Fr. Ernie’s priesthood was the cornerstone of his life of service. Typically, memorial markers list birth and death dates as highlights of a person’s life, but Fr. Ernie chose to emphasize his day of ordination.
“For I was … in prison and you visited me.… Whatever you did for one of the least of my children, you did for me.”
Visiting and supporting incarcerated and recently released men and women was a hallmark of Fr. Ernie Gauthier’s ministry from the time he was a young deacon in 1961. He became so invested in this ministry that he studied and became a licensed clinical social worker in order to better serve. He often noted the changes he had seen in the jails and the criminal justice system over the decades. Buildings and facility campuses have opened and closed. One thing that has remained the same, however, is that it’s depressing.
“It’s not the inmates that are depressing,” Father Ernie noted in a 2016 interview, “it’s the criminal justice system.
”The behaviors that often put people behind bars are often only a symptom of deeper problems. He described it as the tip of an iceberg. “How much is above the surface? Only about 10 percent. Beneath all this is a co-occurring disorder or distraction that must be recognized and addressed or the problem above the surface is not going away. Unfortunately, society is more interested in punishing behavior than curing it.”
Treating incarcerated individuals with dignity and respect was his focus for nearly half of his life: for more than 40 years he was a regular visitor to Jackson County facilities and worked to connect people with appropriate supports and resources when they were released from custody.
He was an ardent supporter of Catholic Charities’ work, especially with employment services that supported a newly released person as they worked to build a new life “on the outside.” Finding a living wage job is critical – and overcoming the stigma of incarceration is hard. Fr. Ernie knew that these men and women needed support to transition into a successful, self-sufficient life.
To that end, when his parents passed and he inherited funds from their estate, he established a fund to support employment services (then called the Turnaround program) at Catholic Charities – designed to help justice involved individuals find meaningful employment and be successful in a post-incarceration life.
When Fr. Ernie passed away in 2023, he had made arrangements for his support of employment services to continue well past his life on earth. His estate gift will fund the employment training and needs of this group of people – so often shunned and hampered by their past mistakes. In line with a basic premise of Catholic Social Teaching, Fr. Ernie is making certain that these clients are welcomed with dignity and supported as they begin a new life.
If there is an area of service inside Catholic Charities that you strongly believe in, a bequest is a wonderful way to have your impact known far beyond your years. For information, reach out to Catholic Charities and ask about including the agency in your estate plans.
By Susan Walker, Executive Director of Outreach and Engagement at Catholic Charities of Kansas City–St. Joseph