Sister Helen Prejean preview 2010

Katie D.

October 10, 2010 - 9:39 PM

Sister Helen Prejean, anti-death penalty activist and author, will be returning to the Unviersity of Oregon campus one week from today, October 17th, 2010.

When Sister Helen visited last year, she changed my life. http://www.isupportuoregon.org/my_duckstory/blog/katie_d/sister_helens_oregon_visit She is simultaneously a deeply committed individual and someone deeply in love with life, beauty, and humor. I am so inspired to meet someone who has been called to do some great work, and does it with such incredible grace.

Plus, I'd never spent much time with a nun before. I didn't really know what to expect.

This time around, I'm a bit better prepared. I will see her speak more than five times during her visit, and I know that each event will be completely unique and differently moving. I know I will probably cry at some point, while listening to her remember being present for the executions of men she had served as spiritual adviser. I will also witness her answering questions and challenges from audience members with a grace and kindness that surprises me in a person so dedicated to a cause.

Most of all, I anticipate her humor. After seeing the movie Dead Man Walking, I imagined Sister Helen to be a sort of subdued Susan Sarandon: kind and introspective and quietly determined. Instead, Sister Helen will roll into town with Louisiana-style jokes and stories, ready for some simple food and good conversation. She'll have gossip and new writing plans, and will want to hear about the folks she knows in Eugene--about the simple and essential things in their lives.

And she'll be busy. Oh goodness, will she ever be a busy woman here at the UO.

Her visit is sponsored by the Savage Committee for International Relations and Peace, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center, and the Clark Honors College. She will be giving public talks, holding interfaith discussions, sitting in panel discussions, and visiting classes.

As in her visit last January, her public talk will be held at the UO Law School. It is on Tuesday, October 19th at 7:00pm. Get there early if you want a good seat, and come prepared to have your socks knocked off! Additionally, there will be a panel discussion open to the public on Wednesday, October 20th from 4-6pm. The location of the panel is still to be announced.

In addition to my excitement to see Sister Helen for purposes of education and inspiration, I am also so looking forward to simply spending time with her again. I am excited to see all the planning and preparation that went into her visit finally coming to fruition. This Sister Helen week is something I spent a good amount of my summer preparing for, doing all the advance work that makes a large event possible.

Mark your calendars, Ladies and Gentlemen. My favorite nun is heading back to Eugene, with a powerful message and abundant humor. She's ready to knock our socks off.

I'll be sure you hear all about it.