Mine Eyes Have Seen Jesus in Jail: Written by Gary Roche

Mine Eyes Have Seen Jesus in Jail

                 It was ten years ago when I saw the notice in the St. Francis Forum that said there was a new ministry that needed volunteers- Jail Ministry.  I really wasn't sure what this ministry was all about or if I even wanted to get involved, but I decided to call Scott Wright for more details.  He suggested that I take the jail orientation class and try it out for a couple of Saturday mornings, which I did.  I started out by volunteering to come to the jail on one Saturday per month.  Since that time the Holy Spirit has expanded my commitment to every Saturday morning and every other Sunday evening for Eucharistic Adoration.  At this point in time I can't imagine ever not being a part of this wonderful ministry. 

                I often tell the guys at the jail that if they ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit for growth and guidance that the Lord will do the heavy lifting- We don't have to do it by ourselves.  That has been my experience with this ministry.  I have been able to grow spiritually on a personal level while hopefully becoming more effective as a tool of the Lord in spreading the word of God. 

              Just as all of us have participated in the ministry either as a volunteer or an inmate have received blessings through the grace of God, so has the ministry as a whole.  Since inception we have added separate worship services for the women, Masses for both men and women, as well as the continued Eucharistic Adoration for both on alternating Sunday evenings. 

                The 'Friends of the Master' had its genesis in the jail ministry, and through the tireless efforts of Rob Carpenter there are now three houses in Ypsilanti, called, "Our Father's House" which provide a safe, sober, and spiritual residential atmosphere for men who are released from jail or prison and wish to continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

                   As a volunteer-minister I have been truly blessed to share the word of the Lord with all of you.  I know you have no idea how you have positively effected me and the rest of the volunteers, but I have seen it with my own eyes and felt the Holy Spirit at work in the Washtenaw County Jail.

                   This article, written by Gary Roche, a St. Francis of Assisi Parish member, was also published in the newsletter "One in God" which is mailed quarterly to each person who has received services from our jail ministry called Catholic Religious Services in the Washtenaw County Jail.  Many of these persons are still serving time in Michigan prisons, and, some are paroled, living in Washtenaw County.

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