Teresa Giudice Leads Family Prayers From Prison; Says Her Faith Is Stronger Behind Bars
"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice may be serving a 15-month prison sentence, but that hasn't stopped the reality television star from leading her family in prayer.
"Oh please God, bring me home to my family as soon as possible and bless my four daughters and my husband," Giudice prays along with her husband, Joe, in the preview of Bravo's three-part special, "Teresa Checks In."
The 43-year-old Catholic reality television star began serving time last January after being convicted of committing bankruptcy fraud in 2014. Despite her circumstances, her lawyer, James J. Leonard Jr., told E! that Giudice is staying strong in her faith.
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"When she comes home people are going to be very surprised. It's a whole new Teresa coming home. … She's getting back in touch with her faith," Leonard told E!. "She's spending a lot of time praying in there, and I think the Teresa that comes out of prison is going to wow people."
Before Leonard handed Giudice over to authorities at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, last January, he gifted his client with a set of rosary beads and a necklace with two medals that symbolized St. Christopher and St. Teresa. Leonard told People magazine that officials in the prison allowed the reality television star to keep the faith-based articles.
"They let her keep all of that," he told the magazine back in January. "She was very happy with that, and she told me she would keep them with her all the time."
Prior to her prison sentence, Giudice spoke about feeling blessed in the midst of the tough times she was facing.
"I'm so blessed for the amount of love and support I've been given by everyone around me, including all of you. It means the world to me. Thank you so-so-SO much," she wrote. "It has been a difficult year for my family, and we still have difficult things ahead. It is a lot of stress and that stress has taken a toll on me and my family, but we will get through it with love and with God's help."
Radar Online previously reported that the Giudices were consulting with their family's priest before Teresa went to prison.
"Spending time with her family minister is helping during a very dark time," a source reportedly told Radar Online at the time. "She has always been extremely religious and is relying on it more now than ever."
The mother of four girls, ranging in age from 5 to 13 years old, Guidice attended church on her last day of freedom, according to People. She reportedly told her attorney to assure her family that she would be fine.
"Her kids aren't just the No. 1 [priority] in her life. They are the only one," Leonard told People. "The entire time I have been involved with her, the only thing she has talked about in connection with this prison sentence is how it is going to affect them — not her."
Most recently, Leonard told E! that Giudice is maintaining her focus on seeing her daughters when she's released.
"There are so many opportunities that she has … I think she's going to take it one day at a time, but her focus is, 'I want to get back to my freedom, I want to get back to my husband, I want to get back to my parents, my children, and then kind of take it as it goes,'" he said. "But I expect that you'll be seeing her shortly after she comes home."
According to E!, Giudice will be released from prison by Christmas. Her family's three-part special is scheduled to air on Sunday, Oct. 11.
