Author of ‘Dead Man Walking’ to visit Central Catholic, Historic St. Patrick |
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Wednesday, 25 February 2009 01:00 |
TOELDO—Sister of St. Joseph Helen Prejean is scheduled to visit Toledo Central Catholic High School (CCHS) as the featured guest in the CCHS Reads program March 4.
Sr. Prejean is a writer, lecturer and community organizer who was born in Baton Rouge, La. She has lectured extensively on the subject of capital punishment, and is the honorary chairperson of the Moratorium Campaign, a group gathering signatures for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty. “Dead Man Walking” was number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for 31 weeks and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. It was developed into a major motion picture in 1996.
During her visit, Sr. Prejean is to address the student body, meet with the CCHS book club, sign books in the school library and meet with teachers.
She is to lecture at 7 p.m. that evening at the Historic Church of St. Patrick in Toledo. This lecture is open to the public and Sr. Prejean’s books are to be available for purchase. The lecture is free, but donations will be accepted to help fund future author visits to CCHS and to purchase books.
The CCHS Reads program began during the 2006-07 school year to encourage students to read for fun. In the program, teachers and students read the same book and then study it as it is incorporated into classroom lessons. CCHS Reads is designed to promote lifelong reading by encouraging students to read and discuss an author’s work before and after the author visits the school for an all-school assembly.
“It is an ambition of Central Catholic to offer every student the chance to engage in reading a novel that is made available to the entire student body,” says Marie Arter, Central Catholic director of curriculum. “CCHS is proud to offer this remarkable opportunity for students, teachers and administrators to interact directly with the novel’s author, who is an internationally recognized writer.”
“Dead Man Walking” is the story of how Sr. Prejean became the spiritual advisor to the convicted killer of two teenagers who was sentenced to die in the electric chair in Louisiana.
She came to know the man, the families of his victims and the men who had the job of executing him. Her novel is a spiritual journey through the system of capital punishment.
“Central Catholic realizes that this novel contains acts of violence, racism and human execution, which are topics that are difficult to discuss,” says Ms. Arter. “But we believe that when the presentation is made in a loving environment, it can lead to open communication and solutions that will build God’s Kingdom. We are not afraid to discuss difficult issues that will challenge our students to stand up for human rights and dignity.”
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:12 |
