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On March 25th we celebrate the feast of Saint Dismas, the Saint for which this Guild was named.  St. Dismas is also known as the “Good Thief” or “Penitent Thief” who was crucified beside Jesus.  The gospel of Luke tells the story of St. Dismas, which provides inspiration for each of us – especially during this Lenten season – on the importance of true repentance.

“Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. …Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us.’  The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, ‘Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?  And indeed, we have been condemned justly; for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.’  Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  He replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:32, 39-43)  St. Dismas is the patron saint of prisoners and penitent sinners.

How St. Dismas Guild began: Deacon Ken Finn became a Catholic deacon in 1978 and two years later began work as a prison chaplain counseling inmates at a rate of 100 to 150 a month.  Deacon Ken said, “I try to tell the person they’re not a piece of junk or garbage…Christ loved the sinner…I have never met a person in my life who does not want to be loved.”

Through this work, Deacon Ken developed a passion for prisoners.  Inspired by Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Deacon Ken and his wife Marie began St. Dismas Guild in 1989, almost 30 years ago!  They began writing a bible study.  The Bread of Life Catholic Bible Study was completed in 1992 and is now published in both the English and Spanish languages.

St. Dismas Guild is a Catholic non-profit organization whose mission is to bring Jesus Christ, the Word of God, to the broken, the lost and the lonely, the sick and the imprisoned.  The objective of St. Dismas Guild is to prepare, transcribe, publish and distribute teaching aids and commentaries on Holy Scripture and to go out and search for the broken, the lost, the lonely, the hurting, the addict, and the sick and bring them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and continued growth by the power of the Holy Spirit through Sacred Scripture, Church Teaching, and the Sacraments.

In 2014 Deacon Ken went home to be with our Lord.  He is missed and all in St. Dismas Guild pray for his intercession so the Guild may continue its mission.  St. Dismas Guild continues to grow and currently distributes the Bread of Life Catholic Bible Study along with other Catholic publications to over 200 prisoners every month at no cost to the prisoners.  In addition to providing books to the prisoners, St. Dismas Guild distributes a monthly newsletter containing testimonies to a mailing list of almost 5000.  The printed testimonies are just a sample of the numerous letters the Guild receives from those who have experienced healing through their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

One success story is from Frank.  His story began at 14 years of age…alcohol and drugs gave way to heroin and cocaine which brought him to his knees.  His journey continued for 20 years.  He had overdosed a few times, tried many inpatient secular programs and ended up in jail in a cell with someone charged with murdering a 16 year old girl.  This was not the life he wanted, but it had such a stranglehold on him.  It was Deacon Ken and Marie, who both provided spiritual support.  Frank grew up Catholic, and believed in God but never really gave it much thought.  For the first month, he thought he was going to die going through drug withdrawal cold turkey.  He started reading the bible and said that everything in it pertained to today’s life.  It had all the answers…he was totally amazed.  Frank has been clean for 25 years and can’t stop thanking God.  Here is a quote from Frank, “It’s such a blessing knowing that I can call out to Him at any time and He will fulfill all my needs.  Can you imagine having someone to take all your problems away.  It’s just a matter of opening up and letting Him in. When Christ comes into your life there will be nothing you can’t achieve.”

          Thank you to all our generous donors who support St. Dismas Guild and help to spread the Word of God and His message of love. 

Dear St. Dismas Guild, I have been on your mailing list for a couple of years and have enjoyed reading about how our Master can change the lives of so many people. I am 54 years old. I have severe emphysema and C.O.P.D. I’m in the last stages of this lung disease. But I have to let people know that Our Lord can do all things. I had lung doctors tell me that I would never be off the oxygen machine. When I was in the world I was on 4 liters of oxygen per minute. When I got put in jail I prayed to Our Lord that He may heal my lungs enough to get off the oxygen machine. And Praise be to Our Lord Jesus Christ, He did!  I have been oxygen-free since 2014 and I am doing real well. I have the x-rays and medical records to prove what I say is true.

Our Master (May He be praised by all forever) answers all prayers. Maybe not the way you expect, but He will answer your prayers. We must trust in the Sacred Heart of Our Lord. May He bless all at St. Dismas Guild. If it be possible, could you send me some information about St. John of the Cross?  He is my patron saint. Also could you send me the book The GOSPELS in Their Original Meaning?  Thank you all. May God bless your wonderful ministry. Your bro, in Christ. R.S.

Dear RS, Being in the last stages of a lung disease, must be very difficult for you.  Not being able to breathe is very scary. Only our Lord knows when it is time for you to come home into His loving embrace. You are right, God does answer our prayers and it is always for our good. He tells us in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Trusting in the Sacred Heart of our Lord, knowing He has you in the palm of His hand gives you peace. Jesus tells us in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Your testimony will help those who are suffering catastrophic illnesses. Thank you for sharing. You are in our prayers. You are preparing for the total healing. God bless you.

Dear St. Dismas Guild, Greetings to you in the Name of Jesus. First, I would like to thank you for mailing me your St. Dismas Guild newsletter every month. As I read it, you would not believe the blessings it has been for me. Now I have been locked up for 41 years of a life sentence. I came up for parole and I was given what is called a 5-year set off. But as I read your newsletter I am getting encouragement from it.

The reason that I am writing you is that I am not Catholic, but I would like to take your Catholic Bible Study. I do not have a Catholic bible so I don’t know if I needed a Catholic Bible to do your study. In fact, I would like for you to send me a Catholic Bible. As I read your newsletter I know that, of all the church groups that I know of, I am touched by your understanding and compassion for all people. So if out of your resources that you may have to help me be a better Christian I do appreciate it. We do have a Catholic service here but it is at a time that I cannot attend, but I would like to try to go to it. I would like to hear from you. Thank you for caring for us inmates.  In Christ. JF

Dear JF, The bible, bible study and pamphlets are on the way to you. Yes, you do need the Catholic Bible to do the bible study. One great thing with the Catholic Bible it has Sirach 38 in it. It is such a powerful scripture for those who are ill and for those who have lost a loved one. The Church teaches that the last things are Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. We are in the beginning of lent where we are reminded that death is imminent. Ecclesiastes 3:2 says, “a time to be born and a time to die” and we will be judged by what we have done in the body whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Bread of Life Catholic Bible Study helps you develop a personal relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit will teach you all you need to know and remind you of all Jesus said and did (John 14:26). Blessing to you.

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Dear Staff: First, thank you for keeping me on your mailing list these past few years. I enjoy reading the testimonies, praying for the people who send them, and learning something new with each issue. I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with control issues and addictive behavior. I was moved to send this after reading the letter from J.M. in the “Doing Time with Jesus” section of the January 2017 issue.  J.M. spoke of being sexually assaulted, being scared to be around a lot of people, and crying himself to sleep.        Your response, as usual, was filled with blessed assurance and bible-based wisdom. I believe, though, besides sending applicable reading material he should have been strongly encouraged to immediately report the assault. This would have set in motion counseling for him and justice for his attackers. I pray for J.M.’s healing and that he receives professional counseling from a faithful follower as soon as possible. R.L.

Dear RL, Thank you for your concern and advice. Sexual Abuse should always be reported but some people are very much afraid to report it. Fear much of the time cripples people but 1 John 4:15 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” God is love. When you recognize His presence in the world today and believe in your heart His unconditional love for you and reach out and accept it the way gets easier. God bless you.

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Hello St. Dismas Guild, First of all, I pray that this letter reaches you in the best of health and spirits. Now, I was given your address by another inmate and was told that upon request I could receive a Bible and an RCIA study course. If this is true, I would be very grateful for your help with this. I am currently serving Life without Parole and am in bad need of understanding. I don’t know what else to do or anywhere else to turn. My life flat out sucks and I don’t want it to be that way anymore. Thank you. May God be with you and bless you and your families always. Sincerely, JM

JM, I am sure God sees your heart and your desire to change. That is what we call repentance. Repentance is turning from the life you are living without God to a life with God, away from a sin-filled life to a Spirit-filled life. .Both John the Baptist and Jesus said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2 & 4:17). We sent you a bible, bible study, catechism and pamphlets to get you started. The best way to begin is learning how to live according to the Word of God and the teachings of the Church. Always remember to say the scripture at the top of each lesson, “The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I have told you” John 14:26. The change will come, just be patient with yourself.

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Dear St. Dismas Guild,    First, I would like to thank you for all the newsletters you have sent me this year. I have truly grown closer to my Lord knowing that I’m not alone and that the services you provide really are helping people not give up hope, regardless what things may seem like. The letters that the other prisoners write also help because we realize that those prisoners have a whole lot of time. They should open the eyes of a lot of people to realize how fortunate they are. Please pray for me.  With brotherly love, God bless you.  JS

Don’t ever give up hope as Isaiah 40:31 says,” They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” Matthew 11:28-30

To all this Lent, we pray that your Lenten season will be filled with time for reflection and growth in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

God bless you,

St. Dismas Staff

CHRISTMAS

What greater gift can we ever receive than to have our loving God save us from our sins? Behold the cry of a baby in the cold, dark stable that became brilliant with light at the birth of the Child. Mary took hold of her child and held Him ever so close. She takes hold of you as she did her Son and places you in the arms of the Savior of the world. We all need a mother’s love, open your heart to the Christ child and receive all that God our Father has for you. Let the Holy Spirit teach you all about this loving God who forgives homosexual acts, drunkenness, gluttony, etc. Let this Christmas be the beginning of your life in Christ by repenting of your sins. He condemns no one but as He said to the woman, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus is waiting and has no favorites. He knocks at the door of your heart. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

TESTIMONY

by

SV

To St. Dismas Guild, Hello, I have been getting your newsletters for a while and I enjoy the testimonies and the pro-life stories. I must say that I am not Catholic, however I do believe that anyone who puts his faith in Christ and turns away from sin to follow Him is my brother and sister. So I want to let you know of my new address. I live to share also about my deliverance from a life of homosexuality, drugs and alcohol. The truth is that many people try to understand why some people are attracted to their same sex, but only those with such feelings can explain what a burden it really is. Nobody told me ever to do anything I didn’t want to do and so at an early age (11-12) I was performing sexual acts with boys. To me it seemed normal but everyone would hate me if they knew how I felt. I used to do drugs and drink so I could blame my feelings on the buzz, but the truth is that that was my way of being free.

Years went by. I was married twice and it never worked because of who I was. Some people knew about it and even if they didn’t say anything to me, they did behind my back. Finally at 27 I came to prison and I read the Bible. It was a horrible feeling to learn that my actions were an abomination to God, but it was a great relief to see that in Christ I could find forgiveness. So, by His grace, I repented and turned my life around. I wish I can say that my feelings have changed completely, but the truth is that it is a daily battle. I know now that the more I stay in God’s Word, the better I get. It has been over 8 years since I came to Christ. In two more years I’ll be home as a new man to see my kids. I want to be the man God created me to be and forget the drugs and alcohol and my evil desires I once gave into. I also want everyone who is struggling with this sin to know that there is freedom in Christ, but we must accept that we are wrong and He is right. Thank you and May God bless you all.

SV, He was standing at the door of your heart and you let Him in. What a powerful testimony. To recognize your actions were an abomination to God and repent of them transformed your life. You are right, staying in God’s Word and obeying it is the key to healing. Our loving God can heal you any time, but we have to open the door of our heart      to receive it. The Word does convict us of our sins but when we admit them and turn to God He forgives and embraces us. I love your statement, “but we must accept that we are wrong and He is right.” Thank you for sharing. Stay in the Word and you will see even greater miracles in your life in God’s timing.

DOING TIME WITH JESUS

Dear Brother, I pray with all of my heart and soul that our Dear Lord Jesus Christ has his love and wonderful blessings around you and your dear families always and forever. Amen. I hope that you are in good health and enjoying life with a smile. Most of all that Our Lord is in your precious lives.  I am in good health, thanks to our Dear Lord Jesus Christ and the good doctors here. They do a good job and care about us in many ways. When I was sent here to this hospital because I had cancer that only made me draw closer with our Dear Lord Jesus Christ and my walk has only gotten stronger as the days pass.

I read and study my bible every day and go to church every week. It helps me to live in this ugly place with love in my heart for my lost brothers. I stay away from trouble and cause no problems, and believe me, that is hard to do in here. I do my best to share about Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen to me. But I believe that a good walk with Our Lord says more than words could ever say. I can not understand what people are listening to these days. Are they that lost in sin and this world? I was once lost but then God called out to me and saved me from myself.  We must pray every day for the lost and the sinners that our dear Lord Jesus Christ will save them and call them home. That is what I am waiting for: to go home with God, amen. Well, my brother, remember God loves you and so do I and Christ.  Sincerely,  AS

            AS, We will all be home one day or another and turning to God has helped you on the ladder to heaven. People are listening to Satan and are blinded by their sins, as God waits patiently for them to turn to Him. That’s what we call repentance and you obviously have repented. Praise God! You were lost, AS, and now you have been found and you want everyone to come to Him and receive what you have, the abundant life. God wishes none to be lost. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Jesus’ gift to you this Christmas is Himself and His promises, how rich you are. Merry Christmas!

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 Hello St. Dismas Guild, God be with you always. Thank you for the newsletter. It is always a blessing. It is so good to see incarcerated people giving their lives to our Savior Jesus Christ. We might be locked away, but we are still children of the Most High God, after rebirth of our lives. I surrendered my life to God after my lockup in 2003. But, as all prodigal sons, we left God to try life without him. God accepted me           back into his arms saying, “Welcome back my son.” God has unconditional love for all His children. Man or woman can not give us this. Thank God for His love and Grace. Without Grace, God’s Grace, we are lost and confused. Thank you for reaching out as God wants all of us to do. Peace to you always. In Christ we live, MS

It’s amazing, MS, how many come to the Lord in prison. Fear sometimes can be a good thing when it brings you to the Lord. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18 You are right, without God’s Grace we are lost and confused, but with it we are confident and unafraid. Thank you for sharing.

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St. Dismas Guild:  I wanted to tell you all “thank you for your newsletters” and ask if you could send me a Catholic Bible Study. I see your newsletter is about Mother Teresa of Calcutta. That’s something, because my family ordered me a book on Mother Teresa and I already received it and I’ve been reading it. I love the way she expresses her words of wisdom and how Jesus loves us all, and he will forgive you of your sins. I’ve been in prison for six years now and Jesus lets me see what is good and what isn’t good. I pray more now than ever and I love doing it. So I tell all those believers to pray more and enjoy the ride to the kingdom. I read the love letter from Jesus everyday and it gives me so much peace. A lot of people ask me why I don’t go outside. It’s because there are too many bad people outside in the yard! I am going to ask if you all can pray for this prison, so they can make changes and send all the young prisoners to another spot. Let them do their time there and also, to pray for the whole world. Jesus is the love of my life and He comes first in life. There is so much I learned while studying Jesus’ love letter.

I want to ask if you could pray for a little Christian man named J. He is up in age and dying of cancer. The state won’t give him his pardon to go home to see some good doctors to help him with his cancer. I’ve been praying that they will set him free from prison. We all made mistakes and Jesus forgives us, but the World would not forgive. So that way it is best for us to pray for our families, friends, priests, and the Whole Church. May God bless you and again, thanks for everything.  Remember, don’t waste your time because Jesus is coming to town! Don’t forget He loves you! And so do I. Love from your Catholic brother. RG

RG, prayer is so powerful and God answers our prayers as to what is best for us. We certainly will pray for your friend who has cancer. It must be terrible being in prison and dealing with an illness like cancer or any other illness. The Prophet Isaiah tells us,
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed.” Jesus is the healer. You are right Jesus forgives us our sins. It is hard knowing you are forgiven yet still have to pay the consequences of your sins. The punishment that is given is brutal but knowing Jesus will take you through it and never leave you makes it bearable. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:6

FAMILY MINISTRY

The Holy Family.  This month the Church begins a new year with Advent.  During this time our eyes are fixed on the Holy Family, (Joseph, Mary & Jesus), and the coming of Christ, Jesus’s birth on Christmas day.  I think to myself, how can I make this season more meaningful.  How can I better prepare myself to be truly worthy to celebrate the anniversary of our Lord’s coming?  I reflect on the Holy Family.  Mary had Joseph but they had no one but the Lord and He was always there with them.  With the passing of my dad just a few months ago, this Christmas will be difficult.  How hard this season can be with the loss of a loved one or just being without family.  Loneliness and the longing for a brother or sister, mom or dad, husband or wife, daughter or son is heartbreaking, but Jesus says all who do the will of my Father are mother, brother or sister to me.  I find hope in our faith, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  How amazing to me that one child, Jesus Christ, can make such a difference in this world and a reminder to me that our reward is not here on earth, but our reward is eternal life with Christ!  May God grant us the grace to prepare us not only to celebrate this Christmas but to make our souls fitting for the reward of eternal life with Him.

PRO-LIFE

Come and pray the Rosary for Life with us in front of PayLess on Mission Ave (Center City Pkwy) every Thursday from 10:30-11:30AM. United prayer will stamp out abortion and contraception.

On December 30^th “…we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Though Jesus was conceived of a virgin, He nevertheless lived as a son in a human family — a family which points the way for the rest of us. The family is the sanctuary of life. There can be no life without family, and there can be no family without life. The family, above all, is where life is to be welcomed, no matter how fragile or inconvenient it may be. One of the many reasons why the Pope and bishops identify abortion and euthanasia as pre-eminent issues is because these crimes are committed by one family member upon another.

May the Holy Family lead us to a Culture of Life!” ~ PriestsForLife.com

Mary and Joseph embraced Life and said “Yes” to God, even up against so much confusion.  Some of us may not have understood the importance of Life and chose abortion instead.  But abortion is never a good answer…  God gave us Life and we could have chosen Adoption or Parenting as an option to help create a Holy Family. The good news is there is always healing when we have contrition and replace the vice with a virtue….  Let the Holy Family be your guide and mentors to this healing.

So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.  ~ Luke 1:38 

“Father, help us to Live as the Holy Family, united in Respect and Love. Bring us to the Joy and Peace of your Eternal home.”  Amen.

UPDATE

During 2016 we shipped 1200+ packages (Bread of Life Bible Studies, bibles & more) free to prisoners!  Each package cost approx. $30.  Also, we mailed over 54,000 newsletters!  All possible because of your prayers and financial donations.  Please continue to help us spread God’s message of love and mercy.

THANK YOU!

EL PAN DE VIDA – ESTUDIO DE BIBLIA CATOLICO – CICLO A  – NOW AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

St. Dismas Staff

By SP

“In GOD we Trust” Dear St. Dismas Guild, Hi, y’all.  I’m 23 years young and right now I’m sitting in confinement in prison. I’m facing two years followed with 8 months. At 3 years of age I was taken away from my biological parents and placed into foster care until I was five years old. Then M & K adopted me and signed legal documents to guide and care for me as their own. Likewise, I was supposed to obey, respect and love them as my adopted parents.  At age 15 my adopted Mom took me to a behavioral hospital to see if I was mentally okay. We found out through a CAT scan I had brain tumors which affected me and my growing up behaviors.  Long story short, I ran away at 18 and was placed in two different Alf’s. I ran away from there and was sent to the second one. I was then placed in another Alf. I got messed up with men, trying to love them and trying to find comfort, love, and support because I felt lonely. Instead, these men turned into manipulators and took my love and kindness for granted and later took high advantage of me, sexually. I was hurt badly, emotionally, physically, mentally and financially, yet never spiritually because my Father, God, was always there.

My adopted family couldn’t help me until I learned to take responsibility for my actions and learn to help myself because there ain’t no body, going to live my life for me, but me.  So yeah, like I was saying, getting mixed up in the midst of “finding love in all the wrong places” put me in a sink hole of being in jail, which led me to prison. Here I sit and patiently wait upon the Lord, facing two years and 8 months. Yes, I’m clearly upset of how I ended up in prison. Will the dear Lord forgive me – of course – because I’ve forgiven those and myself. It is all a misunderstanding of why I’m here in prison, yet, God has a bigger and brighter plan and purpose for me – His beloved child. Well, I do need some spiritual books and help, please. May I request a study guide or a study Bible for young girls like me, Please. Thanks for all y’all do. God bless y’all.  Sincerely, SP.

It sounds like, SP, you found the greatest lover that ever walked this earth, Jesus Christ, and it sounds like He is meeting your needs. Whenever you feel alone just go to Him and get up in His lap and let Him hold you. He says, “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Looking to man to fill the need for love will not work unless they are Spirit filled and then it is still Jesus loving you through them. Thank you for sharing your testimony.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Hello!, my name is DF and I’m 38 years old. I’ve been in and out of prison since I was 17 years old and that is 21 years of my life gone from the world. When I was a kid I grew up in the church and a Christian home. I stayed with my grandparents and they believed in Christ, so I was in church on Sundays, Wednesdays and anytime there were activities that churches do. I was there and I sang for the church and I was an usher boy. When I got older I did not want to do anything with the church. I wanted to do my own thing. Here is the thing, though, I know that Jesus died on the cross for me and died for my sins.  God never gave up on me and He has been there for me and saved my life twice.  In 1996 I was on my bike going to work and I stopped at a stop sign. I looked both ways. I got halfway across the road and a truck came out of nowhere. I had a broken knee and on the other leg it broke my ankle. The doctors and others said I would not work, walk, run, or do other things that I used to do.  I told myself I would walk, run, work and Jesus was there before me. He will be there for me this time and in about a month or two I was up walking, bending my knee and walking on my ankle.

God has saved my life now and it is time for me to quit playing games with my life and quit playing games with the man Jesus Christ. I’m reborn again (Eccl. 3:3), a time to tear down the old me and rebuild the new me for Jesus. It is time for me to walk with the Lord Our God. I gave up a lifestyle and I don’t want to go back to that life. When I was on the free I did a lot of stuff, sex, drugs, alcohol, and for all these things I should have been in the ground. But now I’m glad that I’m locked up in prison because it saved my life. Yes, right now I’m struggling in some things but I’m not perfect. I think about going into ministry when I get out so I can share my life story and how God has saved my life and what he has done for me.  God bless you all. Pray for me and for our nation. It really needs it.  Thank you.  DF

Thank you so much, DF, for sharing. Your right we all struggle with some things and we will never be perfect but we continue to strive for perfection. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48, “In a word you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” You become perfect by loving your enemies. You might say that is a tall order but I say with God all things are possible. You can’t do that on your own power. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, and Savior you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you. Sin is what blocks God from working in your life so as you repent, turn away from the sin and turn to God, you can do all things through God who strengthens you. We will continue to pray for you and our sad mixed up Nation who has made evil good and good evil. Our blessings to you.  

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Dear St. Dismas Guild,

Greetings, May the grace of God shine on St. Dismas Guild and each one of you, through His Son, Jesus Christ. I’m writing to you for I know I am being led by the Holy Spirit. I am a Christian, a follower of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe in the Trinity, but I am not a Catholic. It all started when Mother Mary Angelica went to her Lord in heaven to pray with the saints. I was listening to her, on her shows (EWTN) and everything I thought about Catholics that I thought was wrong was being revealed as Truth. Like Saints praying for us. Well, the Holy Spirit led me to the Holy Scripture in Revelation 8:3, which took me to 5:8 in Revelation.
The Truth is being revealed to me, but there are some things that my carnal mind is still fighting. I am praying to the Father in Jesus’ name to have this revealed to me. The theme of Mother Mary, Mother of Jesus, Our Lord, our God, why do we pray to her? Why is it said that she can show us the grace of God? I was taught that only God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit can teach us and bring grace on us. I will not stop praying on this matter. Everything is coming to light because it was and is a Holy Calling on my life to worship our God, our Lord and Savior the correct way. And I will not let Satan win this battle.

Please, can you send me a Catholic bible and whatever literature you can spare to help me understand why things are done differently from other Christians?  Like, are there different sacraments for each church? “Eucharist,” I never had communion. And I know Christians everywhere are to do this. 1 Corinthians 11:23-30. Here in this prison they have no Catholic bibles to hand out or any literature. So please help me if you can. And how can I become a part of the Catholic Church?  God bless you all, in all of your works to gather in the lost sheep.  Thank you for your time. Your Brother in Christ Jesus.  BP

We ask mother Mary to intercede to her Son for us. It’s like a child who goes to his mother to get what he wants. Our Blessed Mother was given her position as our mother when Jesus was dying on the cross. Jesus gave her to John so he could care for her and she could be a mother to him and in so doing she became the Mother of us all (John 19:26-27). She is not dead she is alive with Jesus as is all our family members who have accepted Jesus into their lives and were baptized. She talks to Him all the time for our benefit. We are so blessed in our Church to have all the angels and saints rooting for us, most especially our mother Mary. Every Catholic Church has the same 7 sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation,, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. These all give us grace. Every one of these are based on the Word of God, instituted by Christ to give grace. As Catholics we believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, John 6:53-55, ‘Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats^* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” ‘We sent your letter to one of our mentors. God bless you.

This month we celebrate Respect Life Sunday, 1^st Sunday in October…every life is worth living.  A few years ago, just before Thanksgiving we got a call, would we consider adopting a baby girl due to be born in 6 weeks.  Our hearts jumped with joy as we had been praying for that day for many years.  We met with the birth mom. Sarah was a beautiful woman, mid-20s, struggling to keep her life on track.  She had been on drugs, no way to support the baby, the biological dad was in prison and had done some very bad things to Sarah.  Being pressured by her so-called friends to abort the baby, she turned away from them as she felt there was another plan for this child and herself.  Through her courageous and generous love, Sarah chose life and she chose adoption.  Thus, an amazing journey began, for both us and Sarah.  Since that day, Sarah has reunited with her family, gone to college and we have been blessed with a child.  God does work miracles!  St. Dismas Guild believes that every life is a gift from God.  If you are struggling with an unplanned pregnancy ask for St. Teresa of Calcutta’s intercession, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Seek out a pro-life clinic.  There are options, one of which is adoption.  If it were not for the love of birth mothers who chose adoption, many would not have the beautiful families that they have, including Deacon Ken & Marie, myself and others on the St. Dismas staff.

“…Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them,

‘Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.’” (Mark 9:36-37)

October is Respect Life Month in our Catholic Church. As Catholics we learn that the Culture of Life ministries are all about informing people to respect life from conception to natural death.  One such parish ministry states that our “Culture of Life Ministry actively promotes respect for human Life by helping parishioners understand the issues and importance of meeting the needs of those who are most vulnerable. Through education, support of Pro-life campaigns and ministries, parishioners are given opportunities to pray for and support Life from conception to natural death.”
Growing up in a lukewarm Christian home I was never taught this concept. I had a conscience but this certainly wasn’t important to me when my choice to use abortion as birth control seemed to be my only option. “It is legal, Right,” was my thought process. There wasn’t anyone there to tell me otherwise so what was bugging me while lying on that table questioning, “Why does this seem so wrong?” It’s called natural law, it’s God’s law written on our hearts. That’s what was bugging me. It was God calling me to choose Life for myself and my baby that day.

To this day I wish I would’ve listened to that nagging voice that told me to get up and run away. I even asked the nurse “how she could be there participating in this” and she just told me to “look up at the ceiling and focus on something to take my mind off of it.” And what did I see? I focused on the cross beams that intersected the ceiling tiles and stared right at the cross. I believe God started working on my heart that very day even though I chose to continue on with the abortion.

It took many (25-30) years before I finally sought help and went on a Rachel’s Hope retreat to heal the years of self-inflicted wounds on my heart and soul.

I have had true contrition and had taken all of this to the foot of the cross for Jesus to wash me in His precious blood. My prayer is that if you have participated in abortion that you too will know that God loves you and wants to forgive you… Run to Him for healing.

“I came so All might have life and have it to the full.” (cf. John 10:10)

Prayer for the Culture of Life…

“Father and maker of all, you adorn all creation with splendor and beauty, and fashion human lives in your image and likeness. Awaken in every heart reverence for the work of your hands, and renew among your people a readiness to nurture and sustain your precious gift of life from conception through natural death. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In Jesus’ love,

St. Dismas Staff