Imagine for a moment that you are in a deep sleep having a dream. In the dream, you are in your church. You are sitting or standing in your usual spot (just guessing that you...
Read MoreImagine for a moment that you are in a deep sleep having a dream. In the dream, you are in your church. You are sitting or standing in your usual spot (just guessing that you...
Read More“If we make every effort to avoid death of the body, still more should it be our endeavor to avoid death of the soul. There is no obstacle for a man who wants to be...
Read MoreFor those of us who enjoy the Indiana Jones movies, there is a line in the “Last Crusade” that has always stuck with me. He is trying to get to the Holy Grail, but must...
Read MoreToday Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the Annunciation when the Holy Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she was “highly favored; the Lord was with her; and she was blessed among...
Read More“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us his ways and that we may walk in His paths.” (Isaiah...
Read More“In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1) The very first verse we read as we begin our Lenten Journey comes from Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God…” God is the beginning of everything for us. He...
Read MoreIn the Gospel of Saint Luke (17:11-19), we read the incredible story of Jesus healing ten lepers. All ten of them cried out to Jesus, calling Him “Master”, and asking for His mercy. He told...
Read MoreFr. Stephen Powley serves as the Director of Training and Spiritual Care for OCPM. He is the Priest at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Pueblo, CO.
Fr. Stephen began serving as a Prison Chaplain in January of 1985. He has ministered in every prison security level, from minimum to super-max. He eventually retired from Prison Chaplaincy in August of 2010. Over those years, Fr. Stephen had the great privilege of being a spectator of many incredible things that God did inside the prisons. He began serving on the OCPM Board of Directors in 2005 and he began working with OCPM following his retirement. Over the years, Fr. Stephen has been the keynote speaker at numerous spiritual retreats and conferences across the nation. He continues to enjoy speaking and educating people from all walks of life, with the goal of inspiring and encouraging people in their Christian faith.
Fr. Stephen resides in Colorado with his loving wife of 44 plus years, Presvytera Ashley. They have four wonderful children, two wonderful sons-in-law, one wonderful daughter-in-law, and four wonderful grandchildren. In his free time, Fr. Stephen loves mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, and mountain climbing. Before he went to seminary, he was a Smokejumper for the Forest Service, parachuting into wilderness areas to fight forest fires. Some have suggested a few bad landings on his head may have influenced his decision to become a Prison Chaplain. (He would prefer to think it was the guidance of the Lord.)