Marian Helper Spring 2014

M arian H elper • S pring 2014 • www.marian.org 9 the 33 Days program progressed, they felt a brotherhood developing between them that has helped to strengthen them against the bouts of loneliness, despair, and fear they face in prison. “Mary is at work here,” says Deacon Jim Daly, the prison’s Catholic chaplain. Led by Fr. Deschamps, the inmates make their consecration, pledging to “renew and ratify” the vows of their Baptism, renounce Satan, and give themselves to Mary to be formed into the image of her Son. “I felt this overwhelming peace coming over me,” an inmate named Lawrence said afterwards. So what has been so extraordi- nary about the experience? “Knowing that we are loved,” Lawrence said, “in a place where you can be so bitter and angry, to knowwe can go to Mary.” Why these inmates? Nearly two million copies of 33 Days to Morning Glory are now in print. It has consistently been among the top 10 Catholic books on Amazon.com for the past two years. Prison volunteer Nate Chapman of New Hampshire and three fellow devotees of Mary named David Kemmis, Jean Fafard, and Jim Preisendorfer are among the hun- dreds of thousands who have made the consecration. Having done so, they knew the inmates would benefit from it. When approached about it, Deacon Daly welcomed it as a “dream come true.” The Marians believe Mary chose this par- ticular group of inmates to be the first. That reason eventually was revealed. It turns out that one of the participating inmates was Pornchai Moontri, who was featured in last year’s Marian Press title Loved, Lost, Found: 17 Divine Mercy Conversions (preview) . Moreover, before joining the Marians’ Evangelization Department a year ago and helping to spearhead the 33 Days initiative, Eric Mahl was also featured in the book. Eric and Pornchai met for the first time in November when Eric presented to the inmates during one of the six weekly meet- ings for the group retreat. “I felt like I met my brother, someone I’ve known my whole life,” Eric said afterwards. As Loved, Lost, Found reveals, Pornchai, 40, is serving a 45-year prison sentence for a murder he committed when he was 19. He experienced a dramatic conversion several years ago in no small part due to a friendship he formed with fellow inmate — and now cellmate — Fr. Gordon MacRae, convicted in 1994 on charges of sexual assault that have since been called into question. Father Gordon —who chronicles his life in his celebrated website, TheseStoneWalls.com— has gained widespread public support for his cause, including from the late Cardinal Avery Dulles. Now in his 20th year of incarceration, he joined Pornchai in the consecration and called it a “great spiritual gift” that opened “a door to the rebirth of trust” at a particularly dark time for both men. He and Pornchai signed up for the program reluctantly, but Mr. Chapman’s introduction “instantly awak- ened us to our very purpose for being there. It could be summarized in one sentence: ‘Great suffering requires great trust.’” ‘Mary has a special love for you’ Eric returned to the prison on the day of the consecration and spoke to the inmates about Mary’s desire to enter the prison. He likened it to the scene in The Passion of The Christ when Mary lay on a floor in the Temple complex to get close to her Son who was suf- fering, imprisoned in a cell below her. “That’s Mary right now,” Eric told the inmates. “By doing this consecration, you’re opening the door for her. You may be that Christ — shackled and bloody and so full of pain. All she wants to do is take care of us and bring us to Christ. Mary has a special love for you, but now it’s your job to pray for other inmates. Where Mary is, the Holy Spirit is, and where the Holy Spirit is, there is con- version and sanctification.” For more information about the 33 Days retreat, visi t allheartsafire.org. MH Eric Mahl (left), a Marian lay aggregate, has helped spearhead the Marians’ evangelization efforts. Standing in front of New Hampshire State Prison for Men, he is joined by prison ministry volunteers Jean Fafard, Nate Chapman, David Kemmis, and Fr. Wilfred Deschamps. F elix C arroll Back to index