Murder Victim Family Member and Journey of Hope Leader Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr. to Speak in Marion

Marion, Ohio – A leader in Ohio’s efforts to end the death penalty, Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., will be speaking in Marion on the evening of Friday, April 17, to share his personal story of loss, healing, and hope.

The board president of Journey of Hope …from violence to healing – Dr. Sullivan, the former executive director of the Columbus-based Ohio Council of Churches, became a murder victim family member following the 1997 killing of his sister, Jennifer, in Cleveland.

“It is becoming abundantly clear to more and more Ohioans that the death penalty is a hollow instrument of death that offers no justice, no healing, no wholeness, and no redemption,” Sullivan said. “The well-meaning proponents of executions intend to aim millions of dollars in the pointless pursuit of retribution and death when we co-victims want them to aim millions of dollars in the purposeful pursuit of redemption and life.”

Dr. Sullivan is a past board chair of Ohioans to Stop Executions, and a former steering committee member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Dr. Sullivan was given the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Justice Award by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

The event will take place tomorrow, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. It will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, located at 241 S. Prospect St. in Marion.

The event will take place in the First Floor Parlor / Fellowship Hall at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Parking is available in the church’s large lot adjacent to the building, with additional parking available across the street.

To RSVP and for more information, please click here.