Humility Prison Reflections from Patrick O’Neill (transcribed and edited by J. Mark Davidson) Winter into Spring “March has been an indicator of spring. The winter snow and ice has been gone for two weeks, and the “Rec yard” track is almost dry. The sub-30s temps have been gone for a while. Some of the locals […]
Monthly Archive for March, 2021
from National Catholic Reporter My prison cell view of the COVID-19 pandemic March 16 by Patrick O’Neill Lisbon, Ohio — While the difficulties associated with COVID-19 are omnipresent, the hardships are even greater for those of us in prison. Matthew’s Gospel notes the work of mercy: “I was in prison and you visited me.” The […]
March 4, 2021 Albert Woodfox, in his book, Solitary, published in 2019, documents how the state of Louisiana was especially brutal in the treatment of prisoners at the infamous Angola prison. Mr. Woodfox and two companions were particularly targeted in their struggle for justice, carrying out the values and principles of the Black Panther Party. […]
February 17, 2021 Ash Wednesday Women’s Federal Prison Camp Father Iwaji came to the camp this morning for Mass. The crucifix, chalice, and candlesticks were a sight for sore eyes. Seeing the white altar cloth and purple vestments after weeks of institutional grey and beige, along with unpainted concrete and razor wire, was a rich […]
January 30, 2021 Today is Gandhi’s death day and I dipped into Robert Ellsberg’s All Saints, of which there are two copies in the Chapel library here. Gandhi brought nonviolence as political struggle to the modern world–just in case we missed the message as presented to us by Jesus! Clearly Christianity has not brought […]