CHICAGO — Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., author of the groundbreaking book “Dead Man Walking” and one of the nation’s leading anti-death penalty activists, will offer a series of public talks at DePaul University in April.

The programs are presented as part of Prejean’s ongoing work with DePaul, which began in 2011 when she donated her archives to the university. Prejean has returned to DePaul each spring to offer talks, conduct workshops and collaborate with DePaul faculty and students to advance work on behalf of those on the nation’s death rows.

The free public programs include:

"I Was in Prison and You Visited Me: Spirituality and Social Justice,” April 19, 5 to 7 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120. Prejean will share observations about how her faith his driven her work and reflect on the current state of the effort to end capital punishment in the United States.

"Dead Man Walking" Staged Reading and Discussion, April 22, 7 to 9 p.m., Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St.. A staged reading of the play adapted from Prejean’s book featuring DePaul faculty, students and staff, followed by a discussion on issues raised by the work.

Catholic Studies Student Breakfast, April 24, 8 to 10 a.m. , Lincoln Park Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120. DePaul students have researched Prejean’s archives during the past academic year to chart her activism as an opponent of the death penalty. The students will briefly present their research and receive her input.

Memoir Writing Breakfast and Dialogue, April 25, 8:30 to 10 a.m., Lincoln Park Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 380. Prejean will join a panel of academics to discuss what it means to write one’s own story, as well as the stories of others. The discussion also will focus on the writing process behind Prejean’s upcoming book “River of Fire.”

“Sister Prejean’s ongoing work for the nation’s death row inmates continues to build momentum both with the DePaul community and the larger social justice arena. We are grateful for her continued passion and commitment,” said Mary Jeanne Larrabee, director of DePaul’s Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies program in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Larrabee is lead coordinator of Prejean’s visit to DePaul.

Information on these and other DePaul events is available at http://events.depaul.edu/.

About DePaul University

With approximately 25,000 students, DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. The university offers about 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on three Chicago and two suburban campuses. Founded in 1898, DePaul University remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds. More at www.depaul.edu.