Students Complete Certificate Program in Prison Ministry

Photo: Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry - Facebook

SOUTH CANAAN, PA — Students participating in OCPM’s Certificate Program for Prison Ministry recently graduated after a residency on the campus of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Meeting together online since February, the students come together in person for a summer session at the seminary. 

According to OCPM’s website, the program “provides clergy and lay volunteers that are interested in prison ministry with the necessary knowledge and experience to effectively lead and support people in prison.”

OCPM and St. Tikhon’s Seminary partner together to ensure participants develop an Orthodox approach to the unique challenges faced in correctional settings, and, besides gaining experience, the certificate allows graduates to find volunteer or career opportunities in correctional facilities. 

The seminary is close to a state prison where seminarians participate in a semester-long internship under the direction of Fr. John Kowalczyk. 

The program is split up into five categories:

1. Introduction to Religion in the Prison Landscape
2. The Broken Person
3. Pastoral Care in Correctional Settings
4. Family and Parish Trauma from Incarceration
5. Self-Care and Burnout Prevention

The residency took place from June 1-7, with students entering the prison daily as volunteers. They “make rounds, have short Bible studies, and practice the ministry of presence, talking with inmates, praying with them, and learning from them,” OCPM’s website states. 

Instructors of the course are the Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Powley and the Very Rev. Fr. John Kowalczyk. Guest instructors are the Very Rev. Fr. John Parker and Nicholas Petrogeorge.

“We are thankful for our ongoing partnership with OCPM and pray that the Lord will bless and guide these faithful servants as they minister to those in prison,” the seminary said in a social media post.

Previously, UOJ shared a blog post from OCPM on baptism in prison.

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