Koby Nguyen spent much of his summer behind bars, bringing the Word to prisoners. He said the experience altered his perception of God’s love and mercy.

Before this summer, Nguyen's only exposure to prison ministry was through a scene in the movie "Father Stu," where seminarians faced hostile inmates. “I thought that is what prison ministry must be like – you’re going to walk into this lion’s den of hardened hearts,” he said.

However, Nguyen found the reality to be quite different. “That’s not at all what I encountered,” he stated. “I found that these men were so ‘hungry’ and so ‘thirsty.’ They don’t have the luxuries of life; everything is stripped from them. I only encountered – in a lot of ways – soft hearts, hearts hungry for the Lord.”

Nguyen, a third-year theology student at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, expressed humility at witnessing how fervently prisoners prayed and celebrated sacraments. “I remember watching a couple of the men at the Winfield (Correctional Facility) unit. As they were praying, I was thinking, ‘Man, these guys love Jesus.’ They love the Eucharist. They love the priesthood more than I do.”

Nguyen has also visited prisons in El Dorado and Hutchinson, as well as jails in Butler and Sedgwick counties and the Sedgwick County Juvenile Detention Center during his summer assignment.

In addition to participating in Masses celebrated within prisons, Nguyen conducted Communion services, prayed rosaries with inmates, and led discussions and Bible studies.

“It was unbelievably beautiful,” he remarked about his experiences. “It was eye-opening and broadened my perspective.”

Reflecting on how this experience will influence him if he becomes a priest in a few years, Nguyen said it would change his understanding of God’s love and mercy: “It’s going to change how I view the love of God and his mercy... its ability to enter into the darkest places.”

Nguyen noted that while many believe God can forgive all sins theoretically, witnessing it firsthand brought new hope: “What I saw this summer – not only were these men forgiven... but their lives were renewed.”

He believes this experience will aid him when hearing confessions as a priest: “I have experienced... God and his mercy in the darkest places.”

Nguyen encourages those interested in prison ministry to volunteer: “If they have a heart for prison ministry... It’s safe... The officers know how to protect you.” He emphasized that volunteers often receive more than they give.

Cindy Kellick, coordinator of St. Dismas Ministry to the Incarcerated, praised Nguyen's efforts: “Koby exceeded expectations... He went far beyond what was expected.” She added that any parish would be fortunate to have him as a priest.

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