Matthew 25:36: “[For I was] . . . naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” NAB
Our Lady of Grace Women’s Jail ministry is dedicated to restoring hope and direction to the lives of incarcerated women by sharing the love of Jesus Christ through evangelism, discipleship, and encouragement as they transition from jail back into the community. Many of the incarcerated women are from Palm Bay, and some of these are members, or family members, of Our Lady of Grace parish. As Chaplains, we visit the Brevard County Detention Center every Wednesday evening, spending about an hour with the women. We share our Catholic faith and Eucharist with them, and they share their hopes and challenges with us. When possible, we provide women with information that will aid their integration back into society, such as places of employment that hire the formerly incarcerated, and available transitional housing.
Our Lady of Grace Men’s Jail ministry goes into the Brevard County Detention Center every Thursday evening also taking communion and sharing their faith with the inmates.
We also have parishioners involved in the Kairos ministry in the male prisons. This is a non-denominational three day retreat that is presented to 36 inmates on a weekend. They bring the love of Jesus Christ into the hearts of these men that have been broken in so many ways. The transformation can be amazing. There has been proof that the men that attend a weekend usually will not be a repeat offender upon release from prison.
These ministries to the incarcerated are always looking for more people to be involved. If you have an interest in joining this ministry or if you have a loved one in jail or prison and would like to talk to any of these leaders, please call the office at (321)725-3066 so we can put you in touch with one of these volunteers.
