VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
One day I was reading the Hawaii Catholic Herald looking for a ministry to get involved in. I was new to Hawaii and did not know anyone yet. There was one article looking for volunteers, but the list of requirements was quite lengthy. Then I checked the diocesan directory and noticed that they had a prison ministry. Walter Yoshimitsu was the coordinator for the volunteers; I gave him a call.
Actually, I was afraid to venture into prison ministry as I had no previous experience. I also heard that after entering a facility, the gates would be locked after us. After going through the training, people invited me to go with them to the Women’s Community Correction Center in Kailua. Hearing the boom of the gate being fastened behind us each time we crossed the entrance way actually did scare me. The iron barrier represented a separation between them and me. It took a while to get used to passing between the two worlds.
At WCCC, I worked with the pre-transition program and Total Life Recovery programs. I was also involved in Bible study and the Sunday service. During one class of the course “Seeking God” that I taught, a woman shared that she was Catholic. She said that she was so busy with her family and kids before, that being in prison was a grace in disguise. She said, “This is like a retreat for me. Now I have time to communicate with God.” The woman was positive in her spiritual growth.
For many of the women in the special programs, verbal prayer was the style that they were used to. The hymn “Amazing Grace” became our theme song as the words spoke of God’s endless grace. It was a hymn I often turned to.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see
One day I said to the women, “Let’s try silence. That is another way of praying.” One of the volunteers responded, “Are you kidding? They are all hyper and vocal pray-ers.” She tried to discourage me. But I did not give up. Little by little I began guiding them into quiet prayer, contemplative prayer.
“Close your eyes. Feel the presence of God. Pay attention to your breathing in and out.” I continued, “Feel your breath going through your whole body step by step.” And they made it through the silence, praying. It was not that they could not do it. It was that they needed someone to guide them into it.
I often found myself gaining inspiration from the women. I noticed as we began and ended each program with prayer, that they were always praying for volunteers. And, they even prayed for me — in gratitude for my coming and for safety on my journey back. Definitely, I received more than I gave. And as I prayed for them, the physical separation began to disappear as we grew spiritually closer. Prayer helped me overcome my fear.
Sister Shu Chen Wu is a Maryknoll Sister, 31 years professed. She was in Hawaii from 2013-2016. She now serves as a religious formator at the Integration House of Formation in Chicago.
