By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy
Panaji, Nov 13, 2022: More than 460 volunteers of the Prison Ministry India will gather in Goa to address “Reform to Integrate .”
The ministry’s 13th national convention on November 15-18 at Joseph Vaz Renewal Centre, Old Goa, will be attended also by a cardinal, three bishops, 85 priests and 122 nuns.
The program will be supported by intercessory prayers by the members, according to Goretti Martins, a volunteer in Goa.
The Prison Ministry was started in 1981 by Francis Kodiyan, a seminarian of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and Varghese Karippery, his classmate in St Thomas Vadavathur Seminary, Kottayam, Kerala.
Father Francis Kodiyan recalls, “Our first decision was to spend daily half hour before the Blessed Sacrament. It was followed by another decision to offer our weekly spiritual exercises and personal sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.”
Father Karippery said friendship with the Eucharist inspired them to form a prayer group that was launched in 1982.
In 1985, their request to visit the Kottayam sub jail was denied. Father Kodiyan said that did not discourage them.
“In view of all Kerala Prison Pilgrimage we formed a prayer group and named it Jesus Fraternity in I985,” he added.
It was renamed the Prison Ministry India (PMI) in 1995.
The ministry’s vision is liberation and redemption of prisoners, prostitutes and people in such vulnerable situations.
It strives to reach out to prisoners and help in their release. The volunteers also strive to redeem, reform and rehabilitate them by spiritual, moral, legal and financial help.