Clinical Pastoral Education

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A couple of weeks ago, I started the leg of my pre-ordained journey called CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education). I’ll be working at the Washoe County Detention Center out on beautiful Parr Blvd. in Reno, NV for the first half of summer and finishing up the second half of summer in Chicago at a hospital out there.

It’s already been quite a ride and I hope to have more to share when I’m done. I’ve been serving amazing people who’ve been arrested for everything from unpaid traffic tickets and urinating in public to outright murder.

Right now, I’ll just say that we’re all one bad day away from this place. I can also say that Jesus didn’t come to condemn anyone, especially people housed in places like this. Instead, he runs towards those who’ve found themselves imprisoned - not just in this way, but in many ways.

I see it as my role to help our inmates (we call them our parishioners) see how God is rushing towards them and working in their lives - even while they’re behind bars. I hope to remind people of this gospel good news and that in them, I might be reminded of it as well. 

In Comfort & Joy,
Jonas