A prison will play a special role in the upcoming Jubilee Year in 2025, Archbishop J. Michael Miller told prison ministry volunteers celebrating their 20th anniversary in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Two days after opening a Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica to inaugurate the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis will travel to Rebibbia prison in Rome to open a Holy Door as a “tangible sign of the message of hope” for people in prisons around the world.
“This is being called the Holy Year of Hope,” the Archbishop told about 100 people gathered to mark the anniversary. With the opening of the prison door, “one will be able to celebrate, in a particular way, the [prison] ministry in which you are engaged.”
Quoting the Prophet Isaiah, he said, “Your presence and accompaniment really is an act of release, of proclaiming a release to captives and prisoners.”
The celebration was held at St. Andrew Kim Church in Surrey, where the Archbishop also reflected on 1 John 4:19, “We love because he loved us first,” and heard testimonials shared by volunteers, inmates, formerly incarcerated individuals, and chaplains.
“Many of you are engaged in releasing those who might find themselves not just in the exterior prison, but in an interior prison,” Archbishop Miller said. “Chaplains and volunteers are truly living signs of the closeness of the Lord.”
Archbishop Miller described prison ministry as making “present for the rest of us the face of Christ, the God of mercy and forgiveness.” He emphasized the importance of their work and, relating it to Matthew 25:36’s “I was in prison and you visited me,” said, “You express on behalf of everyone how important it is to be fulfilling what the Lord told us.”
The archbishop offered his appreciation to the volunteers, saying he had been unfamiliar with prison ministry when he came to the Archdiocese. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for introducing me into a little part of God’s Church that I didn’t know about until I met you all,” he said. “You have all taught me lessons about the meaning of ministry as service of others … you have indeed changed my life, and I thank you for it.”
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