Deacon Donna Olsen

 

Donna has been a loyal member of St. Timothy's for over 30 years, and was ordained as a deacon in 1995.  The primary focus of her ministry is outside the parish; she is currently providing educational programs and spiritual guidance at a nearby men's correctional facility.

 

The focus of Donna's ministry has shifted even more strongly towards prison work in recent years.  For eleven years she has been involved with the Plainfield Correctional Facility, where she now volunteers two days a week, leading Bible studies, discussions, and worship.  Clergy from around the diocese join her occasionally for Eucharist.  On Sunday evenings, she leads services at the Reception and Diagnostic Center, also in Plainfield.  In addition, she visits a prison hospice each week and shares in some of the best conversations she's ever had.  A grant from the diocese provides some expense money for these endeavors.

 

            Frequently, our organist, Jim Herre, joins them to play piano for special services.  The men are especially grateful to Jim for providing music for these services.

 

            She continues to use the “Liturgy of Leaving” to celebrate when an inmate is ending his sentence and returning to the outside world.  Steve Polston, who visits the prison sometimes, wrote this beautiful and highly cherished liturgy.

 

            Donna would like to think that she is working herself out of a job, but, sadly, that will never be the case.  Jesus said the poor are always with us and one might also add that we always seem to have plenty of prisoners, too.  Some of them do leave prison and begin productive lives in the larger world, however.  Pray that more and more of them will be enabled, with the grace of God, to do just that.