Urge your state senator to support the death penalty repeal bill, and end capital punishment in Ohio once and for all!
Resources
CMN has created a wide-ranging collection of resources available for download and use. Below you will find our full catalogue of resources for your parish, school, community, or personal use. CMN has resources for all age groups, including youth, teen and even the whole family.
Simply use the filters below to sort by: Age (Adult, Family, Teen, etc.), Category (Educate, Advocate, Pray), Issue (Death Penalty, Restorative Justice), Type (Fact Sheet, Workshop, Video, etc.), and/or State then click the “Filter” button to find exactly the tool you are looking for.
Send a letter to Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency urging them to STOP the execution of Louis Gaskin.
Contact your state representative to oppose SB 120 in South Carolina.
The Florida legislature is advancing two bills that would remove the requirement for a jury to vote unanimously when imposing a death sentence.
CMN’s Mercy in Action Project gives YOU the tools you need to promote clemency for those on death row. Sign up today to start receiving monthly execution alerts.
“Todos los cristianos y hombres de buena voluntad están llamadas hoy a trabajar no sólo por la abolición de la pena de muerte, sino también para mejorar las condiciones de las cárceles, en el respeto de la dignidad humana de las personas privadas de libertad.” - Papa Francisco
Created in partnership between CMN and Renew International, this small group resource examines Catholic teaching on the death penalty and is based on the insights of Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ.
Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity is a faith formation resource to help parishes, small groups, and individual believers reflect on the Catholic call to restorative justice.
A selection of CMN's favorite books covering the topics of capital punishment and restorative justice.
Developing the traditional Catholic understanding of justice, offering a theological understanding of restorative justice, and explaining how it can be implemented.
This new resource is designed for bishops, priests, and deacons who want to identify opportunities to connect the Church's teaching against the death penalty to scripture.
In this resource you will find:
In this homily, Fr. William Kelley, S.J. provides us with an inspirational call to understand how we, as Catholics, can uphold the dignity of all human life, regardless of circumstance. This comes in light of the recent, and unexpected July 25, 2019 announcement from the Department of Justice that it will resume executions at the federal level for the first time in sixteen years.
This Respect Life Month, Catholic communities in Ohio can help build a culture of life by advocating in support of two death penalty abolition bills
A series of graphics highlighting the connection between the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe and the federal government's 2020 campaign to restart the practice of executions for the first time in 17 years.
Download and share these graphics to voice your support for those facing COVID-19 in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers, and encourage others to sign on to the Statement of Solidarity: A Catholic Response to COVID-19 Behind Bars.
Harness the power of social media and start advocating for the dignity of all life. Click on any of the graphics below to view them full size. Then, download and share using the hashtags #RespectLifeMonth and #HopeOverDeath.
Download CMN's collection of resources and activities about capital punishment geared toward use by Catholic educators.
Download CMN's collection of resources for Catholic educators geared toward introducing new audiences to the concept of restorative justice as it aligns with Catholic Social Tradition.
When crime happens, the U.S. legal system asks three questions:
Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Bryan Stevenson, 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 film illustrates the structural racism endemic to our capital punishment system, and lays bare how this system devalues and cheapens all human life.
Learn about the opportunities and challenges surrounding federal death penalty abolition and find out ways you can take action.
The modern death penalty system in the U.S. arose from our nation's ugly histories of slavery, lynching, and racial violence. To this day, capital punishment is unfairly applied based on race and remains the most punitive practice within a infamously racist criminal legal system.
Amid a national reckoning on racial injustice, restorative justice principles and practices can offer healing ways of addressing the deep harms of racial oppression and transforming the broken systems which give them rise.
As Catholics, we understand that there is a Gospel call toward forgiveness — yet forgiveness is never an obligation, but a creative act of possibility and grace. Together, we can work to dispel common myths about forgiveness and open up new possibilities for reconciliation and healing.
Have you ever considered writing to someone in prison, but you don't know where to start?
A five-part series guiding small groups and individual believers through a Lenten exploration of restorative justice.
(Washington, DC) Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement in response to the federal executions scheduled this week:
In this episode, we hear three wise teachers discuss how we all can live restoratively in every aspect of our lives.
In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. David Karp and Christian Santa Maria about what restorative justice looks like on their Catholic campus.
In this episode you'll hear Fr. Greg share stories of walking with formerly gang-involved and incarcerated individuals as they seek healing, growth, and reintegration with their community.
In this episode you'll hear from two families who found healing in the wake of a grave harm through a restorative justice process.
CMN's Lenten Reflections are authored by Catholics and people of faith working to transform the broken U.S. criminal legal system. Each week, subscribers receive a reflection on the Gospel readings delivered to their inbox.
In honor of Thanksgiving, we pray for a more expansive kind of gratitude.
Pope Francis has dedicated the month of September to praying for the global abolition of the death penalty. Watch the Pope's Prayer Video, launching this month of prayer.
Walk alongside Christ on his journey from death sentence to execution while meditating on the need to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice.
CMN created brief one page information sheets that shares Catholic Teaching and state-specific information on the death penalty. These are designed to educate Catholics, serve as bulletin inserts, handouts, or for those attending diocesan or parish advocacy days.
A one-page factsheet highlighting Catholic teaching on the death penalty alongside data showcasing America's broken relationship with capital punishment and evidence of the growing momentum towards its abolition.
CMN created brief one page information sheets that share Catholic Teaching and state-specific information on the death penalty. These are designed to educate Catholics, serve as bulletin inserts, handouts, or for those attending diocesan or parish advocacy days.
CMN created brief one page information sheets that shares Catholic Teaching and state-specific information on the death penalty. These are designed to educate Catholics, serve as bulletin inserts, handouts or for those attending diocesan or parish advocacy days.
Pope Francis has dedicated the month of September to praying for the global abolition of the death penalty. This toolkit offers ways to amplify this prayer and raise awareness about the death penalty in the U.S.
As people of faith, we can be instrumental in supporting victim-survivors through restorative processes designed to meet their unique needs.
A brand new resource exploring the foundational concepts and practical considerations for restorative justice engagement in Catholic settings.
Visit this series of thoughtful reflection questions and supplementary resources to explore the Catholic call to uphold the sanctity of life within the U.S. criminal legal system.
The federal death penalty system is broken, unfair, and unjust.
This reflection was originally shared at CMN's virtual First Friday Prayer Vigil on Oct. 1, 2021. Learn more about our monthly prayer vigils and RSVP to attend.
Today is the feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, patron saint of prisoners and the pro-life movement, and the victim of a state-sponsored execution. There's
Taking a look at the continued opportunities for restorative justice in the Synod on Synodality.
This Respect Life Month, Catholic Mobilizing Network hosted a one-hour webinar featuring Sr. Helen Prejean, Ohio death row exoneree Kwame Ajamu, and Director of Prison Ministry for the Nashville Diocese Deacon James Booth.
Calling all Catholics and Evangelicals in Oklahoma! Learn from Oklahoma faith leaders about how you can stand up for the sanctity of life and end Oklahoma’s death penalty.
This one-hour webinar is intended for Catholics in Missouri to learn how they can help in the efforts to end Missouri’s death penalty.
CMN’s Restorative Justice Workshop provides an overview of restorative justice philosophy and explores this issue through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. A slide by slide Facilitator’s Guide and participant handout ensure you have everything you need to clearly present our stunning Prezi Presentation from opening prayer to closing discussion questions.
With this comprehensive resource, you don't need to be an expert to explore the death penalty issue in your school, parish, or community. Use our beautiful Prezi presentation and slide-by-slide Facilitator Guide to explore the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of all life and the social justice issues that surround the death penalty.
Catholic communities are, by their very nature, intergenerational. Our membership, liturgical celebrations and Sacramental moments bring together generations of family members as the faith is passed on from oldest to youngest. Family workshops, like CMN’s “The Advent of Mercy,” make this intergenerational character a defining feature, incorporating various age groups in a hands-on learning process designed to engage all members of the family unit.
This intergenerational, interactive gathering is intended for parish or school communities who would like to start a shared conversation on the consistent ethic of life with parents, grandparents, children, siblings, etc.
