Prayer Request and a Possible Work of Mercy

A reader writes:

Prayers, please, for my friend John, who is doing life in an Illinois prison. He recently converted to Catholicism based on the influence of a friend. His friend has, for some reason, lost interest and doesn’t want to go to Mass anymore. John is lonely and isolated, surrounded by all kinds of things that make living a Gospel life difficult. He has no Catholic friends inside. Prayers that Our Lord might send him a good companion to encourage him.

I write to him through the excellent ministry of Mary, Mother of Captives — who recently shut down their prison pen-pal ministry after many years because they were just running out of energy, and frankly people just weren’t interested in helping. Prayers, too, that someone might step up to fill that gap.

Father, hear our prayer that John find hope and fellowship and that people would step in to serve and love him and other prisoners like him who seek your face. Do this to the glory of your Name and the salvation of their souls. Mother Mary, pray for them and all who minister to them. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.