NWACCC Eucharist Report

BOB McMATH

At the core of our prison ministry is a Sunday evening Eucharist at the women’s prison a block south of St. Paul’s on College Avenue. (Officially, it’s the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center.) Clergy from Episcopal churches in northwest Arkansas preside, and lay members of St. Paul’s and other churches participate, usually three or four of us, along with fifteen or so “residents.”

So, who are these people confined in a “correction center” down the street from us? They are women convicted of non-violent felonies serving sentences of three years or less. They are teenagers, mothers, and grandmothers, some are well-educated, and some are not. Almost all are dealing with addiction and have suffered abuse. We know them to be children of a loving God, but they are caught up in a system which criminalizes addiction. They often feel forgotten, and they are grateful when our team shows up, Sunday after Sunday.

This part of Arkansas’ penal system is more therapeutic and educational than prisons for those convicted of more serious crimes. Our Eucharist is part of a support system involving churches, recovery groups, and educational programs. That the women are referred to as “residents” or “ladies,” instead of “inmates” is intentional, but they are in prison, their daily lives are tightly controlled by prison staff, and they are separated from their families.

Given these circumstances, I am amazed by the residents’ cheerfulness, their full-throated participation in the Eucharist, and their singing. Especially the singing! They are thrilled by the flowers prepared by St. Paul’s Flower Guild. When one of the residents is about to be released we take part in a ceremony called “Blessing Out.” Residents and team members form a circle around the one who is leaving and stretch out their arms to her while the priest offers a blessing. The residents look forward to two special events during the year, a Christmas Eve service at the prison, and a baptismal service for residents, held at St. Paul’s in late summer. 

When members of the Prison Ministry Team talk about their experience, they use expressions like “joy,” “blessed,” and “called,” as in “called to this ministry.” As one participant put it, “this kind of nonjudgemental love for one another is the real meaning of Christian love and community.” Sharing the Eucharist with a group of women whom we have come to know and love takes on new meaning in the basement of a prison. 

If this sounds like a ministry that might be right for you, just let us know.