Serving Those Serving Time: The Beauty Behind Prison Ministry

In 2007, Eric Duplantis was attending Mass one day in Napoleonville when he heard the Gospel. It would turn out to be providential. It was from Matthew 25:35-36: “’For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me’” (emphasis added).
 
Eric had heard that passage many times, but for some reason, he felt something different that day. He knew that the Church served the needs of the poor, but what about this prison thing?Sitting in church, Eric sensed the Lord placing a simple but strange invitation on his heart: “Go sit in front of the jail.” A little taken aback, but trusting, Eric drove to the local jail and parked in front of it. That’s when he experienced a voice come over him, “If not you, then who?”
 
Eric knew that God was asking him to bring His Word to those imprisoned. God was inviting him to begin a movement—a ministry of the Church—where volunteers would bring Jesus to those who needed it most. And that’s just what Eric did in that area for five years. “For me, I was just a nobody wanting to bring Jesus to somebody,” he shared.
 
In 2012, Eric moved to Thibodaux, but he learned there was not an established prison ministry in this diocese. After checking with Fr. Vic at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Eric began going to the old Lafourche parish jail. “It wasn’t as easy to establish the ministry at first,” he explained, “but in 2014, Catholic prison ministry was allowed in the jail.” They started small, just with five ladies and five men. Eric credits Ms. Carol Boudreaux, who always treasured the ministry and helped him to formally establish it within the Church.
 
Over time, the volunteer prison ministry took root across the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. An important work of mercy, but often a hidden one, the ministry is one of the greatest ways to reach the people in our community who need God the most.
 
Today, the efforts operate under the leadership of Father Carl Collins, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Chauvin, who currently serves as the chaplain for the ministry. There are three groups in operation:

• A men’s group who visits the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux, led by Eric
• A women’s group visiting the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux, led by Melissa Pierce
• A women’s group who visits the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex in the Ashland area of Houma, led by Judy Haydel 

So how does it work? The jails are, of course, very strict in their rules to ensure safety for everyone. First, volunteers are subject to background checks and go through an orientation to get situated. With the leadership of Eric, Melissa and Judy, the groups organize themselves into pairs for each visit, as only two volunteers are allowed in at a time. A guard is present with them for the duration of the visit. The pair prepares an exhortation based on Scripture, which are typically the readings from that day unless they discern otherwise. When appropriate, volunteers who are trained and commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are permitted to distribute the Holy Eucharist. Typically, Fr. Carl visits each prison once per month to offer Mass.
 
The residents are invited to attend on a volunteer basis, with the number of participants typically ranging from a couple to as many as 20 on busier days. And no matter the number, the volunteers serve whomever God puts in front of them. Often, when it’s a small group, they sense that the Lord wants those few to receive a bit more individual attention and encouragement that day.
 
Judy, a parishioner of Maria Immaculata Church in Houma, said that their group has been active for more than 20 years. When she first began working with the prison ministry, she admits she felt a little scared. But she was surprised to learn that the women are usually welcoming and very receptive. “The ladies are hungry for the Word of God. And they are loving. Most are very regretful of what they’ve done.” They are usually thankful that people are there to encourage them and lift them up.
 Melissa shares a similar experience with the women’s group in Thibodaux. Not only are the women generally receptive, but they have an opportunity to form relationships with those who are there for longer periods of time. “I think of this one lady,” Melissa said tearing up. “I remember her sitting on the side of me and she looked so defeated. And while Fr. Carl was saying Mass, it was on my heart the whole time to pray for this woman…that God would take her burdens.” Every week, Melissa noticed more light back into the lady’s face as she began to give her heart to the Lord. She approached Melissa one day after their session: “Your prayers worked, and I’m going home.”
 
Moments like those affirm the work of their ministry. “Sometimes you think, I’m just going in for an hour and a half, what is it really doing?,” said Melissa. “But it means so much to them. Some of them don’t even have families who visit them.”
 
Melissa recalls how her involvement with the ministry began. Her husband was going through the permanent diaconate program, and she was praying for the Lord to show her what her calling was. “I really felt a calling for this from the start. I’ve been doing it for four years now,” she said.
 
Listening to the stories of the residents, sharing faith, and praying together “behind bars” can be a profound spiritual experience for everyone in the room. “You think you are ministering to them, but in all reality, they are ministering to you,” said Melissa. “Just getting to know their stories and seeing how they eventually feel the love of God in their lives…it’s incredible.”
 
Judy shared, “We get more out of it than what we give to them. It’s a beautiful ministry, and it’s very rewarding.”
 
Of course, it is understandable that many of the residents are not happy with their current situation. But Fr. Carl said there are times when they are so happy to see them. “They say, ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’ They come as they are, and they are coming for something.”
 
Fr. Carl reminds the ministers that it’s important to see the people before them as children of God. “We need to respect them and their situations. We bring God’s light to them, and in giving and sharing faith together, that light of Christ shines through them.”
 
Eric understands the assignment. “There’s a powerful grace from the Holy Spirit that we receive as ministers,” he explained. Even in the rougher parts of the jail, he describes the men as lambs of God. “They’re like children looking for something more powerful than what’s in themselves.”
 
“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25: 40).
 
Though our brothers and sisters in jail may be “out of sight and out of mind” for many of us, we must remember Jesus’ words. We invite you to pray if the Lord might be calling you to the beautiful work of the prison ministry in our diocese. “Allow the Lord to speak to you, and if you feel that calling, reach out,” said Melissa.
 
To learn more about the prison ministry in our diocese, or to get involved, contact Father Carl Collins at [email protected] or 985-594-5895.