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FALL 2005 FROM THE PRESIDENT… First, I express my THANKS to all of you who have placed their confidence and trust in me to be President of the ACCCA and to fulfill this responsibility I appeal to all the membership for help and participation . An organization is only as strong as each member participates. I, along with the executive committee, and all the members of the ACCCA publicly extend our compassion and care to Deacon/Chaplain Louis Stall and his wife Bunny, who were made homeless by the hurricane in New Orleans. Louis Stall ministers in the jails in New Orleans and has been a long time member of the ACCCA. Lou and his family are all safe and ask for your continued prayers for the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. If you want to drop a note to Lou, he is still able to pick up his e-mail at lwstall@yahoo.com. Grateful Heart: When I first came into Corrections as a full-time chaplain I remarked to a seasoned-chaplain that the residents never said: “Thank you,” when a favor was extended to them. The seasoned-chaplain remarked to me, “Don’t expect any thanks from prisoners, hardly any of them are thankful.” I looked at him saying, “I will expect thankfulness and I will give ‘thank you’s’.” And do you know what happened, the chapel worker prisoners began to acquire more of a thankful attitude and it began to spread. How do I know? The seasoned chaplain said to me a year later, “Prisoners are saying more ‘thank you’s’ around here.” Each November for the whole month, any class or session I had with prisoners, I would work with them to develop a more thankful heart, to see the good around them and give thanks. A grateful heart takes work and effort to develop. I believe we have to constantly renew ourselves in our expectations and seeing the potential and goodness in those who come into our presence. Peace, Rev. Mark Schmieder, A NOTE OF THANKS Through the gracious request of ACCCA member, Teodoro Rael, ACCCA has received a $1,000 donation from the Santa Maria de la Paz Community in Santa Fe, NM. We are grateful to Teodoro for having made this request and we are very grateful to the Santa Maria de la Paz Community for their generous donation.
ACCCA
BUSINESS MEETING Discussion ensued about next year’s summer conference in Myrtle Beach in May, 2006. It is important that we connect with the National Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministers to plan the agenda and talk about our involvement in that meeting. We would need a separate time to conduct our ACCCA business meeting. Thanks to our Planning Committee, Mary D’Ambrogi, Sharon Hull, Sr. Pat Ash, Jim Sanders and Ed Aigner for all their help in presenting our Baltimore Summer Conf. Minutes of the summer meeting in Chicago were approved as submitted. The Minutes of the winter meeting in Phoenix were amended to reflect that Mary Lou Schnitzer was present on January 6th. The Minutes were approved as amended. Incorporation was discussed. We are currently not incorporated and the benefits of incorporation were discussed. Mark Schmieder stated that we run the risk of liability as individual members if we are not incorporated. Treasurer’s Report given by Tom Houle, which is attached. We will have approximately $26,000, plus the $5,000 annuity after the expenses for the summer conference have been deducted. The membership has gone down by 5 members. We now have a total of 143 members. Everyone was encouraged to recruit members in their area. John Boylan questioned if we knew where the lost members are coming from. It was suggested that a large number are from California, due to budget cuts. Jim Gleason moved to pass the financial report. Seconded by Margaret Graziano. Audit Committee of Jim and Jan Gleason gave their report. Their review showed no discrepancies.
Newsletter. There was a discussion as to why it is still received in hard copy. Sharon Hull stated that unfortunately the newsletter is often returned because of changed e-mail addresses, mailboxes are full, or the filters are not allowing the document to go through. It was voted at the winter meeting that we should send it out via hard copy, so that all members were assured of receiving it Constitution & By-Laws report by Jim Jacobson. Their have been a series of conference calls working on corrections and additions to the constitution and by-laws. The existing constitution will be put on the website, and after work by Jim Jacobson and Bob Schulze, the recommended changes will be posted for everyone to review. Nominating Committee. Jim Jacobson read the report from the Teller Committee and announced our new officers. Mark Schmieder is our new president and Sammy Diaz is our new vice-president. Mark is looking for regional representatives from around the country. A paper was passed out to everyone asking for nominations from each of the regions. List Serve: Susan VanBaalan suggested we start a list serve for the members of ACCCA, so that members could communicate with each other via the computer, passing along information and asking for help in troubled situations. Tom Skemp was going to check out the various possibilities, and report back to the membership. Doris Witmer moved to adjourn the meeting. It was seconded by Paul Rogers.
SUMMER MEETING THE ACCCA 2006 SUMMER CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON MAY 21 – 25, IN MYRTLE BEACH. The ACCCA in 2006 is joining with the Convocation of Jail & Prison Ministry for a joint conference to learn from one another and to give support to each other. The theme is: REJOICE IN HOPE. This decision was made by the membership at the 2005 Conference. The purpose would be to collaborate where we can, to learn and support one another and hopefully to be more of an advocate and a conscience in and for our penal systems. We will not merge as we are two distinct organizations with different purposes and compositions. You should have received your early registration notice and I encourage as many as possible to attend. If you have not received your form, please contact shull@archbalt.org. The agenda, as completed so far, is both challenging and inspiring. We are hoping for a large attendance. We will be on the beach and have some time to enjoy the beauty of the ocean and nature with all their gifts. The ACCCA is affiliated with the ACCA and ultimately to the ACA and we will have our annual conference the following year in 2007 immediately before the ACA annual Congress, as we have done in years past. There will be representatives present from ACCCA at this year’s annual winter ACA meeting in Nashville and also at the annual summer meeting in Charlottesville.
2005 KOLBE AWARD WINNER SR. SUSAN VAN BAALEN The stirring and inspiring presentation by Franciscan Father Jim McCurry gave us all a deeper understanding of the prisoner-martyr-saint Maximilian Kolbe. Fr. Kolbe’s faith and humanity came into clearer focus as brought to life for us by this man who will be spearheading Kolbe’s canonization cause. It also gives us a fuller appreciation for the annual granting of the award to one of our cohorts in ministry in the name of Maximilian Kolbe. This year’s recipient is well known to us as a tireless and creative chaplain and administrator. Susan Van Baalen has for well over thirty years ministered to, and spoken for, men and women in jails and prisons, first in her native Michigan, and then with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in various places throughout the country. Specifically, her outspoken advocacy for women in prison serves as a model for us in the ACCCA. She continues to be a tireless and articulate spokesperson for prisoners’ rights and dignity through her incisive speaking and writing.
IPCA
CONFERENCE The International Prison Chaplains’ Association (IPCA) held its every-five-years meeting in Cornwall, Ontario from Aug. 19 to 24. Attending were more than 300 prison ministers from over 70 countries around the world. As we have all experienced, perhaps on a smaller scale, at our Catholic ACCCA and ICCPPC gathers, IPCA V proved to be both informative and exhilarating. The rarified coming together of sisters and brothers dedicated to ministry on the frontline of “corrections” was a time to encourage one another to find Jesus in the face of every prisoner. The theme of IPCA V was No Estamos Solos. Featured speakers included Sr. Helen Prejean, and Tom O’Connor from the U.S., known widely to us for their passion and insight. With other presenters, they emphasized the communal nature of our shared ministry; neither chaplains nor prisoners are alone in the business of liberation. Whether on death row, community outreach and reentry centers, or the holy places of faith gatherings in our institutions of punishment, “no estamos solos.” A general election of officers for the next five years took place with Birgitta Winberg of Sweden chosen as the new president. She will be assisted over the next five years by regional delegates, including our own Susan Van Baalen from the Northeast Region. IPCA is a Christian ecumenical group of laypersons and clergy, paid and volunteer, much like the ACCCA and IPPCCA. Piloted over the past term by Rev. Pierre Allard and his wife, Judy, IPCA continues to provide creative networking and support for those who provide pastoral care to prisoners around the world. No estamos solos. From my personal experience at IPCA V, I encourage all in ACCCA to learn more by going to the IPCA website (ipcaworldwide.org) and subscribing to their excellent publication, Justice Reflections at IPCA, P. O. Box 71053, Ottawa, Canada, K2P IWO. ORDER OF MALTA PRISON MINISTRY Our newest ACCCA members, Bill and Theresa Benedict have spearheaded a new ministry for prisoners under the auspices of the Order of Malta. Quoting from their brochure: “The purpose of the Order is to promote the spiritual well-being of its members by encouraging them to dedicate themselves personally to the sick and to the poor and to defend the faith as members of a religious community.” Starting with a “Books for Prisoners” program the Malta organization has made funds available for prisoners in Connecticut and New Jersey, and plan to extend this outreach to other states. Additional Catholic materials will also be made available, free of charge. At a recent meeting of the New Jersey Board of Directors, plans for expanding the scope of this new Malta-sponsored initiative were discussed. Bishop Frank Rodimer, retired Bishop of Paterson, Malta Chaplain, will help his fellow New Jersey bishops to forward the efforts. Plans for incorporating the new ministry are underway along with grant applications. Among the future goals is the securing of employment opportunities for prisoners returning to the community.
KOLBE AWARD FOR 2006
CERTIFICATION Congratulations to Franco Cottrell and Richard Niggeman on receiving their certification at the summer conference. Our certification process as Catholic correctional chaplains is nationally recognized and is linked with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. We encourage all our members to become certified. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sr. Mary Lou Schnitzer for her chairmanship of the Certification Committee. The Executive Committee is currently searching for a new chair of this committee, as Sr. Mary Lou will be resigning effective January 1, 2006. 2006 PRISONER ART CALENDAR Sr. Margaret Graziano has once again put together a beautiful calendar from her art students at the Lake County Jail, in Oregon. The cost is only $11.80. If you are interested in purchasing a calendar, they are available through: Sr. Margaret Graziano
PICTURES - SUMMER MEETING
Jim and Jan enjoying time with Sr. Mary Lou and Sr. Connie
Our new President, Mark Schmieder, giving his acceptance speech.
Sharon Hull, our new Vice-President Sammy Diaz, our new President Mark Schmieder, Treasurer Tom Houle, Secretary Mary D’Ambrogi and Bishop Lagonegro, our Episcopal Advisor
HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR SUMMER CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE Our keynote speaker, Tom O’Connor, from the Department of Corrections in Oregon gave a presentation on A Catholic Approach to Corrections and Re-Entry. Besides a wealth of information including the history of our penal system in the United States, he left us with many ideas to consider. “The U.S. compared to many other developed countries is both very religious and very punitive.” His complete Power Point presentation can be found at our website catholiccorrectionalchaplains.org.
Aftercare at the Summer Conference Alfreda A. Robinson (“Frieda”) gave an inspiring and remarkable talk on the aftercare of women. She is the director of The National Women’s Prison Project, Inc. whose motto is: “Embracing women through their pain.” She herself spent nine years in prison, the result of a telephone call for her son who was involved in drug dealing. It changed her whole life. From a teacher in the Baltimore City School System and counselor with a master’s degree, she now has as her mission and goal to regularly seek ways to eradicate the systematic desensitization, degradation and dehumanization routinely applied in the prison system. She herself after being released, confronted the issues of unemployment, no health benefits, economic instability, alienation and isolation and an inability to secure an independent living. But as she says, she is blessed, while others are faced with limited education, drug abuse problems, limited job experience and psychological abuse issues. Alfreda has a developing working model in working with women ex-offenders which begins before the offender is released, and the crucial time upon release to release the shame above all else, and working on success building skills to life skills. More information can be found at her website: www.nationalwomensprisonproject.org or writing: The National Women’s Prison
Project Inc.
OFFENDERS ANONYMOUS Fr. Sy (Sylvester Peterka, C.M.) along with Sherman Yarborough, an ex-offender, presented a model of a parish in Baltimore City ministering to ex-offenders. Sherman Yarborough, who began a life of drugs and prison at the age of 11 and 40 years later made the decision to change. This change took effect with treatment, God, and Fr. Sy. They shared with us the program OFFENDERS ANONYMOUS, based on the 12 step program, was launched. With its motto, “I am responsible… When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of O.A. (Offenders Anonymous) always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.” In addition, the organization, FACE, (Freedom Advocates
Celebrating Ex-offenders) was started and full information can be at their
web site: www.charityadvantage.com/fxredomadvocates/
Thanks also to Andy Rivas from the USCCB, and Joey Wheedon of ACCA, who updated us on all the current legislation; Rev. Les Schmidt, who spoke on the Pastoral Statements from the Southern Bishops, Dick Busch of National C.U.R.E., John Tippett who spoke so eloquently on recently deceased Chaplain Rev. Jeff Carlsen, and Bishop Dominick Lagonegro, our Episcopal Advisor, for the beautiful mass and inspiring homily. We were also very grateful to the 55 chaplains and volunteers who attended and through their encouragement and support of each other, made this a very special conference. ACA WINTER CONFERENCE This year the ACA will hold their annual winter conference in Nashville, TN from January 28th thru February 1st. (Note: There will not be a full ACCCA planning meeting, as arrangements for the summer meeting are finalized for Myrtle Beach in May of 2006.) Scheduled meetings in Nashville:
Sunday, January 29, 2006 11:00 Catholic Mass OFFICERS OF THE ACCCA
PRESIDENT SECRETARY
VICE-PRESIDENT TREASURER
EXEC. SECRETARY
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