Rt. Rev. Damien Thompson
Abbot, Abbey of Gethsemani
3642 Monks Rd
Trappist KY 40051
Dear Abbot Damien,
Sr. Chris Beckett has already spoken with you about a contribution to help us purchase
books to be given to members of Kentucky’s General Assembly and others. She asked
me to send you a letter with more detail.
The Board of KCADP approved the idea to raise funds for the purchase of copies of the
book, The Biblical Truth about America's Death Penalty, for distribution to each member
of Kentucky's General Assembly, the Justices of Kentucky's Supreme Court, and the
Constitutional Officers of the Executive Branch: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State
Auditor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer.
Our thinking is this. Throughout the life of KCADP - at demonstrations, during
exhibitions at the State Fair, in letters to the newspapers, in conversations with those
calling in to radio talk shows - Kentuckians cite Scriptural passages that they claim
support the use of the death penalty. In this book, the author debunks that claim and with
scholarly precision examines the Word of God and the application of the death penalty in
scriptural terms. In doing so, he completely unveils the ugly truth about our application of
the death penalty, not only that it is not in accord with Scripture, but also that it has no
place in the state's arsenal of punishments.
This analysis is important and educating elected officeholders in the legislative, judicial
and executive branches of government is an important aspect of the work of KCADP.
While we cannot guarantee these persons actually read the book, it gives us an
opportunity to raise that issue with them when, in speaking with them, they raise the
traditional scriptural arguments - eye for an eye,and Romans 13, and other passages - to
bolster their support for the punishment.
When Kentucky's bishops visited Governor Fletcher to ask him to commute the death
sentence of Thomas Bowling, Governor Fletcher and his General Counsel proffered
Romans 13 as support for approval of the death penalty. That General Counsel has since
been appointed to Kentucky's Supreme Court.
So, we are seeking funding for 200 copies of this book, 138 for the General Assembly, 7
for the Supreme Court, 6 for the Constitutional Officers, and the remaining to have on
hand for those who will be elected in the near future when all the House Members, 1/2
the Senate, and all 7 of the Supreme Court Justices are up for re-election.
The book sells for $22.95 and the publisher is willing to sell us 200 copies at $12.85 per
copy. This amounts to $2570 needed to purchase the books. We are soliciting pledges
from all our Board members, as well as our organizational and individual members.
People have begun to respond and to date they have contributed $300 toward our goal.
We are hopeful that the Abbey can make a generous contribution toward this effort and
continue to appreciate all that you have done for KCADP in the past by way of prayers
and financial assistance.
Dale Recinella, author of the book in question, is coming to Louisville and will be at
Carmichael's on Frankfort Avenue at 7 pm, Oct 21; and speaking to the Coalition
members on Saturday morning, Oct 22, at 10 am at Bellarmine University; and then
speaking to the public at 1 pm in the chapel at Bellarmine University. Perhaps you or
someone from the monastery will have the opportunity to come and meet him. I have
enclosed more information about Dale and his work and know that he would appreciate
you remembering him in your prayers.
If you have any questions, I am more than happy to answer them. I can be contacted at
the Catholic Conference of Kentucky at 502.875.4345, or on my cell phone,
502.494.3298. Thank you so much for giving this request your consideration.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Patrick Delahanty
Chair, KCADP
Dale S. Recinella, author of The Biblical Truth about America’s Death Penalty
(Northeastern University Press: 2004), has served for thirteen years as a state-
certified Spiritual Counselor and Catholic lay chaplain in Florida’s prisons. On
behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Florida, in 1998 he began ministering cell-to-cell
to the 365+ men on Florida’s death row and the approximately 2000 men in
Florida’s long-term solitary confinement (through St. Mary’s Catholic Church,
Macclenny, FL). He and his wife, Dr. Susan Recinella, minister as a team during
executions: he serving as spiritual advisor to the condemned and his wife serving
as a minister to the condemned’s family and loved ones. They also minister to
the families and loved ones of murder victims.
Mr. Recinella, a graduate of Thomas More College in Northern Kentucky and a
magna cum laude graduate of Notre Dame University Law School (1976), is a
licensed Florida lawyer and has taught international law/business ethics in
Europe, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, at St. John’s University at the
Vatican (Oratorio) and at Temple University Rome. His column about the death
penalty and prison conditions appears regularly in The Florida Catholic, the
statewide newspaper of the Catholic Bishops of Florida, and received a Year 2000
Press Award from the Catholic Press Association. In 1997 he was named a
University of Notre Dame Exemplar for modeling faith and citizenship in action; in
2000 he was selected as Volunteer of the Year by the chaplains of Union
Correctional Institution (Raiford, FL); and received the Year 2001 Humanitarian
Award from the Franciscan Alumni Association. He appears frequently on
worldwide Vatican Radio concerning the death penalty and prison reform and has
extensively addressed audiences on the subject nationally and in Europe.
