Los Angeles, Calif., Jan 17, 2018 / 16:49 pm
Families with loved ones in prison are feeling isolated, and a new initiative of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is setting out to change that.
Deacon Paulino Juarez and Deacon Louis Roche, both of the archdiocese, have headed up a new ministry that reaches out to families of the incarcerated and raises awareness in local communities of the suffering and challenges that these families face.
"I was a chaplain for 19 years, and during this time I saw all of these troubles of the inmates and their families, too, because sometimes they really don't have any support – not just from official agencies and offices in the county, but also sometimes from the Church and their communities," Deacon Juarez told CNA.
"They are isolated and rejected. After all of these years, we decided to do something to support these families and create a place where they feel welcomed," Juarez continued.