Men at Connally Unit choosing to be obedient to God’s calling

Men at Connally Unit choosing to be obedient to God’s calling

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, recently celebrated the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist during a Mass at the Connally Unit, a prison near Kenedy.

The archbishop told about the experience in his Christmas column for the Dec. 12 edition of Today’s Catholic.

“As we traveled south on Route 181, our mood of eager anticipation turned to a reflective silence as we stood in the shadow of the imposing structure that defines this high security prison. Its walls and bars seemed impossible to breech from the inside or out,” the Archbishop Gustavo wrote. “However, not even these walls can stop the power of the Holy Spirit from penetrating the hearts of the inmates we would encounter.”

After passing security, the archbishop and three others were escorted to a chapel that is uniquely marked with 14 Stations of the Cross. “The stations are surprisingly appropriate as they retell the journey of a convicted felon, Jesus Christ, to our redemption; a reminder to these men that their life’s journey can lead to their own salvation,” said Archbishop Gustavo. “There is also a tapestry of a peaceful vision of the Holy Family, displayed in stark contrast to the separation from love and acceptance that must haunt so many of the inmates as each day.”

Upon entering the chapel, the archbishop described an odd air of familiarity; he had been there before. “The men waiting for my arrival stepped forward and hugged me with the affection you reserve for a member of the family,” he explained. “I hugged them back, for these inmates are my brothers.”

More than two dozen of these men would receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit through confirmation at the Dec. 2 liturgy. Four would be baptized and 12 would become newly formed disciples of Christ, receiving their first Holy Communion and confirmation.

Archbishop Gustavo emphasized that he was struck by the gratitude so many of them voiced for specifically naming those who are incarcerated as part of the consecration of the archdiocese to the Holy Spirit at the last Pentecost Vigil.

One inmate confided that only a few days later after Pentecost, 22 of the men left their gangs, taking a risk to courageously do the right thing. “They acted with the assurance that the power of the Holy Spirit would guide and strengthen them,” the archbishop stressed. “Without fear, these men are opening up their souls to the possibility of God’s Grace with humility and obedience.”

As the liturgy unfolded, the chapel filled with the quiet and remarkably gentle voices of these inmates who rose up in song that in a way that provided a peaceful contrast with their rough exteriors.

In their faces I could see the expectation that in a moment they would experience a profound and personal encounter with Christ, Archbishop Gustavo said after the Mass began.

Also in the seats at the chapel were numerous people who walked with the men on their faith journey, parishioners from New Braunfels, Stonewall, and Boerne; priests, deacons, and lay people; from parishes, ACTS, and Ministry of the Third Cross; who drive hours each week to provide pastoral services to provide hope, love, fraternity, and communion to their brothers in Christ.

“While the “outside” of your life — your daily routine here in prison — will not change, your inner life will change if you make good use of the grace of these sacraments,” said the archbishop in his homily. “These sacraments will renew and seal the relationship between you and God that began at baptism.”

As a result, he added:

• Your relationship with God the Father will be deepened;
• Your closeness with the risen Lord Jesus will be stronger;
• Your gifts of the Holy Spirit will be increased;
• Your bond with the Catholic Church will be strengthened; and
• Your witness to Jesus Christ will be made more effective.

Archbishop Gustavo recounted when Jesus began his public ministry at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth, and Christ said: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me.” Jesus then explained his mission: to bring the good news of God love to the poor, to heal broken hearts, to bring liberty to captives and release to prisoners, to comfort those who mourn, those who are sad. During his public ministry Jesus also prayed that his heavenly Father will give his followers another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to remain with us.

“The risen Lord Jesus is present among us today – assuring you of God’s love, healing your broken hearts, comforting you with his healing, forgiving love,” said the San Antonio prelate.

The Missionary of the Holy Spirit highlighted how the Holy Spirit would also come down upon the candidates for initiation — inviting them to trust in God always, to cultivate their closeness to the Lord through daily prayer, to nourish their spiritual life by reading the Bible and letting the word of God take deep root in their life — where it can grow and bear good fruit.

“Whether you are a resident here in the Connally Unit for a shorter term or for life, I want you to know that God loves you very much. He will forgive your sins from the past and into the future if you ask for his forgiveness,” the archbishop continued. “He will nourish you with his own Body and Blood when you participate in the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit will make your inner selves strong so that you will be able to bear any burden, invest your time in productive ways, and allow the peace that only God can give to flow into your heart, into your whole being.”