Prison Ministry

Belize Central Prison is different than many others.  It is the only prison in the world run by a faith-based non-profit called the Kolbe Foundation, named after St. Maximilian Kolbe.  While that may strike some as dangerous, or raise specters of religious brainwashing, in point of fact, the aim of the Kolbe Foundation is to provide a safe and humane environment, in which incarcerated men and women can find the support they need to change their lives.​

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Jesuits have been involved with chaplaincy since the founding of the Kolbe Foundation, as this is one of the places where we are able to accompany some of the most excluded and demonized persons in society.  We have a long history of assisting at the Wagner's Youth Facility, the Ashcroft Rehabilitation Center, and in the general population with one-on-one pastoral visits, spiritual formation, and liturgical celebrations.

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Once again, we believe that Ignatian Spirituality is well-suited to helping persons who are incarcerated to find inner healing, a sense of purpose and direction, as well as to develop skills for learning to recognize God at work in their lives, no matter what their external circumstances are.

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