Jail and Prison Ministry 101
REGISTER for Live-Streaming Attendance.Pre-Conference 6-Hour Formation/Training Program
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Program Level: Intermediate*
NACC Certification Competencies: ITPI; ITP2 304: PPS1; PPS2; PPS3
PRESENTER
Rev. George Williams, SJ, PhD
Chaplain, San Quentin State Prison
San Francisco, CA
Rev. Dustin Feddon, PhD
Pastor, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
Crawfordville, FL
An introduction to prison ministry with an emphasis on the unique theological, psychosocial, and ministerial needs of the incarcerated. This training program will focus on the practical tools needed for successful prison ministry in order to form the next generation of professional prison chaplains.
As a result of this workshop, participants will:
- Be introduced to prison ministry with an emphasis on the unique theological, psycho-social and ministerial needs of the incarcerated.
- Learn practical tools needed for successful prison ministry.
- Consider joining and inviting others to join the next generation of professional prison chaplains.
Presentation Materials (items to be brought to the workshop and/or presentation materials)
Hour 1: Personal Prayer: Spiritual / Faith Formation 1 Who am I and how am I here in Jail and Prison Ministry? | ||
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Spirituality- Discernment | Spiritual 2.6: Demonstrate an ability to discern the signs of the times and address current realities in the Church and world in the light of the Gospel. | |
Personal Prayer | Spiritual 2.2: Live a life of private and communal prayer that is both formed by, and reflective of, the breadth and depth of the Catholic spiritual tradition | |
Relationship with ChristPastoral Identity- rooted in prayer and my relationship with Christ | Spiritual 2.9: Model the spirit of Jesus in one’s life and identify with and promote the universal Church and its mission. | |
Scripture | Intellectual 3.1: Know and integrate into ministerial practice a theology of revelation as embodied in scripture, tradition and creation. | |
SacramentsAm I practicing my faith/receiving the sacraments regularly? | Spiritual 2.5: Honor the call to ministry that is rooted in one’s baptism by developing ministerial goals that flow from one’s spirituality and reflect an integration of Gospel values. | |
Self-Care | Human 1.5: Maintain a healthy lifestyle and a reasonable balance among the legitimate claims of family, community, personal relationships and ministry. | |
Understanding Jail and Prison Culture | ||
History of Prisons | ||
Punishment Theory | ||
Go-to Resources |
Hour 2: Prayer: Spiritual / Faith Formation 2 Why am I doing this? Whose Call? Being a minister representing the Church | ||
Competencies | ||
Church – The Body of Christ | Spiritual 2.1: Give witness to an integrated spirituality formed by Scripture, theological reflection, sacramental celebration, communal worship and active participation in parish life.Intellectual 3.3: Know and integrate into ministerial practice a foundational understanding of the major events in the history of the church. | |
Relational Nature of Catholic Prison Ministry | ||
Scripture and Tradition | Spiritual 2.4: Demonstrate sensitivity to the spirituality of the sacred arts, e.g. music, and the value of their expression in liturgical and communal prayer. | |
Eucharist and Reconciliation | Spiritual 2.3: Bear witness to the profound significance of the Eucharist in one’s own life, in the life of one’s parish and in the whole Catholic community. | |
Liturgical and Sacramental Theology | Intellectual 3.4: Know and integrate into ministerial practice theologies of liturgy, worship and sacraments. | |
Our Call to Ministry(from Church/spirit, not just ourselves)My motivation in ministry – why am I doing this? | Spiritual 2.7: Accept and articulate one’s ministerial vocation as coming from God and confirmed by the ecclesial community. | |
Go-to-Resources |
Hour 3: Listen: Pastoral Care Formation 1 How am I present pastorally? | ||
Competencies | ||
Compassion | Pastoral 4.1: Exercise sound practices of compassionate pastoral care. | |
Ministry of Listening – Empathic Listening | ||
Reality of Sin and Human Brokenness | Human 1.4: Recognize both the reality of sin with its personal and social consequences and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation to heal people and relationships. | |
Pastoral Theology | Intellectual 3.6: Know and integrate into ministerial practice a theology of ministry as well as guiding principles for the practice of ministry in a given context. | |
Forgiveness/Reconciliation/Mercy | ||
Spirituality of Incarcerated People | Pastoral 4.2: Foster a pastoral ministry that empowers people to enculturate the Gospel in their own culture and to foster unity in diversity in the Catholic Church by utilizing human, spiritual, theological and pastoral approaches proper to each culture. | |
Grief and Bereavement | ||
Awareness of Personal Biases, Hurts, Woundedness | ||
Go-to Resources |
Hour 4: Listen: Pastoral Care Formation 2 | ||
Competencies | ||
The Dignity of the Human Person | Human 1.1: Appreciate and affirm the dignity of the human person and the positive values of diverse cultures, ethnicities, etc. | |
Moral Theology and Catholic Social Teaching | Intellectual 3.5: Know and integrate into ministerial practice a theology of the moral life, including Catholic social teaching. | |
Church Teaching | Intellectual 3.2: Know and integrate into ministerial practice Trinitarian Theology, Christology, pneumatology, missiology & Christian anthropology. | |
Restorative Justice | ||
Catholic Social Teaching | ||
Catholic Evangelization | ||
Empowering People, Collaborative Ministry | ||
Recognizing Racism | Spiritual 2.10: Develop spirituality sensitive to diverse cultural expressions based on conversion, communion, mission and solidarity. | |
Go-to Resources |
Hour 5: Love: Skill/Knowledge Formation 1 | ||
Competencies | ||
Boundaries, Basic Pastoral Skills | Human 1.6: Manifest psychological health marked by integrity, appropriate interpersonal boundaries and the ability to honor and safeguard the trust that people place in them as Church ministers. | |
Power Dynamics | Human 1.7: Understand the power inherent in positions of pastoral leadership and be diligent in the responsible exercise of such power. | |
Worship & Sacraments | Pastoral 4.8: Ritual, sacraments in prison, prayer styles. Appropriate use of scripture, apologetics. | |
What Works | ||
Bible Studies | ||
Sacramentals | ||
Evangelization | ||
Praying with Prisoners – 1:1, Groups, Cell Fronts | ||
Situational Awareness- Jails and Prisons- Recap | ||
Understand Prisoners’ Characteristics and Motivations (see Chapters 7 & 8 Recinella) | ||
Understand Issues Related to Substance Abuse,Safety, Types/Levels of Jails/Prisons | ||
On-going Formation and Personal Growth | Human 1.3: Engage in programs or practices of continuing ministerial formation and lifelong personal growth. | |
Go-to Resources |
Hour 6: Love: Skill/ Knowledge Formation 2 Navigating the System | ||
Competencies | ||
Working with Others | Human 1.2: Identify personal gifts and limitations through self-reflection, collaboration with others, peer feedback, supervisory assessment processes and spiritual direction. | |
Ecumenism | Spiritual 2.8: Display openness to ecumenical prayer, work and practices that promote Christian unity and acknowledge the gifts afforded the human community from the various world religions. | |
Developing the Faith Community | Pastoral 4.8: Develop and nurture the prayer life of the community in the jail or prison. | |
Working with Prison Staff- What Should I Expect? | ||
Working with Families of Incarcerated | ||
Working with Ex-prisoners | ||
Pastoral Care DOs and DONTs | ||
Ethics | ||
Self-Care | ||
Go-to Resources (i.e. DesertWaters.org) |
The NACC categorizes workshops on three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. The definitions of each level are provided below.
Beginner: Basic information on the topic for those with little background in the area.
Intermediate: Basic plus additional information on the topic for those with some background in the area.
Advanced: Specialized information on the topic for those with extensive experience and/or knowledge in the area.
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