Ron & Mary Holleman (Prison RCIA)

"And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ - Matthew 25:40-45

My name is Marie Engelman and I am asking for assistance to help my dear friends, Ron & Mary Holleman, who have answered the call of the Holy Spirit to lead the RCIA program/ministry at the Bridgeport Correctional Center in Bridgeport, TX!

They are working with their local parish's (St. John the Baptizer) Prison Ministry but as a small community parish, funds for the program are limited. Ron & Mary give so generously to so many and I'm confident that there are others like me who want to support them as they launch this new and important ministry following the teachings of Jesus. They anticipate 20 English & 20 Spanish participants in the RCIA program during the first year but those numbers are sure to increase. Funds raised will go to support the program by purchasing a Bible, Catechism and other materials for each participant and to support the RCIA team in their mission.  Any funds raised above the initial goal will be used to support the Kolbe Prison Retreat in November. 

In a year's time, Ron & Mary have welcomed literally hundred's of people into their home, welcoming both guests and team members from the Dallas ACTS Community for team retreats. If everyone could return the support with even just a small monetary contribution, we could easily reach our goal! 

Please note: Ron & Mary did not ask for this fundraiser, as they trust the Lord will provide, but are aware of it and appreciate the support.  I believe the Lord has called Emil & I to ask our brothers & sisters in Christ to be the hands & feet (and wallets) to help them share the love, support and faith of the Church to our brothers in Christ at Bridgeport Correctional Center.  All funds raised will be available exclusively to Ron & Mary for withdrawal.


Ron & Mary Holleman


What is RCIA?  RCIA  stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the process by which an adult person is initiated into the Catholic Church, through Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion.  Through this process the adult is formed in the Christian faith, with the local parish community serving as both catechists and models.

Bridgeport Correctional Center is a level 4 high-security facility which confines both pretrial and sentenced offenders.  This facility also manages a sentenced level 2 minimum-security unit for an inmate work force population who qualify for outside clearance jobs and community support programs.  BCC provides substantial programming to all inmates incarcerated at this facility. This programming is designed to assist them in the acclimation of incarcerated life and their eventual return to society as productive citizens. To this end, the facility offers inmate programming in Addiction Services, Recreational Services, Educational Services, Volunteer Services, and Religious Services. As it is a part of our mission to provide a safe environment for inmates, it is of paramount importance that the time spent incarcerated is as productive and non-violent as possible.

St John the Baptizer Catholic Church, Ron & Mary's local parish