Encouraging people during their darkest days is what motivated a selfless Logan woman to visit prisons for three decades.
Now Pat Stone has retired after supporting people 'inside' for 27 years.
As a volunteer with Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy, a ministry of Carinity, Pat served as a prison chaplain over two stints.
Her prison chaplaincy journey began at the infamous Boggo Road jail at Dutton Park in Brisbane in 1998.
"On my first visit to Boggo Road I was a bit overwhelmed by the huge brick walls and by the size of the prison itself," Pat recalls.
"Later, my strongest memories are of the very large keys with which the officers used to open the gates to allow entry into the various units. Some units had old dilapidated lounges on which to sit."
After Boggo Road was closed in the early-2000s, Pat began visiting the then recently commissioned Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre in Wacol.
She later had a six-year break from prison chaplaincy but continued assisting incarcerated people through other Christian ministries.
"I went into the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre then hooked up with another Christian ministry, joining the support team for a couple of courses run in Arthur Gorrie and Wacol men's correctional centres," Pat said.
After helping to run a course in Christianity in a Queensland women's prison, Pat recommenced her pastoral care career in 2020.
Pat says it has been a "true privilege" to offer guidance to people in prison and to "have others share their lives with me".
"Some of my most gratifying moments as a prison chaplain have been leading someone along the path of salvation, developing a trusting relationship with a prisoner, and being able to encourage people," Pat said.
"Getting to know a prisoner, being able to encourage them and, especially, to introduce them to Jesus … are the vital aspects of being a prison chaplain that I like the most.
"It truly is a privilege to be interacting with prisoners, officers and staff and to always be aware of this and never take advantage of it."
Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy Coordinator, Graham Hembrow, praised Pat for her dedication to prison chaplaincy.
"Pat faithfully brought the love of Jesus Christ to the people she visited in prison. We thank her for her decades of sacrificial service," Graham said.
The Stone family will remain a part of Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy, with Pat's husband Brian currently training to become a prison chaplain.
