Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN PRISON MINISTRY (OCPM) is the official prison ministry of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America (formerly SCOBA).
OCPM MISSION: bring the love of Christ to those who are in prison by providing encouragement, material support, transition and reintegration services, Christian education, spiritual guidance and the sacramental life of the Church.

Why Minister to People in Prison? "If the Church is, as it has aptly been called, the hospital of the soul, people in prison are very often the critical cases." All of us “have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God”;[8] all of us have, like the unjust servant in Matthew 18, been forgiven of a debt we could never repay and have thereby been saved from...eternal punishment."

The Priesthood and Prison Ministry "Focusing on the person of the clergy, who are the ones who fervently supplicate the Lord on behalf of the flock, making sacrifices for our own sins and for the sins of the people. We visit those in prison with humility. After all, in the person of the inmate, we are going to visit the Lord."

Reaching Out: Prison Ministry in the Parish People come out of prison only to get stuck in the cycle of recidivism: the “revolving door" of crime, prison, and release. The answer is not more prisons so that we can lock up more people. It is not even the death penalty, as studies have shown that even this is not an effective deterrent. The answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the redemptive and transforming power of God’s love.

Letters From Monk Cosmas A compilation of letters written by Monk Cosmas, who currently resides at the Monastery of St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco in Manton, California. These letters were originally written for spiritual friends in prison. Now, he is sharing them with us so that others might benefit from their insight and wisdom.