Ministry to Families of the Incarcerated

2020 has been a year of transformation. It has been a year to probe our strength and our capabilities that help us to endure the experience of isolation. We all face this in different ways. The effect of isolation has been terrible for families who lost one or more of their beloved family members, or for those who have been forced to be away from their loved ones.

The families of those who are incarcerated struggle greatly at this time. They hear stories of what is going on inside the jails, but they do not have the ability to visit or to find answers. Many families have shame around having a loved one in jail. They may withdraw from friends and family. The support they usually find in their church community has also been limited this year as our parishes have closed to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

This year, OneLife LA celebrates The Joy of Life! The is not just a one-day theme but the foundation for our ministry all year long. When things seem bleakest or the most desperate, we help families to look deeper to see the joy that still exists in their families and to nurture that joy in their lives.

The ministry to the families of the incarcerated is a journey of conversion. Families carry shame, anger, and fear surrounding the situation they face, and they look to God’s mercy to help them carry their burden and find peace. We accompany families, inviting them to see the love of God and to regain the joy in their lives and in their families.

Our ministry is helping these families, in small ways, to recover the sense of their lives. We are present, even remotely, with these families, giving them an opportunity to feel God’s presence. Jesus tell us, inviting us to do his mission as his disciples, “May the light of our eyes be reflected in the gaze of the poor” (Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga).

Our ministry to the families of the incarcerated assists families by providing immediate help and connecting them with the right resources. Through these works of mercy, we tell these families that they are not by themselves. our Catholic Church and Our God is walking by their side and giving hope to transform their despair.

Archbishop José Gomez, sensitive to the needs of many families, has given our office the opportunity to create this ministry that started in January 2018, as a direct service of the Office of Life, Justice & Peace in the Archdiocese of LA. Assistance to the Families of the Incarcerated (AFI) Ministry as part of One Life LA, has been serving families that have a loved one in custody, (jail, State Prison, ICE Detention Center), offering resources from our Archdiocese, County Public Offices, Consulates and other institutions that offer their services according to their needs.

OneLife LA’s yearly event has the commitment to include and connect God’s people as one family, especially all those who are marginalized by circumstances in their lives. OneLife LA is creating the way to let them feel welcome and accepted as they are, while offering the resources that are going to transform their lives for a better future.