These religious sisters bring hope to women on Death Row

In a convent in Waco, Texas, the Sisters of Mary Morning Star live, like most religious sisters, dedicated to prayer, silence, and solitude. But these sisters have a very unusual mission within their contemplative religious vocation. Once a month, they visit a group of seven women on Death Row at the Gatesville Correctional Facility in Texas. 

Six of the seven incarcerated women have become not only Catholic but also Oblates of the Sisters of Mary Morning Star. As Oblates, third order lay members, they receive support and strength from being part of a spiritual family. They also commit to praying daily for the Sisters and their different convents throughout the world. 

The unique ministry began with a visit from Deacon Ronnie Lastovica, a permanent deacon who has devoted over seven years to prison ministry. Lastovica saw some similarities between the Sisters’ life and the life of these incarcerated women, and he hoped to bring together the two groups of women. 

He hoped such an encounter “could help these women learn to live their incarcerated life as something akin to a ‘monastic life’ marked by prayer, Scripture meditation and fraternal community life,” said Sister Mary Thomas. 

The sisters were very surprised at the request. Typically they don’t have apostolates or even leave their convents often. But they wanted to meet the incarcerated women, so after obtaining permission from their superiors, they set out for what they assumed would be a one-time visit.

That first visit three years ago didn’t start off very promising. Sister Lydia Maria recalled:

Extreme experiences for all five senses met us as we entered the prison for the first time: guards with guns and cell keys, bars, security doors, and unfortunately to get to Death Row, you have to first pass through the psychiatric corridor where the senses of smell and hearing are tormented with screams and repulsive smells. We were approaching our destination and did not know what to expect.

But everything changed when they entered the meeting room. Sr. Mary Thomas recalled, “I was very surprised by what I saw when I entered: five smiling women, very happy to receive us.”

The sisters introduced themselves and described an ordinary day in their lives, and that’s when both groups of women began to be amazed by their similarities: 

We both have a very similar and very simple life: We do not do extraordinary things either. Each day we follow the same regular schedule. We all wear the same clothes—our habits. We have manual work and daily chores, and we live by obedience. That we even call our rooms “cells” got smiles and chuckles out of the women!

While their lives were externally similar, the major difference is that the sisters freely chose to live this way out of love for Christ. Yet the simplicity of the sisters’ contemplative life broke down any barriers: “We quickly felt very close to them.”

The connection between the two groups was so strong that the sisters knew they had to come back. Five of the sisters have visited every month for the past three years.

The incarcerated women wanted to know more about how the women discovered their call to religious life. Then one woman asked how the sisters resolved any differences and quarrels that might arise among them, and that question led to an important conversation.

The sisters shared with the incarcerated women that differences are a normal part of life, and can be handled with grace: “We said that it is normal that we do not always agree, but that when there are disagreements or we hurt each other or speak badly to each other without meaning to, often because of human weakness, then we ask each other for forgiveness.”

Then the sisters explained their practice of asking each other for forgiveness as part of their regular weekly meeting called “chapter.” “It is a moment of great simplicity and confidence that Christ has everything in His hands and that it is He who transforms us with his love little by little,” said Sr. Lydia Maria. “Asking each other for forgiveness brings us back together in a stronger way.” 

Later that week, one of the women spontaneously asked the others for forgiveness, something that had not happened before even though some of them had been living together for 10, 15 or even 20 years. 

“They have since made a regular practice of asking each other forgiveness. It has completely transformed their way of relating to each other,” she said.

While the incarcerated women have learned a lot from the sisters, the sisters have learned from them, too. Sr. Mary Thomas described how the incarcerated women have been a witness to her of true Christian hope:

I was a little afraid the first time I went. I was wondering what I could possibly have in common with these women, what I would talk to them about.

But when I met them, I didn’t meet criminals, or prisoners. I met women, human persons, who because of the situation they are in, are stripped of all pretense and masks. 

These women have so honestly faced their brokenness and suffering — whether that be through a terrible past, a terrible crime, or the injustice of being falsely condemned — and have had the courage not to despair. 

Each one of us is tempted in some way by depression, discouragement or despair, but with Jesus there is always a way out, a way to freedom, even if that freedom is only in the spirit. These women have taught me what true Christian hope is. 

They have to continuously look death in the face and see beyond it to the eternity of joy and peace promised us freely by Christ, no matter what we have done. Whether we have committed terrible crimes, or are just weighed down by the battle against our own vanity, selfishness or pride, when we receive Christ’s free gift of grace, we are all worthy to live by the joy and freedom of Christ. But it takes a lot of courage and humility to accept this free gift. These women have taught me that.

Because of the hope and freedom that the incarcerated women witness, the Sisters prefer to call it “Light Row” rather than “Death Row.”

Britanny Holberg, a woman incarcerated at Gatesville Correctional Facility, recently became Catholic and is now an Oblate of the Sisters of Mary Morning Star. She shared with Aleteia her own perspective on the Sisters’ ministry:

I believe what the world should know most about [the Sisters’ ministry] is that all of you are a light in the darkness. A way to see the infinite love of Jesus for those who may not believe they are worthy of such love. 

Jesus said he came for the sick, and prisons are filled with the sick who so desperately need to see his love reflected in the eyes of another. This ministry is so desperately needed because there are souls behind these walls who need to know the redeeming love of Christ. They need to know that nothing separates them from the love of Christ Jesus. 

The Sisters’ lives are a model for them to follow as they live in community with one another, very similar to them. They are able to show them their way of life and guide them into living completely for Christ. In this broken world we all inhabit, nothing is more important than this.

Aleteia asked Sister Lydia Maria to describe a typical visit of the Sisters to the correctional facility: 

The visits last two hours. Each time we go, we greet each other with great joy to see each other again, then we make 1 or 2 groups to read the Bible [usually an upcoming Gospel at Mass]. It is wonderful to share the Word of God. We all have something to contribute to this Lectio Divina. 

Sometimes a priest celebrates Mass right there on Death Row and we share the Holy Eucharist. When we do not have Mass together, we usually end up singing some songs and saying some prayer intentions to entrust to each other in our mutual prayers. Then Deacon Ronnie says a prayer, gives us the Holy Eucharist, and blesses us with Holy Water. 

What marks me deeply every time, in this final moment of the visits, is the fact that contemplative sisters and sisters condemned to death are all together; standing or kneeling; receiving the mercy and love, the body, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist; without distinction; none is better than the other. We are all sisters and Jesus is happy to enter into our hearts and to be in our midst. Communion is followed by a great silence before saying goodbye. 

They are women who have received the mercy of Christ and in their new life, they lead a prayer life, they intercede together with us sisters, for the Church, for our Holy Father, for families, for priests, for all those who suffer. It is not only they who receive from us, it is also we who receive the love and light of Christ through them. Humanly it cannot be explained, but the love and light of Christ is perceived in a very strong way in this corner of the prison in this small town in Central Texas.

This story of conversion, forgiveness, and hope is an incredible one to ponder this Christmas season. God is doing incredible things in Gatesville, Texas, through the ministry of the Sisters of Mary Morning Star and Deacon Ronnie Lastovica. You can donate here to support their work.

Our prayers will be with the Sisters of Mary Morning Star and their incarcerated sisters as they continue this work of friendship and growing together in love for Christ.

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