Sister Denise Pariseau, on mission at the Community of Montréal in Canada, shares with us some pearls of her apostolate with prisoners and ex-prisoners.
Senegal opened me up to the prison world, Cameroon gave me the opportunity to get more involved. Having tasted the joy of meting these wounded people, too often rejected and always judged, I greatly wanted to continue this apostolate on my return to Canada. After many approaches to the prison authorities, I was offered a welcome center for ex-prisoners and prisoners. One Sunday a month, I take part in a Eucharist with a not ordinary sharing of the Word and the experience
of the prisoners, followed by a fraternal meal. Every Monday, the parish hall becomes a fraternity center where ex-prisoners from different halfway houses and prisoners outside the walls for a few hours and accompanied by a police officer, gather. One of them, on his first release after thirty years of detention, exclaimed: « Ah, I see windows », he inhales, exhales, « phew! the table! Do we eat together? » He is troubled with happiness and adds: « But it is my fault, I killed and prevented a man from living ».
The presbytery of a lively parish is converted into a welcome center with eight rooms for ex-prisoners. The sacristan of the church has spent forty years in prison and the man who maintains the church is also an ex-bandit, as he says. He is proud to be the leader in this sacred place. With glittering eyes, he says:« This is my home here ». One day, at the dinner table, my namesake Denys said to me: « I sell the newspapers “L’itinérance”, in the metros, so I pay my rent. I talk to God all the time, I don’t go to church, but I talk to Him all the time. The good God is good, good. It’s Christmas time, I’ve asked God to play three games of bowling and I’m out of money. He told me (an inner voice), sell your newspapers! I have 16 left. I went on the subway and people gave me 100 dollars in two hours, and I prayed all the time. I had my three games of bowling. If only people knew how good God is, good ». And Denys continues: « I don’t see my family anymore, I don’t have the right to approach my city, given the events that led me to prison. But I phone my brothers, God is good for me ». At the table, during the meal, he continues: « I don’t eat solid food anymore, I only have two teeth at the top and one at the bottom ». And I told him: « You can have two dentures, since now the dental costs are free ». But he replies: « I don’t have gums anymore, since it’s been like this for a long time. If only people knew how
good God is! » That other Monday, I heard behind me: « The Sister with bandits?! » Shocked, I shouted: « What are you saying? You are all Sons of the Father, how can you speak like that? » He then said to the others: « The Sister said, we are the Sons of the Father », and he whirled around.
Each encounter impresses me, because I hear the beauties and anxieties of the poorest. And as my namesake often repeated: « If only people knew how good God is! »
Sister Denise Pariseau