A two-day retreat designed to equip prisoners with the skills to improve their lives and communities was held at San Quentin in May. The retreat, entitled “Warriors of Light: Building Community with Jesus,” involved spiritual exercises and thoughtful prayer and reflection.
“We are bringing the message of love, in hopes of instilling peace to the people of San Quentin,” said Paul McMahon, one of the facilitators of the event.
The retreat was held for men in blue and outsiders and included guided prayer and meditation conducted in both Spanish and English. “I enjoyed it so much,” said participant Kenny Sapian. “The soul-searching, it was beautiful.”
“We go in with a sense of hope for the inmate,” explained McMahon, “that through our meditation we can build a large community of participants that are well-equipped to love, respect, and implement meditation in their everyday lives.”
McMahon acknowledged difficulties for Latinos in “opening up” about personal issues and memories, considering the role “machismo” plays in the Latino community. “Latinos have played a tremendous role in the healing process,” he says. “They open up with testimony that perhaps would not take place if they did not have the movement of the Spirit in what we call a ‘comfort zone,’ that allows them to actually be themselves.”
Participant Roger Chavez said of the retreat, “It’s a life-changing experience.”
“There were times when I thought I was opening up old wounds but, in actuality, I was healing wounds that were never closed,” added James Flanagan.
McMahon pointed out that San Quentin offers a unique opportunity for events like this. “We visit Corcoran, Chino, and other CDCR prisons, to carry our message of meditation and healing,” he explained. “San Quentin is set apart from those other prisons, concerning the availability of programs, which makes it easier for us to bring the message without the legal constraints that exist at those other prisons. I hope that some day they parallel San Quentin.”
The retreat was led by Father Michael Kennedy, S.J., who has worked for 20 years with inmates in numerous prisons and juvenile lockups and is the founder of the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative. He has authored four books of meditation, including “Jesus Meditations” and “An Invitation to Freedom.”
