Renewed commitment to ending the death penalty

A recent article has reported that an Ohio man, Daniel Pitcher, has asked for forgiveness 30 years after he raped and murdered a nun. Mr Pitcher is serving a life sentence in an Ohio prison.

Mr Pitcher wrote to the Cleveland Ursulines saying:

"Dear Ursuline Sisters, I hope everything is going good. I write to ask forgiveness for what I did to Sister Joanne Marie in March of 1995 in Pepper Pike, Ohio. I was a scared kid who didn't ask for help. I am truly sorry that I killed her."

Mr Pitcher goes on to say that he wishes he could take it all back, and that he hopes he hears from someone. He signed it, "Your Friend, Daniel Pitcher."

The sisters expressed that it was a beautiful thing to see this transformation as a community all these years later and considered how to take these experiences and make them transformational for others.

The community has actively opposed the death penalty for years, however Mr Pitcher’s letter has spurred them to action to end executions permanently.

You can read more here.