World premiere of ‘River of Fire’ Aug. 10 at St. Rita, New Orleans

In partnership with the Catholic Book Store, Sister of St. Joseph Helen Prejean will speak and sign copies of her new book, “River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey,” Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. in the St. Rita School cafeteria, 65 Fountainbleau Drive, New Orleans.

Sister Helen’s appearance, which will serve as the world launch of the book, is free and open to the public.

In “River of Fire,” Sister Helen, one of the nation’s foremost opponents of the death penalty, writes about faith and spirituality, doubt and belief to a wide-ranging audience of believers, agnostics and those with no religious affiliation.

She is the author of “Dead Man Walking,” the best-selling 1993 book that chronicled her role as a spiritual advisor to a death row inmate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Sister Helen’s advocacy has taken her to every U.S. state and to the Vatican, where her personal entreaties to two popes helped shape Catholic opposition to the death penalty. Her website is sisterhelen.org.

Individuals may pre-order “River of Fire” online (cbstorenola.com/preorder) and pick up the book at the booksigning or at the Catholic Book Store after its official release on Aug. 13.

Copies of “River of Fire” and Sister Helen’s other books also will be available for purchase at the booksigning.

For more than three decades, Sister Helen has ministered to death row inmates and accompanied six persons to execution. She has founded organizations for abolition of the death penalty and for the protection and healing of victims’ families.

The nation’s foremost leader in this area of  human rights shares the story of her growth into a spiritual leader and how she made her way from teaching in a Catholic, suburban school to becoming spiritual advisor to condemned murderers.