Incarcerated & their Families

Through the Diocesan Ministry to the Incarcerated and the LEAF Ministry to family and friends of the incarcerated, we care for those imprisoned.

The Ministry to the Incarcerated of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a collaborative response to the Gospel: Matthew 25: “When I was in prison you visited me.” Called by the Holy Spirit, we extend the hope of reconciling love in our relationships with the offender, the victim and their families.

LEAF Ministry (Listening, Encouraging and Assisting Families of the incarcerated) was started from listening to inmates as they worried about their families on the outside. LEAF ministers to inmates' families dealing with loneliness, shame and confusion in learning the corrections system. The LEAF Ministry team knows first hand the pain of having a loved one in prison, so there is no reason to walk alone. Meetings are a safe place where people gather to share their joys, their trials and their daily little victories with others on the same journey. LEAF offers an attentive ear, genuine concern, and thoughtful suggestions for dealing with an incarcerated family member.

For more information, please contact the Secretariat for Parish Life and Development at (216) 696-6525 or (800) 869-6525 ext. 3500.