Marking Prisoners' Sunday 2024

This weekend marked Prisoners’ Sunday, a poignant day where parishes across England and Wales took the time to remember people in prison and their families. Ten Cathedrals held Prisoners’ Sunday Mass, including the Archdiocese of Birmingham, Archdiocese of Southwark, and the Dioceses of Arundel and Brighton, Clifton, Hallam, Leeds, Nottingham, Northampton, Shrewsbury, and Wrexham, and Westminster.

Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs shared his thoughts: “How beautiful and fitting that prisoners and their families were brought before the Lord in the cathedrals as well as in parishes in England and Wales.”

Prisoners’ Sunday provides an opportunity for the church and communities to pray for those affected by imprisonment. Taking place on the second Sunday of October, it encourages Catholics and other Christians to think about how they can support men and women in prison and their families in making a fresh start.

As the leading Catholic charity in prisons, we have been helping people in need for 125 years. We support people in prison, people with convictions, and their families, offering them hope and the chance to turn their lives around. Our work at Pact draws on the values of our faith: dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. We believe that everyone can make a fresh start, whatever they may have done.

Last year, our dedicated staff and volunteers supported over 400,000 prison visits, answered over 33,000 calls on our helpline, and provided emergency grants to more than 400 people. Our work serves as a lifeline for thousands struggling to stay afloat or make a new beginning.

Our volunteers and staff, including Parish Reps, spoke about our work in their own parishes and local churches. Julia Corcoran, Pact’s Head of Faith in Action, remarked, “It was a privilege to share about the work of Pact this Prisoners’ Sunday. We are grateful to everyone who spoke on behalf of Pact or shared their experiences as part of Prisoners’ Sunday. I’m sure it had an impact on many.”

We extend our heartfelt thanks to every parish that celebrated Prisoners’ Sunday and are humbled by those who took up a second collection to support our work. If your parish missed the opportunity to celebrate, it’s not too late. You can find more resources here: Prisoners Sunday

Prisoners’ Sunday marks the beginning of the ecumenical Prisons Week, a dedicated week of prayer across our Christian communities.

Interested in becoming a representative for Pact in your parish? Find out more: Parish Rep