Bi-lingual Resources Available to Welsh Churches This Prisons Week
The Diocese of Llandaff is once again working with Prisons Week for the annual week of awareness and prayers for ex-prisoners, families and communities, victims, people in the system, and prison staff and the many people who are involved in caring for those affected by crime on the inside and outside of prisons.
Prisons Week 2023 will run from Sunday 8th to 14th October and for the first time resources will be printed in both English and Welsh.
A bi-lingual Service of Reflection on Prisons and Criminal Justice will be held in Llandaff Cathedral on 12th October from 7pm.
Wales consistently records a higher rate of imprisonment than England – 150 Welsh prisoners per 100,000 compared to 137 English (2018 figures).
The Diocese of Llandaff uses this week and the resources as an opportunity to change the conversation around prisons and other marginalised groups, and how those groups are welcomed into the life of the church.
Outreach and Social Justice Lead of the Diocese of Llandaff Christoph Auckland said,
“Prisons Week is a vital time for us to pray for mercy within the criminal justice system, for repentance in prison, fairness in policing, for peace to victims of crime, and hope for everyone crime affects. As Christians this is also a chance for us to consider how we welcome, love and serve those for whom crime has impacted their lives. We are all created in the image of God, and equally invited to be part of his redemption of creation. Prisons Week helps us to center that invitation on those society so readily ignores.”
The theme for Prisons Week 2023 is ‘Look Up Child’:
When we are weighed down by life, we don’t necessarily have to bow our heads to pray. We can look up to know our heavenly Father’s loving gaze on us. We can look up and see his presence in the wonder of creation and the living world. Whenever and wherever we call or cry out in prayer, “look up child” is the response from a loving God who is always ready to hear, whose faithful love reaches out to us through Jesus and offers us forgiveness and hope, all of our days.
Prisons Week resources are available via the Diocese of Llandaff website. Prisons Week 2023 - LLandaff Diocese (churchinwales.org.uk)