A light in the darkness: St. Dismas Church lies within the walls of a maximum-security prison
A light in the darkness: St. Dismas Church lies within the walls of a maximum-security prison
Clinton Correctional Facility, situated in the village of Dannemora, New York, holds a grim reputation. It is the oldest and third-largest penitentiary in New York. In 2015, it gained media attention when two inmates executed a cinematic escape with assistance from a correctional officer and a prison seamstress. Even though it is a maximum-security institution, the duo navigated through tunnels, walls, and a steam pipe below the prison, ultimately emerging through a manhole to attain freedom.
Nevertheless, it’s not those two fugitives that render Clinton significant. Instead, it’s the presence of St. Dismas Catholic Church within the prison, which significantly contrasts with the remainder of the facility. Commemorating its 81st anniversary on Aug. 28, St. Dismas is named in honor of the “good thief,” who implored Christ during the crucifixion, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk 23:42-43).
Renowned as the most stunning church in the Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, St. Dismas is the inaugural free-standing church located within a U.S. prison. In 1937, through no small miracle, Father Ambrose Hyland along with inmates from Clinton constructed the church. Father Hyland believed that the men — and God himself — merited more than a poor-quality auditorium for holy Mass.
Father Hyland’s perspective
In 1937, Father Ambrose Hyland envisioned constructing a Gothic-style church on the grounds of the prison. He believed that a church within the prison would serve as a means to humanize the inmates, offering them a space for prayer and an opportunity for transformation. The establishment of a church would also instruct the men in a trade, preparing them for reintegration into society. After obtaining backing from Gov. Herbert Lehman, Bishop Francis Monaghan, and the prison warden, as well as raising several thousand dollars, the young priest and the inmates commenced construction. Despite facing financial and legal challenges, they successfully built an 8,000-square-foot church featuring a 106-foot tower and an interior embellished with art made by the inmates. In 1941, St. Dismas Church was consecrated.
Continuing to influence lives
Eighty-one years later, St. Dismas still influences the individuals imprisoned at Clinton. Thomas Mailey, New York State’s director of public information for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, shared with Our Sunday Visit that “St. Dismas has served as a symbol of hope since the onset of its development.”
He went on to say: “[The church was] built on the location of a penitentiary with the aim of ‘working out our salvation’ — as Father Hyland expressed. This grand and remarkably striking edifice symbolizes hope and offers a feeling of tranquility.”
Individuals of all faiths or none at all are welcome to participate in Mass at St. Dismas. The church serves as a sanctuary for those seeking to repent. “It has given some the chance to transform their lives. For others, a haven amid the turmoil,” Mailey remarked. “While it might be challenging to claim that profound change happens here, no one who steps through its doors can ever assert that they have not been affected by the beauty and resilience that the church embodies.”
St. Dismas steps in
Vincent Michaels, 37, a name altered to safeguard his identity, is presently incarcerated at Clinton. He experienced a significant change in his life due to St. Dismas Catholic Church. “St. Dismas revitalized my belief,” he remarked. “Nobody compelled me to go to Mass. I chose to reconnect with my long-lost [Catholic] faith.”
He remarked: “It’s simple to become a victim of bad habits and develop a lack of concern for the implications of your imprisonment. Nothing is truly expected of you in prison; you simply have to endure your sentence until it ends. St. Dismas has influenced the life trajectory of numerous inmates who might have continued on a decline into crime [if it weren’t for a] spiritual revelation in the pews of St. Dismas Church.”
Motivated by Father John L. Bonn’s publication regarding the prison church, “Gates of Dannemora” (Doubleday & Co., 1953), Michaels authored a contemporary rendition under the same title. He expressed that discovering Father Hyland reignited his dedication to persist. “When you immerse yourself in the mindset of Father Hyland, you realize he aimed not only to construct a Church but to nurture two essential elements: love and achievement.”
The influence of having a church situated within prison walls often remains unnoticed, yet Michaels has observed subtle, everyday instances where participating in Mass affects behavior. He has seen that inmates who attend church engage in acts of kindness, such as providing shoes or winter hats and gloves to other prisoners lacking adequate clothing to endure the severe cold. “I am convinced that St. Dismas helps deter future offenses,” he remarked. “[T]here’s no measurable way to assess the damage that is avoided by those who transform their lives and coexist peacefully with society.”
Seed-launcher and note-composer
Father Bill Edwards, who served as the chaplain at St. Dismas Church from 2002 to 2011, shared with Our Sunday Visitor that although some may perceive the church within the prison as a display or a museum, he has consistently viewed it as a house of prayer where individuals are “empowered for their journey by our God who loves them all regardless of their past actions.”
While working at St. Dismas, Father Edwards viewed himself as a “seed-sower” in a shadowed environment. After concluding his position as chaplain in the prison ministry, Father Edwards continued a written exchange with approximately 60 inmates, many of whom have reintegrated into society. One correspondent spent a decade imprisoned at Clinton. Father Edwards recognized in him a shattered individual seeking God for strength and redemption and discovered through one of his letters that the inmate secretly wept every night into his pillow during the first eight years of his imprisonment. “He shared with me that attending Mass at St. Dismas saved his life,” Father Edwards remembered.
The inmate was given the opportunity to work at St. Dismas Church, granting him nearly daily access to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament, which he attributes to helping him endure those tough times. Following his release, the individual became deeply engaged in his church community and the pro-life initiative.
Father Edwards recounted two additional tales about past inmates with whom he maintains regular correspondence. One individual, who served as an altar boy at St. Dismas to spend more time within the church during his imprisonment, is now married and actively engaged in his Catholic community. Another former inmate, who was subsequently exonerated in a retrial, requested to serve his sentence at Clinton. Referred to as “Little Siberia” due to the harshly cold climate in Dannemora, he opted for Clinton because of St. Dismas Church. For both men, Father Edwards takes comfort in the knowledge that he and Father Hyland’s church provided them with strength and solace throughout their challenging times.
A new chaplain
Since Father Edwards was reassigned in October 2011, St. Dismas Church has been without a resident Catholic priest. In February 2022, Father Howard Venette was appointed as the permanent Catholic chaplain at Clinton Prison. He shared with Our Sunday Visitor that he “hopes to enhance the chaplaincy by educating about Catholicism, engaging with the incarcerated, and organizing programs for them.”
Lori Hadacek Chaplin writes from Idaho.
