Santiago, Chile, Oct 25, 2017 / 23:04 pm
A life of crime and drug addiction landed Khristian Briones, 39, in prison for ten years. During that time, he paid his debt to society, and he set out on a path of faith and conversion that began with praying the rosary.
Briones was raised by his grandparents in Chile. They lived in poverty. Alcoholism, domestic violence and drug addiction were a regular part of his home life. Lacking opportunities, and hungry all the time, he began to admire criminals who robbed food trucks and distributed the food to the people of his neighborhood.
Briones spent his childhood and adolescence in juvenile detention centers, where he became "acculturated in crime." He stole, gambled, and tried drugs. "I became more and more addicted and violent," Briones told ACI Prensa.
Despite their life of crime, many criminals in Chile have a superstitious devotion to Our Lady of Montserrat, whom they consider their patroness. They believe she will protect them as they commit their crimes or that she will get them released from prison.