In an effort to give inmates something distracting to do while being rehabilitated, a Phillipine Prison has come up with the most “Thrilling” approach you can think of. Seeing is believing. We should make the terrorists at Gitmo do West Side Story.
August 4, 2007 at 4:24 am
I found this moving comment on Fr Z’s blog. It is in response to the Motu Proprio issue, but pertinent nonetheless, when one considers how prisoners might properly do their time (last Christmas we had a drag show in one of ours, the Governor was sacked over that…)
“But it needs handling with care – as it has been handled successfully so far in England and Wales.”
Careful handling such as this:
A group of my friends and I were graced with the opportunity of singing at a Missa Solemnis in a next-to-maximum security prison in England a couple of years ago. Some of the inmates – capital offenders all – trained themselves to in the serving roles over a period of months (taking up their small recreation period) and performed their duties with the utmost dedication. There were about 25 in all at the celebration. Afterwards we joined them for a cup of tea during which they expressed their unalloyed joy at the occasion.[While we were talking with them, I noticed some prisoners had not left the chapel and were kneeling for a long time before a statue of Our Lady.] I particulaly benefited from talking with one inmate who had been baptised into the Faith a couple of weeks earlier. He was downcast – he was about to be transferred to a less strict facility … where he wouldn’t have access to the traditional liturgy!
Later that year our group revisited the prison and at the inmates’ request taught them the basics of Gregorian chant and Latin pronunciation, plus rubrics such as bowing at the “Gloria Patri”, etc. We held a service of (Old Rite) Vespers and Benediction. Again, a totally positive response.
… and the local Ordinary’s attitude? He rejected a request from the Chaplain – on behalf of the inmates – for permission to hold more than one Missa Solmemnis and three low masses a YEAR!