Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., to speak at Notre Dame Sept. 12 | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., to speak at Notre Dame Sept. 12 Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., to speak at Notre Dame Sept. 12 Published: August 30, 2011 Author: John Guimond Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., author and world-renowned advocate against the death penalty, will deliver the annual Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture and participate in a book signing beginning at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 (Monday) in the Andrews Auditorium of Geddes Hall at the University of Notre Dame. Sister Prejean will present “Building Justice in the World: Confronting Evil,” speaking about her experiences of confronting evil with justice based in gospel values. Sponsored by the Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns, the event is free and open to the public. A native of Baton Rouge, La., Sister Prejean joined the Congregation of St. Joseph of Medaille in 1957, and traces her involvement in the issue of capital punishment to her realization that being on the side of poor people is an essential part of the Gospel. In 1982, at the request of a friend, Sister Prejean began a correspondence with Elmo Patrick Sonnier, a 27-year-old death row resident convicted in the murder of a teen-age couple. As the date for Sonnier’s execution approached, she became his close friend and spiritual counselor, eventually witnessing his electrocution. Since then she has accompanied six men to their execution as a counselor and witnessed their deaths. Sister Prejean related her experiences with Sonnier in “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States,” a book that was turned into an Academy Award-winning motion picture in 1996 and made her an internationally prominent opponent of capital punishment. She is also author of “The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions” and is presently at work on another book, “River Of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.” Among the many honors bestowed upon her, Sister Prejean received the Laetare Medal, Notre Dame’s highest honor, in 1996, and she has been a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize. Contact: Bill Purcell, associate director for Catholic social tradition and practice, Center for Social Concerns 574-631-9473, wpurcell@nd.edu Posted In: Faith Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 03, 2022 dCEC to Award 2023 ND Evangelium Vitae Medal to Robert P. George September 22, 2022 In memoriam: Rev. Richard Warner, C.S.C., longtime leader for Notre Dame, Congregation of Holy Cross September 15, 2022 In new book on global Catholicism, Provost John McGreevy explores modern history, current challenges of the Church September 15, 2022 Death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean to speak at Notre Dame September 14, 2022 Apostolic nuncio to Great Britain to deliver the 2022 Keeley Vatican Lecture For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn