Cardinal Dolan’s Visit to Otisville Federal Correctional Institution

It’s been five years since Cardinal Timothy Dolan visited us here at the Federal prison in Otisville, New York and those of us who are still here from that time continue to feel the love he had left with us. Although this past year, due to Covid19, has been very difficult, with services being cancelled, volunteers and visitors prohibited from coming in, and no group gatherings, I take comfort with the words the Cardinal left us. I saved an article written by Beth Griffin for Catholic New York titled, “Prisoners Aren’t Beyond God’s Grace, Cardinal Says at Otisville Correctional“. When I’m feeling a little low I read the words from our Shepherd of New York.

God never gives us a cross without the grace to carry it and we can always find reasons to be thankful”, Cardinal Timothy Dolan told inmates and staff during a Thanksgiving week visit to the Otisville Federal Correctional Facility in Orange County.

“You can give in to discouragement or depression and think, ‘This is lousy, this is hell,’ but whatever predicament we find ourselves in, God will give us the grace and help to make the most of it,” he said. Cardinal Dolan said he asked Jesus to give the inmates the consolation of heaven and the promise of the afterlife. At the end of Mass, [the] master of ceremonies… thanked the congregation… [and] said faith in God helped the inmates get through the “crazy situations” of incarceration, where “negative emotions try to crush the positive.” Noah was a good model for them. “Noah was in a crazy situation, but he kept a smile on his face because he trusted in God to get him through it. And that’s how we have to get through this.” Noting that Pope Francis visited prisoners in Philadelphia, [Cardinal Dolan was asked] to hand-deliver the inmates’ letter of invitation to the pope the next time he is in Rome.

Thank you Cardinal Dolan and I hope that you got that letter to our Holy Father. Perhaps the next time he makes his way to the U.S. he can stop by, and don’t forget that you’re always welcome to pay a visit as well.

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