The Tale of a Prisoner Retold; Skooter at the Beginning of Wisdom
. . . Skooter walked out the door that day carrying two plastic trash bags containing the sum total of his possessions. The mountain he must climb still has some peaks yet to be conquered. Prison rules allow for no further contact, by mail or otherwise, with anyone Skooter knew here. He is on his own. When Skooter got to the door, he put his bags down, turned and waved. We'll remember Skooter's smile for a long, long time. And his resolve to claw his way back from the abyss life brought him to, is simply unforgettable. Skooter is gone now, gone from our sight, but not from our souls. Let's hope and pray the Lord has made for him a straighter, smoother path. . . .
Fifty-Seven Times Around the Sun
. . . Pornchai started his 19th year in prison just before Easter, and now he is entering a life of faith through the narrowest gate, an open and honest witness to redemptive grace.Pornchai has asked Charlene Duline to be his Godmother. They share an interesting bond that Charlene describes in a new post entitled "Pornchai Moontri is Worth Saving" on the Prodigal Catholic Writer blog. Pierre, the visitor I described in my post, "Stigmatized,” has graciously assented to be Pornchai's Godfather. Because this event is happening in a prison, however, neither one of them will be allowed to be present. I will act as proxy for them both because of the unusual circumstances.I call upon the Church to recognize the transformation that has led Pornchai to Her Sacraments. In "Pornchai's Story," the powerful autobiographical essay The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Pornchai described his transformation: . . .