NEWCASTLE - 19 November 2007 - 460 words
North
East: Sister Helen Prejean leads Dead Man Walking conference
Mike Walsh
"Dead Man Walking" the words shouted by a US prison guard as a prisoner condemned to death takes his final steps, from his prison cell to the execution room. In the case of the Hollywood blockbuster movie, the Dead Man Walking is Matthew Poncelet, who in fact is an amalgam of two separate death row prisoners, Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie, both of whom were befriended by Sister Helen Prejean, whilst on death row in Louisiana. Sister Helen became a face of love and the Face of Christ right through to the point of death for both men.
The people of the North East of England were blessed this week to receive Sister Helen into their community. During the week she worked with schools in the area and at the weekend, 1500 people attended a two day conference at Newcastle's City Hall.
Organised by Hexham and Newcastle Diocese's "YMT" (Youth Mission Team), the weekend event was rich with speakers Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, David Wells (Director of Education from Plymouth Diocese), Richard Moore (who lost his sight after being shot in 1972 as a 14 year old boy by a British Soldier in Derry), Fr Dermott Donnelly and Bishop Kevin Dunn. Additionally, praise and worship was led throughout the weekend by Eamonn Pugh and his band, and additionally, we enjoyed drama from Ten Ten Productions with acts based on three separate occasions in the film.
On the Saturday morning, we listened to heart wrenching stories from Fr Timothy Radcliffe about his witnessing on so many occasions the victory which people in poverty have over despair people in Zimbabwe who were forced to destroy their homes with their own hands as a punishment for their objection to the Mugabe regime, and yet living on, simply, under canvas, in community and love with each other. Fr Timothy told us that the only way to really get to know the poor is to be among them, to live with them, even if only temporarily for example, try spending even just half an hour sitting with a beggar on the street to see how it feels to have people stare at you.
Sister Helen told us her personal story, more intimately and in far greater detail than is in the film or the book. She told of her very first visit to prison, how she was completely unequipped and unprepared for the work she was about to take on. She told us how she grew to know these men, and to see the good in them, despite the terrible crimes they had committed, and that she showed them love, she was the Face of Christ for them. In the film, Matthew Poncelet said "it was kinda funny that he'd had to come to Death Row to find love". Sister Helen said that everyone should be afforded respect and that everyone was worth more than the worst thing they had ever done.
David Wells spoke of five healthy attributes for a Christian life Joy, Courage, Gratitude, Availability and Generosity, and tied these in with Sister Helen's talk. If we feel we are being called to take on God's work, we will probably feel, like Sister Helen did at that first prison visit, that we are not ready, or we are ill prepared, or that someone else could do the job better. David urged us to be Available for God, and to have the Courage to take on his work. He reminded us of the Joy, the Generosity and the Gratitude shown by those people in poverty who Fr Timothy had worked with in Zimbabwe.
We were also introduced to Richard Moore, who has now been without sight for 35 years following a British Army shooting in Derry. Richard told us his story, about how he had the courage to get on with his life, despite his loss of sight, about his charity work "Children in Crossfire", his wife and children, and how this year, he met, for the first time, the soldier who fired the gun which blinded him. He shared with us how he told the soldier he didn't blame him, and how he forgave him. Once again the face of Christ in each of the two men.
The day ended with a second scene from the film, dramatised movingly by Ten Ten.
On the way out, people were encouraged to write down any questions they had for Fr Timothy and Sister Helen and post them in a box. Overnight, almost a hundred were sorted and grouped.
The worship band opened the morning by teaching us some new songs for the Mass later that morning, and then started the worship with "You're Good Lord".
David Wells then chaired a Q&A session with Sister Helen and Fr Timothy, where as many as possible of the submitted questions were discussed and answered. Such a new idea, and yet entirely natural, and open. One key point which came out was that Sister Helen continues to face a challenge in balancing the feelings of the prisoner, the victim, the victim's parents, as well as, of course, the prisoner's parents. She spoke warmly about everyone she met from the Robert Lee Willie and Patrick Sonnier days. The session ended with a standing ovation from a congregation filled with hope, faith and inspired to be the Face of Christ
After a short break, we began Holy Mass, concelebrated by over twenty priests with Bishop Kevin as principal celebrant. We sang "Freedom" as children from schools throughout the diocese brought flags and banners to the stage, now the sanctuary. In the liturgy of the Eucharist, the bare table was dressed, and gifts of bread and wine brought forward as we sang "We Come to Your Feast". After Holy Communion, Bishop Kevin said "Be Still, and know I am God".
Sister Helen moved a huge number of people, touched our hearts and inspired us to be the Face of Christ to everyone that we encounter. She promised she would return to England.
Thanks be to God for a great weekend.
Useful Links:
www.ymt.org
www.rcdhn.org.uk
www.sisterhelen.co.uk
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