The faith of ‘Paul’ within cannot be confined

By Kaelanne Jordan

mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

Holy Mass celebrated at the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) on Tuesday, November 5 was more than a ceremony; it was an invitation for each inmate to find the “Paul” within themselves, to choose faith over despair, and to embrace a spiritual freedom that no walls could contain.

Fr Kwesi Alleyne, parish priest for the Parish of the Incarnation, Maloney, was the main celebrant.

He drew parallels between the life of St Paul, “a murderer”, and the lives of those in prison. He invited everyone to “step into God’s movement” and embrace the freedom that faith can provide, even within the physical confines of prison walls. “God is always passing by our lives. God is always on the move,” Fr Alleyne emphasised, adding that each person has the choice to respond to “God’s invitation to intimacy and love.”

Reflecting on the resilience of St Paul in the First Reading (Phil 2:5–11), where Paul continued to write and share messages of hope even while imprisoned, Fr Alleyne asked, “Am I going to let a circumstance be victorious over me, or am I going to be victorious over my circumstance?”

He underscored that, like Paul who discovered purpose and freedom even in confinement, each person has the power to adopt a mindset of hope, resilience, and purpose, regardless of their surroundings.

For Fr Alleyne, Paul’s story is one of liberation beyond physical bars, and he saw many “Pauls” in MSP that day. “I feel it have some Paul here,” he stated, reminding them that “God wants to enter into this mind and probably the boxes and limitations that we place upon ourselves or that people place upon us…You have to believe in the power of God’s love in your life,” he said.

He continued, “Brothers and sisters, God loves you passionately…And what is being said in this scripture today is that it have no depths that God not willing to go…And wherever you are, it not far from God.”

This spirit of transformation was palpable among the congregation, especially after the recent baptisms of 62 held just the day before. Assistant Commissioner of Prisons Charmaine Johnson commented, “This is indeed an awesome day. And I always tell people to be very, very careful when the spirit of God is moving in this place…”

Johnson recalled past efforts to establish an inmate choir at the Port of Spain Prison, an endeavour that had seen success in the past. Now, with the renewed support of the Catholic prison ministry and the Commissioner of Prisons, the choir was reintroduced and expanded at MSP. She exclaimed, “I want you all to give Jubilee Generation and our first inmates choir a round of applause.”

She explained that the choir had dedicated a month of “hard work”, committing numerous hours each day or across several days to prepare.

“And they did well….And it felt so good for me to see officers as well as our clients take Communion together, worship and praise God together. And God will continue to move in this place despite…,” Johnson said.

If you’d like to offer your support or volunteer to the Catholic Prison Ministry, please email prisonministry@catholictt.org