In My View, Fr Paddy O'Kane: ‘When I was in prison and you came to see me’

Some of best movies recently were about prisons.

Take for example ‘The Green Mile,’ ‘Dead Men Walking,’ the ‘Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘In the Name of the Father.’

Currently, I am watching ‘The Night of….’

I have over the past 43 years of priesthood years visited many prisons.

I have been to Crumlin Road, Armagh, Long Kesh, Magilligan, Maghaberry, Hydebank, the Curragh, Mountjoy and Wormwood Scrubs.

During the Hunger Strike I was asked to bring messages home to families.

I blessed Raymond MacRaois and Patsy O’Hara shortly before they died.

It amused me to find the Long Kesh prisoners concelebrating with me at Mass by saying the words of the Consecration.

And the first question the Derry city prisoners would ask was ‘Tell us yesterday’s English soccer results.’

When I was in Strabane I was a source of curiosity for the wardens for I had a list of 23 prisoners to see on one visit - all from the one parish!

We had to meet in groups and I was permitted to give cigarettes to those who smoked.

Together with Fr. Jack Gallagher we organised several concerts for the girls in Armagh jail.

When I discovered that Fr. Brendan Smyth was (understandably) totally disowned by his family and priest friends, I decided to visit him in Magilligan.

More recently, I saw Tony Taylor in Maghaberry.

He is from my parish in Ballymagroarty. He has not been charged with anything.

Please pray for justice for him – that either charges will be brought or he will be released back to his wife Lorraine and his family.

The lepers in last Sunday’s Gospel were condemned to a life of isolation, like a prison. Jesus in healing them granted them the joy of being free.