St. Leonard’s Ministries Chaplain Forum

St. Leonard’s Ministries chaplain Chezeray Moore will lead a special adult formation gathering. Chaplain Moore arrived at St. Leonard’s three years ago after 31 years of incarceration. He moved into Saint Leonard’s House, advanced to second-stage housing in Saint Andrew’s Court and graduated from their Road to Success job-readiness program. He now lives independently and works at Street Samaritans as a case manager for unhoused people along with his work as a chaplain. He describes Saint Leonard’s Ministries this way, “I often describe it,” he says, “as a soft landing place after a very hard time.” Please join us in welcoming Chaplain Moore to Ascension. A hearty lunch will be served.

Saint Leonard’s Ministries was established in 1954 by Father James Jones, Chaplain at what is now Chicago’s Cook County Jail. Father Jones recognized that individuals returning to our community following incarceration faced a multitude of serious challenges that impeded the path towards a stable, productive life. It was these challenges, he hypothesized, rather than a lack of character that caused individuals to return to crime and substance abuse. Over its 70 year history, Saint Leonard’s has evolved into a fully integrated health and social service agency that provides comprehensive evidence-based services to improve quality of life, stimulate economic opportunity, decrease recidivism and reunite families.