Rethink freedom – Archbishop’s annual prison outreach

By Kaelanne Jordan

mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon used his annual prison outreach to challenge clients across the country to rethink what freedom means, telling them that “getting out of here don’t guarantee you freedom”.

The Archbishop began his annual prison visits Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Port of Spain Prison, continuing Wednesday at Golden Grove Prison, the Remand Yard and the Women’s Prison. On Thursday, he visited the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre, the Youth Transformation and Rehabilitation Centre (YTRC) and the Maximum Security Prison, before concluding Friday 12, at the Carrera Convict Prison. He was accompanied by Deacon Patrick Laurence, Deacon Joachim Hernandez—who will be taking over from Deacon Laurence—Fr Jorge Amundarin, a diocesan priest from Venezuela now based in Penal, representatives of the Catholic Prison Ministry, and prison officials.

The Archbishop anchored his message in a passage from Isaiah: “a people who walk in darkness has seen a great light.”

The Scripture resonated with clients, some of whom responded aloud. One client called out, “all now we walking through the darkness,” while others shouted that they were depressed.

The Archbishop acknowledged Christmas is a wonderful time, “but it’s bittersweet when you’re in here.”

He then urged them to look beyond their current circumstances. “Light a little bit of light inside….Choose to make better choices….” He challenged them: “We must have a ‘why’ for our living….Your value is not what happens to you….No matter what happens to you in life, your value does not change.”

During a question-and-answer session at the YTRC, clients asked, “How did becoming an archbishop change or impact your life?”, “How can I achieve goals through God?” and “What is Baptism?”. Commending the young clients for speaking up, the Archbishop said it “took real courage for them to come and I love courage.”

At the Maximum Security Prison chapel, Archbishop Gordon spoke about “two kinds of darkness,” including “darkness in the soul.” He assured clients that “no matter what it feels like in your soul right now, one little light will dispel that darkness.”

When asked what they were looking forward to, clients shouted back, “Freedom.” The Archbishop responded bluntly: “You have to have a better goal than that…You have to have a bigger goal than that. A day will come when you will leave this jail, dead or alive. But who says when you leave here you will have freedom?” He added, “If when you leave you have more darkness in you than when you came, are you a free man?”

Using the analogy of a dirty $100 bill, he reminded the clients of their inherent worth. When asked if they would still want the bill, clients replied “yes”. One explained, “Because it still have value in it.” To this end, the Archbishop said, “No matter what choices you have to make, you still have infinite value… your value is that you’re a child of God.”

He explained that Baptism “washes away all the dirt around our soul,” adding, “The only thing stopping you from living in the light is you. Do you want to see a great light? Then start by asking for mercy.”

The visits ended with a Q&A where clients asked, “is Jesus Christ God?”, “Is praying the rosary idol worship?” After the discussion, one inmate pulled a rosary from his pants pocket and asked Archbishop Gordon to bless it.