Outsiders might not see prison as a place where individuals encounter the love of Christ and the beauty of the Catholic faith, but that’s exactly what has happened for Jesse Conner, Daniel Lynch and others.

The solitary confines of a prison have given them an opportunity to think and reflect on their lives, to draw closer to God and to pray for the Lord’s intervention.

Since coming to prison, Conner and Lynch have rediscovered their Catholic faith.

And they are not alone.

Others in prisons throughout the diocese have found the beauty of the Church and its teachings through prayer, study, encouragement from other incarcerated individuals and the guidance provided by priests, sisters and laity who regularly minister to them during their confinement.

Jesse Conner prays before Mass.

Conner, Lynch and several other men shared their stories during a visit by Bishop Earl Fernandes to celebrate two Masses and hear confessions at the Ross Correctional Institution on Aug. 23 in Chillicothe.

The imprisoned men are paying a price for their mistakes and the impact their crimes have had on others. With that in mind, the nature of their offenses and other personal details will not be mentioned here.

But these men come to Mass with the same intentions as other Catholics in society who attend parish churches. The obvious difference is the setting.

Conner was raised by devout Irish Catholic grandparents but began getting into trouble at a young age, lost his faith and ended up in the foster system. One thing led to another and he eventually became incarcerated. 

In April 2023, he came to Ross Correctional and decided to attend Mass for the first time since he was seven years old. He walked into the chapel where Mass was celebrated, sat down and didn’t speak to anyone.

“I was just listening and then I felt a set of hands on each of my shoulders — exactly the way my grandparents, who both passed more than seven years ago, used to do,” he said. “It was chilling, and I began to cry. It was almost like the Holy Spirit was bringing me home.”

Now, he said he comes to Mass every chance he gets, including the bishop’s Mass.

Daniel Lynch serves as the lector at Mass.

Lynch, who served as the lector during Mass offered by Bishop Fernandes, was born and raised Catholic but fell away from the Church.

“When I came to prison, I hated God,” he said. “I hated life, I hated myself.

“But then I went to Kairos (prison ministry) and experienced the love of God. I went to Bible study and then began participating in the Mass, and it’s made me a changed man.”

After serving sentences totaling 23 ½ years, Lynch was released two days after the Mass on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Dustin "DJ" James receives a blessing from Bishop Earl Fernandes during Communion.

Another man who attended the Mass was Dustin “DJ” James, who is not Catholic. Raised Christian, James shared that he’s considering studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

A fellow non-Catholic, Brian Baldridge, was invited by his bunkmate to come on a regular basis to share the fellowship of the Catholic community. He now prays the rosary frequently with the group.

Conner, Lynch, James and Baldridge were among 20 persons who attended a Mass for the general population at Ross. Ten attendees took advantage of the opportunity for Bishop Fernandes to hear their confessions.

The second Mass in the afternoon took place inside a small room in another building for four of the 96 adults in the state who are on death row. Two of them went to confession before Mass. 

Bishop Fernandes was assisted at both Masses by Deacon Reed Hauser. 

The bishop has made visiting the incarcerated, which is one of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy, a priority during his two-plus years in the diocese. He has traveled frequently throughout the diocese to celebrate Masses and visit inmates.

His homily at the death row Mass reflected his desire to make the men realize they’re not forgotten.

“I am here to represent Christ the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep … Christ the Good Shepherd, who goes to find the lost sheep and to bring them home, rejoicing,” the bishop said. “And so I want to express my own closeness, but also that of the people of God in the Diocese of Columbus, to each and every one of you.”

Reflecting on the first reading at Mass from the prophet Ezekiel, Bishop Fernandes reminded the men that “God never abandons His people.” He went on to say that God can bring each soul back from death to life.

Twenty men and Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary attend a Mass at Ross Correctional institution celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes on Aug. 23.

“Through the waters of baptism, we died to our old way of living and we rose, a new creation in God,” he said. “We received the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Life, the Lord and Giver of Life, who was poured in to our hearts and we became His temple.

“We haven’t always lived a life according to the Spirit. But the first word of the Holy Spirit is conversion. The Spirit helps us to get better, to learn how to do the right thing. He leads us into all Truth, and He gives us the promise of everlasting life.”

Bishop Fernandes reflected on the apostles’ three years with Jesus and how they watched him perform signs and miracles, but then in a time of trial and temptation, Judas betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver and Peter denied him three times while the others fled in fear or fell asleep.

“The apostles were dead in their sin and their fear,” the bishop recalled, “but He brought them back to life. And after they received the Holy Spirit they were never the same, and they went and set the world on fire with God’s love.

Bishop Fernandes offers Holy Communion to one of the men attending the Mass in the death row area of the facility in Ross County.

“I don’t know what you did to get in here, but just as Jesus didn’t give up on the apostles, He doesn’t give up on you. Jesus didn’t say to the apostles, ‘Where were you, you cowards, how could you? Peter, who fled in fear and denied me three times, how could you?’

“His first words to them are, ‘Peace be with you.’ He wants to give them another chance."

Bishop Fernandes continued, “But you might say, ‘Well, Bishop, that’s all well and good, but I’m trapped in here.’ Except today we’re celebrating St. Rose of Lima. She lived in a cloister and our opening prayer said, “O God who set St. Rose on fire with your love, so that secluded from the world in the austerity of a life in penance, she might give herself to you alone.’

“You are secluded from the world, but it does not mean you can’t live a life of prayer, a life of penance, and a life of goodness. She gave herself to God, alone, in love. … She prayed and she fasted and she did penance for the salvation of the world. …

“For you now, the important thing is to love God and neighbor here below so that you can spend eternity with God in freedom and live in dignity with the sons and daughters of God. Here below we pray, we fast, we even praise God. We can do great good.”

The bishop offered the example of St. Therese the Little Flower, who prayed for the world during her short life as a cloistered nun.

“The walls of this prison are your cloister and you could do great good praying for people out there, or for the other men who are in here,” he said.

Calling the men to imitate the Good Samaritan, who stopped to help the man on the side of the road who was half dead, the bishop said, “My brothers, this is what I ask of you here, to go and do likewise, to show compassion, to show mercy toward others as you have received mercy from God. And if you see something going wrong, don’t walk on by. Be like the good Samaritan who stopped to help.” 

Bishop Earl Fernandes is assisted by Deacon Reed Hauser (left) at a Mass for four men on death row at the Ross Correctional Institution on Aug 23.

Drawing a parallel to the saint of the day and prison life, the bishop explained that St. Rose lived at the same time and in the same city in Peru where St. Turibius was a bishop and St. Martin de Porres was a friend of the poor.

“This is your own city here,” he said. “You’re all called to work together, to love your neighbor, and to be a force for goodness and compassion. I can’t always come into this prison within these walls, so I have you here to represent me and to represent Christ to all those around you. So it’s a challenging mission, I know, but I believe you can do it with the power of God at work within you. …

“My brothers, know how close God is to you, especially in the sacraments, and how much He will come and dwell in you.”