Hope Cannot Take the Summer Off
For individuals who are incarcerated, the longing for prayer, Scripture, and hope never pauses. Help us respond to growing requests for Catholic spiritual care.
Dear Friends,
As summer begins, life can take on a different pace. We tend to look forward to the joys of warmer days. Calendars fill with vacations, family gatherings, weekends at the lake, road trips, cookouts, and long evenings spent outdoors. Offices tend to operate around vacation schedules. Some meetings are postponed. People step away for a little rest.
For the men and women who are incarcerated, summer does not take on a different pace or bring a vacation. The loneliness remains. The uncertainty remains. The searching remains. And so does the hunger for hope, prayer, and Scripture.
As we respond to the growing requests we receive for spiritual resources, we learn that some are searching for God for the very first time. Others are trying to rebuild their lives through faith after years of pain, addiction, trauma, or separation from loved ones.
Their need does not slow down in the summer.
In fact, this year the requests have soared more than we could have imagined.
At the beginning of this fiscal year, we increased our Bible budget from $30,000 to $40,000 because we knew requests for Bibles were continuing to grow. But by the first week of this May, that entire Bible budget had already been spent. Rosary requests also increased so dramatically that demand exceeded even our most hopeful expectations. What a great blessing!
As we are preparing for a new fiscal year beginning July 1, we are asking for your help.
This appeal is especially important because it helps us plan responsibly for the year ahead. The support we receive now determines how many Bibles we can provide, how many rosaries we can send, and how many requests we will be able to answer in the months to come.
Even if you have already donated this year, would you prayerfully consider making one additional gift?
No gift is too small.
In fact, if each of our approximately 4,000 supporters gave just an additional $5, we would raise an additional $20,000. That alone would help place thousands of Catholic resources into the hands of individuals who are incarcerated and requesting Catholic materials and support.
Thank you for standing with us throughout this year. Thank you for believing in mercy, dignity, and second chances. And thank you for helping us continue this important work into the next fiscal year.
May you have a wonderful, restful, fun-filled summer season.
With Peace and Gratitude,
Juliann Joerres
Executive Director