Fr. Dismas Sayre, OP writes:

Greetings in the name of Christ, who is to come! I was wondering if you would be able to put out a little tin cup for some donations, for a group that not many think of at Christmas:

Dominicans. But not just any Dominicans, but the lay Dominicans of Our Lady of Mercy Chapter inside the prison of MCI Norfolk, Mass. Our Lady of Mercy Chapter is made up mostly of prisoners (and a few on the outside, including facilitators) who truly attempt to live the Dominican charism as fully as their circumstances allow, that is, meditating on the Word and sharing the fruits of their contemplation, from within their monastic/prison cells to an environment hostile to the Good News. Some might say that they committed a crime and deserve to be in prison, and they would agree. Like any Dominicans, they recognize Truth and what they did. But as a Dominican friar, I also remind folks of our Lord’s curious phrase: “For I was in prison, and you visited Me.” Why did our Lord pick a prison as one of His dwelling places? As a Dominican, I would offer that we believe in restorative justice over retributive justice, to seek to heal the person and restore, as far as possible, a member back into society.
and if not back into society, at least as a fellow Christian.

But what do these Dominicans need? Like any good Dominicans, they need books, books, books! These are voracious readers, eager to know God and to serve Him. Prisons are filled with all kinds of filth and anti-Catholic materials. Here we light a candle to fight the darkness! How can you help?

I have set up a small Amazon Wish List for them.

Good books about Dominicans, study materials, Church history, Canon Law, Liturgy of the Hours, apologetics (I personally sent them your fine three-volume set, “Mary:Mother of the Son”). You can email me gift card or store credit codes to any online bookseller or merchant and I will purchase for them what they need most. Or, if you are a bookseller or someone who could send good Catholic books and sources, mail them to:

Bethany House
1049 Main Street
Millis, MA 02054

And my information:

fr. Dismas (yes, the Good Thief!) Sayre, OP St. Catherine of Siena Parish 170 S. University St Salt Lake City, UT 84102 [email protected]

I am not given to flowery talk. However, I am proud to call them fellow Dominicans, my brothers and sisters in Christ and our Holy Father Dominic, preachers of the Word.

Feel free to step up to the plate on this Feast of St. Nicholas!