Mary Mother of Captives (MMOC) was begun in March 1996 by Jack and Sophie Weber. Here's what the Webers say about MMOC's beginnings:
We began this endeavor as a result of a loved one's being sentenced and incarcerated in October 1995.
We felt the heartache, frustration, and embarrassment that we all share, when one of our loved ones is sentenced to prison.
We searched diligently for a support group, to no avail. We were in desperate need to reach out and be able to talk about our grief to someone. We longed to communicate with others who shared our grief. We ultimately realized that communicating with organizations who were not affiliated with support groups for incarcerated loved ones was futile.We are committed to this endeavor for a lifetime and our goal is to reach out to others who have a loved one in prison. Through the Support Group we have met many friends who have helped us. Our ultimate gratification is to know that we have helped them also. Just remember that we are not alone in this struggle.
How We Got the Name "Mary Mother of Captives"...
The Webers explain how the group's name was chosen:
At our first meeting in March 1996, we did not have a name. We had talked to a Father Steven, Mercedarian priest, who sent us a prayer book. The responses to the petitions in the prayer book addressed Mary as "Mother of Captives". We asked Sister Madonna, a friend, what she thought about the name and her response was, "How about Mary Mother of Captives?" At that time we knew that would be the name of the Support Group.