Personal Stories

EWTN’s Kate Scanlon speaks with Syl and Vicki Schieber, who suffered the violent murder of their daughter, Shannon, yet hold true to the teachings of the church and reject the death penalty.

She also interviews CMN Executive Director Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, to hear their hopes for death penalty abolition at the federal level.

CMN Board Chair Mary Novak offers a reflection for the Third Sunday of Easter that illuminates restorative justice practices with the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

On April 2, 2010, Ann Grosmaire died after being shot by her fiance, Conor. Moved by their Catholic faith and inspired by Saint John Paul II's forgiveness of Mehmet Ali Ağca, Ann's parents, Kate and Deacon Andy Grosmaire, felt called to forgive Conor. Together with Conor's parents, the Grosmaires fought to address the crime in a way that allowed their voices to be heard.

Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Bryan Stevenson, the film Just Mercy presents the stunning true story of Walter McMillian, a black man convicted and sentenced to death in Alabama in 1988 for a crime he did not commit. The film illustrates the structural racism endemic to our capital punishment system, and lays bare how this system devalues and cheapens all human life.

Watch recordings of CMN's most recent webinars, and register to attend Empowering Church Leaders to Address Racism: Continuing the Conversation on Wednesday, July 10th, 2019. 

Want to write a letter to the editor (LTE) but not sure where to start? Look no further! CMN's step-by-step guide will teach you everything you need to know about writing and submitting an LTE.