Walking alongside the forgotten: A ministry of Hope

Last week, Archbishop Christopher Prowse stood outside the Alexander Maconochie Centre in the ACT with Catholic prison chaplain Fr Peter Day.

Their meeting, marking a significant Christmas gesture, offered a lens into a profoundly challenging—and deeply human—ministry.

Fr Peter, who also provides chaplaincy at correctional facilities in Goulburn and Cooma, spoke candidly about his vocation.

“The heart of ministry is walking alongside people—it’s just literally that,” Fr Peter said.  It takes a long time to break through here—there’s a lot of pain and trust issues.”

“There’s a pervasive sense of depression and worthlessness here,” he shared.

“It’s amazing how many men and women you meet who never, at any point in their lives, have had a sense that they’re worth something. That’s pretty devastating.”

Amid this stark reality, Fr Peter approaches his ministry with compassion—and even humour, though carefully.

“Humour is a great tool. However, you need to tread lightly,” he remarked.

His reflections on the role reveal profound empathy.

“If I had the lives of half of these men and women, I’d be worse than many of them,” he admitted.

“Good people can do monstrous things, and there are very few true monsters in this world. That’s something I’ve really realised in this role.”

This perspective also allows him to minister to people of all faiths.

“Sometimes men want you to walk alongside them one-on-one to go through Scripture,” he explained.

“There is a hunger for Scripture. We do chapel services, offer reconciliation, and provide Communion. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

Integral to the ministry is the Kairos program, a four-day intensive course Fr Peter described as profoundly transformative.

“Kairos is a team of volunteers who provide pastoral and spiritual support while engaging men at a deep level. There’s good food, good company, and an incredible amount of pastoral care,” he said.

The programme, named after the Greek word for “opportune time,” has created lasting change for decades. “It’s full-on, intensive stuff,” he added.

Archbishop Prowse reflected on the chaplain’s profound work.

“It’s a very significant apostolate in the Archdiocese,” he noted. “He represents all of us in an incredibly challenging but profoundly meaningful ministry.”

For Fr Peter, the mission remains both personal and deeply resonant.

“We all make mistakes, but nobody is a mistake,” he said, echoing Pope Francis.