St Dismas
Holy Name Society
Prison Ministry
Welcome to the official site of the St Dismas Holy Name Society Prison Ministry. A ministry committed to serve the spiritual needs of incarcerated Catholic men and women.
Through the unity and power of the Holy Spirit, the St Dismas Prison Ministry awakens the Body of Christ in prisoners through personal conversion to the teachings of Jesus Christ. By offering retreats in prisons, we witness and teach our Catholic faith, share the Holy Gospel according to Catholic catechesis and create a sensitive, charitable atmosphere so prisoners experience the dignity and love of Jesus Christ.
The St. Dismas Prison Ministry, founded in 1980, is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to the ministry of reconciliation for prisoners in federal, state, and county prisons, as well as juvenile detention centers.
The ministry was named after the "good thief" who was crucified beside Jesus. It was through the call to be ambassadors for Christ, given as an exhortation by St. Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, that the St. Dismas Prison Ministry was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the heart of its founder and chairman, Bud Cope from Pittsburgh, PA.
Now, over 100 volunteer team members, including priests, nuns, permanent deacons and laypersons provide weekend retreats in over 20 correctional institutions throughout Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, California and Louisiana.
"For I was...in prison and you visited Me...whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for Me"
Mt 25:36-40
By providing an atmosphere of spiritual awakening and renewal during retreat weekends, prisoners have an opportunity to experience a metanoia (Greek word meaning "change of heart") and the opportunity to change their lives.
Metanoia retreats begin on Thursday evening and end on Sunday afternoon. They include meditative talks, discussions, prayer and praise times, celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and fellowship. To assist the prisoners in their on-going spiritual growth, they are offered follow-up monthly meetings as St Dismas Holy Name Society Outreach.