88 Years Old Today May 1st, 2021 It is May Day, the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker, and a celebration of the dignity of work for International Workers of the World. I mopped the stairs and hall in front of the medical and psychological services office, now that I’m upstairs in quarantine for…

“Personalism” Prison Reflections from Patrick O’Neill (transcribed and edited by J. Mark Davidson) May 3, 2021 Birthday Pizza A couple of nights ago, two of my friends, Sean and Tippy, surprised me with two steaming hot pizzas they made me for my birthday! They had planned to do it back in March, but I was…

April 20th, 2021 Reflections from Danbury The other evening there were eight deer in the meadow below Camp, playing in the puddles of rainwater collected on the worn spots of the softball diamond. They reminded me of the goats we kept in Vermont, running, splashing with their hooves, chasing one another. While on the phone…

“Triduum 2021” Prison Reflections from Patrick O’Neill (transcribed and edited by J. Mark Davidson) April 19, 2021 Holy Thursday Excerpts from letters: “The testament of your imprisonment and continued service to God is a source of encouragement to me”; “My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t mean I’m innocent” – Sherman Lee Dillon. ”I pray…

Easter Sunday, April 4th, 2021 3rd Anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares Action. – July 7th, 2017 – Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear Weapons. Deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would result from any use of nuclear weapons, and recognizing the consequent need to completely eliminate such weapons, which remains the only…

Holy Week Approaching March 27th, 2021 The daily penance here is fitting for the season of Lent. Jesus must die for the nation and to bring the dispersed children of God together. The innocent lamb is slaughtered, like the hopes of so many of the women being brought into the prison system. The Bureau of…

An Appreciation of My Fellow Plowshares Friends: by Martha Hennessy (Martha sent this from prison to her friend John Dear, who typed it up and shared it with us. It is a series of reflections about each of the other participants of the Kings’ Bay Plowshares). Steve Kelly, S.J. Steve has been in custody for…

“Leg Irons and Handcuffs” Prison Reflections from Patrick O’Neill (transcribed and edited by J. Mark Davidson) March 30, 2021 A Health Concern On Tuesday, March 15, I was standing in my cubicle talking to my friend Mike and my cubemate Mark. Suddenly, I started feeling very hot and I took off my long-sleeved shirt and…

“Humility” Prison Reflections from Patrick O’Neill (transcribed and edited by J. Mark Davidson) March 25, 2021 Winter into Spring “March has been an indicator of spring. The winter snow and ice has been gone for two weeks, and the “Rec yard” track is almost dry. The sub-30 temps have been gone for a while. Some…