This special ministry is deeply rooted in Eugene
de Mazenod’s life. Long before he was “St. Eugene” and even before he was “Father
de Mazenod,” he did prison ministry in France as a young layman. Writing to his
father, Charles Antoine, on January 19, 1807, he says: “… the one who is
fulfilling this ministry of charity does not see in these criminals… anything
but unfortunates in need of help. It is the task of justice, with both equity
and severity, to establish guilt; our duty is to ease their sufferings by every
means in our power…”
About a 15 minutes drive from the Oblate ministry sites in Belleville, there is
a building that for many years was Assumption High School (a Catholic all-boys
high school for the East St. Louis, Illinois, area). In August of 1995, it
opened its doors as the Southwestern Illinois Correction Center, a
minimum-security facility for adult males; the usual daily number of prisoners
is 672.
Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center is a totally dedicated to the treatment
of substance abuse. All offenders involved at the facility attend substance
abuse treatment groups five days per week for a minimum of 15 hours per week. Approximately
40-50 men are released each month after serving their sentence.
The Warden, James Davidson, is a graduate of the old Assumption High School.
The Oblate Associates are grateful to him, not only for his valuing the dignity
of each human person and his willingness to allow this outreach program, but also
for the way he encourages his staff to support this endeavor. Each month,
twenty backpacks are taken to the prison. Not every ex-offender receives one: only
those who are most in need. On the day of their release, after serving their
sentence, as they walk out of the prison, they are handed one of St. Eugene’s
Care Packs. (Geri Furmanek, Director of OMI Mission Enrichment and Oblate
Associates)
