Helen Prejean speaks at Creighton

Sister Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking," speaks in the Lied Educataion Center Monday. Prejean's latest book, "The Death of Innocents," was released in January.

By RYAN BORCHERS
Reporter

Last week, Kristina DeNeve, director of Creighton’s Cardoner program, said she was expecting standing room only for Sister Helen Prejean’s lecture on Monday. She wasn’t kidding.

A packed Lied Education Center main theater was in attendance for Prejean’s lecture, “Dead Man Walking: My Journey Continues.”

Prejean is a world-renowned advocate for the abolition of capital punishment, spiritual adviser to death-row inmates and author of the bestseller “Dead Man Walking.” Her new book, “The Death of Innocents,” was published in January.

“No matter what state, these men and women [spiritual advisers] play a critical role in the administration of justice in our system,” said Professor Christine Wiseman, vice president of academic affairs and professor of law, in her introduction of Prejean. “Because they are often the only people prison officials will grant unfettered access, both to the prisoners and to the prisoners’ records.”

In her talk, Prejean admitted to not being overly interested in social justice issues in her early career as a nun. She was called to help the poor after hearing a social justice nun speak at a conference in Terre Haute, Ind.

“When we walk down the street and see homeless people and we have a mindset, ‘Well, that’s just the way it is,’ we’re in serious trouble,” she said.

In 1982, Prejean was asked to be a pen pal for death row inmate Elmo Patrick Sonnier. Sonnier was convicted in 1978 and sentenced to death for the murder of David LeBlanc and Loretta Ann Bourque.

After meeting with Sonnier, Prejean became his spiritual adviser. Her experiences with Sonnier and another death-row inmate, Robert Lee Willie, served as the basis for her book “Dead Man Walking.”

The experience also inspired her to speak out against the death penalty.

“That’s what we do with the death penalty,” she said in her lecture. “We designate the human being, and we freeze-frame them in the worst act of their life.”

Prejean also was profoundly affected by her meetings with the LeBlancs and the Bourques, the parents of Sonnier’s victims, particularly her meeting with Lloyd LeBlanc, David’s father. In addition to serving as a spiritual adviser for death-row inmates, Prejean also counsels the families of murder victims.

“If they ask for anything less then an ultimate penalty, sometimes victims’ families have people say to them, ‘Well, it’s a shame you didn’t love your child,’” she said.

Prejean also spoke about her meetings with Pope John Paul II and her work to obtain a moratorium on capital punishment. A constant theme throughout her speech was a need to live the Gospel and recognize the value in all human life.

“Reconciliation of the Gospel of Jesus means we don’t have to choose between life and dignity,” she said. “All life has dignity.”

After the talk, Teresa Bolas, a sophomore in the Cortina Community, offered an on-stage reflection to Prejean’s speech.

“After listening to Sr. Prejean’s words, I hear two main messages: to love and to forgive,” she said. “If we follow our call to love and forgive, we can find inner peace.”

Dr. Todd Salzman, a theology professor who teaches social ethics at Creighton, also offered a reflection.

“It [the death penalty] is a social reality; it’s a social sin,” he said. “None of us are completely innocent.”

Prejean returned for a question-and-answer session. She predicted an eventual nationwide end to capital punishment.

“The more and the quicker we can educate the people, the quicker they’ll ask for a change,” she said. “But I do see a shift coming. And it will come one day.”