Community members from DePaul and beyond gathered on Friday, April 24, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Illinois abolishing the death penalty. The event featured performances from a School of Music vocal ensemble and a group pledge to continue seeking out justice.

Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was recognized at the event for his role in abolishing the death penalty in the state in 2011. Sister Helen Prejean, a lifelong anti-death penalty activist and author, was the catalyst for the event. She donated her personal archives to DePaul and visits campus annually.

“Today's anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on one of the most pressing questions of our time with those who brought us here,” said DePaul University President Robert L. Manuel. “The decision to abolish the death penalty in Illinois was a landmark moment in our state's history — one grounded in moral courage, public leadership and the persistent work of people who believe deeply in the sanctity of life and the possibility of justice rooted in mercy.”

The event also included a dialogue session organized by the DePaul Dialogue Collaborative, a group dedicated to developing a shared practice of dialogue throughout the university community. Attendees were encouraged to share with their table a story of when they saw light in the darkness and to find inspiration in the stories around them.

“The light is the truth,” Prejean said. “We enlighten each other, and we do it by gathering in community, as we're doing today. DePaul is a source of this light today. St. Vincent de Paul was a source of light — here was a young parish priest who looked around the poor and friends and said, ‘What must be done?’ It's the same question we ask ourselves today.”

Pope Leo XIV shared a blessing recorded especially for the gathering via video. You can view his full remarks here.

“The right to life is the very foundation of every other human right,” Leo said. “For this reason, only when a society safeguards the sanctity of human life will it flourish and prosper. In this regard, we affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed.”

Quinn shared the importance of the legislative process, encouraging justice and protecting human dignity.

“This process wasn't easy, as was pointed out,” Quinn said. “There are people who did not want to do this in politics in Illinois; they were opposed to any change in our law. But we're the Land of Lincoln — all of us grew up hearing those words of Abraham Lincoln about the importance of democracy, the government of the people to make changes that are needed in order to make our society better and more decent.”

Prejean reminded attendees that the work of justice continues.

“This is a coal fire burning,” Prejean said. “We gather to blow those coals today for that fire of faith and hope: that we don't have to be a society that kills our citizens, that we can be a society of life across the board — not just for the innocent, but for the guilty as well.”

A recording of the event is available on YouTube.