ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will make a pastoral visit to the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center three days before Christmas to celebrate a liturgy and spend time with inmates.

Monday, December 22, 2003
10:00 a.m. to 12 noon
( 9:30 a.m. Sign in)
Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center
8301 State Road
Philadelphia

During the liturgy in the prison gymnasium, inmate and volunteer choirs will provide music. Inmates will also read from the Gospel and offer prayer petitions. Cardinal Rigali is the homilist and is scheduled to visit with inmates after the liturgy.
The Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center was built in 1986 and is one of four major facilities in the Philadelphia Prison System. Mr. Walter P. Dunleavy is Warden of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center and Mr. Leon A. King II, Esq. is Acting Commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System. Both men will speak briefly to welcome Cardinal Rigali.

The Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center is the intake and diagnostic center for all women who are sent to jail in Philadelphia. There are currently about 450 female inmates at PICC and about 725 male inmates housed in a separate wing. Most inmates are either pre-trial or are serving a county sentence of 11 to 23 months.
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Editor's Note: Media (photographers and reporters) will be permitted to cover the liturgy and the visit with inmates after instruction by Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center officials IF PRIOR CLEARANCE IS OBTAINED. For clearance, please contact Mr. Bob Eskind, Public Information Officer, at least 48 hours in advance at 215-685-7888.

Not all inmates want to be on camera. Prison staff will seat inmates who agree to be on camera in a designated area. All video and photographic recording will be restricted to those designated areas.

The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m.
Please arrive by 9:30 a.m. to sign-in and review ground rules.

Contact
Marie Kelly
Associate Director
215-587-3747