“You need a prayer life to get through this situation.” Susan Staab

It was 15 years ago that Susan Staab moved to Connecticut. That first Sunday, she picked up the bulletin from her new parish, Christ the King Parish, in Old Lyme, and saw a notice requesting volunteers to mentor women being released from the nearby York Correctional Facility in Niantic. Susan has been serving in prison ministry ever since.

That first prison ministry connection was with New Life Prison Ministry. Working with other volunteers, Susan helped the women make the transition from incarceration to living outside the prison walls. “We had an apartment, and we would take two women at a time to live in this apartment once they got released from prison,” she said. The volunteers also helped the women find jobs and cars, go to medical appointments, and do their shopping.

New Life Prison Ministry disbanded several years ago as the prison strengthened restrictions on visitors. But that didn’t stop Susan.

The pastor at Christ the King, Fr. Joseph Ashe, had been celebrating Mass at the same prison once a month. Susan signed on to be his assistant. “We worked until the pandemic came along,” she said. In addition to celebrating Mass, Fr. Joe offered Confession. Susan often helped with baptisms and confirmations. The two of them would also provide counseling or just be a friendly presence. “They looked forward to seeing us and telling us what was going on with them and how they were doing.”

Between 40 and 60 women participated in the Mass on a regular basis. “It was quite rewarding because they were so thrilled to be able to share this experience, to receive the sacraments, to be able to hear the Word proclaimed,” she said. Susan invited the women to participate further by giving them the opportunity to be the readers or sing in a choir. “You need a prayer life to get through this situation,” she said. “You can’t even believe the life that most of these women have experienced that has led them to find themselves in a correctional facility.”

Susan said she hoped by visiting, bringing a kind word, that the women could see Jesus through her and say, “Okay, Christ is with me. I’m on this journey and this person’s going to help me carry the burden.”

“I hope that that’s the message,” Susan said.

For more information about the American Association’s Prison Ministry Program, contact Craig Gibson, Chair of the Prison Ministry Committee at cbgibson@comcast.net.