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]](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/rj__cst_resource_graphic_2-768x768.png)
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]](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/RJ-Questions-display-768x576.png)
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…
![[One-Pager] What is Restorative Justice?](https://catholicsmobilizing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/What_is_RJ_Graphic-768x575.png)
This two-page handout gives an introductory overview of restorative justice and ways that practices can be applied in various settings. Download and print copies of this resource to complement an educational program or spread the word about restorative justice in your parish and community. Click here to read more about restorative justice.
In November 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. This prayer closes the letter. As in all things, we turn to prayer, asking Our Blessed Mother to intercede on our behalf: Mary, friend and mother to all, through…
The United States is an international outlier when it comes to maintaining the death penalty; more than 70% of the world’s countries have abolished capital punishment in law or practice. (Source: Death Penalty Information Center) But despite its poor record, the U.S. has seen intensifying momentum toward national death penalty abolition in recent years. From…
This litany was written by Rev. Dr. Yolanda Pierce, Professor and Dean of the Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, TN, in the wake of the killing of Michael Brown. On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, MO. Let us not rush to the language of…
Prayer for Life By Bishop Daniel Flores God Eternal Father, You are the Living God. Life is who you are, Life is what you love, Life is what you breathe. Creation was made to house life; life is what you give. Human life is your most beloved, And what You most affirmed when you sent…
Sr. Addie Lorraine Walker, SSND, wrote and shared the following prayer in honor of the Virtual Prayer Vigil held for Christopher Vialva on Thursday, Sept. 28th, 2020. Mr. Vialva was executed hours later by the federal government. As you say this prayer, whether in solitude or with others, we invite you to remember all persons impacted…
An Ecumenical Christian Prayer from Pope Francis’ 2020 Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship O God, Trinity of love, from the profound communion of your divine life, pour out upon us a torrent of fraternal love. Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth, and in…
This collection of resources and activities equips K-12 school and college/university educators to introduce their students to restorative justice as it aligns with Catholic Social Teaching. FOR WHOM: Catholic educators in search of ways to incorporate the topic of restorative justice into K-12 school and college/university curricula. Best suited for classes on theology or social…
Catholic educators are often in search of ways to incorporate the issue of capital punishment into high school and college/university curricula. This collection of resources and activities serve as a general introduction to the issue of the death penalty as it aligns with Catholic Social Tradition. FOR WHOM: Intended for educator use in Catholic grade…
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