THE CATHOLIC WORKER
Vol. LXXIII, No. 6 - Oct.-Nov., 2006 - Page 7

The above image is from an Abraham House capital campaign brochure. The water color Free Me Lord behind Fr. Raphael was presented by an inmate named Baptista on the 25th anniversary of the co-founder's priesthood.
The Catholic Worker article had one graphic with the text -- a C. S. Lewis quote. For design and informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. On this NYCHS website, the top image above first appeared on Part 3 of Abraham House history pieces. Click image to access. |
| Abraham House, a small community dedicated to supporting prisoners and their families as they make the critical transition out of prison, has a deeply personalist philosophy of operating as an extended family.
The community began 20 years ago through the
efforts of chaplains Sister Simone Ponnet and Father
Pierre Raphael and other religious working
as chaplains at New York City’s Rikers Island
prison [10-jail complex], one of the largest in the U.S.
Some corrections officers joined them. They
all shared the same discouragement at the
recidivism they witnessed and they set out to
create a more effective and humane response
than the exclusive reliance on incarceration.
Today, their remarkable community, rooted
in the still grindingly poor South Bronx, occupies five narrow lots on Willis Avenue.
The
simple, solidly renovated buildings with a central, light-filled chapel on a large combined second floor, looking out over the swaying trees in
the backyards, shelter diverse but organically
interconnected ministries.
These include a
dozen prisoners in the alternative-to-incarceration program, a Family and Pastoral Center
which offers food, clothing, emergency services and counseling

The above image of Sister Sister Simone Ponnet counseling is from the front cover of the capital campaign brochure. Below is a photo from the News From Abraham House newsletter's Winter 2004 issue showing Sr. Simone welcoming retired Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, left, to the Abraham House annual dinner.

The Catholic Worker article had one graphic with the text -- a C. S. Lewis quote. For design and informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. On this NYCHS website, the top image above first appeared on Part 3 of Abraham House history pieces. Click image to access.On this NYCHS website, the bottom image above first appeared on Part 2 of Abraham House history pieces. Click image to access.
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| (e.g. substance abuse,
spousal abuse, parenting, legal and housing),
adult education and immigrant services and
surely the most important ministry in terms of
the future, an after-school program for the children and relatives of prisoners.
Hunger, frequently, is the first and
fundamental need addressed at Abraham House.
The food pantry and the hot meals program
they provide serve 75,000 meals each year to
the men, women and children of the
neighborhood.
The after-school program is
perceived as especially vital from a long-term
perspective because frustration, anger, shame
and a sense of futility many times afflict the
families of prisoners and put them at risk.
A
solid education with extra tutoring in the
essentials of reading and writing, as well as
art, music and sports provide the hope and
necessary means to break the cycle.
All of these ministries are labor intensive.
The panoply of promising programs that
Abraham House has so creatively developed
is supported and sustained by the continuous
dedication of its staff and volunteers and by the
spirituality and Gospel-inspired leadership of
its founders.
Father Pierre wrote recently
about an extraordinary event in the life of a
long-incarcerated prisoner on whose behalf
he had worked for many years and who now
resides at Abraham House.

Click image of Cardinal Egan from the Archdiocese of NY website for his March 6, 2003 report referencing Abraham House.
The Catholic Worker article had one graphic with the text -- a C. S. Lewis quote. For design and informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. |
| Father Pierre was
even able to enlist the aid of Cardinal Egan in
his campaign.
Here is his account:
“Anyway, if I get out, it will be a miracle.”
How many times over the last 26 years
had Severino not spoken that word “miracle?”
How many times had he hoped for it,
had risked uttering it, to the point of being
captivated by it? “Nelson Mandela got out
after 27 years. And he was 76 years old at the time and, now, he’s
90. Me, I’m 66 so there’s a future. . . "
His would be a future purified by fire.

Above is an image of Fishkill Correctional Facility from which Inmate #82A0564 Severino Diaz (dob 1/08/1940) was paroled 6/12/06, having entered the state prison system 2/02/1982 on an A1 felony sentence of 15 years-to-life.
Catholic Worker article had 1 graphic with the text -- a C.S. Lewis quote. For design & informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. The above image appears on this NYCHS site with a historical profile of Fishkill CF. Click image to access.
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On Monday the 17th of April 2006, in the
very middle of the Easter season, Severino
Diaz gave colossal witness to the power of the
Cross of Salvation.
This took place on the
day on which the Gospel gave us the words
about the two women at the empty tomb of
Jesus, who were overcome with fear and joy
at the same time (“half fearful and half joyful”
in my translation of Matthew 28:8).
On that day, Severino was led to an
isolated and locked room of the prison [Fishkill]. It was
8 o’clock in the morning. He was left
there, alone, until 2 in the afternoon.
Severino’s heart was beating like a jackhammer.
He heard banging noises everywhere
and any sense of joy was very distant.
A sense of fear stealthily invaded everything.
Finally, the door opened and they came to
get him. He entered an office where three
men in civilian clothes were waiting for him.
A fourth man came in. It was the
Superintendent, the director of the prison.

The Catholic Worker article had the above graphic with the text. |
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Normally he did not participate in these
review examinations. But, for this occasion,
he was present. As a friend? As an enemy?
Severino had no way of knowing. The
atmosphere in the room is very professional,
sober, low-key and cold. It lasted this way
for half an hour.
But, as he was leaving the
room first, the Superintendent, who had not
spoken once throughout the whole time,
made an unusual gesture. He gave Severino
two friendly pats on the shoulder. Was this
some kind of unimaginable premonition? Our
friend, Severino Diaz walked back to the
shadow-world of his prison like an automaton.
Had it all been a dream?
At 7:15 that evening the prison authorities
telephoned us here at Abraham House.
There were tears of joy, here, while at that
moment, Severino himself still had no idea of
what had happened.
I telephoned his son,
Raymond, who lives in Atlanta. On past
occasions on the telephone, Raymond had always
been very cautious, almost made of stone,
about the subject of his father’s fateful
incarceration.

Above is an uncaptioned images from an "Abraham House: An Alternative to Incarceration" brochure.The Catholic Worker article had one graphic with the text -- a C. S. Lewis quote. For design and informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. On this NYCHS website, the image above first appeared on Part 2 of Abraham House history pieces. Click image to access.
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| Over the years, Raymond had
received too many wounds of disappointment
to still have reason to hope.
He
preferred to say nothing, preferred to protect
himself against let-downs, against the worst.
But this time it was totally different. I had
never heard Raymond speak in this way
before. He could not stop himself from
exclaiming “Wow, wow, wow
In the background
I could hear Raymond’s whole household
vibrating.... And, for the first time, I
heard him speak the word, “grandfather” to
his own children.
It was only at eight o’clock the next morning
that Severino himself heard the
announcement about his “return to society”
I do not know how his sister in Florida did it,
but, through her, I was able to get in contact
with Severino by telephone. I told him that I
would see him that Saturday.

Image above from Abraham House newsletter of 2/28/86, then called The Link.
The Catholic Worker article had 1 graphic with the text -- a C. S. Lewis quote. For design and informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. On this NYCHS website, the image above first appeared on Part 3 of Abraham House history pieces. Click image to access.
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| I have to pinch myself to really believe
that that prison visit truly took place.
Severino
said that he felt confused, as if he were “walking
on air.” But there he was, indeed, the
prison director, who came over to our table to
shake our hands. He congratulated our
friend, Severino, on what was about to happen.
Both Severino’s and my reddened eyes
gave an eloquent witness to that extraordinary
moment.
We invited the prison director
to come and visit us at Abraham House.

Above is a reduced version of the nameplate from the first issue of News From Abraham House. The Catholic Worker article had 1 graphic with the text -- a C. S. Lewis quote. For design and informational purposes, relevant images have been added and captioned by the NYCHS webmaster. On this NYCHS website, the image above first appeared on Part 2 of Abraham House history pieces. Click image to access. |
| While he is waiting for his administrative
paperwork to be processed, which will give
the date of his release from prison (probably
in June), Severino Diaz, a living miracle, has
requested that, during these days of transition,
he be allowed to continue teaching his
class in prison which is titled, “How to
Control Your Anger.” This is a class which he
had given for many years.
Father Pierre Raphael’s account contains
something of the inspiring spirit of Abraham
House. For those interested in learning more
or perhaps in volunteering the address is P0
Box 305, Mott Haven Station, Bronx, New
York 10454. Telephone: (718) 292-9321.
—Bill Griffin
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