by Fr Francesco Bontà, SDB
"Bringing Mercy" is always a challenge; even more so in a difficult environment such as the "Bicocca" penitentiary for minors in Catania: a challenging place, but nice for those betting on the growth of these boys every day, boys who, as Don Bosco said, "have access to the good." These are the potentials that need to be discovered by the educator.
"Bringing Mercy" means to bring them the caress of God - as Pope Francis repeats - because it is what God did first with us, with His mercy, with His Self. One must bring it to those most in need, those who have suffering in their heart and who are sad; approach them with that caress of God, what He has shared with us.
Then all those who meet with the boys - in school, in activities, in leisure time, the teachers, educators, agents, volunteers ... - become a sign of God, that concrete God who is always near.
In the eyes of those who spend themselves for the little ones, one sees small gestures of love, tenderness, and care. So, too, is God is closer to them.
One needs to look at Jesus for He has committed himself to returning hope to the poor, to those who were without dignity, to foreigners, to the sick, to the prisoners. He welcomed them with goodness and respect. In all this, Jesus was the living expression of His Father's Mercy.
This service at the flank of the detainees is "a ministry that is never easy," says Fr Raffaele Grimaldi. One must be "men who listen, deal with stories of great suffering."
And he adds, "We do not have the magic wand, but behind us is the Church that sends us. In jail, there is a Christian community - perhaps disobedient, who have made mistakes, but awaiting an announcement. And chaplains have to act as bridges between prisons and parishes, involve the “outside” communities, so the “inside” pastoral does not become weak or hidden."
