From My Diary

AB Habib Jajou

TO THE PRISON:

A deceased Christian sister from our church, who was the director of the women prison in southeast of Baghdad, invited me to her prison one day to perform a mass there at the end of the last century. Of the more than 650 prisoners, we had less than a dozen Christians; an increase of almost 1% which it was good because the proportion of Christians in Iraq then was 4%.

I decided to conduct a mass service once every two months in that prison for those women inmates. We were keen to equip the prison with bibles, spiritual sources, crosses and rosaries.

These women were strong in their character, but victims of our society. We had some respect and admiration to those women in prison. And as St. Paul said, “it is the lesser must have the greater amount of respect”. Therefore, we must always remember them in our hearts and remember others who are less fortunate than us.

A few of our sisters from our church accompanied me. The Directors of that prison were courteous and kind to us and we felt that we were always welcome and encouraged to be there. I also felt that it was for our interest to create a spiritual atmosphere to be close and united with living Jesus in our hearts. As our Lord said “I was a prisoner and you failed to visit me”. Matthew Chapter 25.

Baghdad 1999

St George Chaldean Catholic church