“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Mary Magdalene Prison Ministry (“MMPM”) is a Catholic lay organization based in Fredericksburg, Texas, that serves incarcerated women in Texas prisons. MMPM was founded by Diane Reeh.

Diane’s husband, Larry served on numerous KAIROS (non-denominational) retreats in the Connally Unit in Kenedy.  He believes that God had placed before him a call of the Holy Spirit.  An offender (who is now released) who was at that retreat asked Larry if he had heard of the “ACTS retreat”.  Larry said the offender asked him if he could bring the ACTS retreat into the prison.  The seed was planted (Mark 4:31).  Ten months later, August 13-15, 2009, local men from the Fredericksburg/San Antonio area held their first Prison ACTS retreat in the Connally Unit.  God had put the dots out there and all we had to do was connect them.

Each time Larry went on a prison retreat, he came home different and then the letters started coming from offenders who had gone on these Prison retreats, it brought tears to Diane’s eyes because of all the love they had for Jesus and Larry.  Hope was put back into their lives because of a “retreat”!!

Diane wanted to feel different and get letters from women in prison but where would she go?  Wanted something close to Fredericksburg but there was nothing and then she found Lockhart.  In early 2011, Diane called to the prison and the Chaplain said they didn’t have room or time for another retreat much less Catholic.  But Diane never gave up, so she prayed to God to help her get into the Lockhart prison and finally after many prayers, the Chaplain called Diane in October 2012 to see if she wanted to come to the prison to do a Catholic retreat called Prison ACTS.

In June 2013, we took a group of Catholic women from Fredericksburg, Kyle and San Antonio into the Lockhart prison for our first Prison ACTS retreat.  We have since changed our name to Mary Magdalene Prison Ministry.  To learn more about patron Saint, St. Mary Magdalene, click HERE. Mary Magdalene Prison Ministry has ministered to women in Gatesville (the home to most women’s prisons).

When God opens the doors for us, we MUST step in and bring Jesus, hope and love to all women in white, we are called to be Jesus’ disciples.

Live in such a way that those who know YOU but don’t know GOD, will come to know GOD because they know YOU.  Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Mary Magdalene has presented over 40 retreats in Gatesville, Lockhart and Marlin.  To view the list of MMPM retreats scheduled for 2024, click HERE.