Press releases and big announcements about Dismas Ministry and our projects.

Dismas Ministry invites you to… Families of the Incarcerated

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Families of the Incarcerated Gathering October 26th

A special gathering on Saturday, October 26, 2013

Time: 8 A.M. to Noon

Location: Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A Gathering to Learn, Support and Share Resources for the loved ones of the incarcerated, and those who serve them in churches, organizations, professional agencies and communities.

Keynote Speaker Amalia Molina

Attendees will hear her story and how detention impacted both her, her husband and her children. Participants will have the opportunity to hear a panel of family members of the incarcerated, ask questions and discuss how to minister to these families and keep them connected to their loved ones.

Click here to download the event flyer>

Or visit our Family Outreach page for more information>

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National Catholic Prison Ministry Meeting

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July 18, 2013 – Milwaukee, WI – National Catholic Prison Ministry Meeting – Board members from around the country met Thursday, July 18, in Milwaukee for the annual meeting of Dismas Ministry, a national Catholic prison ministry based in Wisconsin but serving Catholic inmates in the nation’s county, state and federal prisons. The board members met with executive director Ron Zeilinger to set the annual budget for the outreach and to approve proposals to advance the ministry’s mission to bring free Catholic scripture, faith and prayer resources to chaplains and inmates.

Attending members included Amalia Molina (Restorative Justice Office-Archdiocese of Los Angeles), Rev. George Williams, SJ (Catholic chaplain at San Quentin State Prison, CA), Schauneille Allen (Director of Outreach Ministries, St. John the Evangelist Cathedral), Mark Henry (cordinator of Jail & Prison Ministry=Diocese of Boise ID), Brian Kennedy, MD (Detention Ministry-Waukesha County), Rev. José Moreno, SJ. (Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Milwaukee, Prison Outreach to Spanish-Speaking-Wisconsin), Deacon Richard Niggemann (Detention Ministry-Waukesha County & Juvenile Detention Ministry-Milwaukee County WI), Sr. Ruth Poochigian, OP (Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa and Catholic Prison Ministry WI), Deacon Al Stockert (Office of Prison Ministry-Diocese of
Biloxi MS). Newly elected members attending for the first time were Schauneille Allen, Sr. Ruth Poochigian, OP, and Rev. George Williams, SJ.

The ministry serves thousands of Catholic inmates annually, providing them with Bibles as well as faith and prayer resources designed specifically for inmates. The ministry was founded in 2000 and is approved by the Catholic Church. Bishop Donald J. Hying serves as the ministry’s ecclesiastical liaison.

Click here to view photos from the meeting on our Facebook page>

More information on this unique Catholic response to this unique work of mercy – visiting the imprisoned – can be found on the ministry’s website: www.dismasministry.org

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“Windows of the Soul”

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Inmate Art Show April 19th

An Exhibit of Artwork by the Incarcerated

Works of art done by men, women and youth incarcerated in detention centers, county jails and prisons throughout the United States. These pieces depict the humor, love, hurt and healing that have transpired in their lives.

This is a joint exhibit between The Cathedral of St. John, Dismas Ministry and Project Return in participation with the Historic Third Ward Association’s Gallery Night and Day, held Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, 2013.

The inmate exhibit will be open Friday, April 19th from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at 802 N. Jackson Street, Milwaukee.

Click here to RSVP to our event on Facebook> 

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On December 1st, Dismas Ministry launched our National Prison Ministry Awareness Campaign, “Where are the Catholics?” It has been 94 days and we’ve been steadily working, connecting with those who have sent in the response postcard or filled out our “Share” Form on our website. Here is a summary of the campaign’s impact so far.

dismas ministry awareness campaign info graphic

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A New Catholic Prayer Study for Inmates

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praying handsDismas Ministry recently launched a new inmate correspondence course called Pray Always-A Catholic Prayer Study for Inmates. Like the ministry’s two other courses, this unique course is designed especially for Catholic inmates who want to learn more about their own faith tradition and be able to defend it against challenges from prison volunteers, staff and fellow inmates.

The course includes a series of three resource books that together provide a comprehensive review of how and why Catholics pray. The first book, Part 1: Prayer in the Old Testament, includes the lives of the great women and men of ancient Israel and examples of how they prayed.This first part presents the background for the next book, Part 2: Prayer in the New Testament. In this part of the course, Jesus, Mary, the disciples and other people of Jesus’ ministry are presented as models of prayer. How the psalms and temple worship influenced Christian prayer are explored. Part 3: Prayer in the Catholic Tradition explores how Catholics have prayed from early to modern times.

Read more about the Prayer Study in our Newsletter>

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