Prison to praise fellowship

Tu Tangata, Issue 29, 1 April 1986, Page 53

Prison to praise fellowship

By Papa Uncle Ressiano

Prison to praise fellowship community network. The inside story towards people who violate the law and end up in jail, as guests of the government and the taxpayers.

TATOU tatou katoa, altogetherness ote ao hou, a new direction, the inside outreaches, called to serve thy people in captivity. I’m reflecting over the past week as I take a month break as the manager of the United senior cricket team and to relax and meditate during my leisure hours at this time of the year after all the hassles and hang ups. Christmas is a time of hi ho celebration with some of the long term identities and sports personalities that gave their best for the cricket and the league team to make the united teams a success.

A change of time table by our elder brother RAY KAMO, senior R.C. chaplain at Paparua jail rock house, and the Rev Father Barry Jones, maori missionary at Terangimarie youth cen-

tre Christchurch. These wonderful kind humble people of god influence me to participate and tape record the first maori mass service ever held in Paparua prison since the prison was built in 1925.

Since then my day every day has been crammed full of continued activities. 23, December ’BS, at 6pm, a group of visitors, from Terangimarie, people from churches around Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin attend the mass a full chapel accommodate 60 people 90 turned up including prisoners some stood up and some sat down outside the chapel doors while the service was in progress.

After welcoming the visitors and the elders, Mr Manawatu, Mr Stirling, Mrs Iri Choat, Mr Wiremu, Mr Merlin and the sisters of the parishes, Mr Stirling spoke in maori. The good Samaritan work of Father Barry Jones as maori missionary for Te Waipounamu. Father Jones, conducted the mass in maori, KO NGA KARAKIA O TE MIHA.