Formation Workshop & Documentary Screening at St. Joseph’s Seminary
On Monday August 29th, Fr. Zach and Pablo, our Coordinator of Spiritual Care, joined seminarians at the St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, NY for a formation workshop focused on prison ministry. Throughout the day, Fr. Zach, Pablo, and other guests shared more about the Church’s role in accompanying our brothers and sisters behind and beyond the U.S. prison walls. After an opening prayer, team members explained how Thrive For Life offers a continuity of care to those behind and beyond walls, beginning first by forging strong bonds of trust with those we encounter on our retreats. Despite the halt of our regular retreats due to the pandemic, Fr. Zach has continued to visit correctional facilities throughout New York State, including the local city jail, Rikers Island, here in New York City. Over this period, he had the opportunity to bring along several seminarians and scholastics from the Archdiocese of New York and the Jesuit East Province to provide pastoral care to our brothers and sisters behind the walls. As we continue this ministry, we look forward to welcoming more seminarians preparing for the priesthood to join us on our visits.
In addition, those in attendance had the opportunity to watch Simonetta D’Italia’s new documentary titled Unguarded. The film takes viewers inside the world of a revolutionary correctional institution known as “APAC” in Brazil. Started in response to deplorable conditions in Brazil’s penal system, APAC follows a radically different approach to corrections, emphasizing rehabilitation and restoration over condemnation and retribution. In her film, D’Italia follows life in the community and offers it as a point of reflection for our own flawed systems here in America. At the conclusion of the screening, Fr. Zach and D’Italia participated in an open questions & answers panel discussion on corrections, reentry, and transformation.
We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to share our important work with the young men preparing for religious life! To learn more about D’Italia’s Unguarded, please visit https://www.unguardedmovie.com/.