Evolution of Catholic Teaching on the Death Penalty

Saturday, April 26
3 – 5 PM (CT)
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Come join us for a talk by Sister Helen Prejean on how the catechism of the Catholic church’s teaching on the death penalty has changed, and how we respond to it. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see Sister Helen Prejean in person!

Sister Helen Prejean will be in person.
Format: Zoom or In-Person at St. John of the Cross Parish Center in Western Springs, Illinois

Sister Helen Prejean is known around the world for her tireless work against the death penalty. She has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to all executions.
Sister Helen grew up in the segregated Jim Crow South. At the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph and eventually moved into the St. Thomas Housing Project in New Orleans in the early ’80s.
It was at this time that she began corresponding with Patrick Sonnier, who was on death row in Louisiana for the murder of two teenagers. When Sonnier was put to death in the electric chair, Sister Helen was there to witness his execution. Not long after, she accompanied another condemned inmate, Robert Willie, to his execution.
After witnessing these executions, Sister Helen realized that this lethal ritual would remain unchallenged unless its secrecy was stripped away, and so she sat down and wrote a book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. That book ignited a national debate on capital punishment and spawned an Academy Award winning movie, a play, and an opera. A graphic book of Dead Man Walking is slated for release in 2025.