Jesus said "when I was in prison, you visited me". Our parish contributes donations towards a "Christmas feast" on Saturday in December, each year, for the Catholic prisoners at the Potosi, MO prison. They only receive this large meal once a year if each man attends monthly prayer services and pays a required fee. Many of these men are facing capital punishment by lethal injection. After this past year's Christmas feast, the men who participated provided a card of appreciation to the parish. These are some of their words:
"Thank you so much for all the wonderful food and for supporting our
Catholic community here at Potosi Correctional Center.
Have a very Merry Christmas and God bless you all."
- Mike
"From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much for all the acts of compassion
you do on our behalf. You inspire us all to be better people. God bless you all!"
-Chris
"Some of us don't get many visits and your generosity
provides us with that visit of the Holy Spirit. Thank you!"
- Ryan
"Sending Christmas cheers and may the Lord bless and
keep you all as I keep you in my prayers.
Thank you for everything you do for us here."
- Bryan
It is the purpose of Missouri Residents Encounter Christ, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to provide an opportunity for the incarcerated to personally encounter Jesus Christ within themselves and others by witnessing and experiencing Christian community, the sacraments, and Pascal Mystery.
Residents Encounter Christ is a three-day retreat weekend based on the Pascal Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Participants experience the message of Christ through participation in music, discussions, talks, prayer, scripture, liturgy and celebration. Each of the 3 parts of the retreat has a central theme:
"Die Day" is centered on the death of Jesus Christ.
"Rise Day" is a joyous celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
"Go Day" explores the continuous call to spread the Good News.
The REC Community is made up of ordinary men and women who are Catholic and Protestant, over the age of 21, and who feel called by the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel to the incarcerated.
Mr. Joe Knaebel
joe.knaebel@midambuilding.com
573-268-1252