Since 2016, the Church has dedicated the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time to this cause, echoing Pope Francis's call to show mercy and bring hope to those in prison.

“We need to nourish the roots of our hope so that they can bear fruit … despite whatever evil we have done. There is no corner of our heart cannot be touched by God’s love,” he said at the time.

Prison Sunday is an initiative of Pope Francis to observe Prisoners, but it is also an opportunity to reflect on how we as a Church, a local community and individuals can assist those who minister to and those affected by imprisonment.

Not only those incarcerated, but the children, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and friends who are impacted.

Within the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, we have two Prison Chaplains working across two correctional centres in our area.

Hear from Deacon Viane Perez and Deacon Gerard McCarthy in this video.

We also spoke with Deacon Viane about Prison Sunday and his role as a Chaplain.

What is Prison Sunday?

Prison Sunday is a day that Pope Francis has put aside for Catholics once a year to reflect and to think and pray about those who are incarcerated in the many prisons around the world. It’s important because it tells people about our ministry.

Are there consistent themes you see with prisoners who are either reengaging or newly engaging with faith?

We see all sorts of people; some of them are religious, some of them have left the church, and others are exploring their faith. We just meet them on their journey and provide support around what they need. But the beauty of our Catholic faith is that we always have readings every Sunday, so that's where I get my scripture from. When they reach out, I just give them the word. They always ask for a Bible, a lot of them have never read it, and now they are ready to explore it. Also, a lot of the prisoners now have the time to read the bible and do courses in the prison. They are eager to learn something new, but also fill in the time.

What do you find the most fulfilling about the role?

I take Christ out to the prison. It’s a privilege to tell these people that God's going to listen to you and forgive you. Recently, we had one man come along for a scripture, and he’s since come back and has experienced the Holy Spirit, and that was profound... It just changed him. So that's what gives me great joy. We support people who might have just made the wrong decision. They have time to reflect on what they’ve done and are trying to make amends.

What are some of the misconceptions about prisoners?

There are all sorts of misconceptions; some of the men are from really good families, and some people are just dealt a hard hand. Some always look at the prisoners as criminals, but there are some nice people in there. I’m not saying they’re all bad.

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