by Samuel D’Angelo

Last year, I was contacted by the local juvenile detention centre here in Sudbury.  One of the youth was interested in learning more about the Word of God and also how to pray the rosary.    I was open to inviting any other youths at the centre to join as well.  After going through all of the protocols for entering the centre and obtaining break-away rosaries that would be allowed to it, we scheduled a time to meet. Five young men met with me in one of the rooms that was used for Indigenous prayer and we sat in a sacred circle on logs.  After the usual introductions, one of the youth asked what the Bible said about prayer. So I began by reading to them the passage where Jesus gives us the Our Father, and then, we explored the psalms, many of which resonated with the experience of having to start again and to be renewed in our commitment to God. We then explored how the rosary is a scriptural mediation on the life of Jesus and Mary. As the men on the way to Emmaus, all our hearts were burning as we met our Lord in his Word.