{"id":15203,"date":"2021-11-11T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-11T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=15203"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:34:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:34:28","slug":"deacon-pablo-perez-finding-faith-behind-bars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2021\/11\/11\/deacon-pablo-perez-finding-faith-behind-bars\/","title":{"rendered":"Deacon Pablo Perez: Finding Faith Behind Bars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Season 4, Episode 9 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I go, and I think I&#8217;m bringing Church to them; Church is already there.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211; Deacon Pablo Perez<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"936\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-936x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15206 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-936x1024.jpg 936w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-137x150.jpg 137w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-274x300.jpg 274w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-768x840.jpg 768w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-1404x1536.jpg 1404w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-1872x2048.jpg 1872w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-1200x1313.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-380x416.jpg 380w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-800x875.jpg 800w, https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DeaconPabloPerez-1160x1269.jpg 1160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>LISTEN HERE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.blubrry.com\/?media_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2Fmessyjesusbusiness%2Fcontent.blubrry.com%2Fmessyjesusbusiness%2FS4E9DeaconPabloPerez.mp3&amp;podcast_link=https%3A%2F%2Fcustomwordpresssites.com%2Fmjb%2F2021%2F11%2F11%2Fdeacon-pablo-perez-finding-faith-behind-bars%2F#mode-Light&border-000000&progress-000000\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"165\" frameborder=\"0\" id=\"blubrryplayer-1\" class=\"blubrryplayer\" title=\"Blubrry Podcast Player\"><\/iframe><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/content.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/S4E9DeaconPabloPerez.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?powerpress_pinw=15203-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/content.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/S4E9DeaconPabloPerez.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"S4E9DeaconPabloPerez.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_subscribe_links\">Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_spotify\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Spotify\" rel=\"nofollow\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_amazon\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Amazon Music\" rel=\"nofollow\">Amazon Music<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_pandora\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Pandora\" rel=\"nofollow\">Pandora<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_iheart\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on iHeartRadio\" rel=\"nofollow\">iHeartRadio<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_jiosaavn\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on JioSaavn\" rel=\"nofollow\">JioSaavn<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_podchaser\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Podchaser\" rel=\"nofollow\">Podchaser<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_gaana\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Gaana\" rel=\"nofollow\">Gaana<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_pcindex\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Podcast Index\" rel=\"nofollow\">Podcast Index<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/subscribebyemail.com\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_email\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe by Email\" rel=\"nofollow\">Email<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_deezer\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Deezer\" rel=\"nofollow\">Deezer<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_anghami\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Anghami\" rel=\"nofollow\">Anghami<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_rss\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe via RSS\" rel=\"nofollow\">RSS<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/catholic-podcast\/subscribe-to-podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_more\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"More\" rel=\"nofollow\">More<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IN THIS EPISODE:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sister Julia Walsh talks with Deacon Pablo Perez about how he became a deacon and chaplain at Chicago&#8217;s Cook and Lake County Jails, after being a gang member himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I was just as reckless as they were. I was just as broken as they were,&#8221; Pablo Perez explains. &#8220;That&#8217;s why I know that investing time in each of those young men&#8230;is worth it. Because if I changed, I know they could change.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sister Julia and Deacon Pablo Perez discuss forgiveness and mercy, how our Church and society could promote these values, and the importance of truly seeing people who are incarcerated.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Look at them the way the Lord looks at all of us,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also examine the mess of our criminal justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The whole environment is messy. It&#8217;s a mess that no one wants to touch. It&#8217;s a mess that no one wants to clean,&#8221; Pablo explains. He encourages us, instead, to respond with compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ABOUT THE GUEST: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pablo Perez was born in Guatemala and came to Chicago when he was four-years old, then grew up on the north side of the city. He fell in love with jail ministry in the summer of 2006, when he served as a volunteer at Kolbe House, as part of his formation to become a deacon. He was ordained a deacon in February 2008. A former gang member himself, he now works in the Archdiocese of Chicago as the Associate Director of Kolbe House and Chaplain at Cook and Lake County Jails.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to ministering in the jail, Pablo ministers at St. Bede the Venerable Parish on the Southwest side of Chicago, where he counsels couples and trains Eucharistic ministers and lectors. He has been married for 24 years and has three children: two adults and one teenager.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His story is told in the film, RESTORED: Stories of Encounter &#8211; Deacon Pablo Perez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contemplative Moment is an excerpt from number 16 of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/francesco\/en\/apost_letters\/documents\/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20161120_misericordia-et-misera.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Apostolic Letter Misericordia et misera<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is produced and hosted by Sister Julia Walsh, and edited by Charish Badzinski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Email us at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:messyjesusbusiness@gmail.com\">messyjesusbusiness@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BE SOCIAL:<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MessyJesusBusiness\"><br>https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MessyJesusBusiness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/messyjesusbusiness\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/messyjesusbusiness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twitter: @messyjesusbiz<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SUPPORT US:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/messyjesusbusiness\">https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/messyjesusbusiness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Season 4, Episode 9 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. &#8220;I go, and I think I&#8217;m bringing Church to them; Church is already there.&#8221; &#8211; Deacon Pablo Perez LISTEN HERE: IN THIS EPISODE: Sister Julia Walsh talks with Deacon Pablo Perez about how he became a deacon and chaplain at Chicago&#8217;s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3902083,"featured_media":15206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115341,698756964,698755601,698756966,698755390,2178641,698755603],"tags":[698755742,698755738,698755740,698755737,122652,698755739,2720,418436,698755743,888682,698755741,853,2282],"class_list":["post-15203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","category-franciscan-life","category-human-rights","category-justice","category-podcast","category-prayer-and-spirituality","category-service-on-the-margins","tag-catholic-deacon","tag-chicago-jail-ministry","tag-criminal-justice","tag-deacon-pablo-perez","tag-faith-in-action","tag-gang-membership","tag-human-rights","tag-incarceration","tag-jail-chaplain","tag-jail-ministry","tag-kolbe-house","tag-prayer","tag-social-justice"],"acf":{"url_for_youtube_video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3BpAe5tvgTc"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Deacon Pablo Perez: Finding Faith Behind Bars - Messy Jesus Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sister Julia Walsh talks with Deacon Pablo Perez about how he became a deacon and chaplain at Chicago&#039;s Cook and Lake County Jails, after being a gang member himself. 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