ORLANDO, Fla. (OSV News) — When he was in formation as a seminarian, a young William Wack sought an apostolate for ministry that he admitted intimidated him — prison ministry.
He started with youth detention, and then worked in jails and prisons. He did his clinical pastoral education at a federal institution in California. Now a bishop, the Holy Cross priest and shepherd of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee told his fellow bishops, “The experiences formed me and confirmed my decision to be a religious and to be a priest.”
While he enjoyed making visits to prisons, as with any priest and bishop, responsibilities became priorities. But then a letter from a local prison arrived in the mail that changed his perspective.
“It read, ‘Dear Bishop, we need a shepherd. No matter what we have done, we need a shepherd and you are our shepherd. We are your sheep,'” Bishop Wack said during a presentation at the U.S. bishops’ spring plenary June 11.
40 correctional institutions in his 18-county diocese
Bishop Wack learned there were more than 40 correctional institutions — jails, prisons and detention centers — within his 18-county diocese in northwest Florida.
“I now go regularly,” he said. “And I invite you to visit, too. You know how important it is for the prisoners to have a visit from a priest, deacon, religious, but especially a bishop? Like that prisoner wrote to me, the bishop is their shepherd. They are part of your flock.”
Bishop Wack offered his remarks during a presentation on the Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition, which he serves as episcopal adviser. He was joined by the coalition’s executive director, Robert Cunningham, who shared the mission of the coalition, which is to promote ministry to all people affected by incarceration and detention.
“We recruit, train, support and empower those called to this ministry,” Cunningham said. “And we would like to make the prison ministry as visible and accessible as are other parish ministries, such as OCIA or young ministry.”
15% of incarcerated identify as Catholic
According to the coalition’s research, there are 1.97 million people incarcerated in the United States. Cunningham cited 2024 data showing that 15% of the incarcerated population say they are Catholic, which means, he said, close to 300,000 Catholics are behind bars. But with surveys showing that 19% to 22% of Americans identify as Catholic, the number of incarcerated Catholics “might be closer to 400,000 or 500,000,” he added.
Despite the hundreds of thousands of Catholics behind bars, only 13% of the 1,500 prison chaplains statewide are Catholic. This is why Catholic prison ministry heavily depends upon volunteers who need training, support and accompaniment, Cunningham said.
“Catholic social teachings guide everything we do,” he added, explaining the coalition offers foundational training for jail and prison ministry that covers prison culture, trauma, grief, situational awareness and pastoral care. It includes three tracks — ministry to adults, juveniles and Spanish-speaking people. There is also a formation program for immigration detention ministry.
‘You Visited Me’ podcast hosted by coalition
Both Cunningham and Bishop Wack invited the bishops to encourage the faithful to participate in the foundational training program and retreats, including an upcoming one in San Diego and another in Philadelphia. The coalition also hosts a podcast — “You Visited Me” — where guests share their “transformative encounters with Christ from behind bars.”
But what the two also asked for was feedback and support.
“There are a lot of invitations to support ministries, and we will be sending out one of those letters to support this ministry,” Bishop Wack said. “This ministry and coalition exists for us and for those who serve our brothers and sisters behind bars because they are our sheep and our parishioners.”
For Cunningham, the best way to understand the ministry is to step into the prison walls.
“Every time I come out of a prison, I never come out unchanged. … It’s always an awe-inspired experience,” Cunningham said. “I invite you to come into prison. If you want to see a transformation in yourself, in your diocese, in the whole Church, come into a prison.”
Jean Gonzalez, editor with Florida Catholic Media, is helping cover the bishops’ spring plenary for OSV News.
