Inside a community space in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, a group of mothers gathered in a circle. Some have children who are incarcerated; others have lost a child to violence. Joining them were DePaul University students who came to observe a peace circle — a restorative justice practice bringing individuals together to address harm, rebuild relationships and work toward collective healing.

For senior Ruby Rivera Baeza, witnessing this firsthand left a lasting impression.

“It takes a lot of courage to sit in a circle with others and say what’s on your mind about someone so precious to you who’s been lost or hurt,” says Baeza, who is pursuing degrees in sociology and criminology.

For more than two decades, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation has worked to address violence, trauma and incarceration on the South Side.

In 2002, the Rev. David Kelly, C.PP.S., founded the nonprofit and centered its work on the belief that true healing requires relationship and accountability rather than isolation and punishment.

Now, Fr. Kelly and his organization are being recognized on an international stage as one of three finalists for the $1 million Opus Prize, a global faith-based humanitarian award hosted by DePaul University this year.

Reflecting on why he founded the organization, Fr. Kelly notes that traditional systems leave little room for true reconciliation.

“What started this ministry is the inability or unwillingness of the courts and the criminal justice system to work on healing and repair,” Kelly says. The organization’s programs have expanded to include housing, job training, prison reentry support, and more.

As part of the evaluation process for the Opus Prize, Baeza, Francisco Ruiz Gonzalez and Aiana Kurumshieva served as student ambassadors, along with Howard Rosing, executive director of the Steans Center at DePaul. Over the summer, they visited Fr. Kelly and his organization to learn about their work firsthand.

“Fr. Kelly has an authenticity that I find so admirable,” says Gonzalez, a social work graduate student raised in Little Village. “The dedication that he has towards the organization and working with the people and just giving them that space – it’s very unique.”

For Gonzalez, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation’s work directly challenges long-standing stereotypes about his home community.

“The narrative that the South Side is always dangerous rubs me the wrong way because obviously it’s not true,” Gonzalez says. “Precious Blood is an example of that, where they invest in their communities and care about their communities.”

Rosing calls them a “restorative justice hub in Chicago,” sharing a model of conflict resolution for the world.

“They show that you have to be on the ground working with neighbors, engaging with people who are coming out of incarceration and disrupting violence,” Rosing says.

Reflecting this year’s theme, “Uplifting the Dignity of All,” the Opus Prize aligns with DePaul’s Vincentian mission of serving marginalized communities.

DePaul will host a week of events in October celebrating the Opus Prize finalists, including class visits, a prayer service, and the final awards ceremony. The full schedule and links to register for events are on the Opus Prize Events website.

Ultimately, student ambassadors see the recognition as a way to highlight positive, community-led solutions. Both Gonzalez and Baeza underscored that sharing these initiatives offer a counter-narrative to news focused solely on hardship and proves that sustainable change begins at the grassroots level.

“There will always be injustice, hardships and international conflict that cloud our social media, and scare people out of empathy,” Baeza says. “Communities like Precious Blood don’t need to erase the pain and struggle but alleviate it the best way they can. As easy as it is to see the headlines of conflict, we should also share the efforts of what good there is in the world.”

Learn more about the student ambassadors’ trips and the finalists’ work on YouTube.