Sharing hope with prisoners at Christmas

(Vatican Radio) Spending Christmas behind prison bars is always a particularly difficult time, but here in Rome there is an organisation of volunteers who choose to do just that. ‘Volontari in Carcere’, or volunteers in prison, is a non-governmental organisation which offers support programmes for prisoners, as well as providing basic essentials such as clothes, shoes, soap or toothpaste for those who have no means of their own.
On Christmas Day, volunteers are invited to attend morning Mass and spend time celebrating with prisoners and staff – something that Maria Ponce de Leon has been doing for over a decade. She spoke with Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen about the significance of this celebration for prisoners in Rome’s Rebibbia jail…..

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