Today the Freshman class gathered in the Mother Williams Library to listen to Julio Escobar speak about the Restorative Justice Ministry, part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

“The Restorative Justice Ministry oversees people in prison and works with families of victims of homicide,” Escobar, who manages the program, said.

One element of the ministry is writing cards for inmates at local prisons, as freshmen did today following Escobar’s presentation. The cards contained messages of hope and love and will be delivered to inmates as letters are each week.

“This is our first year doing it archdiocese-wide,” Escobar said. “To reach the number of inmates, we have to get all of the schools involved.”

Today marked the first time Convent of the Sacred Heart High School has participated in this program.

“It is a nice way to end the year with something a little more social-justice oriented,” Director of Student Life Devin DeMartini Cooke said. “It was a great way to have the freshman class connect and do something a little different.”

Students wrote cards to female inmates for Mother’s Day. The Restorative Justice Ministry also delivers cards to teens in the Juvenile Probation Department.

“I didn’t know anything about this program and how important it is to them,” Kiki Apple, co-president of the freshman class said. “It really changed my perspective on the kids in [Juvenile Probation], because it made me realize they need hope.”