Our Mission
Serving Christ by Serving Others
To bring the love of Christ to those who are in prison by providing encouragement, material support, transition and reintegration services, Christian education, spiritual guidance and the sacramental life of the Church.
Ministries
Answering Christ's call to visit the imprisoned, OCPM serves incarcerated individuals and their families through our Field, Correspondence, and Family Ministries.
Field Ministry
Field Ministry is the direct, face-to-face expression of Orthodox Prison Ministry. Through prison visits, mentoring relationships, chapel services, Bible studies, distribution of spiritual resources, and reentry support, volunteers bring Christ's love and hope to those living behind prison walls. Many incarcerated individuals struggle with isolation, broken relationships, addiction, and a lack of positive guidance. Through a consistent ministry of presence, volunteers have the opportunity to listen, encourage, pray, and walk alongside those seeking a new direction in life. This ministry also includes assisting released individuals as they transition back into society, helping them connect with resources, supportive communities, and the spiritual foundation necessary for lasting transformation. While the challenges can be significant, every visit, conversation, and act of compassion offers an opportunity to witness to the Gospel and remind each person that they are not forgotten by God or His Church.
Correspondence Ministry
One of the simplest ways to become involved is through the pen pal program. Some studies have shown that pen pal and visitor programs have reduced the recidivism rate (percentage of those who return to prison within three years) of the participants by as much as 34 percent. Parish members simply “adopt” an inmate as a friend, writing letters and sending birthday and holiday cards. Parish participants should commit to writing at least twice a month for one year. Think about your letters, and prayerfully consider the impact of your words on an inmate. Pray for your pen pal. It is a wonderful opportunity to share your faith and build a relationship with a person in prison through these letters.
Family Ministry
Some of the needs of inmates’ families are obvious. Loss of income means that obtaining food, clothing and shelter have now become critical in what was probably a difficult situation to begin with. One huge problem for families is transportation for visitation. Generally, prisons are located in rural areas, far off the beaten path, for obvious reasons. Many times, families do not have the financial resources to fund these trips to visit inmates or simply do not know the proper procedure for visitation. The families suffer in many other, less obvious ways. Often the families report that they feel as if they are imprisoned along with their loved one, even though they, themselves, committed no crime. One of the best ways is to simply be a caring and compassionate friend, a brother or sister in Christ.