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Mission & Ministry

Death Penalty

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The United States is the only Western democracy that continues to use the death penalty. (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom are just a few of the many countries which have abolished the death penalty.)
--Education for Justice

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
CORPORATE WITNESS STATEMENT AGAINST
THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY

In keeping with our mission of unity and reconciliation, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania declare our opposition to the death penalty. We join with our sisters and brothers from around the world who have denounced the use of the death penalty as a deterrent for crime and who consider the death penalty as a violation of human rights.

We believe that every human life has an inherent dignity given by God. We reverence life from conception through death. We desire to stand in solidarity with Pope John Paul II and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops who have clearly declared their opposition to the death penalty.
We also recognize the need to reach out to victims and their families, to support them in their pain and loss, and to facilitate forgiveness and healing.

We are aware of the violence in our society and affirm that society has a need to protect itself from individuals who have proven to be dangerous. We believe, however, that addressing the roots of violence and incarceration properly applied, could effectively alter the cycle of violence.
We join with our church and civic leaders in taking nonviolent actions for the elimination of state sanctioned death and to put forth every effort to recognize and affirm the dignity of each life.
(Unanimously passed by the Congregation 11-20-99)

Sister Helen Prejean

Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ is a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph. Sister Helen is well known for her work with death row inmates and is the author of Dead Man Walking. Sister Helen continues her tireless work to abolish the death penalty and is the founder of the Moratorium Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization dedicated to obtaining a moratorium on the death penalty.
For more information on Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, visit www.prejean.org

Sister Helen’s Blog (link to http://www.sisterhelen.org/)

Click here to read a reflection about Sister Helen written by Stephanie Hall Pompeani, an Associate of the SSJs of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

(link to http://www.prejean.org/Reflection.html)

Prayer

God of Compassion,
You let your rain fall on the just and the unjust.
Expand and deepen our hearts
so that we may love as You love,
even those among us who have caused
the greatest pain by taking life.
For there is in our land
a great cry to take vengeance
as we fill up death rows
and kill the killers in the name of justice,
in the name of peace.
Jesus, our brother,
you suffered execution at the hands of the state
but you did not let hatred overcome you.
Help us to reach out to victims of violence
so that our enduring love may help them heal.
Holy Spirit of God,
You strengthen us in the struggle for justice.
Help us to work tirelessly for the abolition
of state-sanctioned death
and to renew our society in its very heart
so that violence will be no more.
Amen.
Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ