ENGLISH — FROM THE DIRECTOR

October 10, 2026 | A Pastoral Message to Our Detention Ministry Community

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Detention Ministry continues to grow, and with that growth comes the responsibility to strengthen our formation, communication, and commitment to those we are called to serve.

Over the past several weeks, I have been working to reorganize and update our website, www.detentionministry.org, making it clearer, more accessible, and easier to navigate for everyone.

I warmly encourage all our volunteers — new, regular, occasional, and returning — to take time to explore the website carefully, especially the VOLUNTEERING, FORMATION, and REPORTING pages.

Please read the instructions calmly and follow each step of the formation process.

We have developed the Prison Pastoral Formation Ecosystem (PPFE) because formation is not simply a requirement to complete. It is a lifelong journey.

As human beings, we never stop learning. As Christians, we never stop growing in faith. And as pastoral ministers, we must never stop preparing ourselves to serve with compassion, humility, responsibility, and love.

Our School of Prison Pastoral Care, supported by Domus Misericordiae, provides a pathway for initial formation, annual refresher courses, and continuing pastoral education.

I particularly encourage every volunteer and pastoral team facilitator to become familiar with the REPORTING page.

Our weekly pastoral reports and monthly schedules are essential tools for understanding how we are serving, maintaining a consistent Catholic presence in our facilities, recognizing pastoral needs, and supporting one another.

Reporting is not simply an administrative requirement. It is an expression of our shared pastoral responsibility.

Our website is becoming our central hub for communication, formation, coordination, and pastoral resources. Please make it a habit to visit regularly.

To those who may be discerning a call to serve, I extend a heartfelt invitation.

Jesus reminds us:

“I was in prison and you visited me.” — Matthew 25:36

He also tells us:

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” — Matthew 9:37

There are many brothers and sisters behind prison and detention walls who long for a compassionate presence, a listening ear, a word of hope, and the assurance that they have not been forgotten.

Perhaps Christ is calling you to be that presence.

I invite you to explore our website, learn about our ministry, begin the volunteer registration and formation process, and consider becoming part of our Detention Ministry Community of Care.

Together, let us continue building a ministry rooted in faith, strengthened by formation, united in responsibility, and inspired by mercy.

We read to understand. We reflect to discern. We pray to encounter Christ. We serve to make His mercy present.

With gratitude and prayers,

Deacon Edgardo J. Farias, Ph.D.

Director, Detention Ministry
Archdiocese of Miami