Minutes of the Religious Communities Against the Death Penalty April 18, 2005
The RCADP met Friday, April 18, 1:00 p.m. at Ursuline Motherhouse, Louisville. Present were Chairperson, Sister Dorothy Schuette,OSB, Covington; Sisters Pat Kenney, SND,Covington; Mary Ruth Leandres, OP, Columbus, OH; Rebecca White, OSU, Maple Mount; Mary Macrina Stermec, OSU; Mary William Klipsch, OSU-L; Joetta Venneman, PBVM, SCN Office of Global Ministry, Bardstown; and Patricia Rae McNamara, OP, St. Catharine.
Sr. Dorothy reported that the RCADP newspaper advertisements came to $648. As of April, $357.13 was now left in the budget, and Sister asked if anyone needed more mission statement cards at this time. The members advised Sr. Dorothy not to print any more cards at this time since we still have some available if needed. Sister Mary Ruth brought to attention the need for editing corrections before the cards are republished. She noted that a distinction needed to be made between the Springfield, Ill. Dominicans and the St. Catharine Dominicans of Springfield, KY.
Sister Rebecca reported that her Owensboro Ursulines continue their efforts against the death penalty.
Notre Dame Sister Pat reported that the sisters in Covington have prepared a Prayer Vigil Service for inmate Thomas Bowling whose execution seems imminent.She also requested prayers for a group of journalism students in Texas who were writing against the death penalty.
Sr. Patricia Rae reported that Sr. Dorothy Briggs, OP, co-founder of the Bell Tolls Program, has now retired to St. Catharine Motherhouse in Springfield, KY. She was instrumental in having church and chapel bells rung at 6:00 p.m. for two minutes on the day of executions in all 50 of the United States. (Sr. Dorothy then stated that Trappist Father Matthew Kelly from Gethsemane Monastery, asked to be remembered to Sr. Dorothy Briggs.)
Sr. Dorothy reported that the Covington Benedictine Sisters continue their efforts to support the annual Citizen's Light Project. The project lights up places at night on Human
Rights Day to increase needed awareness. She also reported that some of the Benedictine Sisters and Sisters of Divine Providence continue to attend trials, as well as, hearings in Frankfort.
From Frankfort, the sisters learned from one of the trial lawyers of the Bowling/Yates case that five expert witnesses testified that death by lethal injection is not a safe or moral process. They also stated that veterinarians will not use three of the drugs approved for death penalty
use to put their dogs to sleep. There was a possibility that Kentucky Death Row inmate, Eddie Harper, could have been conscious during his lethal injection execution.
Sr. Dorothy recommended contacting Father Patrick Delahanty at the KCADP or www. Lexington Prosecutor.com for current names of Death Row inmates with their picture and crimes committed. Sister shared that she sent Christmas cards to all the inmates last December.
Sr. Dorothy brought to the groups attention that Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, was influential in Pope John Paul II's changing the church's statement about executions by death in the second edition of the New Catechism.
All were encouraged to continue writing letters to the Governor against Thomas Bowling's execution which most probably will be scheduled by the end of the year. The Catholic Bishops Campaign to End the Death Penalty provides a brochure containing points to include in our letters to editors and to the Governor. The information can be downloaded to a floppy disk from www.usccb.org/sdwp. Eight slides from the disk could be used to set up a meeting for sisters and associates.
Other resources recommended by the members included:
1. Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation group coordinated by Maria Hines in Louisville, KY.
2. Death of Innocence, a new book by Sr. Helen Prejean published by Random House Publishers.
3. The new RCADP website: www.RCADP.org to be set up soon with left over membership funds.
Sr. Dorothy will try to arrange the RCADP fall meeting at the Trappist Monastery in Gethsemane, KY, outside historic Bardstown, KY
Respectfully submitted,
Sr. Patricia Rae McNamara,OP
Acting Secretary
Minutes of the Religious Communities Against the Death Penalty October 8, 2004
Representatives to the Religious Communities Against the Death Penalty met at 1:00 p.m., October 8, at Brescia Hall on the Ursuline Campus in Louisville, Kentucky.
Present were Bernadette Faulhaber, RGS, Joetta Venneman, PBVM representing the SCN's of Bardtown, Alice Gerdeman, CDP, Pat Kenney, SND, Patricia Rae McNamara,OP, Dorothy Schuette, OSB, Macrina Stermec, OSU, and Rebecca White, OSU of St. Joseph, Maple Mount.
Reports
Rebecca White shared that Epiphany Church hosted a candidate forum in Owensboro. Joetta Venneman, PBVM , reported that a candidate forum was held at Nazareth in Bardstown for the 50th district and included representatives from the state legislature.
Dorothy Schuette, OSB, reported that her local senatorial candidate is against the Death Penalty. Also, that Kentucky's three bishops recently visited the Federal Prison in Lexington with the Catholic Conference of KY’s Pro-Life and Social Concerns Committees.
Alice Gerdeman, CDP, informed the group that Ohio prisons permit strip searches of some prison visitors.
Patricia Rae McNamara,OP, reported that Dorothy Briggs, OP, co-founder of the Bell Tolling Program is now retired to St. Catharine, Ky.The bells are now being tolled for executed inmates in all 50 states of the USA!
Current Events and Issues
Dorothy reported that an impending execution seems likely after the elections in Kentucky. She passed out an Execution Alert Reponse Kit, as well as, an Ecumenical Prayer Service for Reconciliation and Compassion at the Time of an Excution.
Christine Beckett sent word to request that we make an effort to attend the Execution Prayer Vigil at Eddyville whenever there is an execution. Alice Gerdeman gave an overview of what goes on during a Prayer Vigil at Eddyville. She included the fact that persons in attendance for the execution are put into two separate groups by the police: those who are for the execution and those who are against it.
Alice suggested that whoever plans the Execution Prayer Vigil needs to find out what religious beliefs the inmate to be executed has. and then try to use some quotations from those beliefs in the service. She also suggested that we try to attend the funeral service prepared by the family of the inmate wherever it is to be held. Muslim quotations are available from Sr Macrina Stermerc,OSU. According to Alice, no matter how small your Prayer Vigil group is, it should be advertised.
Dorothy encouraged writing letters to the editosrs against executing Thomas Bowling and gave his address for personal letters:
ThomasBowling, # 32834
KY State Penitentiary
PO Box 128
Eddyyville, KY 42038
She shared that there are now 34 inmates on Death Row.
Dorothy agreed to send a letter to Gov. Fletcher listing members of RCADP as being against executing Thomas Bowling.
Announcements
The treasury now has $213 so dues are not necessary this year. It was suggested that some of the funds be used for ads to the diocesan newspapers from the RCADP. Other funds could be rasied as needed by asking the active member communities.
A City of Light Program will be presented again in Covington, Ky, December 10, Human Rights Day.
A Catholics Against the Death Penalty meeting is Oct. 24, in Owensboro
A two hour drama script of Dead Man Walking is published by Tim Robbins is available only to Catholic colleges and high schools for live performances
Members are encouraged to invite interested associates to our meetings. The spring meeting is April 22, at 1:00 p.m. Sr. Rebecca will lead our prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia Rae McNamara,OP
Acting Secretary
Minutes of May 7, 2004
In attendance were: Alice Gerdeman, CDP, Ruth Kettman, CSJ, Patricia Rae, OP, Rebecca White, OSU, Macrina Stermec, OSU, Jean Marie Hettinger, OSU, Pat Kenny, SND, Martha Schuler, GHMS, and Dorothy Schuette, OSB, chair.
Notes from our October meeting were reviewed and approved.
Reports of actions since October included:
Ø Kevin Stanford released from death row; no one executed in KY in 2003
Ø 2867 Mission cards were distributed to 29 communities. There has not been much feedback, but what we heard was positive. Dorothy sent an email to CACP (Catholic Against Capital Punishment) with our Mission card info if they want to put it in their newsletter or online at www.cacp.org to share.
Ø Bell Tolling: we have learned that the Trappists are tolling their bells and the Ursulines of Louisville are researching whether their bell and bell tower will be able to do this.
Ø Cities of Light project on Human Rights Day 2003 was begun in Covington-Cincincinnati area. See additional notes on this below.
Ø Several people attended trials, hearings and have been writing letters to inmates; some communities had groups writing to keep Kevin Stanford alive.
Ø A number of us were at the March 4 rally at the capitol and reported the proceedings.
Current events & issues
Ø Chris Beckett was not in attendance but sent word that she is available to talk to communities about her experiences on Death Row and at Eddyville in general. She really makes the situation personal and give the men and women a human face.
Ø Ruth Kettman shared her plans for some projects she is working on with Helen Prejean who is publishing a second book in the fall. Another new idea is “Cities for Life” which is an international effort to call attention to capital punishment by lighting up important structures in major cities around the world. For more information Ruth referred us to www.santegidio.org.
Ø With important elections coming in the fall we want to promote an awareness in our communities about the candidates stand on the death penalty and all the life issues. Maryknoll has a booklet online at www.maryknollogc.org that is very helpful for a global perspective and can be copied and distributed. NETWORK also has voting records of legislators on major issues that they are following at www.networklobby.org/issues/voterec2004.pdf
Ø Alice reported that there are several volunteers for execution in Ohio. Opponents are trying to convince the governor not to execute. Does anyone know some convincing arguments to include in correspondence with the gov?
Finances and a new project for us: Dorothy reported that because of significant donations for the Mission Cards our little treasury currently has $213.13. That gives us about $150 to spend promoting our Mission.
The favored idea is to place ads in newspapers with our statement of Mission in the event of an impending execution. Our money won’t go very far for this, so we want to ask everyone to develop a list with the name and address and contact person of your local community newspaper, your diocesan newspaper and any other source you come up with that would get the word out.
As an early planning strategy find out what it would cost to place our Mission and the list of communities in that paper and keep this on hand. Dorothy will be glad to send money to you to pay for the local ads, but check with her before you commit. We know that the Herald-Leader and C-J will probably be too expensive for us.
A money-saving technique is to write a letter to the editor in your name but using the Mission and list of communities in your comments or getting a news or feature article to carry the message.
Let’s coordinate efforts in doing this by sending Dorothy an email or letter about what you’re working on or doing.
Membership: We discussed our thoughts about having associate members of our communities attend these meetings. It seemed that everyone thought it was a good idea and would help to ensure the continuance of this ministry when sisters aren’t available to attend and represent their communities, but communities will to be included in this mission.
Our next meeting will be Friday, October 8, 2004. Macrina will lead us in prayer.