The Bethany House Board of Directors

Ruth Raichle

  • President and Co-Founder of Bethany House Ministries
  • Catholic Chaplain with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (30yrs)
  • Former member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary
  •  Former member of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany
  •  Founder and member of Our Lady of Mercy Lay Dominican Chapter at Norfolk State Prison.
  • Recipient of the Peace abbey Foundation Courage of Conscience Award (2017)
  • Recipient of The Prisoners Legal Services The Paul McDevitt Humanitarian of the Year Award 2017 
  • President and Co-Founder of Bethany House Ministries

Sr. Kathleen Denevan OSF

  • Co-Founder of Bethany House Ministries
  • Catholic Chaplain with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (23 yrs.)
  •  Member, Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, Milwaukee, WI
  • Former therapist at Family Counseling, Framingham, MA
  • Former Board member, Cardinal Cushing School and Training Center
  • Recipient of the Peace Abbey Foundation Courage of Conscience Award (2017
  • Recipient of the Prisoner Legal Services The Paul McDevitt Humanitarian of the Year award. (2017)

Paul Minear

  • Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bethany House Ministries
  • Bethany volunteer and active in prison ministry for over 20 years.
  • Graduate of St. John’s Seminary master’s in ministry Program 2014
  • Executive Sales Representative at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (Retired)

Edward Poole

  • Treasurer of Bethany House Ministries.
  • Active in Prison Ministries and volunteer at South Middlesex Correctional Center.
  • REC team member at SMCC & Bridgewater State Hospital.
  • Speaker at various churches and facilities focusing on re-entry.
  • Assisting new releases with tax preparation.

Father Wayne Cavalier O.P. Ph. D.

  • Ordained Dominican Friar (Southern Province)
  • Founding Director of the Congar Institute for Ministry Development 
  • M.A. (ecclesiology) and M.Div. (Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. Berkeley, CA, 1990)
  • PhD in theology and education (Boston College 2005) Dissertation focused on lay ecclesial ministry formation
  • Recipient of the Juan Diego Award by the National Association for Lay Ministry for his outstanding witness to the spirit and values embodied in the life of the lay minister, San Juan Diego.
  • Spiritual Director for Our Lady of Mercy Lay Dominicans at Norfolk State Prison

Joli Sparkman MSW

  • Therapist at Banyan Treatmnet Centers
  • Graduate Boston College School of Social Work  21
  • Former Reentry Coordinator for Bethany House Ministries 
  • Reentry Replication Manager at Project Place, Boston MA

Sr. Sara Bohmer OP

  • Member of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany of Venlo
  • Former General Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany (2005-2017)
  • General Bursar and Secretary of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany
  • Studies in theology, social work, and economics.
  • Spiritual guide to the members of Our Lady of Mercy Dominican Lay Chapter at Norfolk State Prison
  • Resides in the Netherlands

William “DOC” Miller

  • Educator for over 45 years. 
  • Taught social studies in NYC, Boston and Concord, MA for 30 years. 
  • Worked with research for Better Teaching for 10 years                             
  • Teacher in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East
  • Served as the Senior Associate for Staff development at Facing History and Ourselves
  • Prison Volunteer at MCI Norfolk facilitating groups with BC Professor Steve Pope.  

Guido Jacques

  • Chairman of the Board of Directors Bethany House Ministries
  • Owner and CEO of GMA Realty and Trust Your Line
  • Member of the Board of Directors for A&M Tool and Design and Mill Street Realty
  • Member of Pax Christi believing in the redemptive power of God.
  •  Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with focus in Pre-Law from Boston College
  • Associate Degree in Civil Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology
  •  Worked as a field engineer on Boston’s Big Dig Construction project
  •  Invested in A & M Tool and Design in 2005 and spent 15 years developing the organization, implementing change and process improvement including lean, ISO, AS 9100, and ERP Systems and Control
  •  Provides gainful employment opportunities for returning citizens. 
  •  Volunteer at Norfolk Prison participating in the Countdown to Freedom Grow

Stephen Pope PH.D

  • Professor of theological ethics and social ethics in the theology department at Boston College
  • PhD in theological ethics from the University of Chicago
  •  Steve writes in the areas of reconciliation and restorative justice, forgiveness, virtue ethics, Catholic social teaching and on the relevance of science for theology and ethics.
  • Steve has been published on a variety of topics, such as: The intersection of science and theology, The relevance of biological evolution to human altruism and the natural roots of morality. 
  • Steve’s most recent publication is a book called A Step Along the Way: Models of Christian Service (Orvis, 2015) 
  • Steve’s work for the New Visions in Theological Anthropology focuses on the theological and ethical significance of recent psychological research on forgiveness
  • Teaches courses on peace, justice, and reconciliation
  • Steve has been involved in ad-hoc projects for Jesuit Refugee Service and for the past ten years
  • A volunteer with the Catholic chaplain’s office of Norfolk prison in MA.

Marina McCoy PH.D

  • Professor of Philosophy at Boston College since 1998
  • Teaches in the BC PULSE service learning program and on the topic of Mass Incarceration, along with courses on Ancient Greek philosophy.
  • Volunteer with the Lay Dominican chapter at MCI Norfolk since 2007
  • Interested in public policy issues that concern incarceration.

Ozzie Ceurvels

  • Retired from Quincy Shipyard 2006 as Assistant Director
  • Volunteer Norwood Hospital Spiritual Care Department 20 years
  • Knights of Columbus (1996 to Present) Currently Deputy Grand Knight Walpole Council 1319
  • Volunteer- Hospice- Steward Accent Care (2016 to Present)
  • Supporter of Young Life (Christian Ministry) 25 years