It turns out St. Mark’s parishioners have been involved with prison ministry for many years. Reprinted in the January, 1984 Messenger were excerpts from a letter from the Diocesan Ministries Newsletter from then… and current… parishioner Molly Carroll:
“Years ago I had thought about jail ministry, as Matthew 25 has always meant a great deal to me. But in the spring of 1982, I felt called by God to do something for prisoners…The Rev. Brad Hall of St. Mark’s fed me leads, but there was a lot of persistent and frustrating letter writing, phone calls, and an interview to wade through before I arrived at my first Tuesday evening Bible fellowship at Elmwood Center in Milpitas.
…I was surprised at how warmly we volunteers were welcomed and I was, and continue to be, deeply touched by how much the inmates appreciate our coming. I was concerned, also, as to whether I could relate to these men. Another surprise – they are not so different from me! Their spiritual struggles are so like my own. I am moved by their concerns about their Christian faith. Some carry heavy burdens of guilt about their lives and yearn to believe God loves them no matter what. When inmates and outsiders gather together, we are united in a bond of Christian love. Gratitude and aw fill me as I observe the way our faith breaks down barriers that might appear to separate us and how we who come from the outside are often ministered to by those we come to serve in Christ’s love.
Since that first night at Bible Fellowship my ministry has expanded to include participation in Sunday worship servies at downtown Main Jail in San Jose on the 2nd and 5th Sundays of each month. Beginning this fall, the director of chaplaincy has asked me to hold a Bible feowship for the women’s minimum security area at Elmwood. Also there is ‘red tape’ to go through yet but I am hoping to begin a Sunday worship service on the 1st Sunday of each month at the North County jail facility….
All the jails I work in are part of the Sant Clara County jail system. There is Elmwood Rehabilitation Center facility at Milpitas, North County facility at Pao Alto, and Main Jail in downtown San Jose…I word under the directory of Chaplaincy for the Santa Clara County jail system, the Rev. Charles Walker. I also work for and with the Rev. Michael McCue, a jail chaplain and Episcopal Priest. I work with other Episcopalian volunteers from St. Timothy’s, Mountain View, St. Thomas, Sunnyvale and St. Andrew’s Saratoga.”
St. Mark’s Messenger – January, 1984
Our own Rev. Liz Milner is the chaplain for CIC Ministries and you can join other volunteers from St. Mark’s to be a part of this important ministry!! There are many different ways to help.
