Resources

  • Praying with Victims of Violence

    A Prayer for Those Affected by Violence and Harm of Any Kind Loving and merciful God, We hold in prayer each of us who have experienced harm, in any form. We especially pray for victims of violence and their families, that they may experience love and support, and find comfort in your compassion. Grant us…

  • Estampa de oración “Dios misericordioso” para abolir la pena de muerte (Spanish)

    Dios misericordioso, Tú donas a cada ser humano una dignidad imprescindible que no puede ser eliminada por lo que éste  haya echo o sufrido. Enraizados en el valor sagrado de la vida, trabajamos juntos para transformar el sistema judicial abrogando la pena de muerte. Reafirmamos nuestro compromiso de ¨trabajar con determinación para la abolición de la…

  • “God of Mercy” Prayer Card

    This prayer serves to remind us of the unconditional opportunity for redemption that, as God’s children, we all share. Pray it alone or with others in community, asking God to “sustain our pursuit of reconciling justice, that we may model Christ’s compassion and mercy with our lives.” God of Mercy, You bestow upon every person a dignity that…

  • [One-Pager] Standing for Life: Our Catholic Faith and the Death Penalty

    The Catholic Church has long supported alternatives to the death penalty. Each of the last three popes spoke out publicly against capital punishment, acknowledging the ways it violates the inherent dignity of the human person. Download the handout below to learn more about the church’s history of opposition to the death penalty and ways we can…

  • “Choosing Mercy” Vigil: Praying Together to End the Death Penalty

    Inspired by the need for mercy in our society, this prayer vigil includes reflections on scripture and intersections for all those in need of healing. Centered around the call to end the death penalty, this vigil can serve as a thoughtful prayer tool in those times leading up to and in the aftermath of an…

  • [One-Pager] Racism and the Criminal Justice System (USCCB)

    In November 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released its long anticipated pastoral letter against racism: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. In conjunction, the USCCB also released a 2-page letter highlighting the racial disparities systemically upheld within our country’s criminal justice system: Racism and the Criminal Justice System….

  • March for Life Sign: Who Would Jesus Execute?

    Attending the March for Life? (Or know someone who is?) Carry this sign with you to affirm your commitment to upholding the dignity of ALL human life.  This poster is sized to 8.5″ x 11″ and can be easily printed on a standard sheet of computer paper. To have the design blown up to a…

  • The Movie Just Mercy: a Catholic Study Guide

    About Just Mercy Based on Bryan Stevenson’s bestselling book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, 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 movie follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson in…

  • Catholic Social Teaching and Restorative Justice [printable]

    This PDF resource presents restorative justice through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching principles. It illuminates ways that restorative practices can transform individual relationships, communities, and systems in the spirit of healing and reconciliation. When crime happens, the U.S. legal system asks three questions: What law was broken? Who is guilty? How should they be…

  • Restorative Questions Card [Printable]

    CMN’s Restorative Questions Card is sized to fit in your pocket or wallet and be carried with you! About the Questions All of us have caused harm at some point in our lives; so too have we been harmed by others. When that happens, we have the opportunity to embrace a restorative mindset and pursue…