The community is constantly praying for you

Jan 10, 2025

PENANG: Throughout the month of December 2024, faith sharers from the Penang Diocesan Prison Ministry (PDPM) and several priests have brought hope to nine prisons in Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang.

By God’s Grace, 480 prisoners celebrated the Advent season and Christmas. Catholic prisoners also had their Sacrament of Reconciliation and received Holy Communion during the Masses held in the prison. Thanks to the Prison Department, the prisoners were also treated to a fellowship lunch sponsored by generous donors through a Share-A-Meal campaign by the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.

The priests preached messages of hope echoing Pope Francis’ invitation to prisoners to “welcome Jesus who is born and fills our hearts with trust and hope.” The priests who celebrated Masses in the nine prisons in the diocese were Fr Joachim Robert; Fr Victor Louis; Fr Michael Raymond, OFM, Cap and Fr James Pitchay. Hymns like O Come Divine Messiah, Amazing Grace and others were sung by the prisoners with zeal and thanksgiving.

In one of the prisons in Penang, a few prisoners expressed their joy as their death sentence had been abolished and they are now in regular prison cells. They hope to complete their sentence and be released in a few years’ time. Many of the prisoners went for confession and received the Body and Blood of Christ with reverence.


The faith sharers reminded the prisoners that they are never alone as the community was constantly praying for them, making herbal bath soaps and also sponsoring their special lunches of nasi tomato, kambing kurma, ayam masak merah and a variety of kueh.

Speaking to PDPM faith sharers a week after the Advent mass, a female prisoner from Vietnam shared that she has remained strong and will continue to keep her faith. “I am able to face each day as I had received the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mass. I am also able to go for confession. My gift for Jesus will be to keep praying,” she said as she held on to her Vietnamese Bible and prayer card.

PDPM celebrated its 10th anniversary in June 2024. The faith sharers who have prison permits go into prisons weekly, share the Gospel and provide counselling and motivational talks to juvenile prisoners and other prisoners. Many of the faith sharers have built a close relationship with the prisoners who are serving long sentences. PDPM members fulfil the Gospel of Matthew 25:36 - ‘I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ --Penang Diocesan Prison Ministry