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The sisters and brothers are called to heal the wounded, to bind up those who are bruised, and to reclaim the erring. (TOR IX, 30) |
My experiences of
building relationships that lead individuals and groups to deeper engagement
in public life and social issues was in Houston, Texas (1986-2000) when I was
working with men on Texas Death Row. I was a member of a Coalition of
Activists in Houston protesting and educating the public on the Death Penalty
especially for two inmates who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death
for a crime they did not commit. It was a multi-cultural, multi-religious
coalition. At first, I was the only Catholic and Woman Religious involved.
Over the years, many more Women religious got involved as well as the local
priests the laity. I was supported by the Bishop for the work I was doing. I
spoke in parishes and gave workshops on the ills of the Death Penalty in Texas
especially in Harris County. With the help of a Franciscan Friar, I wrote a
grant to the Holy Name Province in New York and received funding to cover the
burial expenses for those executed inmates whose families were poor and could
not afford a proper burial. When I moved to
New Jersey in 1998, I joined New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death
Penalty (NJADP). I attended rallies at the State House in Trenton and spoke in
parishes asking people to sign petitions and letters to State Officials for a
moratorium on the State's Death Penalty. I gave public testimony at the New
Jersey Department for Corrections Public Hearing on February 4, 2005 in
Trenton on my relationship with Gary Graham who was executed by the State of
Texas for a crime he did not commit.
I was quoted on the
front page of one of our local newspapers, "Personal witness is always better
than calling, writing letters or sending e-mails", said Sr. Jean Amore of
Paterson. "When you can tell somebody your story, that makes it a real
opportunity to change someone's mind". On January 9, 2006 the Death Penalty Study
Bill was passed and my response was quoted in another local newspaper the next
day: "Jean Amore, a Missionary Sister of the Immaculate Conception in
Paterson, hailed the vote, saying, "History is being made today. It is
important because no man's life will be taken during this time", said Amore
who has ministered to inmates on Texas' death row. In January
2006, Governor Richard Codey signed the first Death Penalty Study Bill with a
Moratorium in the United States.
As I was preparing to drive to Trenton on Saturday, March 1, 2008 to attend
the Celebration of the Abolition of the Death Penalty in New Jersey, I thought
of all the men I had worked with on Texas Death Row who used their time to
produce a Newspaper called “Endeavor-Live Voices from Death Row”, to educate
the public on this issue from those who were on Death Row.
Many of these men were innocent of the crimes they had been convicted
of. Some of these men fought to
save their lives and yet were executed, men who were talented and faith-filled
who had so much to give to the world.
Yes, I thought of them and I brought them with me in my heart to
celebrate with the State of New Jersey because their dream was one day to see
the end of the death penalty.
There are Abolitionist Groups in every state that still have the Death
Penalty. May they continue to
work hard through their State Officials to being about the end of the Death
Penalty so that the United States of America one day will no longer be a
country that kills its citizens.
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