Word on Fire’s Catholic programming (shown in this file screen grab) is popular around the country and will now be available in prisons across Western North Carolina. (Catholic News Service) ASHEVILLE — Inmates in the 54 state prisons across North Carolina now have direct access to learning about the Catholic faith on the tablets issued to them by the state’s Department of Adult Correction.
The award-winning “Catholicism” series produced by Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire organization was uploaded to all inmates’ tablets in late January, thanks to more than a year of dedicated efforts spearheaded by prison ministry workers from the Diocese of Charlotte.
Those involved say the series will provide easy access to valuable education about the faith to Catholic and non-Catholic inmates alike.
The devices offer every inmate in the state system access to approved educational courses, vocational training and entertainment. Those courses include religious learning opportunities which will now include the series on Catholicism.
“This does so much for us,” said David Coe, interim coordinator of prison ministry for the diocese. “It opens up vistas of Catholic training and teaching and enables us to more easily introduce the faith to inmates who are interested.”
The “Catholicism” series had previously been used successfully by prison ministry volunteers at Mountain View Correctional Institution in Spruce Pine, who showed the series to men in the OCIA program through use of a projector.
“The response was extremely positive from inmates who viewed the series in that format,” Coe said. “Now that it is available on the tablets, we can readily use it in our ministry programs without having to bring in or borrow special technology. We can have group discussions or classes and simply ask the inmates to bring their tablets.”
Coe has been in contact with prison ministry workers in the Diocese of Raleigh about the program and has received notice that they plan to begin using it in their ministry. Deacon Mike Vandiver, coordinator of prison ministry for the Raleigh diocese, said he has already heard positive reviews from inmates and he will use the series in his work with those going through the OCIA program.
Using the series was first suggested by Bill Irwin, a prison ministry volunteer who visits Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville and Forsyth Correctional in Winston-Salem.
He heard about Word on Fire’s series being used successfully in prison ministry elsewhere and brought the idea to Coe and the diocese.
Irwin and others, headed up by Diocese Prison Ministry Team member Dennis Lanahan, then reached out to the Word on Fire offices in California. Staff members there worked with Edovo, an app featured on every inmate’s tablet that serves as a launch platform for instructional material.
“Word on Fire is going to offer Catholic inmates reinforcement in their faith, and for those who aren’t Catholic but interested, or who don’t understand the faith, it will give them real ideas and facts instead of the nonsense and misinterpretations they might hear,” Irwin said.
“They will get a better understanding of what we’re really about.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
Since 1968, the Church has celebrated the World Day of Peace each Jan. 1. The message issued on this day by the Holy Father is shared globally to heads of state, and the annual observance coincides with the liturgical feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
The theme selected by Pope Leo XIV for his first World Day of Peace message is “Peace be with you all: Towards an unarmed and disarming peace.” According to the Vatican’s announcement, the pope’s message will be an invitation to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace an authentic peace based on love and justice.
“This peace must be unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons,” he said.
You may read Pope Leo XIV’s message in its entirety on Jan. 1 at www.vaticannews.va and www.catholicnewsherald.com.
— Joseph T. Purello, Catholic Charities