Sister Helen Prejean Visits “New Beginnings”

by: Peter Ouimet

On September 26, 2005 Sr. Helen Prejean author and activist visited our Transition House.  Her first book “Dead Man Walking” was a best seller and was made into an excellent movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.

Our Chaplain Dan Haley met Sister Helen at the Prison Chaplain’s Conference in Cornwall in August.  Dan is never one to miss a good opportunity to promote Peterborough Chaplaincy.  When he heard she was coming to Peterborough he invited her to visit us.  The afternoon visit with Father Paul Massel from St. Alphonsus included several Board Members, staff and three Chaplains from Warkworth.  We found Sister Helen to be witty, articulate, passionate about her ministry, political and well informed.  She was very supportive of our ministry and “New Beginnings” and offered to give us a plug when she spoke that night.

A good audience showed up at St. Alphonsus Church to hear her as the keynote speaker at the Third Annual Abraham Festival.  She spoke for almost two hours that night and there wasn’t a dull nor uninteresting moment.  She began by praising Canada’s politicians for repealing the death penalty and for the churches who pushed for it.  She told us of hearing a personal call at a retreat – a personal call to truly practice the radical message of the Gospel.  She moved into the low income St. Thomas Housing Project in New Orleans – an area characterized by violence and poverty.  The same area recently flooded by Hurricane Katrina.  She reminded us that when we are enlightened it

She reminded us that when we are enlightened it is always a gift - the gift of God’s grace.

At that time she began writing to a death row inmate named Patrick Sonnier.  That began a journey of two and one-half years ending with her accompanying him to the electric chair as his spiritual advisor - a journey in which she learned about the redemptive power of love and that humans are worth more than the worst actions in their life.  She also learned the true meaning of forgiveness from the father of one of the victims – a man she called the true hero of her subsequent book about the experience.   Her story was very moving and hopefully motivating to the audience.  It ended with a standing ovation from the audience.

As an expression of her generosity of spirit and support for Chaplaincy she invited the audience to buy tickets for our quilt raffle and to support us.  She even introduced Chaplain Dan and had him stand up to be recognized.  For all of us it was a very memorable experience – one we left feeling blessed.   And by the way this remarkable lady even tells a good joke!

For more Information contact

Dan Haley

Peterborough Community Chaplaincy

Main office  P.O. Box 235

Peterborough ON

K9J 6Y8

 

705-741-4172 (Office)

705-741-4833 (Fax)

 

Office E-mail ptbochaplaincy@nexicom.net

Dan's personal e-mail danhaley@nexicom.net 

Web site www.ptbochaplaincy.org

New Beginnings (transition house)

953 Clonsilla Ave

K9J 5Y2