PRISON MINISTRIES
JUSTICE, PEACE, AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION (JPIC)
PEN PAL PRISON MINISTRYWrite letters to a prisoner serving a life-sentence
Contact Catherine Pleil Co-Facilitators Drew Doll and Erin Parish RETURNING CITIZENSJoin a small faith circle of support for individuals coming out of prison, sponsored by Religious Coalition for a Non-Violent Durham.
Contact Drew Doll |
VISITING THE IMPRISONEDButner Federal Facilities
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DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION ADVOCACY |
OTHER EVENTS INCLUDEAdvocacy, marches, "Voices from Death Row" (discussion with man on death row), etc.
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DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION ADVOCACY INFORMATION
DEATH PENALTY PROTESTS/MARCHES
"BEYOND EXECUTIONS: REMEMBERING 43 LOST AND CREATING A FUTURE WITHOUT DEATH ROW"
NORTH CAROLINA COALITION FOR ALTERNATIVES TO THE DEATH PENALTY (NCCADP)
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Immaculate Conception’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Promoting Human Dignity Prison Ministries would like to invite you to attend a powerful program of remembrance as we join people from across our state in Raleigh on the 17th anniversary of North Carolina’s last execution. Organized by the North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NCCADP), we hope you will join us for this important event as we recommit to demand a future with no more death row. The program will begin inside Pullen Memorial Baptist Church with a reading of the names of the 43 people executed in NC since 1984 and a one-sentence eulogy for each person, along with the premiere of a new piece entitled “Cradle to the Gurney” by award-winning spoken-word poet Nick Courman. Then we will march about a mile to Central Prison, where we will hold a vigil in protest of our state's death penalty.
A strong turnout for this event will help us continue to send a clear message to Governor Cooper that he must take action. People are welcome to only attend the program. Shuttles will be available between locations to help facilitate parking and for those who would like to attend both the program and the vigil, but do not want to march. This is a free event, and everyone is welcome, but please register and encourage others to do so as well so the NCCADP can contact you with any updates. |
Registration and Information Link
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STAND UP FOR ABOLITION
CATHOLICS FOR ABOLITION IN NORTH CAROLINA (CANC)
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Join Catholics for Abolition in North Carolina (CANC) as we stand in solidarity, with all men and women on Death Row in our State.
Every Monday throughout the Year 4:30-5:30 pm (November through Mid-March) 5-6 pm (The Rest of the Year) Outside Central Prison (1300 Western Boulevard, Raleigh 27606) |
DEATH PENALTY PROTEST MARCHOn December 10, people from across North Carolina marched from Central Prison in Raleigh to the NC Governor’s Mansion to urge Governor Roy Cooper to commute the death sentences of the 135 people on North Carolina’s death row.
Father Gonzalo and Catherine Pleil, our JPIC Promoting Human Dignity volunteer parishioner team leader, along with several other parishioners attended a march to tell Governor Cooper “No More Death Row!” #NoMoreDeathRow #DecarcerateNowNC Thanks to all our parishioners who embodied Catholic social teaching by helping to bring attention to this important movement. |
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PRAYER VIGILS FOR ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
THIRD TUESDAYS VIRTUAL PRAYER VIGIL
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FIRST FRIDAYS VIRTUAL PRAYER VIGIL
CATHOLIC MOBILIZING NETWORK (CMN)
On the First Friday of each month, Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) holds a Virtual Prayer Vigil to lament upcoming executions and bear witness to the inviolable dignity and sanctity of all human life. These virtual spaces offer a place to pray together as a faith community in response to the injustice of the death penalty. Each vigil includes time for guided prayer, petitions, Scripture reflections, and contemplative silence. These monthly gatherings feature the diverse voices of Catholic bishops, Church leaders, allies across the death penalty abolition movement, and people impacted by crime, violence, or incarceration.
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Virtual prayer vigils are held live via Zoom conference and livestreamed on CMN's YouTube page. Please register here. The day of the vigil, all those who register will receive an email with a link and additional instructions on how to join the event. Simultaneous Spanish language interpretation will now be available. Attendees will have the option to tune in to a live interpreter joining us on the Zoom call. Further instructions will be provided at the beginning of the vigil. Please invite anyone who would benefit from this service.
La interpretación simultánea en español ahora estará disponible. Los asistentes tendrán la opción de sintonizar un intérprete en vivo que se unirá a nosotros en la llamada de Zoom. Se proporcionarán más instrucciones al comienzo de la vigilia. ¡Invite a cualquiera que se beneficie de este servicio! |
NORTH CAROLINA PEOPLE OF FAITH COMMUTATION LETTER TO GOVERNOR ROY COOPER
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Are you part of a religious or spiritual community and/or do you consider yourself a person of faith who lives in North Carolina? In a state where nearly 80 percent of people identify with a faith tradition, including Governor Cooper, people of faith can be powerful voices for justice. We encourage you to add your name to this letter asking the governor to commute all death sentences to prison terms. Please share the letter with others as well. We hope to have thousands of signatures by the time we deliver this letter to Governor Cooper on August 19, 2023. This letter has been launched as a coalition/collaborative with North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NCCADP) and NC Council of Churches.
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North Carolinians have been working for decades to abolish the death penalty in our state. However, in 2022, our work took on a new urgency as we began a campaign to compel Governor Cooper to commute all of North Carolina’s death sentences to prison terms before he leaves office in 2024. The governor has broad power to address injustices in the criminal punishment system, and the death penalty is clearly unjust, racist, and error-prone. Our state currently has the fifth largest death row in the nation with more than 135 people, most of whom were sentenced more than 25 years ago under vastly different laws and public standards. This action by the governor would help ensure that no more cruel and inhumane executions will ever be carried out in North Carolina.
Link to Sign Petition
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This letter is the third letter so far of the NCCADP Commutation Campaign. We began this campaign on December 10th, 2022, with a march, rally, and letter from people who have lost family members to murder. In April 2023 we added a second letter signed by more than 300 North Carolina faith leaders. Our campaign is led by a diverse working group representing organizations across North Carolina, along with people directly impacted by the death penalty, including death row exonerees and people who have lost family members to murder.
DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION ADVOCACY WEBSITES
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(Direct Link)
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© 2022. All rights reserved.
If you have questions regarding our various JPIC ministries, please contact me directly.
Kennith M. Chiha, Director of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church - 901-A West Chapel Hill Street, Durham, NC 27701
(919) 682-3449 Ext. 293 - chihak@icdurham.org
If you have questions regarding our various JPIC ministries, please contact me directly.
Kennith M. Chiha, Director of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church - 901-A West Chapel Hill Street, Durham, NC 27701
(919) 682-3449 Ext. 293 - chihak@icdurham.org