It was a wonderful Mass with inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre on Saturday evening, October 10. Twenty-five men had been prepared for the Mass the previous Wednesday, but there is a limit of twenty inmates allowed in the chapel at any one time.
Exceptions are sometimes made, and despite a special request to allow all the inmates to attend Mass with Archbishop Stephen Hero, only twenty were permitted to attend. We had a particularly engaged, respectful, and responsive group. Three of the men quickly volunteered to read the First Reading, the Responsorial Psalm, and the Second Reading.
On the previous Wednesday, September 30, each of the men had been invited to write a prayer. These prayers were collected, typed up, and distributed after the Creed was recited. They became our Prayer of the Faithful at Mass and were read aloud by the inmates and the seven volunteers. These prayers are sometimes raw but always heartfelt. They give thanks to God, ask for His forgiveness, and pray for themselves, their families, and their fellow inmates.
Everyone participated in the prayers of the Mass, which are provided on laminated sheets. Although the men were unfamiliar with the songs led by the choir from St. Vital Church in Beaumont, they made a wholehearted effort to sing along.
Our music ministry group is one of several that lead music at Masses at the Remand Centre. We are always looking for more volunteers including musicians. Pictured are Diane MacDonald, Louis Kloster, Wendy Revering and Marian Hay. We are all from St. Vital Parish in Beaumont.
The Sign of Peace took some time, as everyone in the room wanted to extend a hand and wish everyone else the peace of Christ.
For whatever reason, and despite a number of phone calls, we had to wait more than an hour after Mass for the guards to come and escort the men back to their units. During that time, however, we mingled with the men, who were very patient and good-natured about the delay, and had some very meaningful conversations.
We learned more about these individuals, their experiences in prison, and their life stories. All of them are full of goodness. Archbishop Hero also engaged in conversation with several inmates, some of whom requested a special blessing from him.
Everyone was enthralled by the magnificent mosaic mural covering one of the walls in the two-storey chapel. The mural is composed of 192 tiles, each unique and hand-painted by former inmates and local artist Lewis Lavoie. When assembled, the tiles form a clear image of a man walking along a winding path into the light. See the attached image.
Eventually, one of the inmates suggested that we sing some songs while we waited. So I pulled out my guitar again, hymnals were passed around, and everyone sang wholeheartedly until the guards arrived.
I was rather disappointed when they finally came, at around 9:10 p.m., because it had been such a special time with the inmates, many of whom were patiently relaxing on chairs or on the floor. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving.
The inmates are always very grateful for our visits and for the opportunity to attend Mass. Some were raised Catholic, while others come from Christian backgrounds in other churches. One man admitted that he does not even consider himself a Christian, but he is seeking and welcomes any opportunity to grow in faith.
Fortunately, His Grace had no other plans for the remainder of the evening. The volunteers and inmates also took the delay in stride.
Unfortunately, we are not allowed to bring cameras or cellphones into the prison, so there are no photos to share.
Louis Kloster is the Mass Project volunteer coordinator. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact him at lpkloster@gmail.com.
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