Prison Ministry India, part 1

The Catholic Church encourages its faithful to practice the seven corporal acts of mercy in order to come closer to and touch Christ in the suffering and the needy.  These corporal works of mercy were particularly recommended during the Jubilee Year of Mercy by Pope Francis, himself leading the way.  And visiting prisoners is one of the seven corporal works of mercy.  In this regard, we recall the Last Judgement scene evoked by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25, where the judge says, “I was in prison and you came to visit me,” and concludes, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’’ 

Prison Ministry India (PMI) is a nation-wide voluntary organization, operating under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), for ‎the release, renewal and rehabilitation of prisoners, regardless of religion, class or nationality.‎  Based in Bangalore, in southern India’s Karnataka state, Prison Ministry India was started in 1986.  Today it involves some 6000 volunteers serving in over 850 branches or units and 33 rehabilitation centres run by dioceses,, religious congregations and Catholic groups all over the country.  To know more about Prison Ministry India we talked on the phone with its national coordinator, Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan, who is also secretary to CBCI for  Prison Ministry India.   Today, Fr. Sebastian begins the first of a 2-part interview, explaining how Prison Ministry India began.

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