Golden Rule Prison Missionaries (GRP-M)
A Complete Look at the Prison-Based Ministries Led by Father Joseph Maurizio
God Has a Plan
What is God's Plan for Fr. Joseph Maurizio, a Catholic Priest Falsely Accused of International Sex Crimes?
While we on Earth will never know the reasons for Our Heavenly Father's Plans, we can view our actions in light of His Plan. Though falsely accused and unjustly sentenced to a near-life sentence in Federal Prison, Father Maurizio continues his missionary work where God has placed him. He has developed many different ministries, services and activities to share God's Love to other men in the prison system. The work he has done can be taken with him wherever he may be sent in the future, so that he may help to release people from their personal internal and external prisons. His hope is that some of these models could be used by others who are seeking ministry.
What is Church in the Modern World?
Church may take form in any number of ways. Here is a list of ministries initiated by Fr. Maurizio while serving in the prison system.
(Note: All information listed is in an abbreviated form as to what may actually happen, which is for various reasons, but no challenges should stop a Missionary of GRP-M.)
Dates for the beginning of outreach and brief descriptions of each:
2018 March 3: GRP-M Faith Community (Golden Rule Prison Missionaries). "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt 18:20).
These communities of faith use organized readings and saints of the day, as well as spiritual reflections to share their faith more fully as they try to live out their GRP-M vocation. This could be helpful in releasing us from our own personal inside and outside prisons. Father Joe is working to help train people to more fully live out their faith in a GRP-M Faith Community. More information is available in the sidebar ->>
2018 February 1: Can I be a more effective caregiver? Some men are working to offer this as a prison course to other inmates, in the hope of better preparing them for the outside world. Father Joe supports this, encourages it, and helps in any way he can to set up the course. The could offer their services in different forms, for example: caregiver services for a place to live, assist family members, volunteer their services, etc. This course would be based on newspaper and magazine articles and used for those who would like to be more effective at care giving.
2018 January 1: Golden Rule Prison Missionary (GRP-M) cards are offered to men who are interested in a personal mission to live and promote their belief in the Golden Rule. All major religions of the world try to follow and instill this teaching. Those who try are considered as a follower of a Religious Mutual Admiration Community (we do not have any official membership).
2017 October 1: Father Joe and others help to offer personal advanced Christian initiation of adults to men who want to better prepare themselves for missionary ministry when they are released. Extra time, books and information is given to them in many forms.
2017 June 1: Promoting the June 2016 message to prisoners by Pope Francis. Copies of this spiritual message are distributed and a supply of this information is available on the Chapel Pamphlet Rack. (Information supplied by Paulist Prison Ministries)
2017 May 1: What is Wholistic Contemplation with Mind and Body? This is taken from the spirit of the Catholic Church and also suggested by the teachings of Pope Francis. The example used in this model is a diet for food. Father Joe used this method and he has lost about 90 pounds (and kept the weight off for about 4 years, as well as no longer needing prescription medications). He says he is healthier now than he has been for many years.
2017 April 1: Catholic Community Bulletin maintained by Father Joe to keep hundreds of men at Elkton informed of what is available to them for services and times, religious items, publications, ministries, programs, activities, Catholic Radio Station programming, study courses, pen pals, etc. Father Joe offers a copy to every man who comes to Mass at different times of year, including those attending for the first time.
2017 March 1: Golden Rule Prison Missionary Library - this is a collection of special books made available to men in advanced studies for those who want to teach and live the Catholic faith inside and outside of the prison. Father Joe is still building this library from donated publications - please write to him to donate!
2017 February 1: Helping to maintain and supply the Chapel's Book and Pamphlet Rack with new Catholic material donated to Fr. Joe.
2017 January 1: Offering to men hundreds of prayer cards, spiritual booklets, book markers, greeting cards, spiritual poems, etc. at every Catholic Mass. All of these are donated to Father Joe through the mail. More than 100 men look forward to this very popular ministry of sharing. (No rosaries, metal items or laminated cards.)
2016 December 1: Using word of mouth to keep other up to date on Catholic news, especially news from the Vatican and the messages of Pope Francis.
2016 November 15: Informational sharing to approximately 50 men. Prison library and television is very limited to public news and no Catholic news. Dozens of newspapers and magazine subscriptions are donated to this ministry, which is a very complicated ministry to offer.
2016 November 1: Promotion of "Golden Rule Spirituality." This interfaith information sheet is made available to the thousands of men who pass through the Chapel by attending religious services or picking up a copy off the Chapel Book and Pamphlet Rack. This ministry took more than 2 years for Father Joe to research and develop.
2016 October 15: Hispanic Ministries - Trying to learn the names of Spanish-speaking men, making sure they are offered Spanish Language Bibles, reading material, etc.
2016 October 1: Promotion of Catholic Mass Informational Sheet which is given to men to clear up some common confusion about Catholicism and the Mass.
2016 August 1: The walkie-talkie prison ministry. Walking along the compound, track, etc. with men, talking and listening, which often involves faith sharing.
2016 June 1: Father Joe is a volunteer greeter (Minister of Hospitality) at the Catholic Mass, where he welcomes every man personally by using their first name. He also gives first time Mass attendees some Catholic welcoming information.
2016 May 5: Memorizing hundreds of names and faces (over 1000 to date) of the men on the compound. He is able to greet them by first name wherever he sees them. (he uses a method of contemplation, association and repetition).
2016 May 1: Father Joe entered the Elkton, Ohio Federal Prison System and he immediately begins to work at the Chapel serving as requested.
2014 December 1: Offering religious material, Bibles, etc. that are available to those who want them.
2014 November 1: Teaching men individually how to pray the Rosary and do spiritual meditation.
2014 September 28: Teach the ways of fasting in many areas as a sign of spiritual tradition and wholistic improvement.
2014 September 27: Support and encourage of charity donations to men who are in need of items, especially the new men who often have nothing when they first arrive.
2014 September 26: Offering individual spiritual guidance and direction to those who want it. This is one of Father Joe's most effective ministries.
2014 September 25: The Salvation Rosary. Believed to be inspired by Saint John Paul II and through the influence of the "Miracle Lady of Costa Rica," a friend of Father Joe. This difficult discipline may allow for deeper mysticism and visionary experiences.
Learn More about the GRP-M Faith Community Model
Fr. Joe and his fellow Golden Rule Prison Missionaries follow this guide to form a GRP-M Faith Community in order to live their vocations where they are.
GRP-M Faith Community Guide
"For where two or three are gathered togheter in my name, theream I in the midst of them." (Matt. 18:20)
These communities of faith use organized readings and saints of the day, as well as spiritual reflections to share their faith more fully as they live their GRP-M vocation. This could help free us from our own personal internal and external prisons.
Reading and hearing the word of God in the Bible is most effective if we are prayerfully meditating on it personally and trying to keep an open heart, then try to share that with others. Christianity was never meant to work outside of a community of faith. A couple people at a time are coming together at any hour of the day or night to share faith. This activity can be anytime or any place. (This can also be done by people connecting over the telephone or computer -- as few as two people together).
- Any of the following publications could be used: Blessed Among Us (saints, blessed and holy people), The Word Among Us, Magnificat, Give Us This Day, Living Faith, etc. (Any meditations could be helpful but most are given out by the prison Chaplains).
- You could open and close with a short prayer or Sign of the Cross.
- It could be helpful if everyone reads all the readings before you begin. After the readings, people could personally reflect and contemplate on what was discussed. This could also be done as people walk or do light exercise.
- Example of format could be: Start with the life story of a saint, blessed or holy person. This could help us know that God's call can be for anyone at any time. As people have done in the past, we could find similar ways to serve and seek justice, etc.
- Then comment on the scripture readings of the day (taken from The Common Lectionary, which in two years covers all the most important parts of the Bible - Old and New Testament).
- Then any daily devotion or meditation for the readings, e.g. Living Faith, The Word Among Us, Magnificat, Give Us This Day, could be discussed.
- When/if someone's discussion gets too political, too negative or too far of the spiritual material, someone else could ask "How does that effect the Golden Rule Spirituality and how can we try to live it out ourselves?"
- Some men in the prison system find it helpful to discuss before meals or while waiting in lines. Breakfast together is also used and it is often the best time because it gives a spiritual up-lifting that can last the entire day.
Can we find more joy and peace if we can take a new spiritual family with us wherever we go? Is this our mission?
"The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." (Matt. 7:1)
When we are successful at this GRP-M Faith Community, there will be a time to break off and form new Faith Communities or train others to form Faith Communities elsewhere.