Prisoners' Sunday Message from Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Cardinal Vincent on a recent prison visit

Prisoners' Sunday takes place this year on 13 October. The Cathedral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday 15 October at 5.30pm.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has issued the following message: "As President of Pact, the national Catholic charity for people in prison and their families, I invite you to join with me in supporting this year's Prisoners' Sunday, on 13th October. Pact supports people throughout England and Wales, whatever their beliefs. Pact's work is varied, and includes care for children whose parents have been sent to prison, as well as offering practical assistance to people leaving prison, who are trying to make a fresh start and put their past behind them."

Pact has posted out a Prisoners' Sunday pack to every parish in England & Wales. It contains a poster, bidding prayers, information about our work and second collection details.

Pact works in five prisons in the Westminster diocese, as well as in courts and in the community. These prisons in London include HMP Wormwood Scrubs and HMP Pentonville where they run the Visitors' Centres. This is where they meet children and families coming to visit someone inside. Visitors can easily feel overwhelmed and apprehensive, but Pact staff and volunteers provide a friendly welcome and good information about what to expect. It can be upsetting and overwhelming to visit someone in prison and it can be hard to be visited in prison by your children and members of your family. However there are also men and women in prison who receive no visits at all. Perhaps family relationships have completely broken down, or the person experienced being in care as a child and young person, and never had a good network of support.

Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs says: "Every day, I hear how our prisons are in crisis. Prisons are overcrowded and inspection reports are often dire. There are many in prison experiencing mental health crises. Whilst with the new government we are waiting for system change, we must carry on, sleeves rolled up on the prison wings and landings. The change we make happen every day is in the human heart. People only change when they believe it is possible and when they find the motivation.

"We are delighted that this year Bishop Paul McAleenan will celebrate a Prisoners' Sunday Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 15th October at 5.30pm. How beautiful and how fitting that prisoners and their families will be brought before the Lord in the Cathedral as well as in parishes in the diocese."

For more information and resources for Prisoners' Sunday, see: www.prisonadvice.org.uk/faith/events/prisoners-sunday/

Source: Archbishops' House