After 14 years of service, Father Barber’s tenure in San Quentin ended June 13. He came to S.Q. as a volunteer in 1996, after serving in the same capacity at Dublin’s women’s prison, Los Angeles County Jail, and Los Angeles County Juvenile Facilities.
Father Barber was appointed as San Quentin’s Catholic chaplain by Archbishop William C. Levada of San Francisco, and hired by Warden Jean Woodford in 2002. Since then his door and his heart have been opened to inmates and staff, regardless of their religious beliefs.
DEMANDING SCHEDULE
In spite of his demanding schedule, Father Barber sat to chat with me in the center of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Chapel at noon on a cold Tuesday while he drank a hot cup of coffee with cream.
We talked about Mondays Mass on Death Row, where attendance is similar in number to that for the San Quentin’s general population on Sunday mornings. Also, we talked about the Catholic Chapel’s evening activities which include prayer groups, Bible studies and the bimonthly meetings of the Restorative Justice Workshop.
Father Barber’s gift to this community goes beyond San Quentin’s grounds. For instance, at the request of staff, he makes himself available to officiate at funerals, baptisms and weddings. On occasion he donated his vacation time to an employee in case she needed to take a few days off from work to recover from an illness.
JUSTICE PROGRAM
Asked the highlight of his San Quentin service, he said, “It was the creation of the Restorative Justice Program in 2005 that came about as a result of a California Conference of Bishops.” Then he looked sad and the tone of his voice dropped as he remembered Ricky Earle.
Earle was diagnosed with cancer when he was in North Block in 2005. He was transferred to the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, where he died three years ago.
In a place where seems to be no room for forgiveness, by being a teacher, a confidant and a comforter, Father Barber has found ways to show us that anyone can find the path to redemption. As God leads him to serve others in Jerusalem and Rome, we thank him for sharing 14 years of his life with prisoners.
