Kolbe House Stories

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Centering Prayer

"Letting Go: Centering Prayer in Cook County Jail"

Centering Prayer is a "receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence … a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself" (Contemplative Outreach). In this moving 30-minute video that was created as a recruitment tool to show individuals in custody at Cook County Jail, we hear directly from participants in Kolbe House's Centering Prayer groups in the jail about the life-changing impact of Centering Prayer and why individuals should consider practicing Centering Prayer.

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"Letting Go: True Self & False Self"

In this 11-minute video, we dive more deeply into the idea of "true self and false self," hearing from individuals in custody in Cook County Jail about how Centering Prayer has led them to know their true selves and to not define themselves by their worst actions.

 

Blessed and Broken

Blessed and Broken is a quarterly anthology of creative art by persons currently or formerly incarcerated in Cook County and Illinois Department of Corrections facilities. It seeks to lift up the voices of our sisters and brothers impacted by incarceration.

Blessed and Broken Issues:
Spring 2021 (PDF)
Summer 2021 (PDF)
Fall 2021 (PDF)

If you know someone in a correctional facility in Illinois who may like to submit a poem or drawing, they can mail it to:

Kolbe House Blessed and Broken
2831 West 24th Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60623 

Prayer Intentions

Through our ministry, we accompany men, women and families in moments of distress and great need. We honor their voices by sharing their prayer intentions with our prayer ministry community via email. To become involved in Kolbe House Prayer Ministry and regularly receive prayer intentions, please fill out this form.

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