Watertown, NY
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This report comes from team leader Scott with our team in Watertown, NY :
The three day retreat was very fruitful and challenging. Although myself and the Holy Priest who volunteered his time for this prison ministry were only there for the first two days of the retreat, the rest of the volunteers who stayed for the third day were able to bring this event to its conclusion with much success. Immediately upon entering through security, we had to give up our written speeches and some of our equipment for the retreat due to a paperwork error that was unexplainable and beyond our control, as some of our important items were not allowed to pass through the gates. When this occurred, I quickly recalled why Dominican Friars and Nuns take the time to memorize their speeches. Looks like me and the other guys were going to have to “wing it.” However, Father provided a great insight and comfort with his words: “Sometimes, before Christ wishes to fill us, He strips us bare!” This reduced my anxiety greatly.
Weird roadblocks were occurring in more ways than one and the frustration was being felt among the group. Noticing this, I had mentioned to one of our volunteers that “Satan does not want us to give this retreat, because obviously someone is going to come to Christ!”
When I walked through the metal detector, I kept setting it off, even though I removed everything that would’ve set it off. This hasn’t happened to me before in the past year I’ve been entering the prison. It began to frustrate me after repeated attempts. When I removed my Dominican Scapular, then the metal detector allowed me through (it’s just white cloth – no metal). Father attempted to enter through the metal detector after me, but he too kept setting it off. Not until he began to walk sideways through the metal detector, did it allow him through. When he did this, I declared out loud in a deep confident voice (jokingly), “The narrow gate.” The REC (Residents Encounter Christ) volunteers got the joke and laughed, but the guards didn’t.
The residents were assigned mixed seating with the REC volunteers and this is where we had our discussions and connections. Much fruit was born from these encounters, as we were able to connect with them on a personal level so as to understand where they’re coming from and where they are on their spiritual journeys. Resident A who sat across from me was on fire for Jesus. One of the first tasks of the retreat was for us to name our tables as a group and to write or draw our table name. This should have meaning and purpose. However, everyone at our table was at a loss for words, so I suggested to Resident A that he open the Bible and place his finger upon a random page. His finger landed on Prov. 19:12, “The king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion, but his favor, like dew on the grass.” Resident A was speechless and quickly attributed this passage to Christ when I explained to him Jacob’s blessing of Judah from Gen. 49 in reference to the lion. I also explained to Resident A how the prophet Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den in Babylon but was not eaten. The Lord delivered him, and reserved this fate for his enemies who falsely accused him, as justice demands. Resident A then decided to call our table, “The Lion’s Den,” and he drew a picture of a lion on our name card. Resident A also had me explain to him the different heresies the Church warns against such as Universalism and the Arian heresy. I also explained to him some of the Saints and their stories, along with how some of their bodies today are still incorrupt. In addition, I mentioned the miracles of Fatima and Lourdes. I also explained the basic precepts of the faith to him, and got into detail about how miracles are confirmed and recognized in the Church, and how the process and investigations are heavily scrutinized and examined by outside experts who are not Catholic as well, only to arrive at conclusions that are unexplainable. Resident A began to open up to me more and mentioned to me the spiritual affliction of his mom, something I too am dealing with. Please pray for Resident A to enter the Catholic Church and for the spiritual protection of his mom.
Praised be Jesus Christ