Nairobi (Agenzia Fides)- “Even prisoners can be missionaries, I tell my brothers in prison when I meet them every Thursday and Sunday at Kamiti high security prison in Nairobi” Consolata missionary Father Eugenio Ferrari also national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Kenya told Fides. “In the prison we have a fervent Catholic community, with their own catechists, animators and even a choir to animate Sunday Mass which I celebrate every week for them inside the prison. When I arrive everything is ready. The prisoners prepare the hymns, choose readers and offer to serve at the altar” Father Ferrari told Fides adding a little story. “During mass recently the prisoners sung a new hymn and when I asked where they found it they said one of them had written the words and the music”.
“I always tell prisoners they can be missionaries by praying for the missions and offering their suffering for the good of the Church and humanity. Some have been in prison for as long as 25 years and I ask them too to pray for the world and the Church. For the missionary month of October I suggested that my brothers in prison could take part by praying for missionaries. On 24 October even prisons awaiting execution prayed for non Christians”. Fr Ferrari told Fides
“Many of the prisoners are Protestants and Muslims and many of them come to Mass drawn by the witness of the faith of our Catholics. When I minister in prison I offer material help to all because, as I tell them, to be Catholic means to be universal,” Father Ferrari concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/10/2004 righe 23 parole 283)