Shortly after that time Father Harold Paulsen was able to have a one-hour television program on a public television channel. This lasted for about two years. The programs were viewed by shut-ins, patients in nursing homes and hospitals in the Palestine area. Many people told Father Harold Paulsen that they enjoyed and benefited from these programs. Father Paulsen also pursued more books for criminals, helping all those within his reach.
The expenses to maintain the TV station and the 450 foot tower 8 miles outside of Palestine became prohibitive. The television tower was sold and that ended Eternal Truth Network’s effort to broadcast a message of Catholic faith on television to the people in the Palestine area. Prison literature became part of the focus for Father Paulsen after this period.
An opportunity came in July 2001 for Eternal Truth Network, Inc. to purchase 30 minutes every Sunday for Father Harold Paulsen to have a program on a Palestine radio station which could broadcast to people as far as 80 miles from Palestine. Father Harold Paulsen’s programs were broadcast into the five prisons he serves. Prisoners, non-Catholic as well as Catholic, would listen to these programs and comment on what they heard to Father Harold Paulsen when he visited their prisons. This undoubtedly helped rehabilitate the criminals who heard Father Paulsen's message.
Radio broadcasts proved to be the most effective way to contact Catholic prisoners who would be the ones most interested in hearing something about their Catholic faith. The television programs were very ineffective in reaching the prisoners. The reason for this would be that prisoners would have radios in their cells. If they watched television, they would do so in day rooms, usually with 50 or 75 other inmates. What the majority of inmates wish to watch is usually sports or movies. Catholic inmates would never have the opportunity to watch anything Catholic on television. This being the case in prison the Catholic Church would do well to broadcast good radio programs to nourish the Catholic faith of prisoners.
In November 2002, Father Harold Paulsen’s radio program came to an end after 16 months when new management of the radio station decided on other programming.
Father Harold Paulsen has written four books which Eternal Truth Network, Inc. pays for postage and distributes free of charge, and as much as possible, to prisoners around the country. More than 15,000 books have been mailed to prisoners by Eternal Truth Network, Inc.
Very important to Father Harold Paulsen’s pastoral care of Catholic prisoners is the purchase by ETN of literature to help inmates understand and meditate on the mysteries of the rosary; provide excellent Catholic lending libraries in three prisons; encourage prisoners to never stop studying their Catholic faith and, for the more devout and intelligent prisoners, purchase courses, books and literature for them to deepen their understanding of God and of the Catholic faith so that they can not only defend their Catholic faith, but to be able to share and teach other prisoners.
If prisoners don’t continue to study their Catholic faith and pray in prison, they will spend their time looking at pornography, television and listening to other prisoners talking about their criminal experiences and teaching others how to commit crimes. Prisons are colleges for crime, and inmates will leave prisons more inclined to engage in criminal activities that they were before they entered prison if they don’t work hard while in prison to prepare for a good Christian life after their release.
Eternal Truth Network, Inc. also purchases soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste for prison units with chaplains who have programs to regularly distribute these items to prisoners who are indigent. ETN also has purchased missalettes, microphones, patens and linens for the five prisons served by Father Harold Paulsen.
Father Harold Paulsen and a few dedicated Catholic people created Eternal Truth Network, Inc. so that when opportunities came to share our Catholic faith on the media and in the prisons, we would have the financial ability to act in a timely manner, and not miss the opportunity to act because of the lack of funds. Also we have never wanted to be a burden to the parish or to the diocese unnecessarily. Never has and never will ETN have a fundraiser in any Catholic Church.
Jesus Christ came to save sinners, called us to follow him, and to complete his work on earth. Crime is sin. We who work in prison ministry, feel compelled, and driven to help these poor prisoners, ex-convicts, parolees and their families who have been enslaved by crime (sin) to live in hope, and to enjoy the only true freedom possible for anyone, which is found in the way of living offered to us by God in Jesus Christ.
Please pray for us, as we work in building a website pleasing to God, and successful in helping people to pray better, and to be more consciously aware of the powerful love of Jesus Christ working in their lives.
If one person improves his or her relationship with God; the family, friends, and all who associate with that person will also benefit. This is how, with the help of God, this website can help everyone to enjoy an increase of the peace, security and joy of Christ, and hope for the future.
Every human being created by God is loved by God with the love which surpasses human understanding. “God loves each one of us as if we were the only one.” St. Augustine
Copyright 2011: Eternal Truth Network. Rehabilitate Criminals. All rights reserved.
