Dear Friends,

 

On May 3^rd “Lico”, a gang member received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion.  The Mass was held in the jail unit where the men are incarcerated.  We had a card table covered with flowers and a beautiful white cloth.  In that dark and desolate space there was joy and celebration for not only Lico, but also for the 24 gang members—mostly non-Catholic—who attended..  They listened to my brief explanation of what was about to take place, they sang with gusto, and all came up for a blessing at the moment of Communion.  They were all so reverent it touched my heart and the hearts of the two guards who attended.  It was one of the most beautiful Masses I have ever witnessed.

 

Every now and then, God gives us a shot in the arm to keep us going.  Jail is not a “rewarding” work in the usual sense of the word.  I admire the volunteers from not only St. Josephs, but also those from several different churches who come to the jail week after week. They minister to one, five or twelve inmates who show up.  Occasionally no one shows up, but the volunteers keep coming—that’s commitment.

 

Let me tell you about “Miriam.”  As a little girl she witnessed her mother beaten up by her father.  One time the beating was so brutal, one of her mother’s eyes popped out and she landed in the hospital.  Upon her release the mom was so traumatized she became abusive to Miriam.  At age twelve she ran away and eventually got caught up in the drug business. Miriam is now in prison and her father is walking the streets.

 

A young man spent 45 minutes telling me how his “devout” Christian mother sought creative ways to beat and punish him.  Eventually, she left and “Davey” was then in the care of his father.  Sometimes his father disappeared for days and left money for Davey to fend for himself.

 

The jails and prisons have taken the place of mental institutions.  I may sit with an inmate and he/she makes no sense at all. Yet, this is a child of God and must be treated with respect and dignity. The hardest part is you can do so little to help—just listen and show a lot of kindness.

 

Of course there are also the con artists: If one is too sweet and appears vulnerable, they will try to take advantage and start asking for this, that and the other thing.  “Give them an inch and they will take a mile,” as the saying goes.  One has to be kind, but firm and able to say “No.”

 

A word about the guards who have really earned my respect.  I have heard some horrid stories about officers in other jails and prisons, but these working in Santa Cruz are, in my opinion, the best.  Faced with a distraught prisoner, they will often ask one of the chaplains to talk to them.  The guards take a lot of abuse—especially from some of the out of control inmates, but they take it in stride.  They have a tough job.

 

For the past three years, I have brought a treat for them and the staff, and they really appreciate being remembered that way.  Some volunteers have signed up to provide goodies just once a month on a yearly basis.  I still need someone for November and December if you would like to sign up.  Please let me know.

 

Thank you for all your prayers and your generous answers to my requests.

 

God bless you all!

 

 

Mary Helen Tafoya

Prison Ministry