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Prison Ministry India (PMI), headquartered in Bangalore, in southern India’s Karnataka state, is a nation-wide voluntary organization, operating under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), for ‎the release, renewal and rehabilitation of all prisoners, irrespective of religion, caste or nationality.‎  To know more about Prison Ministry India we talked on the phone with its national coordinator, Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan.  Last week, in the first of a 2-part interview, Fr. Sebastian narrated how PMI was initiated. In late 1981, two philosophy students, Varghese Karippery and Francis Kodiyan of St. Thomas ‎Apostolic Seminary in Vadavathoor in Southern India’s Kerala state, had an unusual spiritual experience that urged them to become “a love-bomb… to heal the broken hearts."  Subsequently, ‎inspired by a Protestant prison ministry, a group of 12 brothers and a priest ‎began ministering to prisoners in the jails of Kerala.  Thus  Prison Ministry India  was officially established on 1 March 1986. 

Fr. Sebastian also explained how PMI is organized across the country.  Altogether, there are over 850 PMI branches or units involving ‎some 6000 well-wishers, donors and volunteers.  The prison ministry also has 33 rehabilitation centres for ‎men, women as well as children run by various religious congregations and Catholic groups all over ‎the country.  Each year Prison Ministry Sunday is observed on the Sunday before the August 14 feast of St. Kolbe, to create awareness and support for prisoners and their problems and needs.  PMI has numerous programmes both inside and outside prisons. 

Well today, Fr. Sebastian begins the final of this 2-part interview explaining that for funding its numerous ministries and programmes, PMI largely depends on what he described as ‘begging’. 

Listen: 

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Vatican City, Mar 16, 2017 / 11:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- With the 6th anniversary of the start of the Syrian war as backdrop this week, Pope Francis met Thursday morning with the President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun.

Their discussion centered on the large number of Syrian refugees now in Lebanon and the efforts to find a solution to the conflict.

According to a March 16 statement by the Vatican, in the 20-minute meeting, the Pope and President Aoun discussed Syria “with special attention to international efforts to find a political solution to the conflict.”

The Pope expressed appreciation for the many Syrian refugees Lebanon has welcomed during the years of the Civil War. The two leaders also exchanged views on the greater regional context and other ongoing conflicts, particularly the situation for Christians in the Middle East.

Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a sovereign state bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Before President Aoun, 82, was elected on Oct. 31, 2016, the Lebanese parliament was under a 29-month deadlock to choose the next president.

During the audience, Pope Francis and Aoun both expressed satisfaction at the efforts of the various political parties to put an end to the long presidential vacancy.

The encounter also “focused on the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and Lebanon, underlining the historic and institutional role of the Church in the life of the country,” the Vatican statement read.

The two emphasized, the statement continued, “the hope for an increasingly fruitful future collaboration between the members of diverse ethnic and religious communities in favor of the common good and the development of the nation.”

At the visit, President Aoun gifted the Pope a statue of the Infant Child of Prague with emblems of the Holy See and of Lebanon and Francis gave Aoun a bronze sculpture of olive branches as a sign of peace, as well as three books: Evangelii Gaudium in French, and Amoris Laetitia and Laudato Si in Arabic.

Since the start of the civil war on March 15, 2011, 400,000 people have died in the conflict between government forces and rebel groups, and over 11 million have been displaced from their homes, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Five million registered refugees have fled the country, at least 2.2 million of these residing in Lebanon and 1 million in Jordan. This has placed considerable strain on the countries, which previously had populations of just 4 million and 6 million, respectively.

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Madrid, Spain, Mar 16, 2017 / 01:10 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Spain-based branch of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has issued an urgent appeal for aid to continue its “Drop of Milk” project, which benefits more than 2,800 children in the city of Aleppo, Syria.

This initiative began in 2015 among various Christian churches to provide milk every month for children under 10 years of age.

Even though the fighting has ended in eastern Aleppo, ACN reported that “living conditions remain deplorable.” Some 80 percent of the population of Aleppo is displaced, and 70 percent live below the poverty line, the group said in a statement.

Dr. Nabil Antaki, coordinator of the “Drop of Milk” project, has made an urgent appeal to keep it going.

“Every month we distribute milk to some 2,850 children: 2,600 get powdered milk and 250 servings of special formula milk for infants, including babies that can't be nursed by their mothers,” the doctor said.

The charitable group also highlighted the testimony of Georgina, one of the project’s beneficiaries, who is the mother of two daughters, 10 and 6 years old.

“Both Myriam and Pamela receive each month a kilo (2.2 lbs.) of powdered milk. Pamela's situation was critical after being struck in the back with shrapnel, and now that she's recuperating, she needs milk to get her health back. This project is very important for us, I want it to keep going,” the mother said.

Aid to the Church in Need highlighted that a child in Aleppo can get milk for an entire month for $7.50 and for a whole year for $89. The foundation has committed to maintain this project during 2017 at a cost of $239,000.

The pontifical foundation has been sending funds for diverse emergency projects and support to the Syrian churches since the start of the war. In 2015, they allocated $5.9 million for Syria.

 

 

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz

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ARMAGH, Northern Ireland (CNS) -- The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has urged Irish people and those of Irish descent celebrating St. Patrick's Day to remember the plight of migrants.

Archbishop Eamon Martin -- St. Patrick's modern-day successor as archbishop of Armagh -- used his message for the March 17 feast to recall that St. Patrick was first brought to Ireland as a slave by traffickers.

The archbishop said that "as Irish people, we cannot think of Patrick without acknowledging the enormous humanitarian and pastoral challenges facing growing numbers of people who find themselves displaced and without status in our world."

"This is so shockingly exemplified by the refugee crisis here in Europe," he said.

"Prompted by the situation of thousands of displaced people around the world, let us think about Patrick the 'unlearned refugee' (as he once described himself), the slave in exile, Patrick the undocumented migrant," Archbishop Martin said.

Referring to, among others, the estimated 50,000 Irish people living illegally in the United States, the archbishop -- who is also president of the Irish bishops' conference -- pointed out that "many of our compatriots remain undocumented in various countries around the world and, in some cases, feel vulnerable and treated with suspicion."

The archbishop pointed out that "St. Patrick's experience of isolation and captivity as a teenager transformed and shaped his whole life and his relationship with God. His lonely time as a slave on the hills of Ireland became a transforming experience, where he felt embraced by the fatherly love of God.

"I invite you to pray for refugees and for all displaced families at this time and, wherever you are, to encourage the hospitality and welcome for which we, Irish, are famous the world over," the archbishop said.

Meanwhile, to mark the eve of St. Patrick's Day, Catholic and Protestant cathedrals in Armagh were to be illuminated in green. Tradition holds that St. Patrick founded the ancient see of Armagh.

A vigil walk between the two illuminated cathedrals will begin at the Church of Ireland (Anglican) cathedral and move to the Catholic cathedral. Anglican Archbishop Richard Clarke will lead those gathered in prayer at St. Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, then guide the group via torchlight to St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, where they will be welcomed by Archbishop Martin.

Organizers said this symbolic expression of the unity of the churches reflects St. Patrick's own journey of uniting the Irish people with Christianity.

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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Chaz Muth

By Chaz Muth

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Almsgiving is a Lenten tradition and Washington resident Ron Van Bellen says his volunteer work feeding the homeless honors his Catholic faith as he prepares for Easter.

The real estate agent and parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown was one of several volunteers dishing up dinner for homeless men and women lined up March 8 for the weekly St. Maria's meals program sponsored by Catholic Charities each Wednesday evening.

Van Bellen took time to greet each man and woman who went through the food line before they made their way along the downtown Washington sidewalk to eat their dinner.

"Every time I volunteer I reflect on how my day went and how it related to my relationship with God," he told Catholic News Service. "It does relate to Lent. We have to sacrifice and serve our brothers and sisters."

Van Bellen's example of helping the homeless during Lent is a Catholic value that Washington's Catholic Charities president and CEO, Msgr. John Enzler, would like to see spread across the U.S.

It's clear in the Scriptures that fasting and penance goes beyond not eating meat on Fridays and giving something up during Lent, Msgr. Enzler told CNS. "It's about making someone else's life better with your service and your commitment."

The homeless are among the world's most vulnerable people and providing service to them during Lent is an ideal way for Catholics to live out their faith in a way that will make a real difference, he said.

Concerted efforts by religious and governmental organizations to address the U.S. homeless situation appear to be making a difference.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported a 3 percent drop in the national homeless rate from 2015 to 2016 and a 12 percent drop in the last five years.

HUD reported the 2016 national homeless population to be nearly 550,000.

However, the homeless rate rose from 2015 to 2016 in the District of Columbia and a few states, including Alabama, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Washington.

With more than a half million people still considered homeless, it's an issue that all U.S. cities confront and there are varying solutions being employed to raise money necessary to address it in a consequential way, Msgr. Enzler said.

In its effort to fund anti-homelessness programs, Los Angeles County placed a proposal called Measure H on its ballot during its March 7 election.

If passed, Measure H would raise the sales tax a quarter cent. Ballots were still being counted as of March 16 to determine the outcome of the measure.

"There doesn't seem to be a secret sauce, if you will, about how to completely eradicate homelessness," Msgr. Enzler said. "But, it seems to me that we just don't have enough case workers and social workers."

He believes more people need to serve as navigators, mentors or coaches for individual homeless men and women.

"We don't have enough people who can really step in and say, 'I'm going to help this one individual,'" Msgr. Enzler said, "and say 'it's my job to help just that one person get a job and get a place to stay and stay with them. Mentor them through that process.'"

He has been encouraging volunteers in his Catholic Charities' programs to make the homeless their focal point during Lent.

Pope Francis has long urged governments and Christians to recognize the dignity of the homeless and help ease their suffering.

Homelessness became more complicated in the nation's capital this Lenten season, since the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library shut down March 4 for a three-year, multimillion-dollar renovation.

Many D.C. homeless men and women used that library branch as a day resource center, a place to get out of the elements during the daytime hours, to use the computer lab to look for work and to use the public restrooms, Msgr. Enzler said.

That closure inspired him to explore a partnership between the District of Columbia and other charitable groups to fund an official day resource center for the homeless, complete with a meal program, laundry and shower facilities, as well as job counselors, case managers and social workers.

It's an idea that is still percolating with no commitments yet realized, Msgr. Enzler said.

It's also an idea that Able Putu, a 37-year-old homeless Washingtonian who uses a wheelchair, would like to see come to fruition.

Putu said the library closure left him without a place to rest, use the lavatory and made him more vulnerable to being robbed during the daytime hours.

"I know a lot of people think the homeless are scum and aren't worthy of anyone's help, and maybe that's true about some of them," Putu said, "but it's not true about most of us."

Van Bellen said he had been one of those people with a negative opinion of the homeless before he started his volunteer work.

"I found out that those were misperceptions," he said. "What I've discovered is the homeless people I've encountered here are sweet and definitely misunderstood. I wouldn't have figured that out if I hadn't exposed myself to them."

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Follow Chaz Muth on Twitter: @Chazmaniandevyl.

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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.

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