Dear Vincentians:

We have included Prison Apostolate in the Social Justice page. This is because we must gain a better understanding of how imprisonment affects not only the inmates but also their families.
Also, we should be aware that when a prisoner comes out of jail life does not go on as it was before. Especially at this time support is crucial for the inmate as well as for her or his family.

To be part of the Prison Apostolate does not necessarily mean to visit prisoners. When we reach out to the family of a prisoner, we have meaningfully helped the prisoner as well.

Recently the Prison Apostolate committee has published a Handbook "" which is of great value for anyone who wants to be involved.

In our effort to work together with other prison ministry organizations the National as well as the Ontario Regional Councils have recently joined the Catholic Connections in Restorative Justice (CCinRJ) www.ccinrj.ca. To learn more please read " and "".

St. Dismas.
St. Dismas, also known as the Good thief, is the apocryphal name given to one of the two thieves who was crucified alongside Jesus. Dismas repented of his sins, and asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom. According to the Gospel of Luke 23:39-43 the story of Dismas and Jesus is told as follows:

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you the Messiah. Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation. And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. 'He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. " see St Dismas Prison Ministry, Kingston