Milwaukee archbishop visits maximum security Wisconsin prison

Published: 2003-12-02

WAUPUN, Wis. (CNS) -- The routine at Dodge Correctional Institution, the first stop for prisoners entering Wisconsin's correctional system, was broken when Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee made a daylong visit Nov. 20. He prayed, laughed and ate with inmates and staff of the maximum security prison. His message to the prisoners was clear. "I hope you feel a very important part of the church because you are," said the archbishop in a homily during a Mass celebrated for about 50 inmates and staff members. "You couldn't come to see me for obvious reasons, but I wanted to see you." The archbishop said he made the trek to Waupun because he wanted to, but also because "I have to. I belong to a religion that was founded by a prisoner. He was arrested, tortured. ... The Son of God was a prisoner and I belong to a church whose leader was crucified between two prisoners."

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