b'O n the night of Aug. 8, 1982, Mary HallinansPHOTO: SKIP PETERSONsister, Anne, and her boyfriend, Bobby,were back home in Toledo, Ohio, for awedding. They had hopped on a motorcycle for aquick jaunt around the block to visit some friendsbefore heading to the wedding reception, says Mary,then 30, and an attorney living in Chicago.That short motorcycle ride turned tragic when theywere sideswiped by a drunk driver. Ten days later,Anne, 27, died from internal injuries sustained fromthe accident. Bobby survived, but with one of his legsamputated at the knee. The sudden death of her sistertraumatized Mary and her family. It was brutal watch-ing my parents, she says, as they watched Annes lifeslip away. When she died, part of them died that day.Marys parents went on to found the Toledo chapterof Mothers Against Drunk Driving as a way to bringsomething good out of their tragedy. As devoutCatholics, they turned to their faith, their parish anda large community of family and friends to sustainthem through many years after the accident. While cocooned in the love of her fam-PHOTO COURTESY MARY HALLINANily and friends, Marys greatest consola-tion was her relationship with God. AtAnnes bedside one day, as she realizedthat her sister wasnt going to make it, Iremember a heavy sensation, like an al-batross around my neck, and as if Godand my sister were saying this is whatit will feel like if you dont forgiveaweight you will carry with you for therest of your life, she says.There were times in the ensuing yearsthat Mary wanted to know what happenedto the driver who had killed her sister. He was convictedand served a short jail sentence for her death. I finallywrote him a note telling him I had forgiven him, saysMary, but it took 25 years before I could do that.In 2009, Mary, who is a member of Queen ofApostles, a Marianist parish in Dayton, Ohio, wasintroduced to restorative justice as a way to bring heal-ing and dignity to those traumatized by harm. It wasa new path on a long journey of recovery for her.By 2013, members of the Marianist Social JusticeCollaboratives Death Penalty Abolition team alsobegan educating themselves about restorative justice.While working to abolish the death penalty, we feltit was important to advocate for something we arefor, says Marianist Sister Grace Walle, who serves onthe team. Restorative justice gives us an alternativeapproacha way of practicing our Marianist and Mary Hallinan leaves Montgomery County Jail in Dayton, Ohio, after participating in a healing circleCatholic values.with incarcerated women; left, Marys sister, Anne.marianist.com/donate 11'