Photo Caption: With Bishop Jenky prior to Mass are prison camp officials, from left, Fereti Semala, Margaret Rehaerman, Ricardo Rios, Cathy Goetz, and chaplains Dan Campbell and Jeffrey Rendon.

By: By Jennifer Willems

PEKIN — It would be understandable to look into the visitor’s room at the Federal Prison Camp here on a recent Tuesday and see about 35 inmates in dark green jumpsuits gathered for Mass.

What Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, saw, however, were “brothers.”

“I imagine none of you as little children saw yourselves ending up here,” he said during his homily. “But even here you are a child of God.”

He assured them that the Father they share offers them unending love and mercy, and told them they could “rest in that love and trust it.”

What they can’t do is keep it to themselves, Bishop Jenky said, explaining that the challenge is to take the gift of the love that comes from God and share it with others.

“The greatest sign we have of that love is what we have at Mass,” he said.

The residents of the prison camp, which is located next to the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, served as lectors at the liturgy. Using the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, they proclaimed the readings in English and Spanish.

Assisting Bishop Jenky was Father Michael Andrejek, pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Pekin, and two of the parish’s permanent deacons, Charles Murray and Ernie Whited. Deacon Murray has been visiting at both the prison camp and “behind the walls” at the prison for many years and is credited with preparing more than 100 of the inmates for reception into the Catholic Church.

On hand to greet Bishop Jenky were Ricardo Rios, warden; Fereti Semaia and Cathy Goetz, associate wardens; Chaplain Dan Campbell and Margaret Rehaerman, the camp’s administrator and executive assistant.

Deacon Joe LaHood of Holy Family Parish in Peoria and coordinator of prison ministry for the diocese worked with Chaplain Jeffrey Rendon at the Pekin correctional facilities to facilitate the visit.

“AN HONOR AND A BLESSING”
Before he offered the final blessing, Bishop Jenky told his brothers that he would remember them.

“I can’t be here every Tuesday like these good guys,” he said, referring to Father Andrejek and Deacons Murray and Whited, “but wherever I celebrate Mass . . . I will be praying for you and your loved ones at home.”
After Mass, Bishop Jenky stood at the door of the visitor’s room and shook the hand of every inmate as he left.

“It’s a big deal for the camp to have the bishop here,” said one of the residents who works for Chaplain Rendon and helped to set up the room for Mass.

“It’s an honor and a blessing. To hear him speak lifts us up,” he told The Catholic Post.

“The men look forward to the priests coming in and to the deacons coming in, but to have the bishop come in shows them there are people outside who care about them,” Chaplain Rendon said. “They hear about that, but when the bishop comes in it puts a face on what they hear.”

“I think the message it gives the residents is that they are important, not only in a secular way but in the eyes of the church,” said Deacon LaHood. “It tells them that are part of the flock and here’s the shepherd of the flock.”

He added that it’s important for the men to see themselves as part of something greater than what they see before them every day.
Bishop Jenky said he tries to visit one or two of the 12 state or federal correctional facilities within the borders of the Diocese of Peoria each year, acknowledging, “It’s not enough.”

“The Lord said, ‘I was sick and in prison and you visited me,” he said simply, noting that he has been going into prisons since he was a Holy Cross seminarian.