Dodge City couple to offer personal witness on death penalty

On July 19, 1989, Mary Rains, daughter of Dodge City residents Bob and Ruth Hessman, was killed a few miles from the Garden City convenience story where she had been working early that morning.

Bob and Ruth, both devout in their faith, had long been opposed to the death penalty, and although consumed with grief, it was a stance that didn’t change after their daughter was murdered.

"Some days I miss her so much that it’s very difficult," Ruth said. "But just because something is difficult doesn’t mean you don’t do it. It’s been a daily struggle, and it has not been easy. I don’t know about everyone else’s Bible, but in ours it says `Thou shalt not kill’. Nowhere does it say `Unless...’"

Bob and Ruth will present their personal witness at the Wed. Oct. 11 "Seasons of Faith" fall session from 6-8:30 p.m. and will repeat the same talk at the Wed. Nov. 8 "Seasons of Faith" session at ITV (Interactive Television) sites in Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, Liberal, Pratt, Sharon, and Ulysses.

Each summer, autumn, winter, and spring, Seasons of Faith presents a two-and-a-half-hour session on a topic pertinent to adult faith life via ITV at eight sites throughout the diocese. Sessions are also presented in Spanish, although the topics may differ in the English and Spanish sectors.

Following each session, additional material on the topic is posted to the Seasons of Faith link on the Diocesan website. This material allows an individual to explore the topic in greater depth. Those who have participated in the ITV session may use the material to lead a three-session small group study or an adult education course on the topic in their own parish.

Four years before he was executed July 20, 2000 for another murder, Bob and Ruth began corresponding with Gregg Braun, the man who killed their daughter. At first, he was belligerent with the couple. But later he began to release his bitterness; he eventually expressed regret and apologized for the killing of their daughter.

"…We didn’t find forgiveness just by saying, ‘We forgive,’ and moving on," Ruth said in an article in "Grains of Wheat," a publication of the Dominican Sisters of Great Bend. "We found we needed to start each day with a prayer of forgiveness for [Gregg].

"Pleasure comes to us now from watching our children and our grandchildren as they learn to follow us on the journey of forgiveness. For if we are to believe we can be forgiven, we must first be able to forgive."

The U.S. Catholic bishops have been calling for an end to the use of the death penalty for 25 years. In November 2005, the bishops wrote, "This is a time to teach clearly, encourage reflection, and call for common action in the Catholic community to bring about an end to the use of the death penalty in our land…. The Church’s teaching, as expressed clearly and authoritatively in the Catechism and The Gospel of Life, should not be ignored or dismissed as just one opinion among others. Rather, Catholics are called to receive this teaching seriously and faithfully as they shape their consciences, their attitudes, and ultimately their actions."