Lakewood Congregational Church To Host Public Lenten Event On Forgiveness On February 27

In nearly 14 years since her son's death, Rachel Muha of Westerville, Ohio, has learned much about walking the path of forgiveness, even in the face of tragedy and adversity.

On May 31, 1999, her son Brian, 18, a freshman at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and his friend Aaron Land, 20, were killed when intruders randomly broke into their off-campus house. The intruders assaulted them and ultimately killed them, leaving their bodies off an abandoned stretch of Route 22 in Washington County, Pa., nearly 20 miles from Steubenville. The killers were caught soon after and convicted.

While many in the community expected the families to rally for the death penalty, Rachel Muha--a devout Catholic-- stepped forward in the courtroom during the sentencing of one of the convicted killers in 2000 to speak only of forgiveness, asking him to redeem the rest of the years in his life and that she would pray for his soul.

Muha has since turned “grief into love” and has established a foundation in her son’s honor: www.brianmuhafoundation.com.

She will share her story of forgiveness at Lakewood Congregational Church (LCC), 1375 West Clifton Blvd, on Wednesday, February 27, at 7 p.m. in the Chapel. The event, part of the church’s Lenten season programming, is free and open to the community.

For more information about the Rachel Muha event on Feb. 27 or information about Lakewood Congregational Church www.lcc-church.org, contact the church office at (216)221-9555.