ATLANTA—In a powerful gesture of humility and grace, Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III, auxiliary bishop of Atlanta, visited the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Atlanta on Holy Thursday, April 17. He celebrated Mass and washed the feet of 12 incarcerated men, echoing the act of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper.

The intimate and moving ceremony took place within the prison chapel, transformed for the occasion into a space of reverence and reflection. The bishop, donning a simple white alb and stole, knelt before each man, pouring water over their feet, drying them gently with a towel and kissing them while offering a quiet prayer—embodying Christ’s call to servant leadership.

Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III is photographed outside FCI Atlanta, where he ministers to the incarcerated. Photo by Imelda Richárd

“In today’s liturgy of Holy Thursday, we see Jesus lowering himself to wash the feet of his disciples—Jesus, who is teacher and master, humbles himself by taking the role of a servant. This image is powerful, and the apostles are mystified. Peter himself gives his refusal to be washed,” said Bishop Shlesinger in his homily. “Jesus is not making his importance felt. He is not grasping for influence over others. He is teaching that love always considers the needs of others as one’s own.”

For many of the men gathered at chapel this was the first time in several years that they had the opportunity to participate in the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

“I am very humbled to be able to participate in this liturgy,” said one of the men. “I feel a bit like Peter, unworthy of having my feet washed. But as I reflected on today’s readings, I realized the blessing it is to be able to be part of this service.”

Bishop Shlesinger has been ministering at the federal institution for a couple of years together with a group of volunteers that includes another priest, four permanent deacons and some of the men currently in the diaconate formation program. Together they offer a weekly communion service and a monthly bilingual Mass to the community in this facility, along with a faith study class. All services are provided in English and in Spanish.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta also held a listening session in this facility as part of the Synod on Synodality process. The FCI Atlanta, located in southeast Atlanta, was built in 1905 and is one of the Bureau of Prisons’ oldest institutions, it currently houses primarily low security male adults.

“I chose to be involved in prison ministry because, like Jesus, I need to be present to those who are shut-ins and to share with them our hope,” said Bishop Shlesinger. “I take the passage from Isaiah seriously: ‘To bring liberty to captives’ and the challenge of Jesus in Matthew 25: ‘When did we see you in prison and not visit you. … As often as you did it to the least of my brethren, you did it to me.’ I am part of prison ministry because I feel my own faith is enriched by those who attend Mass and ask for their confessions to be heard.”

The bishop said celebrating the Holy Week Mass in the prison was important to him because we all must learn how to be servant leaders like Jesus.

“On Holy Thursday, we see that the greatest among us is the one who serves and not the one who has status or who is free to live as one pleases. The washing of the feet is a powerful reminder to all that Jesus himself came not to be served but to serve,” he said. “This service reaches its climax in the eucharistic sacrifice where we learn how to imitate Christ’s sacrifice.”

Bishop Shlesinger has also been participating in a nationwide chapel video conference program offered by the Bureau of Prisons’ Chaplaincy Services.

“The Chapel Video Conference (VTC) Program is an invaluable resource, as it presents the Bureau of Prisons’ Chaplaincy Services an opportunity to provide speakers and presenters from various and different religious traditions, to share their faith story and teachings with individuals entrusted to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, throughout the country,” said Rev. Thomas Jahr, chaplaincy services coordinator for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. “Currently, the Chaplaincy Services Branch is providing three to four Chapel VTC sessions per quarter.”

Some of the current faith leaders who have chosen to participate include, Bishop Shlesinger who is also a badged volunteer at FCI Atlanta; both Bureau of Prisons’ Islamic and Jewish chaplains and a Protestant Christian Seminary Intern, said Rev. Jahr.

“Bishop Shlesinger is a kind and gifted Catholic bishop. He shares the love of God poured out in Christ Jesus with others in prison who often feel forgotten by God and the wider society,” he added. “Many incarcerated individuals do not fully understand why people want to volunteer in prison. There are so many more important things people could do than coming into prisons. Volunteers have family, work and so many other commitments. When people volunteer to come into the prison, incarcerated men and women gather to see why you have come. Then, they witness your love through faith teachings. They see something real, and it reminds them that they matter. After all, why else would you be there? Simply put, you remind them that their Creator still sees someone of value behind the fence.”

Bishop Shlesinger’s participation in prison ministry also aligns with the late Pope Francis’ frequent reminders that mercy must reach the margins—especially within prison walls. Pope Francis consistently made ministry to prisoners a hallmark of his pastoral outreach. In 2013, just weeks after becoming pope, he broke precedent by washing the feet of juvenile detainees in a Rome detention center. In subsequent years, he continued this practice, visiting prisons across Italy and abroad.

In 2015, he celebrated Holy Thursday at Rome’s Rebibbia prison, washing the feet of both male and female inmates. In 2017, he visited Paliano Prison, where he said, “Jesus never abandons you—not even when you’ve made a mistake.”

During a 2019 visit to a correctional facility in Velletri, south of Rome, Pope Francis emphasized that Jesus’ act of washing feet was “a job for slaves,” and thus the highest form of Christian love. For the Jubilee of Hope, he decided to open a Holy Door himself at the Rebibbia prison in Rome. On Holy Thursday of this year, during his final days of life, Pope Francis made a surprise visit to the Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) prison near the Vatican.

“I like to do every year what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of the feet, in prison. This year I cannot do it, but I can, and I want to be close to you. I pray for you and for your families,” Pope Francis said.

In Atlanta, the Holy Thursday liturgy ended in quiet reverence, with the men joining in the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to a simple altar of repose, followed by silent prayer.

“Let’s remain awake with Jesus,” said Bishop Shlesinger as he invited the congregation to join him in prayer. “We do not want to avoid Jesus’ sacrifice; we want to imitate him.”