First time in 400 years - 61 cloistered nuns go to prison

'The dear cloistered nuns are the city's uplifted arms to intercede before God for all of us, especially those who are suffering the most.'

A group of 61 cloistered nuns from six monasteries in Santiago, Chile made an historic visit to the local Women's Prison Center to spend time with the inmates and attend Mass with them.

Santiago, Chile (CNA/EWTN News) - "I don't know if in the 400 years of the history of Santiago, there has been another occasion when contemplative sisters from several monasteries joined together to celebrate the Eucharist with a group of women who are incarcerated, but who are sisters in the faith," said Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, who celebrated the Mass.

The nuns made the trip to the facility on May 23 to mark the Jubilee of Consecrated Life as part of Pope Francis' Year of Mercy.

Cardinal Ezzati said that the nuns made the request to visit with the inmates "so the sisters who contemplate the face of God every day in prayer could contemplate him in the face of people who are suffering, going through a hard time in their lives."

"The dear cloistered nuns are the city's uplifted arms to intercede before God for all of us, especially those who are suffering the most," he said.

After the Mass, the religious sang a traditional Chilean song to honor the Virgin Mary, and to everyone's surprise, four of them got up to dance. They then went to the prison courtyard where they continued visiting with the inmates.

For Sister Maria Rosa of the Discalced Carmelites from the San José monastery, the day was "a grace to share with them, to really feel like a sister with them, to feel their sorrow, their joy and to become one with them."

"It strikes me that this encounter would be on the feast of the Holy Trinity. That means that God dwells in every soul," she told the archdiocesan communications office.

Railín, one of the inmates, said that "it was good that they came and prayed for us. The sisters and bishops coming helped support us, we need a lot of people to come and see us."

Ana Chacón, another inmate, said that the religious " give us the spirit of the Lord,  it's a blessing to have them here. Seeing the dear cloistered nuns doing the traditional dance and swinging the kerchiefs was something new."

Pope Francis' Year of Mercy runs from December 2015 to November of 2016, with the aim of encouraging Catholics to experience God's mercy - both in the Sacrament of Confession and being concrete signs of this mercy in charitable work.

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