Chilliwack, British Colombia, Canada, August 1, 2022
Photo: orthodoxprisonministry.ca
The St. Silas Orthodox Prison Fellowship Society in British Colombia, Canada, has a dream to build a sanctuary and chapel for men released from prison to be able to center their life on worship of the true God.
“Serving men and women in prison is one thing, but what happens after they are released? Statistics show that almost 1 in 4 offenders in Canada will re-offend after release. The reasons for this are complex, but a vital factor is a failure to reintegrate into a healthy, life-giving community,” the ministry writes.
Thus, St. Silas’ has developed a vision to build a small-scale residence for 3-5 long-term offenders, “centered on the Orthodox way of life, whose purpose is personal transfiguration (theosis) and reintegration into a Christian communal way of life (koinonia).”
The Sanctuary will include daily services, fellowship with invited visitors, a workshop for crafts such as leather-working, woodworking, and iconography, continuing education in the Orthodox faith, and a community garden to help sustain the Sanctuary.
To begin to make this vision a reality, the St. Silas ministry is appealing for help in building a small chapel, with a goal of $20,000.
Donations can be offered at the St. Silas website.
The St. Silas Orthodox Prison Fellowship Society currently offers weekly studies, monthly Liturgies, monthly pastoral visits, correspondence with inmates nationally and internationally, and annual Paschal and Christmas celebrations.
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