When we think of those in prison, the first reaction for most of us is that they must be there for a good reason; our inner judgment forms but too fast—we have judged rashly. Our judgment may be true or it may be false. However, this does not change the obligation the Church places on us to practice this corporal work of mercy. What was characteristic for Mother Teresa—in fact, not only when dealing with prisoners, but with anyone—was that she was able to avoid any judgmental attitude. “The act is wrong,” she would say, “but why she is doing that you do not know….The intention you do not know. When we judge, we are judging the intention of the sister, of the poor.”

Mother Teresa visited prisoners and took great care of them. She did so without prejudice toward anyone, without looking down on anyone, without condescension, but rather with great respect for each person and with great hope. She was always ready to offer someone another chance (and not just a second chance!). She approached each one, independently of the reason for which they were sentenced, precisely with an attitude of mercy, which was partly the fruit of her own conviction that “there, but for the grace of God, go I,” and partly the fruit of her compassion for this particular suffering person. If circumstances would have been different, maybe they would not be in their present situation; on the other hand, if I had been in their situation, maybe I would have done the same or worse. Whatever the reason for the suffering, the one who suffers is in need of help, and we cannot remain indifferent.

Mother Teresa started a special apostolate for “jail girls,” that is, girls who had been found in the streets (often in poor mental health) and put in jail because of the lack of alternative facilities. With the help of government authorities, she had them released and opened a home for them, where she provided occupational therapy and some small work. In this way, they could work and live with dignity. Further, she would make contact with their families and help them reconcile.

HER WORDS

The Privilege of Being with the Poor

I am grateful to God to have given me this opportunity to be with you and to share with you the gift of God, the privilege of being with the poor, the privilege of being twenty-four hours in touch with Christ. For Jesus has said, and He cannot deceive us, “You did it to Me. I was hungry and you gave Me to eat; and I was thirsty, and you gave Me to drink; and I was sick and in prison and you visited Me, and I was homeless and you gave Me a home. You took Me in.” We are trying to do [this], you and I together, to bring that joy of touching Christ in the distressing disguise.1

Like Saint Paul, once he realized that love of Christ, he did not care [about] anything anymore. He did not care [about being] scourged, [being] put into prison. Only one thing for him was important, Jesus Christ. How [do] we get that conviction? “Nothing and nobody will separate me from the love of Christ.”2

What you have received from Jesus, give generously. He loves me. He took all the trouble to come from heaven to give us such good news, to love one another. We must be able to love, my sisters. Like Saint Maximilian,3 he was not the one to be chosen. That man said, “Oh my wife, oh my children,”…and [Saint Maximilian] said, “Take my life.” And we know what happened. They put him in jail to die of starvation. We don’t know what the pain of hunger is, we don’t know; I’ve seen people die. Real hunger, [for] days. He [Saint Maximilian] did not die, so they gave him an injection. Why did that man do that? Greater love. Would I do that for my sister?4

The Jail or the Road

We have thousands of lepers because they are the most unwanted, they are the most shunned people. We have the alcoholics, the distressed ones, the men who have but two places—the jail or the road. We have night shelters and things like that. But…for all of us it is not a waste of time to do just the humble work, just to feed the hungry, just to wash his clothes, just to take tender care and love of the unwanted.5

We have opened this place in New York for AIDS, as nobody wants these people, as rich as they are. When three men heard they had the disease, they jumped from the thirty-fifth floor of a building. We are taking the sick and dying, and there is a tremendous change in the whole country because the sisters are taking care of them. When I went to the governor, he said, “You are the first and only one who has brought Christ to these people.” And he did something unheard of in the United States; he allowed twelve people in the jail with this disease to come out; it was the first time in history, something unheard of in the history of America. They allowed [the prisoners] to come out and die with us. The sisters are doing real miracles there. Father Joseph6 phoned this morning and what miracles Father is doing with these people. One was baptized, made first Holy Communion and confirmation, and then he died. Sister wrote and said, “What a peace, what a radiating joy there is in the faces of these people when they die.” To me, it has created new hope in the country. Many people are coming forward now to help. What has happened is the miracle of God.7

Yesterday, Sister was telling me there are sisters who are going to the prison and how, from the time they have started going, how they have the Blessed Sacrament in the jail, and the priest who is the chaplain there has started daily Adoration for half an hour. To see those prisoners—those young boys and men—adoring. (They are preparing some of those boys for First Communion.) [They are] so open to that presence of Christ, that connecting power. They’re hungry for God, they are very hungry for God.8

Appeal for the Life of a Man

Dear Governor,

I come before you today to appeal for the life of a man—Joseph Roger O’Dell. I do not know what he has done to be condemned to death. All I know is that he is, too, a child of God created for greater things, to love and to be loved. I pray that Joseph is at peace with God, that he has said sorry to God and to whoever he has hurt. Let us not take away his life. Let us bring hope into his life and into all our lives. Jesus, who loves each one of us tenderly with mercy and compassion, works miracles of forgiveness. To you, dear Joseph, I say, trust in God’s tender love for you and accept whatever God gives you and give whatever He takes, with a big smile. Let us pray. God bless you.

—Mother Teresa9

When They Leave the Jail

Another thing now we have started in Harlem to do, the sisters visit the jail, where we have the detention, what is it called? Anyway, young girls when they are let out, then anybody grabs them, they can go anywhere. So when they leave the jail, we have arranged [to] take them [to] our own place. They need a complete outfit, and they need to be placed in the proper work….And in every city you must be having this kind of people;…we will take those girls and bring them to the convent and then from there [the Co-Workers will] be able to continue.10

HER EXAMPLE: THE TESTIMONIES

It Was Rather a Matter of Human Dignity

Our home for the “jail girls” in Tengra, Calcutta, one of the works dearest to Mother’s heart, is a fruit of Mother’s concern to preserve the dignity of the poor, and not just care for their material needs. These women, most of whom are to some degree mentally or emotionally handicapped, were found by the police roaming the streets of Calcutta. For lack of another facility in which to care for them, they were put in jail, though they had committed no crime. When the government was made aware of this situation, and the large number of noncriminal women affected, the chief minister of West Bengal contacted Mother. He asked her if the sisters could care for these women. It was not, of course, a matter of food and shelter, as these were being provided in the jail. It was rather a matter of human dignity, of providing the kind of environment and care that would help these women to recover, or at least improve, and feel loved and respected. Mother readily agreed to care for the “jail girls,” as she called them, if the government would give us land to make a facility for them. This was done, and Mother never tired of drawing the attention of Co-Workers and benefactors to our “jail girls.” She even secured the services of voluntary professors and others to help in the education of the women and teach them useful skills such as handicrafts.11

A Completely Changed Man

She had a tremendous hope even for murderers….There was a murderer in the USA with whom we became very close friends; he became a Catholic during his life imprisonment. I got in contact with Mother Teresa. She took up the whole case with deep love. He just changed his whole way of life, and through him also other prisoners were changed. Every time I went to Calcutta she would ask, “How is my friend, X? X, the murderer?” He is now a completely changed man. He has become the chaplain’s assistant whenever he comes to prison. I had Easter Mass one year. He did a painting for Mother and another one for myself, which I gave to my father, who had a deep love for her. Oh, [he] can be put to death, but still he can live for Christ. She started correspondence with him in a maximum security prison. Every time I go home I visit him. It is one of the joys of my life….It does not matter if you are in prison, you still can serve Christ there….In a letter to me he remarks,…“Ever since I met you and [have] written to Mother Teresa, I often think how different my life could have been if only I had known Jesus Christ before this tragedy happened….I would just like to dedicate the rest of my life to helping others who need my help.”12

First Home in the USA for People with AIDS

I went with Mother Teresa and two other people at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York….Most people there are serving life terms, and when we went there, these men—many of whom were murderers, rapists, whatever, muscular because of lifting weights—how many got on their knees and started crying when Mother Teresa would pat them on the head and give them Miraculous Medals.13

For her, they were not criminals. They were made to the image and likeness of God, and so she gave them hope. She always found the right word or the right action to get them in touch with the Lord.14

Mother decided to open up an AIDS house in New York. It was the first AIDS house, and it began in 1985. In New York, most of the AIDS patients were homosexuals or drug addicts. And in the Church there was great controversy at that time, because these homosexual groups were very anti-Catholic, and the Church was very vocal against their lifestyle. And some very big priests said, “Mother, don’t get involved. Don’t touch it. You are going to be criticized, that you are supporting their lifestyle.” In her mind these [people] were the lepers of the day. Nobody wanted them. And she went into the prison, and she wanted to open the house, and everybody had an opinion about this. Well, it took about six months. Mother did get the house for the AIDS patients. Mother went into Sing Sing Prison…and she gave a Miraculous Medal to these men suffering with AIDS and she said, “I will come for you and get you.” And she went to the mayor, she went to Cardinal O’Connor. Mother was tremendously excited. She had had her eye operated on, and she had to wear dark glasses because of the cataract, but she wanted to open the house on Christmas Eve, and she said, “I want to give it to Jesus for His birthday. Let us bring home these men for His birthday.”

Christmas Eve in New York—it is impossible to do anything. Everyone said, “Forget it, Mother.” [Mother insisted,] “These men have to be released from prison.” Mother called the governor and said, “I want you to give me a Christmas gift. I want a Christmas gift for Baby Jesus, and I want you to parole those men in prison so we can bring them home for Jesus’s birthday.” And the governor said, “Mother, if you want this, there is something you have to do for me. You have to pray for me and my family.” She said, “Yes.” She put the phone down in the Bronx and she immediately went into the chapel and began praying for him. And the governor was on the phone saying, “Hello! hello!” I picked up the phone and he said, “Where is Mother?” I said, “She has gone into the chapel to pray.” He said, “Oh my goodness.” He signed a medical pardon for these men on the spot….And these men came in by ambulance. They were dressed like astronauts, so much protective clothing. They came by ambulance with the siren, and Mother was not deterred by the controversy….

Mother had the same rule for this house as she did for the other houses. Again it caused much controversy because they said, “You have to have television; you have to have radio. These men need this. There is nothing else to do.” Mother said, “No, nothing doing. We are going to keep the same rule.” And what happened was the men began talking to one another, and they became friends. They became like family. Pretty soon they were saying the Rosary. Men from all backgrounds. Some men who had killed, some had been on the streets since they were ten years old. Some had been drug addicts. They were learning the Catechism. And they were like brothers.15

Extremely Touched by Her

One guy, an alleged public crime figure, was eleven years in a federal penitentiary, and over that period he had the benefit of confession, of the sacraments, and in line with that we used to send him the rosary beads that the sisters used to make. And I know personally he was touched by that. Two others who, again, were alleged organized crime figures, whom I brought up to personally meet Mother, were extremely touched by her; and Mother embraced them.16

She Offered Encouragement, Love, and Hope

In 1991 I was arrested and sent to prison. As I awaited trial, I wrote a letter to Mother Teresa explaining what had happened to me. She wrote back immediately offering encouragement, love, and hope. I was shocked that she would take the time to write under these circumstances. From 1992 until just a few weeks before her death in 1997, Mother Teresa wrote regularly to me and answered every single letter. When I first wrote to Mother, I was depressed and feeling sorry for myself. I shared some of my troubles with her, and from the beginning she encouraged me to forget the problems of the past and focus on the present and the future. She always reminded me of the boundless love of God and always showed me the path to His love. She loved to have me tell her stories about other prisoners and urged me to share her letters to me with them. I did and she always enjoyed hearing stories about them. Here are some excerpts from her letters to me:

Thank you for your letter and thank God for all the good He is doing in and through you….Let us thank God for His grace, which is at work in you, and for all the compassion He has kindled in your heart for those behind the bars.

In His Passion, Jesus taught us to forgive out of love and forget out of humility. I am praying for you that the suffering that has come into your life will be a means for you to come closer to Jesus. Let Him live in you, so you may spread the mercy of His Heart to all in similar situations.

I am glad to hear you are free from the past and making use of the present to grow in the love of God through love for the suffering ones around you. Jesus in His agony prayed the longer, the Gospels tell us. Let us also in times of darkness and suffering keep close to Him in the solitude of His suffering and in the intimacy of prayer.

A Christian is a tabernacle of the living God. He created you; He chose you; He came to dwell in you, because He wanted you. Now that you have known how much God is in love with you, it is but natural that you spend your life radiating that love.17

Never Do Such a Thing Again

A poor woman was talking to Mother and crying. Mother was full of compassion for that lady. Mother saw me passing, called out to me, and said, “Go with this lady; her husband is in jail in Lalbazar. He has stolen a car two days ago and is now arrested. Go to the officer and say, ‘Mother [said] to release him.’ ” I obeyed blindly and promptly. I did not know where Lalbazar was, what it is to be in prison, who [was] the officer. All I knew is Mother said to do it, and I went with this lady who was still crying. Mother saw us off at the gate….

It was eleven a.m. when we reached Lalbazar police station. There we were told that the big officer would come at three p.m. We waited patiently and when he came I said, “There is a man by [this] name. He has stolen a car, and Mother said to release him.” He asked, “which mother?” I said, “Mother Teresa.” Again he asked, “Who is she?” I said, “Mother” (I only knew Mother as Mother, nothing else). The big officer smiled; he called a police officer and said something to him. We were all called together, put in a police jeep, and taken somewhere else with a police escort. There we entered another office, and I said the same thing to the officer there. He said, “But he is a thief. We can’t release him.” I said, “But Mother told you to release him.” He asked, “What if he steals again?” “I do not know about that; all I know is Mother said to release him.” He gave some orders, and I could see from between the curtains that man chained hand and feet together sitting as he could not stand because he was chained. They opened the chain and he was released.

By evening we reached the Mother House. The man was crying, and Mother said to him, “Make a good confession and never do such a thing again. God has given you a beautiful family. Love your children, pray together, say the Rosary each night, and Our Lady will help you.” She blessed them and they left. Mother gave them food [to eat and take with them]. Since that day, that man who was a big thief since childhood changed his life, gave up his drinking, his bad company, his evil habits. His friends came to tempt him, but he said, “Mother has told me not to do it again and I promised Mother.” Up to this day that [man] is…a changed man—poor, struggling to live, but keeping his word to Mother. I am sure Mother prayed for him.18

Even After Her Death, Mother Teresa Continues “to Visit” Prison

A sister told my parents [something extraordinary]: Yesterday, she went to the market store to buy candles. There she felt the gaze of a man; she turned to him and said hello; he answered back and asked, “Are you still going to the jail to give food to the prisoners?” She answered, “We are not into that kind of pastoral service (in San Pedro Sula, the sisters only work with HIV [patients], old men, and border kids).” And he said, “I’ve been watching you because you have the same dress as that nun in 2004, when I was unjustly put in prison, and was two days without eating anything, and she came to give me food.” Sister asked, “Only to you?” He said, “No, to all of the prisoners, it was like between eleven p.m. and one a.m. (not visiting hours of course!).” Sister asked, “Was she young?” The man said, “No, she was an old lady.” Then the sister showed him a little picture of Mother Teresa and asked him, “Was she the one?” And the man started to cry and said, “Yes, it was definitely her.”

REFLECTION

“I was in prison and you visited Me.” (Mt 25:36)

“Sick and in prison, [longing] for friendship He wants from you….Will you be that ‘one’ to Him?”19

What is my attitude toward prisoners? That they deserve to be where they are or that it could be me? When I see or hear about a prisoner, do I think: “What could he or she have done to be there?” Or do I see a child of God, my brother, my sister?

Is there a way that I can participate in this work of mercy? For example, could I join a volunteer program or help in some rehabilitation program, and so forth? If I am “imprisoned” in my own prejudices, what concrete steps can I take to learn the truth and correct my mistaken thinking?

Am I imprisoned in my own egoism or pride? Can I get out of myself and offer a helping hand to someone who is in a more difficult situation than I am? Can I have a kind and positive attitude toward someone who is “imprisoned” by addiction? Am I able to approach them and by my understanding love give peace and joy?

PRAYER

O Glorious Saint Joseph,

we most humbly beg of you,

by the love and care

you had for Jesus and Mary,

to take our affairs, spiritual and temporal,

into your hands.

Direct them to the greater glory of God,

and obtain for us the grace

to do His holy Will.

Amen.

—Prayer to Saint Joseph, prayed by Mother Teresa each Wednesday