Prison is not the kind of place that you would expect anyone to associate with beauty. That’s why it’s so surprising to hear Fr. Chuck Canterna describe the work he does with inmates in prison: “When people come to me and talk about how horrible it must be to work in prisons, I just say, ‘Oh man, you don’t know.’ It’s a beautiful ministry. It is absolutely beautiful.”
Of course, it’s not that Fr. Chuck hasn’t witnessed the pain—as well as the guilt and shame—that inmates feel over the choices they have made. Many are unable to forgive themselves. Being identified as just another “prison number” makes them feel even less worthy of any kindness or dignity. Many are rejected by their families and receive no visits or letters while behind bars. They suffer from broken marriages and wounded relationships. They may also suffer knowing the pain they have brought to their victims, their victims’ families, and their own families. And so they cry out to God for help.