Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
In March 2011, Illinois became the 16th state since 1847 to abolish the death penalty. Since then, seven states have followed our state’s lead.
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of this milestone, DePaul and world-renowned anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean are honoring former Gov. Pat Quinn at a special event next month on the Lincoln Park Campus for championing and signing into law the abolishment of capital punishment.
All members of our university community are invited to attend, “A Beacon of Light in Darkness,” on Friday, April 24 in Room 120 A/B in the Lincoln Park Student Center from 2-3:30 p.m. The event will feature reflections from Sister Helen and Gov. Quinn, music, a special video message, and an opportunity to connect with DePaul community members.
Please register on Eventbrite as spots are limited. Registration is required.
Connection to the mission
Sister Helen’s and Gov. Quinn’s work to end the death penalty in Illinois reflects the heart of our Catholic,
Vincentian mission at DePaul — the belief in the sacred dignity of every person.
Gov. Quinn, who served as Illinois’ 41st governor from 2009–15, has long been a champion for human rights. He also has a family connection to DePaul: his father, Patrick Joseph Quinn, graduated from the university in 1952.
Sister Helen has been a leading voice against the death penalty since the 1980s and has a longstanding relationship with DePaul. She donated her personal archives to the university in 2011, and in 2022 we honored her with the St. Vincent de Paul Award, DePaul’s highest recognition.
Her advocacy has also shaped the global conversation within the Catholic Church. After meeting with both St. John Paul II and Pope Francis, the Church strengthened its teaching on capital punishment. In 2018, Pope Francis declared the death penalty “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”
Many people also know Sister Helen as the author of “Dead Man Walking,” the powerful account of the death penalty in the United States that inspired the Academy Award-winning film of the same name and was recently published as a graphic adaptation.
Please do consider joining this important event to honor a key moment in Illinois history and the individuals behind it. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President
Mark Laboe
Interim Vice President, Mission and Ministry