Sisters of St. Mary Magdalene

Have an identical two-fold mission to their counter part, the Brothers of St. Dismas.  Their need to be sacramentally ministered to helps empower them through building self-confidence which builds lay sistership in a faith community among incarcerated Catholic offenders.  This becomes a permanent change towards real life recuperation and responsibility through prayer and applied Scripture in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council.

This dramatic and Godly effort to assist Catholic incarcerated and ex-offender women is being formed daily.  At its formation, Chaplain Glory Siller from the Plane and Hanley State Jail in Dayton, TX (now under Volunteer Chaplain Kathy Ward), began working with the Sisters, leading them in spiritual growth.  This Catholic sorority now boasts of serving over 100 women at the Plane State Jail. 

At our Brazoria County Jail, 66 women have made their formal commitment to the Sisters of St. Mary Magdalene under the direction of Volunteer Chaplain Eveline Nachtengaile, who offered this statement, "A real Catholic difference has been made in their lives because of the Dismas-Magdalene efforts, all in prayer for God's blessings." 

Life Recuperation begins with an in-prison Catholic Metanoia Retreat. This offers re-commitment to the Sisters Sacramental lives, contemplative prayer, community building through weekly Scriptural study, and a Plan of Action towards their release. 

Traditional Aftercare Housing

Aftercare housing for women is more complex and elaborate yet one transitional housing opportunity is now available in Houston, TX called The Angela House for Women.  In the following years we know that the Angela House will show more promise with the help of gifted Catholic benefactors.  With help from existing Catholic parish volunteers, women ex-offenders and their children are welcomed back into a thriving Catholic community of caregivers, instead of seeking help from their former criminal friends.

Catholic Community Help

Reorientation into a Catholic community is paramount for our released Sisters.  In Sacred Scripture we read: "...when you did it to the least of my brothers (sisters), you did it to Me" and "This is my commandment that you love one another."  (Mt 25:36)  Through the committed support and response from all Catholic Communities, parishes can and must offer simple life sustaining basics of food, clothing, transportation, job leads, or a welcoming smile for these Catholic women who sincerely pray and continue to receive the Sacraments under difficult circumstances. 

Deacon Leicht states, "It is our prayer that all pastors would work with The Dismas-Magdalene Project, Inc. staff to help welcome these men and women into their hearts and community.  Catholics live in a different world since Vatican II.  A time traveler from the 1950's would be stunned at the differences.  Hopefully, the Dismas-Magdalene Project will be a shining star of evangelization for our Catholic incarcerated men and women existing in their guilty, but marginalized arenas."

Current Sisters of St. Mary Magdalene Chapters

Healing Retreats

In order to accomplish this mission, male offenders begin a process of reformation and transformation by attending a Catholic in-prison healing Metanoia Retreat and make promissory commitments to follow their sacramental vows, contemplative daily prayer, group Bible study, faith sharing, intense reflection on healing, reconciliation, and real-life application of Post-Vatican II Catholic traditions and values.

Sisters then begin a new "Chapter" or join an existing one in accordance to their geographic location at their prison unit.  Catholic Chaplains pilot the direction and focus of their healing and sacramental lives using a variety of prayerful devotions, all in the intelligent open-minded spirit of St. Mary Magdalene, who was the Good Thief and died beside Jesus on the Cross.  Each Sister prays privately daily, then together in weekly meetings.  Prayer intentions include:  for one another, family members, associate friends, benefactors, victims of crime, and local criminal justice professionals. 

As each Sister of St. Mary Magdalene leaves prison/jail, he is armed with a Plan of Action designed to help him become a part of the free-world parish ministry of responsibility and support for himself and family, other members of the Association, pay-back to victims, and for his local parish/community.