Dignity for
the Prisoner
Deacon Mike Chesley graduated from
Sacred Heart and was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of
Detroit in 2005. He is assigned to St.
Patrick Parish in White Lake. Deacon
Mike is the chaplain of the St. Vincent
De Paul Justice Initiative, a prison outreach program that ministers throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Alumni Advancing the New Evangelization
S
t. Augustine expressed the principle, “In the Old Testament, the New Testament is concealed; in the New Testament, the Old Testament is revealed.” I can say confidently
that this allegorical imagery can be applied to my faith life,
as well. Like the Old Testament prophets, how could I know
what God was preparing for me? It is only in looking back at
those events that those connections clearly come together—
despite my human ignorance to the whole process.
I am the son of a Detroit policeman. In
the 1960s and ’70s, I attended Catholic grade
school, and I looked to my parents and to
the priests and religious sisters as models for
life. So it is really no surprise that I would
“play priest” in our basement, “saying” Mass
(in Latin) with homemade vestments, a cup
sprayed gold for my chalice, and “wonder
bread” cut out for hosts. In my late teens
and early twenties, a series of events pulled
me away from an active faith, but I returned
as a stronger, more committed Catholic who
understood his faith intellectually and with a
growing spirituality.
As a single father of two growing teenage
girls, I applied to the permanent diaconate.
After five years of formation, I was ordained
by Adam Cardinal Maida in 2005 along with
three other men. In the years after my formation, I ministered at Scott Correctional Facility, a women’s state prison. We built a solid
Catholic community conducting RCIA and
Bible studies, and celebrating. The first Baptism I ever celebrated as an ordained deacon
was in a prison, using a metal mixing bowl to
hold the water and a paper cup.
In 2010, the Society of St. Vincent De
Paul in Detroit was asked to assume the
responsibilities of prison ministry for the
Archdiocese of Detroit. Over a three-year
period of trial and error, I established what
is now called the St. Vincent De Paul Jus-
INTO THE VINEYARD
tice Initiative. With the help of two additional deacons, one functioning as our accountant and the other as a counselor, and
a handful of lay ministers with great hearts
for the poor, the SVDP JI has grown into
a prison outreach service that ministers to
newly released men and women from state,
federal, and county correctional systems.
Many, if not most, parolees are released
into halfway houses. These “homes” serve
only to supply a place to sleep and meals.
Clothes, hygiene needs, and other basic needs
are not provided. Our ministry gives these
basic needs to each individual who comes to
our facility. Each person is given six pair of underwear, socks, new shoes, and a winter coat,
along with basic hygiene items. Each person is
received with love and is treated with dignity—
something a parolee rarely experiences. In addition, we counsel them on other issues they
are experiencing. We are open two or three
Saturdays a month; however, the ministry is
operating seven days a week with scheduling
appointments and speaking to individuals.
In addition, I have served on the formation team and function at my parish
preaching, baptizing, conducting funerals,
and teaching the faith. The Lord has truly
blessed me to serve him in this way. I would
not take back one minute.
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