A Reflection on a Visit To Albion Prison

One- or two-week mission trips to Africa and Haiti clearly offer an opportunity to put faith into action and to see life in a different way. But there is another opportunity even closer to home. This year St. James’ will offer two “mini-mission trips” to Albion Prison outside Rochester, New York, chaperoning children on a two-day trip to visit their mothers imprisoned there. The trip offers a first-hand look inside one of New York state’s largest correctional facilities. It also offers an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children, overlooked victims of the crisis in the American criminal justice system, where one in every 99 adults is incarcerated. St. James' parishioner Seth Cunningham, who along with parishioners Leeanna Varga, Juan Valles, Jane Draper, Maggie Oat, Jon Eden, Ann Fraser, Dennis Scully, and Chris Flowers went on a trip to Albion last March, offers reflections on the experience:

"I was definitely out of my comfort zone when I went on an overnight trip to Rochester, New York, to take children to visit their mothers at Albion, a medium security prison. Why I agreed I still have no idea, but something compelled me say yes.  It was the start of many changes in how I view myself and others, and how much we can learn from each other, whether we are children or adults.

"In a getting-to-know-you session prior to the trip, a six-year old girl turned at the end of an hour of quietly coloring with me, and said "I miss my Mommy."  I was not quite sure how to respond, so I said, "I am sure she misses you too." She gave a quiet nod and then she went back to coloring.

"All the children had issues I never had to deal with when I was a child.  I had never seen my parent arrested and taken away. I had never had schoolmates asking: what does your mother or father do? Why are they never around?  Why to you live with those people [in foster care] or your grandmother or aunt?  Each child had to deal with those questions, and possibly their own private questions: Do my parents really care about me? Does anyone really care about me?

"Having caring adults in their lives (such as parishioners from St James') helps reassure a child that the world may be a safer place than their imagination or previous experience had led them to believe.  

"On the trip I had two extremely rambunctious and energetic brothers, ages 9 and 11, assigned to me, and I was fully occupied.  My challenges were in subduing the number of handsprings in the airport, limiting the number of times they ran ahead of the group on the subway platform, and generally feeling I was trying to puts socks on an octopus. The highest compliment I received was when the younger of the two brothers said 'You aren't like any grandfather I know - all he does is sleep.'

"Later the mothers gave me a card addressed to all the parishioners who had brought their children up to the Albion prison, and one of the most touching remarks was 'You are truly an inspiration to me. You have made me see that God truly works through people . . . You gave of yourself to my children and gave to me and others.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart and so do my children.  God bless you always.'

"I have been transformed by this experience by deepening my conviction that any love I received or give is not just my gift, but rather God's gift to us all. 'Treat others as you would want to be treated' became even more real to me. I thank St James' and the Osborne Association for allowing me the chance to reexamine my own life and preconceptions, and in some small way become a more receptive, loving person. It was an unexpected gift, and the start of a journey outside my comfort zone!"

Trip dates are November 6-7, 2008 and March 26-27, 2009. The deadline to sign up for the fall trip is Friday, October 10. For more information, contact Leeanna Varga at 212-774-4234 or lvarga@stjames.org.