ALGONQUIN—Bringing the light of Christ to the darkness of prison to guide lost souls to the doors of heaven is the enlightening message of Kairos Prison Ministry International.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Kairos was prompted by the Scriptures and in particular Matthew 25:36: “I was in prison and you visited me.”

Nine local volunteer Kairos team members representing several Christian denominations spoke of their personal experiences at a recent segment of the Faith on Fire series at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin July 23.

Kairos team leader John Morici of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary led the evening by introducing his fellow team members, explaining the intense day to day activities of a Kairos prison retreat, and showing two short, but powerful Kairos videos.

The presentation began as each team member shared how and why he got involved. As each layer of reasons unfolded, it was apparent that the group sustains a strong bond and commitment to the prison ministry. Each dedicates countless hours of his free time to minister to the incarcerated in local prisons.

As was Morici, many of the Kairos members were asked by someone else involved “to come along” said Steve Woita, a pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Antioch.

“I’ve heard stories about the intensity of Kairos, but God doesn’t take no for an answer. It is an opportunity to show God’s love.”

Since that time, Woita has made four trips to Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, north of Joliet, as part of the Kairos four-day retreat.

Mike Calendo was asked to get involved by a fellow running friend.

“I had thought about it, as I had worked with troubled youth with Father John Smyth at Maryville,” he said.

“My first weekend at Kairos changed my life. It’s powerful and amazing to see what happens to prisoners during the Kairos retreat.

“The Holy Spirit shows up,” he adds, “and miracles happen when you look into the eyes of prisoners and tell them that there is a God that loves him.”

Calendo and others have expanded their ministry to other Illinois maximum security centers, such as Western Correctional Center in Sterling and Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac.

Joe Raducka, a member of the Knights of Columbus and parishioner at St. Theresa Parish in Palatine in the Chicago Archdiocese, said “when I heard about Kairos a light went off. We’re all Christian brothers working together with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

More than one presenter said going into the prison environment gave him the chills. But Norm Reuter said he felt that, “God said, you work for Me now.” He’s been involved in 12 Kairos retreats at Stateville.

Four days for God

Morici’s overview of Kairos prison retreats, which begin on Thursday evening and end early Sunday afternoon, included highlights of each day’s
schedule.

Small groups gather at tables led by a Kairos leader. Up to 40 inmates participate at each retreat.

For the next four days there will be a time to get to know each other, reflection and prayer. Prisoners will acknowledge that they have made their choices, but are reassured they are not alone if they choose friendship with God.

“Table leaders share their own struggles of life,” Morici said. “and open the door to forgiveness and accepting God’s forgiveness.”

A unique aspect of the retreat involves cookies. Local churches, groups and individuals help the Kairos Prison Ministry by baking them when the special call for the treats is made. Morici notes that at the recent Kairos retreat over 2,000 dozen cookies were taken to Stateville.

“Believe me, the prisoners can’t take enough of them and even smuggle them to their rooms,” he said. “Their eyes and stomachs light up that someone would even care to bake these cookies for them.”

It has been recognized that the prison environment changes after a Kairos retreat as prisoners even reach out to the others and ask forgiveness of them and seek peace.

A very unique aspect of the retreat is centered around the simpleness of rice paper. Prisoners write down names of people on the paper whom they would want to forgive. “On Saturday, the‘Our Father’ is said with the powerful words of ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’. Then the paper is put into water and it dissolves,” Morici adds. “It’s a strong visual and feeling for the prisoner to let go and the burden being lifted.”

Several Kairos team members witnessed prisoners crying with extreme intensity after the prayers and discussions during the retreat. Reuter saw a man praying and leaning forward. There were puddles of tears on the floor. “I had never seen anything like this,” he said. “The prisoners continually are fighting their emotions.”

One prisoner showed his table leader a wrinkled letter he kept in his pocket from someone on the outside, a young person, age 14. “He never gets mail,” Morici noted, “and this letter reminded him that God loves him and someone else does, too” Morici told the group at St. Margaret Mary that the letter was from a member of SS. Peter and Paul’s youth ministry, which wrote letters to the prisoners.”

The bond between Kairos team members and the prisoners doesn’t end after the retreat. They meet again on the first Saturday of each month for the next six months. Prisoners are shocked that anybody cares and would come back to see them.

The intensity of what a Kairos retreat signifies came full circle at the end of the presentation. One of the audience members asked Morici what happens to the prisoners when they get out of prison and if they continued to be faithful in prayer.

The heart-wrenching reality set in when Morici responded that “these prisoners will never leave this incarcerated environment of small cells, chains, and no independence. They are in prison for the remainder of their lives.”

Following one of the retreats, a prisoner said “I came on the floor and left on the ceiling.” Morici concluded, “Our purpose is to change their despair to hope with God’s unconditional love.”