"When I think of the most abandoned," says Fr. George Blasick, C.Ss.R. at St. Gerard's parish, "I think of the prisoners at Allen Correctional Institute (ACI). The idea of knowing they will look at the same walls for 20 years, trying to figure out whether they deserve it, has to knock the wind out of anyone." Because most of the parishes where Redemptorists minister are located in cities, the opportunity for prison ministry is uncommon since the majority of prisons are located outside of cities. St. Gerard's in Lima, OH, where Father Blasick and three others are stationed, is an exception. The correctional facility is less than 5 miles from their parish and offers a special opportunity to minister to inmates who might otherwise see a priest only three or four times a year. The priests from St. Gerard's celebrate Mass for about 30 inmates twice each week and spend another hour discussing practical spirituality with 5 to 10 inmates every other week. Because their meetings with the prisoners are strictly limited to these times, they have to make every word count. The inmates have a great need for honesty in their lives, Fr. Blasick explains. "They have been incarcerated for serious crimes. In order to heal, they have to take responsibility for what they have done, and this can cause great depression and even despair. That is why they also have to recognize God's love, mercy, and blessing on their lives." The inmates who regularly come to Mass and meetings genuinely want to develop a new way of looking at the world. They want to make better choices when they become eligible for parole. They want God to help them change. Ministering to them is a tremendous opportunity to share in God's love, a love that is not conditional or partial, or just for "good people" but is real, deep, and embracing everyone including those behind bars who are almost always among "the most abaondoned in desperate spiritual need."