Victory 2000 is a prison ministry which began in 1992 as an extension of Vision 2000 which was started. by Fr. Mark Link, S. J. The Vision program is a series of small books based on the common Lectionary readings. It is a way of praying scripture in a contemporary way and includes a daily meditation program based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The Victory 2000 Prison Ministry began as a result of a prayer meditation in which twelve men participated. During the week the men were asked to read a short spiritual passage followed by a commentary that applied to a person’s everyday life. After that a poignant question prompted the reader to reflect spiritually on his own reaction. These men felt that this prayer program definitely deepened their spiritual lives.
So, they thought it would be great to try this program with the imprisoned. It started with a few shipments of books to chaplains in nearby prisons who then distributed them to the inmates. Prisoners of all faiths were given the opportunity to use this contemporary religious prayer approach. Countless letters from the chaplains tell how these books have impacted the spiritual lives of their inmates.
To date, over 750,000 books have been given to inmates of 825 prisons throughout the United States.
Co-Founder, Bob Foley
Robert J. “Bob” Foley was born in Chicago on May 5, 1925 and passed away December 17, 2014. Bob was staff sergeant and waist gunner on the B-17 heavy bombers in World War ll (European Theatre of War). He was stationed at an Air Base in Kettering, England and flew 27 missions over Germany with an eleven-man crew. They named their ship “Morning Glory.”
He married his childhood friend and sweetheart from first grade, Dolores “Lori” and they were the parents of 12 children, grandparents of 27 grandchildren and great grandparents of 2 great grandchildren.
Bob was a life-long creative restaurateur, a member of Saints Faith Hope and Charity Parish Council for several decades and active volunteer on many parish projects; a volunteer and board member of A Just Harvest- Community Kitchen and Economic Development for 20 years; a member of Loyola Academy Ramble Fundraising Dinner Committee for 30 consecutive years; a Board Chair at Regina Dominican High School for 2 years. He was a long-time retreatant and Board Member at Bellarmine Retreat House and coordinated the re-design, construction and refurbishment of 6 Jesuit kitchens/dining rooms.
In 1992 he was co-Founder of Victory 2000, Inc. Prison Ministry prayer program which began as an extension of Vision 2000, Inc. which was started by Fr. Mark Link. Bob was passionate about the effectiveness and spiritual depth of this prayer meditation which deepened his own spiritual life. He along with a group of 11 other men thought they would try this program with the imprisoned. They started out with a few shipments of books to chaplains of nearby prisons and it grew to shipping over 750,000 books to inmates throughout the United States. In addition, Bob helped set up weekly small prayer group meetings in parishes with the Vision Series.
Co-Founder Mark Link
Life began for Mark Link on April 21, 1924 in Coldwater, Ohio. By his own testimony he said his parents were the greatest parents anyone could ever wish for. As noted by faith developmentalists, the significance of a father image is critical to one’s later image of God, a key component of an individual’s faith. A Jesuit for 66 years and a priest for 56 years, Fr. Mark passed away on January 18, 2017 at the age of 92.
In 1943, two years after the U.S. became engaged in World War ll, Mark joined the U.S. Army Air Force and served for three years in the Pacific Theatre. He trained as a meteorologist at Washington University in St. Louis and at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio and was subsequently assigned to the 30th Army Air Force Weather Squadron stationed in Guam and in Saipan. He advanced quickly to the rank of corporal. When Mark completed his military service he left with two commendable citations: the American Theatre Ribbon and the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon with three bronze stars.
Before becoming a priest, Mark obtained a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Cincinnati in 1950 and ordained a priest as a member of the Society of Jesus in 1960. Throughout his life, Mark was a writer and teacher. He taught English and Algebra at the University of Detroit High School; an author in residence at Loyola Press; taught religion at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and theology at Loyola University of Chicago. He worked at the Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Plano, Texas before directing his energies to full-time writing. Fr. Mark did retreat ministry at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Illinois. Mark wrote for the young and the old. He decided to focus his writing efforts on helping people to pray.
Fr. Link has penned seventy-six books, including his last publication in 2016. Some have appeared in twenty-five different languages including Chinese and Russian. In the past eighteen years his books have found a home in 825 prisons. The non-profit, Victory 2000 distributed over 750,000 copies of his books. Motivation was his key to writing. Fr. Link had a message to every Christian educator, “When you really believe something, you have to tell others about it. Writing is something I felt compelled to do. It is one of the greatest ministries. As Christians, we’ve got one heck of a story to tell. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
For a century Catholics have been advised that the Catechesis or religious education of adults should be at the center not at the periphery of the catechetical endeavors. While many persons in the field have struggled to realize that goal, this quiet, very humble Jesuit made it happen in his ministry in a mode that has wide appeal for the present generation. Fr. Link made theology and Ignatian spirituality accessible to millions of people.
“Where there is not vision, the people perish.”
Thank you for your service to our country.
Bob Foley and Fr. Link honorably served in the United States Military as committed leaders during WWII.