Bishop Earl Fernandes celebrated Mass for about 50 residents of the Southeastern Correctional Institution near Lancaster, assisted by Deacon Jeffrey Hurdley of Lancaster St. Mark Church, on Monday, Jan. 8, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
The bishop also heard confessions and blessed crucifixes and rosaries after Mass, which was followed by a period of hospitality with sub sandwiches, chips and bottled water.
In his homily, the bishop focused on the feast of the day, which marked the end of the Church’s Christmas season, and reminded his audience of Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son and of the request for salvation expressed by one of the thieves crucified with Jesus on Calvary.
“Now all of us – Deacon Hurdley, myself, all of you – maybe we haven’t retained the innocence of our baptism,” Bishop Fernandes said. “We haven’t been perfect. We have sinned, but we are no less a son of the Father. We always have a chance to turn away from sin and get on the road that leads to the Father’s house. …
“Each and every one of you must remember your own dignity as sons of God, as children of God. And the Father knows how to give good gifts to His children.”
Referring to the story of the prodigal son, the bishop said, “Perhaps in the past we wasted our inheritance. We didn’t live as we should. We didn’t listen to what our priests and our nuns and our parents had told us. OK, our story’s not over.
“Think about the good thief. He did bad things his whole life and then he was next to Jesus on the cross. And he said, ‘Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘My son, this day you will be with me in Paradise.’ … His story is our story.”
He concluded his homily with a reference to a sports event scheduled that evening. “I know some of you are looking forward to watching the national championship game between the University of Washington and ‘the team from up north.’ We will not say that name in a sacred place,” he said as the prisoners responded with laughter. “But at football games, you sometimes see people displaying (a sign referring to the Bible verse) John 3:16, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.’
“He gave His only begotten Son for you, His sons by adoption. You must now live up to that calling: to be a son in the Son.”
Prison officials gave permission for Phillip and Patrick, two inmates who were altar servers for the bishop’s Mass and serve monthly Masses celebrated at the prison by Father Craig Eilerman of the Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, to be interviewed by The Catholic Times. Their last names, faces and other personal details were not allowed to be recorded.
“I pray each and every day to God and my faith is very, very strong,” Phillip said. “If I didn’t have this faith, it would really kind of hurt me. Deacon Hurdley (who conducts a Communion service at the facility every Monday) does an excellent job, as does Father Craig, and Father Thomas (a priest from Phillip’s home parish who is a friend of the family and said Mass last summer at the prison) is a saint.
“He writes me every month. I’ve got letters from him as well as letters from the bishop (Fernandes) and about once every three months, Cardinal (Timothy) Dolan (of New York City) and I write back and forth. …
“Deacon Hurdley has been a great deacon. We’ve had three events during the last month and Deacon Hurdley has been at all three – the celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mass on Christmas Day and Mass with the bishop. We’re very excited about the bishop being here.”
Asked if he had anything to say that would be uplifting to other men in his position, Phillip said, “Keep the faith and go to church.”
Patrick said he, like Phillip, is a lifelong Catholic. Referring to the weekly Communion service, he said, “That’s really the highlight of my week when that happens because it’s an absolutely amazing thing to be incarcerated and still be able to receive the Sacraments.”
“The prison setting really tries to dampen your light,” he said. “But in the Lord, the Holy Spirit, where there is light, there is no darkness. So the most inspirational thing I can say to other people is to literally ‘let go and let God.’ And don’t be afraid of your faith, don’t shy away from it, just stay in constant prayer and try to do God’s will as best as possible.”
