{"id":8799,"date":"2020-03-03T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.library.depaul.press\/full-text\/?p=8799"},"modified":"2020-03-09T15:37:46","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T21:37:46","slug":"gutsy-tenacious-committed-and-compassionate-sr-helen-prejean-and-national-catholic-sisters-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.library.depaul.press\/full-text\/2020\/03\/03\/gutsy-tenacious-committed-and-compassionate-sr-helen-prejean-and-national-catholic-sisters-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Gutsy, Tenacious, Committed and Compassionate: Sr. Helen Prejean and National Catholic Sisters Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

National Catholic Sisters Week<\/a> is celebrated March 8-14th<\/sup>, within the larger month-long spotlight of Women\u2019s History Month, and kicked off by International Women\u2019s Day on March 8th<\/sup>. \u00a0 A 2016 study<\/a> found that most Americans report positive perceptions of women religious, and a greater number said that their work is important (83 percent).\u00a0 Despite this admiration, many Americans also had outdated perceptions of Catholic sisters.\u00a0 Those misconceptions include thinking that the work of sisters has little or no impact on non-Catholics, they only support positions in line with the church, or that most wear habits (\u201cSister to All Campaign\u201d<\/a>).<\/p>\n

However, anyone who spends a few minutes with Sr. Helen Prejean<\/a>, who visits DePaul each April, will find she is down to earth, quick to share her favorite Cajun jokes, and believes stories and art have the power to change hearts.<\/p>\n

\"River<\/a>
River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey<\/u>
Sister Helen Prejean, 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sr. Helen\u2019s book Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account to the Death Penalty in the United States<\/em> <\/a>and the movie<\/a> that followed, introduced her social justice activism to the world.\u00a0 Her recent memoir, A <\/em>River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey<\/em>,<\/a> described as a prequel to her first book, tells the story of her community\u2019s transformation following the Second Vatican Council.\u00a0 \u201c[I]n four short years – 1964 to 1968 – my Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ) religious community totally revamped our engagement with the world and our style of life…every important aspect of our lives changed, with every bit of change centered around the Gospel mandate of Jesus to serve the \u2018dear neighbor.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 With these changes Sr. Helen left her career as a junior high school teacher and embraced new opportunities to serve the poor, which eventually led to her serving as the spiritual advisor to individuals facing the death penalty.<\/p>\n

Sr. Helen often describes her early experiences with this unique ministry by referring to screenwriter and actor, Tim Robbins\u2019s, comment, \u201cthe nun was in over her head.\u201d\u00a0 In her talks and writings, she shares lessons learned from missteps and uses her talents of storytelling and teaching to focus on the injustice of \u201cstate-sanctioned killings.\u201d\u00a0 The core concept of her message, inspired by her faith, is that each person is worthy of love and deserves to be treated with dignity.<\/p>\n

\"Sr.<\/a>
Laetare Medal presentation, Notre Dame, Indiana, May 19, 1996.<\/b>
Pictured left to right, Rev. Edward Malloy, C.S.C., (President, University of Notre Dame, 1987-2005), Sr. Helen Prejean, C.S.J., Andrew J. McKenna (Chair, Notre Dame Board of Trustees 1992-2000).
\u201cHelen, You graced us with your presence. Ed \u2018Monk\u2019 Malloy”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many women\u2019s organizations and Catholic institutions have acknowledged Sr. Helen Prejean\u2019s efforts with their highest awards and honors.\u00a0\u00a0The examples below can all be found in the Sr. Helen Prejean papers<\/a> in Special Collections and Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost recently you have been the single most important person in calling the attention of our nation to the difficulties we face because of our position on the use of the death penalty.\u00a0 Your work in this area has caused many people to think more seriously about this aspect of our Church\u2019s and nation\u2019s commitment to life issues\u2026\u201d (Laetare Medal, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1996)<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have been selected because you embody values of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people.\u201d (YWCA Women Who Have Made a Difference, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1988)<\/p>\n

\u201cIn recognition of your leadership and courage to make a difference in the lives of women and girls…Your dedication and passion for your work has made a positive impact on the way we, as women and girls, perceive our potential to make changes in our lives.\u201d (The Women\u2019s Foundation, San Francisco, California, 1996)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are delighted to present you as speaker at the central plenary sessions of the conference\u2026This program goes straight to the heart of the conference theme and to the core of what women value most – gutsy, tenacious, committed and compassionate women of strength whose single acts of conscience and courage have transformed lives and communities worldwide.\u201d (International Women\u2019s Forum conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1998)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Catholic sisters \u201cstand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share spirituality, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community, offer hope\u201d year-round (Catholic Sisters Week<\/a>).\u00a0 For one week in March we highlight and celebrate their contributions.<\/p>\n

And for one week in April each year, Sr. Helen Prejean visits DePaul University, meets with students, speaks with classes, and is available for community-wide programs and conversations.\u00a0 This year, Sr. Helen is on campus Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24th<\/sup>.\u00a0 We invite you to take this opportunity to get to know one Catholic sister a little better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

National Catholic Sisters Week is celebrated March 8-14th, within the larger month-long spotlight of Women\u2019s History Month, and kicked off by International Women\u2019s Day on March 8th. \u00a0 A 2016 study found that most Americans report positive perceptions of women religious, and a greater number said that their work is important (83 percent).\u00a0 Despite this <\/p>\n

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