Christmas in Jail! (2014)

Four years ago:

Last evening Linda and I, and many of my friends from St. Marty's Painesville (Dan and Kathy Philipps and their daughter Alyssa; Kathy Flora; Mary Ann Ratchko-Gamez and her husband Feliciano, and several others) spent the evening "con-celebrating" a Christmas program for inmates of the Lake County Jail. Mary Ann brought her flute and Irish whistles and was accompanied by Alex on keyboard and her husband Feliciano on guitar. There were about 6 or so singers, some I recognized and some I didn't know, including a St. Mary's woman (Allison?) who sang a beautiful solo. There were also representatives from a number of other religious communities, St. Noel's, St. Gabe's, St. Anthony's, Kirtland Unitarian Universalist, a Leroy congregation, and several other Protestant congregations. Fr. Mark Riley of St. Mary's took the lead role (but involved everyone).

Lake County Jail (summer photo)

The sessions began as the prisoners ushered in. In the first session (of three), there might have been 30 to 50 women, mostly young, overwhelmingly white. They looked like our daughters, sisters, neighbors. They looked like us (and that really made us think!). We began singing together some popular (and maybe a bit corny) Christmas songs, but the inmates loved it! They particularly got into "Frosty the Snowman," thumping the floor and sitting pads vigorously when the time came. We moved into some more religious carols, led off by "O Holy Night" by our soloist. It was spectacular. Then we sang together several songs, including "Silent Night," one verse sung in Spanish. My favorite was the song "Peace Child." I will try to find a Youtube version of this song and post it later.

Part of the evening involved each of us bringing strips of cloth to a rough wooden manger, to make a comfortable bed for the Baby Jesus. It was moving to see some of the tough men do this. Father Mark asked us to put our hands over our hearts, and to prepare room in our hearts for grace, for the newborn Jesus. We did that--we made room. Father Mark said, "This visit to you is the most important thing I will do this Christmas." It was true for him, and true for all of us!

At certain points, some of the inmates began to cry--at the beauty of the music, at the touching scene making the rough crib comfortable for the baby Jesus, for the heartbreak of being in jail on Christmas.

Believe me, we were as moved and as grateful as the prisoners. We came to do a Work of Mercy, visiting those in prison (as Jesus once was!). What was amazing is how we felt the prisoners had done something for us!

P.S. The final song of every session, after the solemn hymns, was a vibrant version of "Feliz Navidad," led by Feliciano Gamez on guitar. It was so joyful that many of the women and men began dancing to the tune. It was a wonderful way to end the evening.

The Indigo Girls sing "Peace Child":



Lyrics to "Peace Child"

Peace Child,
in the sleep of the night,
in the dark before light
you come,
in the silence of stars,
in the violence of wars--
Savior, your name.

Peace Child,
to the road and the storm,
to the gun and the bomb
you come,
through the hate and the hurt,
through the hunger and dirt--
bearing a dream.

Peace Child,
to our dark and our sleep,
to the conflict we reap,
now come--
be your dream born alive,
held in hope, wrapped in love:
God's true shalom.

Songwriters
ALLOCCO, JACK / KURTZ, DAVID / (WRITER UNKNOWN), TRADITIONAL

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

The Beloved Community--at St. Mary's in Painesville, Ohio. A Way to Celebrate Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday was special at St. Mary's Church in Painesville, Ohio. Before the church service, we celebrated the diverse and special community of our church with a potluck dinner. Everyone was invited, including the normal Thursday night Karpos crowd (some of whom are homeless), as well as the diverse members of the parish--Anglos, Latinos, rich and poor. I think of the hymn by Marty Haugen, "All Are Welcome in This Place." I also think of the "Beloved Community," spoken of by Martin Luther King Jr. This event was an embodiment of the Beloved Community. The meal was prepared by Karpos Ministry volunteers, including Jan, Kathy Flora, Judi, Susan Allsip, Linda Coughlin, and many others. Jim helped with set up. Louise and Ken Fitzsimmons helped with set up and clean up, as did Brian Rice. Bea was heroic on dishwashing (what seems to me the toughest job), I was involved in serving and clean-up, as were many people (including some very young people) that I don't know well. I can't begin to mention all the people who were involved in preparing the meal, serving, and cleanup!

Musicians singing and playing before the meal (Mary Ann Ratchko, on flute)

 Before the meal began, Fr. Mark Riley said a blessing in English and in Spanish, and musicians, led by Mary Ann Ratchko-Gamez, played and sang a hymn. Accompanying her was her husband Feliciano, with Bea leading the singing.

Louise and Ken Fitzsimmons

Jim, Linda, and Bea doing the dishes

Dan Philipps, passing out the chicken drumsticks

 Kathy Philipps, super busy these days finishing up her dissertation for the University of Toronto, stopped by for a while. Kathy is the co-founder of the Karpos Ministry. We were all so happy to see her.

Some of the diners. Servers, in background, including Jan, far right

 Among the diners was Fr. Steve Vellenga, pastor of St. Mary's. Father Steve should get a lot of credit for the Beloved Community developing at St. Mary's! Thank You, Fr. Vellenga!

Homemade cabbage rolls and ham

Susan Allsip

A view of the crowd before the meal began

The diverse diners present--many races, languages, nationalities. Everyone contributed, everyone got something out of this event. In many ways, we reenacted the Holy Thursday Passover meal Jesus celebrated with his friends the day before he died on Mt. Calvary. I felt the event was as sacramental as anything held in church--it was a holy communion.

Postscript: Oddly, the sense of communion was not present just in the serving and the eating of the meal. It was also in the preparation and the clean-up.

Christmas in Jail

Last evening my daughter Carolan and I joined about 30 other church members (from St. Mary's Painesville, a church in Burton, St. Bede's, St. Anthony's, St. Matthew's of Kalispell, Montana (Carolan's parish), and a few other churches) in a Christmas celebration of song and prayer.

This activity took place in the Lake County Jail, under the watchful eyes of the corrections deputies, in the 4th floor gymnasium. We had 3 separate groups: the first group, maybe 40 or so women; the second group, maybe 30 men; and the third group, maybe 60 men. Fr. Mark Riley, of St. Mary's Painesville, led the activities. Behind him were the choir members from St. Mary's and three musicians, including St. Mary's music director (and flute and whistle player extraordinaire), Mary Ann Ratchko.

This is the second such religious liturgy/celebration that I've taken part in at the jail. And each time I've been amazed how the prisoners look so much like my students and my daughters' friends. The women especially are young--most appear in their twenties or early thirties; they were enthusiastic participants, singing and even dancing to the final song (the joyous "Feliz Navidad"). There was a greater age range among the men, and some appeared "harder" in some ways, especially with all their tattoos. Even they, at the end of the night, sang joyfully (and some even danced) to "Feliz Navidad."

In my Catholic grade school (St. William's) and high school (St. Joe's) I learned the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy--one of which is to "visit the imprisoned." It was a blessing for Carolan and me to do that last evening. I hope we brought the prisoners some solace and joy; they sure gave us those Christmas presents.

Postscript: At one point last night, Fr. Mark Riley asked everyone to pray for the 20 families in Newtown, Connecticut who have lost their six and seven-year-old children. I noticed great sympathy among the prisoners--and anger, too. I had the feeling that many of the prisoners would have protected these little children--would have defended them.

A Perfect Holy Thursday: Karpos Food Ministry in Painesville, Ohio

I didn't spend Holy Thursday in church. I spent it just outside the church, in a parking lot at St. Mary's in Painesville, Ohio, where about 10 folks from Karpos Ministry cooked and served meals to the hungry and homeless. Linda and I have been doing this for a little over a month, every Thursday evening. The Karpos Ministry crew also serves a meal on Wednesday evening. A nearby church, St. James Episcopal, also serves two meals per week. Kathy Philipps is in charge of Karpos, but is helped by many other people. I'm just getting to know the names, so I will leave some key people out: there's Dan Philipps, Rose, Josey and her two grandsons (high school students). There's Mrs. Pulling, former Burton restaurateur, who brings homemade pies every week (this past week featured delicious blackberry pies--there could be none better). There's Chuck Hillier, dishwasher extraordinaire (in my mind, the toughest job). There's Ken-the-Canadian (Kennedy Fitzsimmons). There are dishwashers, floor sweepers and washers, those who cook the food, those who serve it--so many people involved. And of course there's St. Mary's Parish itself and the pastor Fr. Steve Vellenga and associate pastor Fr. Mark Riley. They allow use of the kitchen, the building, and provide all the utility support.

Some Thursdays as many as 100 people gather for the dinner. They receive a homemade, nutritious dinner, one that doesn't have the feel of institutional food. And it is shared in a spirit of community.

Jesus told us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, we in Karpos Ministry do that at St. Mary's Church in Painesville, Ohio. This was our church, our Eucharist this past Holy Thursday.