Faith, like gold, is where you find it. For a small group of parishioners headed by Molly Malloy, the King County Jail has become a source of spiritual inspiration.

Molly is a volunteer conducting weekly communion services for inmates on the 8th floor of the jail. She is assisted by five parishioners.

Molly felt the call to this ministry when the Herald printed a story on parishioner Suzanne Cali, then an archdiocesan detention minister at the jail. “Suzanne felt badly that the inmates were sometimes denied communion services for lack of enough volunteers. At least two people from the outside must be present or the service is not allowed. So I thought about it and prayed about it. And I think I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit, so I called Suzanne and volunteered to help.”

Window visits next
Molly’s detention ministry activities have gradually expanded. Not long after becoming Suzanne’s volunteer assistant she began seeing inmates who asked for a “window visit” -- so called because the visitor speaks to the inmate over a telephone from the other side of a thick window.

What’s it like visiting these men? “Some of them are a little surly,” explains Molly, “probably because they are frightened, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. And there are those who are simply lonesome and sad. There can also be great joy — as was the case with a young man I visited for more than a year. He went from being uncommunicative to determined to make a positive change in his life.”

The next step for Molly was to begin conducting the communion services when Suzanne retired from the ministry. “But we were short of volunteers and sometimes couldn’t conduct the service because I was without the extra volunteer I needed.”

Volunteers step forward
Molly solved that problem quickly. “I simply put an ad in the Sunday bulletin calling for help and I was blessed to have six volunteers step forward. They are such a gift.” They are Pat Cavin, Barbara and Tom Madden, Dick Malloy, Anisa Rails and Phyllis Ohrbeck.

As many as 24 men attend the weekly communion service, held in a plain, drab activities room on the 8th floor of the jail. The services are often inspirational, says Molly. “Many of these men have found God in their lives and seem to have a very strong faith. For some, this is the first time they’ve had a chance to really slow down, get out of the fast lane and think about God in their lives. Whether or not this faith follows them once they leave the jail, only
God knows.”

Pat Cavin says she is “inspired by the faith of these men. Many have prayer circles and pray with each other. I enjoy their singing tremendously - they sing from the heart! For some of these men, this jail time is saving their lives.”

Nervous but undaunted
All the volunteers say they were nervous about their first visit to the jail, but not apprehensive. Volunteers receive a half-day of in-depth training conducted by the jail and a tour of the facility, so they know what to expect.
Barbara Madden says she is surprised how comfortable she has become with the inmates. “The men have been very courteous and appreciative. They make you feel good about being there.”

Anisa Ralls likes the idea of making a difference in the lives of the inmates. “I see that our visits mean something to these men and they will talk about how they are making changes in their lives . So I hope I can be there to help them with that change. That’s what keeps me coming back.”

Change is not easy for most of the inmates. “These men need a lot of support to make it on the outside,” says Molly. “When an inmate is being released we try to counsel them that the hardest part of their journey begins when they walk out the door. During the communion service we place them in the center of a circle and pray over them.

“We know they will need all the help they can get.”