Just Mercy Reflection Series

“Jesus’s concern for the care of the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, and prisoners sought to express the core of the Father’s mercy. This becomes a moral imperative for the whole of society that wishes to maintain the necessary conditions for a better common life. It is within a society’s capacity to include the poor, the infirm and the imprisoned, that we see its ability to heal their wounds and make them builders of a peaceful coexistence.” – Pope Francis to prisoners at Centro de Readaptación in Juarex, Mexico

Welcome to St. Mary’s reflection series on Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy. Whether you’re just beginning Just Mercy, finished it six months ago, or have it on your to-read list for winter break, it is our hope that this series of reflections is relevant and meaningful to you, and moves you to think about mercy, compassion, and our justice system in new ways; we want this space to be the starting point of a parish-wide conversation about the collective responsibility we have to create a more merciful and just world.

Pope Francis consistently calls each one of us to stand in solidarity with the incarcerated people of our world. He celebrated his first Holy Thursday as Pope at a juvenile detention center in Rome, and in 2015, celebrated Holy Thursday mass at the Rebibbia Prison in Rome. During his visit to the United States, Pope Francis spent time visiting and praying with prisoners at the Curran-Cromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, telling them “I am here as a pastor, but above all as a brother, to share your situation and to make it my own.” What a beautiful invitation to each of us to stand as brothers and sisters with the imprisoned.

On behalf of the Social Justice Ministry at St. Mary’s, thank you for reading, and we look forward to the start of a transformative dialogue!

If you are interested in gaining some background before reading the series, we encourage you to watch this moving 20 minute TED Talk by the author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson: