Latest in the Community
'Why Try?' A Spiritual Reflection
Sometimes life feels like walking uphill. There are times when the burden is so big that leads to doubt ourselves: 'I can't do it anymore,' 'what a way to waste time ...', 'I'm not good for this ...'
Art, Activism & America : The Baptism
“...I could only realize that as a Black man in America, I owed a great ‘thank you’ to the many men and women who had already confronted the world, and did something in order to change it.” —Carl Hancock Rux, Poet and Artist
Say Word, Let's Talk About It - An Interview with Quintin Murray
Quintin Murray joined Ignacio House last month from a shelter in Schenectady, NY. He was released early after 15 years on March 3rd, 2020 - just a week before the U.S. was forced into quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic - after successfully meeting the requirements of program, vocational, and good behavior. Quintin is Ignacio House’s newest resident, a full-time NYU student studying to earn his BA in Social Work, a motivational speaker, facilitator of multiple groups, and founder of Say Word, Let’s Talk About It.
Unveiling Ignacio House's New Library
I had a goal. For the first two weeks of the new year, I would work to make Ignacio House dream library a reality. For me, working to create this vision was a labor of love. It’s impossible to overestimate what a book means to me. When I was in a dark place, the only light I ever saw came from a word, the only love I ever felt was found in the heart of characters I admired and for whom I wanted nothing but the best. I always connected with libraries as gardeners connected with their garden. Going to the library was like visiting a land full with mysterious trees of unimaginable fruit. As fruits nourish and enrich, so does reading.
The Prodigal Son acted by the men of Otisville
This past weekend, our spiritual mentors and retreatants participated in skits based on the parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the most well-known and well-loved stories in the Bible, to find new and deeper connections to the story. The retreatants acted out the parable in different ways: Reality TV, Rap, Telenovela and Blockbuster Movie. What happened was magical!
Taconic's Women Facility - First Retreat
On February 8th, 2019, Thrive For Life brought the Spiritual Exercises for the first time to the women of Taconic. Our Spiritual Mentors gave a warm and touching testimony about their experience and the impact on their daily lives.
What have I done for Christ, and what more can I do by serving my sisters and brothers?
Our monthly retreat at Otisville Federal was the first one for one of our Spiritual Mentor. He shared his experience bringing the Spiritual Exercises behind the walls., from his hesitation to his deep connection to the men and the gifts he received.
"When I look at myself" - Insights from Otisville State
On February 23, 2019, five spiritual mentors and twenty-eight participants engaged in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius during their day-long retreat. The day was a moving experience as retreatants and spiritual mentors grew closer to one another and to God.
Here is the highlights of that blessed day
Adelphi Annual History Conference on Incarceration
On February 14, 2019, Thrive For Life Prison Project participated in the 46th Annual Adelphi History Conference on “Incarceration, Punishment and Rehabilitation in Historical Perspective.”
