Vincentian Reflects on Prison Chaplaincy

A reflection Fr Michael Walsh presented at the request of the Vincentian Studies Group for Oceania. It is intended to assist confreres and others to understand a little more of the role of the prison chaplain.
The following article was written by Fr Michael Walsh CM for the September 2002 issue of ‘Oceania Vincentian’ . (‘Oceania Vincentian’ is a Publication in the Australian Province of the Vincentians):
 

Many of us in the Australian Province of the Vincentians would remember the large painting hanging near the stairs at St. Joseph’s Eastwood. I refer to the one of St Vincent with the galley slave. It was explained to me that this was a famous painting and I should be inspired by it. It gave me the creeps and I freely admit that I refused to look at it.

In later years, driving past Long Bay gaol, I recall thanking God that I had not been called to follow Vincent in this aspect of his ministry. No doubt sometime in my life I had read, “The compassionate heart of Saint Vincent de Paul made no distinction between one class of unfortunate creatures and another; he embraced them all in the same charity, not excepting those who, if they had led orderly lives, would have escaped punishment. His heart went out to prisoners and galley slaves, just as it did to the poor and the sick. If God’s loving kindness extended to all the wretched, why should he impose a limit to his?”  1

This brief paper is simply a reflection article that I have been asked to present by the Vincentian Studies Group for Oceania Vincentian. I hope that this article may assist confreres and others to understand a little more of the role of the prison chaplain.

For the full reflection visit http://www.vincentians.org.au/vinstudies3prisons.htm