Corrections Corner / Deacon Marc Kellams

Forgiveness is topic at Nov. 21 corrections ministry conference

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ” (Eph 4:32).

What is forgiveness anyway? St. Maria Goretti described it as “… the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance.”

We all grapple with the concept of forgiveness. Some of us are quick to forgive, while others of us stubbornly hold on to anger, resentment and grudges. These human frailties affect the way we live, and the relationships we have with each other.

It all begins with a wrong done to us, some act of commission or omission. It happens all too often in families. It happens in friendships, business relationships, with neighbors and those in authority. It happens to victims of perpetrators. Research shows that people who forgive easily are more prone to stronger relationships, emotional health, slowness to anger, and clearer consciences.

As Catholic Christians, we are taught the concept of forgiveness in various books of the Bible. The Pentateuch (Torah) instructs us, “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” (Lv 19:18).

This simple yet profound lesson is heard again from the mouth of Jesus, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:39). It is the second Great Commandment. We make the commitment to follow it every time we recite the Lord’s Prayer. And yet, we struggle.

Nov. 21 is the fourth annual archdiocesan Corrections Ministry Conference. It will be virtual from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The topic is “Forgiving with Grace.”

The guest speaker is Jeanne Bishop, a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and Law School. While working as an associate attorney at a Chicago law firm in 1990, her sister, her sister’s husband, and their unborn child were murdered by David Biro, a high school student. These events changed the course of Jeanne’s life.

She left her firm and became a public defender in Cook County. She began to advocate for gun registration and to fight against the death penalty. Twenty-five years later she wrote a book, Change of Heart, which is a powerful account of the murders and her reconciliation with the murderer who is serving a life sentence.

She recently published a new book, Grace from the Rubble, which tells the story of how the father of a victim of the Oklahoma City bombing and the father of the man convicted of the bombing, Timothy McVeigh, forged a friendship. It is a story of forgiving with grace, and is the subject of her presentation. The book is available on Amazon.

There will also be a panel discussion of inmates in an Indiana correctional facility on their struggle with forgiving others and others forgiving them. Please join us by registering for this free event at www.archindy.org/corrections.
 

(Deacon Marc Kellams is the Coordinator of Corrections Ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. He can be reached at mkellams@archindy.org or call 317-592-4012.) †