Some time ago we asked your support for the prison outreach ministry in the Archdiocese of Guayaquil in Ecuador, one of the countries in Latin America worst affected by the plague of violence. The level of this violence is particularly alarming in the port city Guayaquil, a city of close on 3 million souls. Young people in particular, aged aywhere between 15 and 30, are especially at risk of being recruited by criminal gangs.
In response, the archdiocese has established a pastoral outreach programme aimed at helping offenders to find a new perspective on life and get them back on the straight and narrow. Priests and lay pastoral workers are working together with prisoners and their families. Thanks to the 9900 Euros generously given by our supporters, they have now been able to step up this apostolate and train several additional pastoral workers.
Maria Cristina Santa Cruz is responsible for the prison outreach ministry of the Archdiocese. She has written to thank us. „We have witnessed wonderful instances of conversions, both among the prisoners themselves and among prison officers“, she says, adding, „We have fasted and prayed for you and for the outreach ministry and we are so grateful to God, and to you, for having enabled us to be instruments in serving these brothers and sisters of ours who have been neglected and forgotten by society but are nonetheless children of God in whose hearts the call of God can be awakened and so lead them to spiritual conversion and reconciliation. Training up more missionaries, both priests and laity, means that we have still more people involved in this pastoral outreach, which is transforming lives.“
Your help has enabled them to extend their prison outreach to 10 centres in this port city, thereby benefiting over 10,000 individuals. Today the impact of their work is extending well beyond the prison walls. For example they have organised a choir, made up of female prisoners and prisoners‘ children. They were even invited to perform at a cultural event in the city. In September 2024 representatives of the outreach ministry were also invited to attend the Eucharistic Congress in the capital Quito and speak about their work. And they have also been involved in many other events and meetings in the region, so that the prison outreach ministry in Guayaquil is becoming a model for others elsewhere.
Our sincerest thanks for your help!
