Group brings Christ to inmates

For years, the local Residents Encounter Christ (REC) group has been working to spread the message of Christ by supporting prisoners in New York State correctional facilities in the Albany Diocese.

Back in October, the group thought it to be a good idea to practice their work beyond the Capital Region. 

Rich Winslow, a key member of the REC group, made a couple of calls to his son, Rev. Patrick Winslow, who was ordained in the Albany Diocese but now serves in North Carolina. As a result, a group of six REC volunteers took a three-day weekend and went to Spruce Pine, N.C., to start a REC ministry in one of the local prisons. 

The experience turned out to be more than they could have imagined. Peter Pasternak, a local Catholic who has been involved with REC for many years, said that, from the stories he heard from his fellow REC-ers, they were very touched by the expedition.

"The community sort of embraced them," he told The Evangelist. "I know they all said it was a great experience and they felt very welcome."

To feel welcome in a prison might be hard to understand for some, but as REC volunteer Dr. Michael Beehner explained, Father Winslow and a North Carolina priest, Father Gober, eased the atmosphere.

Mr. Beehner served as the music minister for the get-togethers with the prisoners. He described the setting: "We used about a third of the gym. They had a good sound system and things went great. We had 31 inmates [participating]; we wanted 50 or more, but we thought that was good enough. And they had food these inmates never ever see. The outside people brought in wonderful foods."

Bill Kellhert also praised the fine dining: "That was some good Southern cooking," he said with a laugh.

Mr. Kellhert served as one of the group leaders. He described his role as "bringing Christ to the men."

Each day, the group leaders taught a new message to the prisoners about having faith in God and trusting His message.

"We go to bring Christ to them in a structured way," he explained. "Each day is a different theme."

The experience touched Mr. Kellhert tremendously. "It was a blessing for myself and the five others to go down there," he said.

The most memorable part of the trip, according to the RECers, was the Mass held on the last day. During his homily, Father Gober told the prisoners, "You are part of my parish." 

Those words touched the members of the REC group as much as the inamates.

"It was a very moving experience," Mr. Kellhert stated. "That's saying a lot right there."

"The priest promised them that they were part of the Church," Mr. Beehner added. "I thought that was a wonderful thing to say."

Will their presence stick with the prisoners in the future?

"Oh yeah," Mr. Beehner told The Evangelist. "If this succeeds the way we hope, they won't need us again. The idea was to plant the seed and they felt they needed us to be a part of it to have it happen. It turned out to be a very good bonding experience."

Bill Kellhert summed up the trip: "I'm convinced that the Holy Spirit worked with all of us to bring it together."

(1/1/09)