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Article: Shining God's forgiveness, love through broken lives.(Sister Anne Marie Rafferty patiently works with women prisoners in Florida)(Interview)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- September 15, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Franciscan Sr. Anne Marie Raftery has spent most of the last decade as a chaplain at women's federal prisons in Marianna, Fla., and now in Danbury. She has worked with women serving terms of 25 to 40 years -- sentences nearly as long as the 38 years she has freely given to religious life.
Although Danbury houses 1,300 inmates -- 200 over capacity -- and has a staff of 260, Raftery is the sole chaplain to look after the religious and spiritual needs of both groups. Besides some 400 Catholic inmates, there are 300 to 400 Protestant women, 50 Muslims, 18 Jews, 11 Chinese Buddhists and a few adherents of Hinduism, Rastafarianism and Native American spirituality.
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