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Beyond the Bars Blog

“I Knew Without Any Doubt that God was In that Place”: A Reflection from Mark Santana

OCPM recently held a staff retreat in Pennsylvania. We had the privilege of visiting with seminarians, along with the Dean at St. Tikhon’s Seminary and the Abbott at St. Tikhon’s Monastery. We also visited SCI Waymart, a nearby prison, escorted by Fr. John Kowalczyk and Fr. Stephen Powley, Co-Directors of Training and Spiritual Care at […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

“My Lord, and My God”: The Prison Ministry Journal of Toby John, Part 2

Below is Part Two in a new four-part series of journal entries from OCPM’s Prison Relationship Manager during his internship with OCPM and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS). If you haven’t already, make sure to read Part One of Toby John’s Prison Journal. Friday, February 10 On this day, we began to hold Vespers […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

“Christ Meets Us Where We Are”: The Prison Ministry Journal of Toby John, Part 1

“This was the first time I have ever gone to visit a prison.”  When Toby John, (MDiv St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Master of Social Work UT Arlington ) was hired this past year as OCPM’s new Prison Relationship Manager, he also became the first person to pilot a new Certificate in Prison Ministry program, created in […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog Uncategorized

“Love was on Display at Golgotha”: A Prisoner’s Personal Encounter with Christ

While serving his life sentence, Doug went on a spiritual pilgrimage, experimenting with many different religions to try to find his faith. One day, going through a guided meditation, he was brought again to his visceral memories of being abused as a child. His body began to shake with fear and rage and, instead of […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

“God of All-Comfort”: The Icon from Solitary Confinement

When OCPM founder, Fr. Duane Pedersen, began corresponding with Michael in prison, Michael was quick to say he preferred if Fr. Duane would stop writing about God. Despite showing no indication that his heart was changing, Fr. Duane faithfully wrote to him week after week, year after year.  After twenty years of correspondence, Fr. Duane […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

Push Your Comfort Zone: Eddie Bocanegra on Welcoming the Stranger

“When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

“Friendships that Might Have Never Formed”: A Reflection from Larry Fitterer, OCPM Board Member

On my first Sunday of the Last Judgment after I became an Orthodox Christian, I heard our deacon read the Gospel from Matthew 25. For reasons I did not understand at the time, Christ’s words deeply struck me that day: “I was in prison, and you came to Me.” It wasn’t long after that my […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

“I Started Baking Up a Storm”: A Christmas Story

The harsh realities of prison life don’t go away around the holidays, and a person’s release from prison is by no means the end of his or her struggle. But there are moments of real joy, too. Enjoy this simple and beautiful story Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM) recently received about a man’s experience being […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog

“I Look at the Rays of the Sun, and I See Christ”: A Reflection from Roy Azar

As OCPM’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, and one of OCPM’s newest staff members, I was very fortunate to recently travel to Pennsylvania to meet with our Director of Training and Spiritual Care, Fr. John Kowalczyk, and see him in “action.” For two days we visited SCI Waymart Correctional Facility with Fr. John as he made […]

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Beyond the Bars Blog BTB

Needing Help on All Sides: Counseling a Priest and a Family Through Tragedy

Fr. Makarios had to manage an unthinkable crisis: a young man from his Florida parish, under the influence of drugs was arrested and sentenced for the attempted murder of his own father. The tragedy rippled throughout his parish, damaging the sense of community that Fr. Makarios had been working to foster in his church. He […]