June 2007 - Deacon Bob Leibrecht

Deacon Leibrecht's first taste of prison ministry came nearly seven years ago when a friend dragged him to a Kairos meeting shortly after he and his wife Julie had lost their 21-year-old son to illness.

Kairos, an ecumenical retreat for prisoners, involves building a Christian community inside the prison, and the future deacon in the Diocese of San Angelo found himself face to face with inmates who poured out some of their deepest secrets.

"I thought I was going to prison to minister to the men there, but I found that God had a message for me," says Deacon Leibrecht. "As these guys talked about their broken lives, I realized they were my lost brothers, really not much different from me. Some of the stories they told about what they had been through were staggering."

Many of the prisoners were young, and, without benefit of a loving family, the deacon knew most would likely boomerang right back into the system unless someone intervened. Many were there because of drug addiction, which Bishop Pfeifer calls an "epidemic" in the diocese.

Since his appointment as director of the criminal justice ministry almost three years ago, Deacon Leibrecht has worked to expand it beyond prison visits to include working with victims, inmates' families and the Catholic community, especially when inmates return home.

With the help of a Catholic Extension grant, Deacon Leibrecht was able to officially increase his hours from several a month to 25 per week. In reality, he is on the road or the phone many times that number as he tries to unsnarl the red tape that entangles the huge Texas corrections system.

The best recruiters for prison ministry are volunteers who, like him, have discovered the most basic of human bonds in their visits to the imprisoned.

Deacon Leibrecht admits he walks a razor-thin line sometimes as he brings Catholic instruction to the various correctional facilities. County jails, for example, are supervised by the local sheriff, who can decide who can minister - and how. One sheriff who was a Mason, for instance, "didn't want anything Catholic" in his jail, so instead of Mass, inmates have Bible study.

State and federal prisons follow stricter regulations that prohibit such discrimination. Deacon Leibrecht has built up working relationships with many of the non-Catholic chaplains in these facilities, but he realizes he's often grossly outnumbered in terms of funding and manpower. "Some of these other churches place a higher value on prison ministry than Catholics seem to."

So, a few at a time, Bob Leibrecht is gently twisting people's arms to help in the prisons. He was elated after Criminal Justice Sunday last October when he spoke at several parishes and signed up 18 volunteers. But many more are still needed.

In the vestibule of Deacon Leibrecht's parish church, St. Stephen's in Midland, hangs a copy of Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son." It's a gentle reminder of the parable that shows the depth of the Father's compassion and forgiveness that is offered to those who stray.

Deacon Bob and many other dedicated missionaries work hard to bring God's comfort to America's poor and struggling Catholics. Will you consider helping them with a gift today? Please donate now securely. Thank you.