Holy Spirit
Prison Ministry

Prison Ministry

Our parish has been actively involved in prison ministry at Avon Park Correctional Institution for over thirty years. This state prison is actually in Polk County, so it is technically in our Orlando Diocese, and it is our responsibility to serve the prisoners there. Fortunately, throughout the years, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Avon Park and the Diocese of Venice have worked with us to serve the prisoners at Avon Park.

We currently have three Catholic prison ministries at Avon Park. On Tuesday evenings we provide a small group of Catholic men in the Work Camp with a Communion Service. Every other Tuesday morning we teach a Catholic Catechism Class to a group of about 30 prisoners in the Main Unit. And every Wednesday morning a priest from the Diocese of Venice celebrates Mass in the prison chapel. There are usually about 50 or 60 prisoners and several people from the free world in that assembly. After Mass, we have time for refreshments and fellowship.

We also support and participate in the Kairos Prison Ministry at Avon Park Correctional. Kairos is a multidimensional prison ministry whose purpose is to help the prisoners Christianize their prison environment. Kairos meets with the prisoners in the morning on the fourth Saturday of each month and twice a year we provide prisoners with a very special four-day retreat.

Free world Kairos volunteers, representing many different Christian denominations, work together and pray together to shine the light of Christ's love into prison darkness. Kairos has been rightly called the finest and most successful ecumenical Christian ministry in the world.

If you are interested in participation in our Kairos Prison Ministry or in our other Catholic prison ministries, please contact Deacon Sam Knight at 863-605-0075 or Thomas Cruz-Wiggins at 305-910-1347.