department of Corrections Offenders Success Reentry Summit for Kent County. This summit offers individuals on parole and probation the opportunity to meet with 20+ support service providers while enjoying a free lunch. In the past, more than 100 individuals have attended this event. Please help make it a success through a donation of gift cards to grocery stores, clothing retailers, fast food/take out restaurants or salon/barber shops. We are also in need of new chromebooks. These donations are given to Summit attendees and used for raffle prizes.

Donations are being accepted now through Friday, July 24. All donations can be delivered, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. to Cathedral Square Center, 360 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids, 49504. If you are interested in collecting these items for a service project at your parish/organization, please contact me. We can recreate this flyer for your drive accordingly.

Don't Miss Out!

This newsletter contains all ministry information, updates, schedules and resources. Program volunteers, please be sure to read it in its entirety. You may also locate all volunteer information and resources on our page at anytime.

May the peace, joy, and love of Christ live in your heart today and always!

Tricia Worrell

Director, Prison and Jail Ministry

tworrell@grdiocese.org

616-475-1255