CATHOLIC MOBILIZING NETWORK

Washington, District of Columbia, 20017 United States

Mission Statement

Catholic Mobilizing Network [CMN] is the only national organization that mobilizes Catholics and all people of goodwill to value life over death, to end the use of the death penalty, to transform the U.S. criminal justice system from punitive to restorative, and to build capacity in U.S. society to engage in restorative practices. Through education, advocacy, and prayer, and based on the Gospel value that every human is created in the image and likeness of God, CMN expresses the fundamental belief that all those who have caused or been impacted by crime should be treated with dignity. CMN works in close collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and lives the Spirit of Unity of the Congregation of St. Joseph, as a founding member of the Congregation of St. Joseph Mission Network. Guiding Principles Closely connected to CMN’s mission are guiding principles that illuminate the way of proceeding for CMN. All of CMN’s efforts to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice strive to: - Uphold DIGNITY, recognizing that each of us have been created in the image and likeness of God and possesses inherent dignity and worth. - Build JUST RELATIONSHIPS, acknowledging that we are all interconnected and that our faith calls us into the right relationship with God, creation, and one another. - Seek HEALING, recognizing that pervasive brokenness exists in individuals, communities, and systems, and that restorative practices and approaches can heal trauma, interrupt or break destructive cycles, and give rise to a new creation from that woundedness. - Promote ACCOUNTABILITY, acknowledging that we are mutually responsible for one another, and that transparency and honesty are needed with ourselves and others. - Enable TRANSFORMATION, pursuing a kind of justice that promotes individual, collective, as well as structural healing and change. - Advance RACIAL EQUITY, in affirmation that all people are created equally by God, and therefore deserve to be treated fairly and equitably, regardless of their racial, ethnic, educational, and cultural backgrounds. In pursuit of CMN’s mission and vision, CMN affirms and supports diverse efforts toward life-giving and healing forms of justice, including current advocacy and social movements striving for: An end to the death penalty and systems of mass incarceration Racial justice and equity Responses to harm that honor the dignity and rights of victims and survivors Redemptive, reintegrative, and preventative approaches to addressing crime and wrongdoing Community-based violence prevention, trauma healing, and resilience Increased partnership and collaboration between our criminal/legal systems and the communities they serve

About This Cause

In 2005, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty. In 2008, a collection of activists, murder victims’ family members, representatives from prominent Catholic organizations, and women religious—including Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ (author of Dead Man Walking)—came together to brainstorm how they could support the bishops’ campaign. As a result, the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, launched Catholic Mobilizing Network in January of 2009 to implement the bishops’ campaign to end the death penalty and to promote restorative justice. CMN accomplishes its mission and works to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice through the following strategic activities: Education: CMN creates educational materials and events to form Catholics in the Church’s pro-life teachings regarding the death penalty and restorative justice. The offerings include webinars, workshops, training, restorative justice implementation tools, fact sheets, parish bulletin inserts, and more. CMN also networks and presents at national, faith-based conferences each year to educate and mobilize people of faith to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice. Advocacy: CMN participates in state campaigns to repeal and limit the use of the death penalty by mobilizing Catholic and faith-based communities. CMN raises a Catholic voice for justice and mercy in public platforms such as national faith-based and secular media outlets, national conferences, and strategic alliances. CMN mobilizes Catholics for informed and impactful opposition to the death penalty through coalition building; the Mercy in Action Project, which equips people of faith to speak out against upcoming executions; and calls for legislative actions. Prayer: All of CMN’s efforts to transform the broken criminal legal system are grounded in Gospel wisdom and prayer. Through faith formation guides, prayer resources, interfaith dialogues, liturgical reflections, homily helps, and monthly virtual prayer vigils (i.e. First Friday Prayer Vigils), CMN facilitates opportunities for Catholics to pray for victims of violence, for those on death row, and for a justice system rooted in mercy and compassion. CMN is proud of its numerous and wide-ranging achievements. The following are the most notable: - CMN played a critical role in state death penalty repeals in Illinois (2011), Connecticut (2012), Maryland (2013), Nebraska (2015), Delaware (2016), Washington (2018), New Hampshire (2019), Colorado (2020), and Virginia (2021). - CMN launched the National Catholic Pledge to End the Death Penalty in May 2017 to echo Pope Francis’ call to abolish the death penalty. Since its launch, over 30,000 have taken this Pledge. - In 2022, CMN’s base sent over 25,000 messages through targeted actions to governors, and state Boards of Pardons and Paroles calling on them to halt executions or abolish capital punishment in their state. - In 2022, CMN contributed to over 150 news articles and interviews for outlets including America, Aleteia, National Catholic Reporter, Vatican News, Catholic News Agency, Catholic News Service, OSV News, Busted Halo, the Gloria Purvis Podcast, and the Houston Chronicle. - CMN hosted Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity: An All-Virtual Catholic Conference on Restorative Justice in collaboration with the University of San Diego Center for Restorative, Justice and the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Over 700 attendees from across the United States, and even abroad, joined this conference in October 2020. - CMN has published three books including Where Justice and Mercy Meet (Liturgical Press, 2014); Redemption and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Restorative Justice (Liturgical Press, 2017); and CMN’s faith formation guide, Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity: A Catholic Encounter with Restorative Justice (Liturgical Press, 2019). - In 2021, CMN released Paths of Renewed Encounter: A Restorative Justice Engagement Guide for Catholic Communities, a robust implementation resource available for online access and for order as a print booklet. - In January 2022, CMN launched its first podcast, Encounters with Dignity. The podcast is uplifting the stories, learnings, and actionable wisdom from people putting restorative justice into practice. Encounters with Dignity has garnered nearly 5,000 unique listeners. - In 2022, CMN organized its first National Catholic Ministry Leaders Lenten Experience in Montgomery Alabama - this is now an annual offering. Over the course of three days, 33 participants visited landmarks of racial violence and resilience, reflecting on the ways Catholic ministries are called to respond. - On March 1, 2022, CMN launched the Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest for Young Catholics, which invites Catholics ages 18-30 to enter an original poem about the injustice of capital punishment. The winner read her poem at CMN’s Justice Reimagined Awards & Celebration at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington, DC in October 2022. - In 2022, Pope Francis designated his monthly prayer intention for September to address the death penalty and call for its abolition worldwide. CMN was given the opportunity to work with the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, as the primary collaborator for the promotion of the prayer intention. - On October 10th, 2022, CMN celebrated its 13th anniversary with the Justice Reimagined Awards and Celebration with over 200 guests at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC. - In May 2023, CMN was honored with the Ignatian Solidarity Network’s “Legacy of the Martyrs Award”. The Catholic Contribution Since its inception, CMN has worked diligently in seeking the abolishment of the death penalty and the promotion of restorative justice, positioning CMN in a unique and critical role within the Church and beyond for criminal justice reform. Through education, advocacy, and prayer, and based on the Gospel value that every human is created in the image and likeness of God, CMN expresses the fundamental belief that all those who have caused or been impacted by crime should be treated with dignity. In working to end capital punishment, CMN inspires Catholics to act and bring awareness to the existing brokenness throughout the U.S. criminal legal system and how overly punitive responses to crime perpetuate further harm, rather than repair and healing. CMN's death penalty efforts work to move legislation repeal forward in key states and advance the national strategy to abolish the death penalty by educating, mobilizing, and influencing key Catholic constituencies motivated by the Church’s teaching that the death penalty is inadmissible in all cases. Using strategic communications and creative resources, CMN articulates the brokenness of the capital punishment system and emboldens Catholics to honor the dignity of all life by seeking an end to the death penalty. In response to upcoming executions, CMN mobilizes its extensive network of grassroots advocates to amplify the anti-death penalty position of the Catholic Church through high-profile prayer vigils, CMN’s Mercy in Action Project, Faith & Action First Fridays, and CMN’s Hope Over Death blog. Additionally, CMN advances abolition efforts through the use of its active social media platforms, website, and strategic email communications to aid in informing and persuading the media, decision-makers, and the public about the value of repealing the death penalty. These activities are grounded in CMN’s credibility, earned respect in the Catholic community, and track record of achievements, strengthening the overall movement to abolish capital punishment in the U.S. CMN is also a trusted leader in efforts to advance learning and expand awareness of and opportunities for restorative justice practices in Catholic communities. Restorative justice is an approach to justice where crime and harm are understood in terms of the people and relationships impacted, rather than solely the law or rule that was broken. CMN’s wide-ranging restorative justice offerings, include its foundational Intro to Restorative Justice workshops, Community of Practice, Paths of Renewed Encounter: A Restorative Justice Engagement Guide for Catholic Communities, annual Circle Keeper Training, Encounters With Dignity podcast, and biannual National Catholic Conference on Restorative Justice. These are vital resources for CMN’s supporter base of over 35,000 individuals who are leaders of parishes, religious orders, and para-church agencies throughout the country and whose offices and ministries work directly with individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. Throughout CMN’s death penalty and restorative justice programming, the organization deepens its impact in empowering Catholics to approach harm and crime through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching and promote pro-life values in their communities, ministries, and within the Church. Pope Francis has repeatedly invited all to embrace the reconciling and restorative work of the Church: "There is a need for paths of peace to heal open wounds. There is also a need for peacemakers, men, and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter" (“Fratelli Tutti”, 225).

CATHOLIC MOBILIZING NETWORK
415 Michigan Ave Ne Suite 210
Washington, District of Columbia 20017
United States
Phone 2025415290
Twitter @CMNEndtheDP
Unique Identifier 471793715