Floridacatholic MIAMI ARCHDIOCESE 'FOR I WAS IN
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WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | October 2016 FLORIDACatholic MIAMI ARCHDIOCESE Citing ‘urgent need,’ archdiocese seeks donations for Haiti, Cuba First post-Matthew HOW TO HELP Donations may be made through the Catho- shipload sent to Haiti; lic Charities website, www.ccadm.org. Click on the “Donate” tab, then on “General Donations” planning begins for and under the “supporting” box select “Disas- ter Relief — Hurricane Matthew.” second phase of relief Donations via check may be made payable to: Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO Miami, 1505 N.E. 26 St., Wilton Manors, FL Florida Catholic staff 33305. Please note “Disaster Relief — Hur- ricane Matthew” in the memo line. MIAMI | Less than 24 hours after being spared the ravages of a Category 4 storm, the Archdiocese of Miami turned its sights — a program offered by Miami-Dade County toward helping others who were not so for- Public Schools. All of the students are Hai- tunate. Exactly a week later, 22 pallets of rice, tian, and they learn to read and write in their canned goods, hygienic supplies and diapers native Creole before being taught English. were being loaded onto a ship for transport to “The resurrection of Haiti is not about the the hardest-hit southwestern peninsula. millions (of dollars),” Father Jean-Mary said, “And more to come,” said an elated Fa- looking around at the volunteers. “It’s about ther Reginald Jean-Mary, administrator of the people.” Notre Dame d’Haiti Mission in Little Haiti, Mikai Edward, 42, lost her home where she lives with her six children and husband in He noted that Seacoast Shipping, which as he watched an army of volunteers pack- front of the ocean in the Zoranje neighborhood of Roche Bateau. (MARIE ARAGO | offered to transport up to 60 pallets for free, ing, wrapping and loading the donated goods CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES) is owned by Haitians who have succeeded in onto pallets. Miami. So is Diakonos International, one of A total of 47 pallets were to be taken to Haiti to its local affiliates in the areas that bore the hour earlier had been brimming with relief two companies which each donated a 40-foot on the Betty K VII, a “pallet carrier” provided brunt of Matthew’s fury: Jéremie in the pen- supplies. “In one hour, everything has been shipping container for future trips. by Seacoast Shipping that was set to sail Oct. insula’s northwest and Les Cayes in the south, packed. That’s the beauty this morning, the 16 and arrive in Miragoâne, on the penin- as well as Môle-Saint-Nicolas in the remote solidarity of the people.” ‘WHO’S THERE? THE CHURCH’ sula’s northern coast, around Oct. 19. From northwestern tip of the country. His volunteer army consisted of adults At the same time, Father Jean-Mary was al- there, the Haitian Church’s Caritas agency “It’s a beautiful day,” said Father Jean-Mary studying Creole and English literacy in the would transport the relief supplies overland as he stood in his parish hall, which until an Pierre Toussaint Center on the parish grounds PLEASE SEE HURRICANE, 12 ‘FOR I WAS IN PRISON ... ’ Capital punishment: Is it killing us all? Here’s what fellow panelist George F. Kain “We need more consciousness about re- should be putting it into practice.” Death penalty and said about capital punishment: “The death specting human life,” said Deacon Farias, di- After a keynote address by Auxiliary Bish- penalty is a barbaric practice that has lost its rector of the archdiocesan Detention Ministry op Peter Baldacchino, the day settled into juvenile justice discussed place in society. For every group involved — since 2006. “This is the first goal for govern- two panels of four persons each, followed by police, attorneys, corrections of- ment. We need to humanize question-and-answer time. Providing Span- at first-ever ‘From Justice ficers, the execution team — it’s the system. If not, it’s not a gov- ish-language summaries of their talks was traumatic. It’s a death sentence for ernment for the people.” Ingrid Delgado, associate for social concerns/ to Mercy’ conference all of us. It destroys us as a people.” Those attending came from respect life at the Florida Conference of Catho- JIM DAVIS The topic was one of two, along a broad range of jobs and vo- lic Bishops. with juvenile justice, at the first cations. They included chap- Florida Catholic correspondent conference of its kind in the arch- lains, lawyers, social workers, REFORM NOT PUNISHMENT diocese. The seven-hour confer- businessmen, volunteers in Florida’s efforts to deal with young offend- MIAMI | “The more you know about the ence drew 200 specialists and vol- detention ministries and non- ers go back more than a century, according to death penalty,” said Mark Elliott, “the less you unteers Sept. 24 to Corpus Christi Catholic pastors. Elisa Quesada, a visiting law professor at Flor- like it.” Parish in Miami. The conference “All Christians need to fo- ida International University. She said the state As the director of Floridians for Alternatives took a two-pronged approach of cus on social issues,” said the recognized in 1899 that juveniles “needed to to the Death Penalty, Elliott would naturally fact and advocacy. The goal was simple, said Rev. Pierre E. Petit-Frere of Agape Church of be reformed, not punished.” say that. But he had lots of company at a recent Deacon Edgardo Farias, the organizer: raising God in Fort Lauderdale. “We should not be conference called “From Justice to Mercy.” awareness of the two focus issues. stressing only the theory of Christianity. We PLEASE SEE PRISON, 11 October 2016 www.thefloridacatholic.org YOUR MIAMI COMMUNITY 11 ‘FOR I WAS IN PRISON ... ’ Ministry reveals Christ within and to the incarcerated JIM DAVIS view after organizing the diocese’s an annual spiritual retreat in He currently can call on 250 Florida Catholic correspondent first-ever conference on juvenile five state prisons, with help from volunteers, including seven justice and capital punishment. other groups including Cursillo, priests and seven deacons. He also MIAMI | Deacon Edgardo Far- “God came to visit us, not only in Emmaus and Life in the Spirit. It provides training and webinars ias still remembers what Arch- prison, but in every situation. It’s supplies information on social (www.detentionministry.org/vol- bishop John Favalora told him a my calling, my passion, to be there services to families of the incar- unteers.html.) But he can still use decade ago: “You need to train the for people suffering in incarcera- cerated through its St. Dismas more because of turnover. volunteers to see Christ in the in- tion.” Outreach Program. It even posts “I see many people come en- mates. And they must see Christ The Detention Ministry, which 12 free videos on topics such as re- thusiastic, then they leave be- in us.” goes back three decades, offers storative justice, women and chil- cause they move or change jobs,” That may be especially hard Mass to about 700 inmates per dren behind bars, and the Angel he said. “We need more people to when dealing with people who week in 34 facilities, from Monroe Tree project to donate Christmas share the Gospel, to share their break laws or commit violence. County’s Plantation Key Deten- gifts to children of inmates. experience with God.” But for Deacon Farias, director of tion Center to the state-level Hol- “Our job is to recruit people, The Detention Ministry is ac- the archdiocesan Detention Min- lywood Work Release Center to the then equip and send them,” Dea- tually a third career for Deacon Deacon Edgardo Farias has istry, it’s at the core of his mission. Federal Correctional Institution con Farias said. “We’re open for Farias, 57. Originally a fifth- and directed the archdiocesan “God was the first missionary,” in southwestern Miami-Dade. every Catholic movement that Detention Ministry since 2006. Deacon Farias said in an inter- The ministry also coordinates wants to help us.” PLEASE SEE MINISTRY, 12 (COURTESY) PRISON FROM 1 Over the decades, though, the state see-sawed between tough and compassionate approaches. With the widely reported murders of tourists in the late 1980s and 1990s, the attitude shifted from “If they do an adult crime, they do adult time,” Quesada said. “They weren’t being helped; they were being abused. Some juveniles got life without parole.” A panel of experts discusses juvenile justice for the Justice to Mercy More change came with a 2012 conference at Corpus Christi Parish, Miami. (PHOTOS BY JIM DAVIS | FC) Supreme Court decision that ruled children were different from ble for putting someone to death, sures like phoning and emailing. adults, Quesada said. That led to and said that American law meets “There’s a need for a grass-roots reforms in Florida, and increas- none of them. approach,” said Kain, a professor ing use of “diversion” programs for “The only similarity is that of justice at Western Connecti- youths instead of prison terms. someone gets killed by the gov- cut State University in Danbury. Miami-Dade’s Juvenile Assess- ernment,” he said. “My gut or “There’s more than enough people ment Center, for example, routes emotions may scream for a death to get the job done. It’s a matter of them to various programs for sentence, but that’s not in God’s connecting people.” treatment and rehabilitation, such word.” Conference-goers said they felt as the State Attorney Growth and encouraged at what they heard. Enrichment Center (SAGE), a men- ALTERNATIVES TO “The speakers brought so much toring program.