People

Donna is the Assistant Director for African American Affairs in the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She also serves as an Advisor on the National Black Catholic Congress Board of Trustees, and an affiliate member of both the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators and…

Anne first got involved with Catholic Mobilizing Network in 2012 and continues to be a monthly supporter. She serves as a board member for Journey of Hope… from Violence to Healing, an organization led by murder victims’ family members who speak out to abolish the death penalty and replace it with effective solutions that honor…

Karlyn Francois is the Young Women’s Initiative Coordinator at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Back of the Yards, Chicago, IL. She provides mentorship and case management to young women who have experienced community violence and incarceration of self or loved ones.

Fr. Larry Dowling is pastor of St. Agatha Catholic Church, a predominantly African American church in Chicago, Illinois. He is a restorative justice circle keeper and an advocate for the use of restorative justice practices in every institution in community, including the family home.

Kayla Jackson serves as Social Justice Ministries Coordinator at Old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Chicago. She supports the Conversations on Race Dinner and Circle Conversations as a member of the planning team and as a Circle Keeper.

Linda Showman holds a Bachelor and Master of Music in piano performance and a Master of Theology. She is retired from the faculty of Mount Angel Seminary, working as the Associate Director of Pastoral Formation. During her time on the faculty, she developed a ministry program with attention to justice issues and an approach to formation…

Eric Boldiszar, currently incarcerated since 2002, is a Benedictine oblate who strives to be a servant leader and promote restorative justice inside and outside of prison. He received the 2017 Bert Thompson Award for Faith-Based Program from the National Association for Community and Restorative Justice for his work in helping organize the Hope for Restoration…

Conor McBride is an offender who was blessed with the opportunity to participate in a restorative justice solution. He is currently an inmate law clerk and program aide in the Florida Department of Corrections.

Hector Avitia is the coordinator of screen printing and volunteers at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, a Catholic restorative justice non-profit in the south side of Chicago that focuses on peace circles, art, storytelling, and wrap-around services to provide hope and healing to the community. Hector immigrated at the age of two from Chihuahua, Mexico…

Fr. Daniel Griffith, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, serves as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis, the Wenger Family Fellow of Law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, and was recently appointed Archdiocesan Liaison for Restorative Justice and Healing.

Sr. Barbara Battista is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. She ministers as a Physicians Assistant in Occupational Medicine in Terre Haute, Indiana and is a member of the Terre Haute Death Penalty Resistance, which mobilizes against federal executions.

Lori Huffman volunteers with women in incarceration through Bridges to Life, a volunteer-led restorative justice program conducted in prisons and alternative facilities, utilizing a unique 14-week curriculum focused on victim impact. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Angela House, a home in Houston, Texas that works to successfully transition women into society…