In 1993, Chaplain Chéry’s fifteen year-old son Louis was murdered in the crossfire of a shootout. Chaplain Chéry founded the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute to honor her son’s legacy and continue his peacemaking work.  At the time, there was no coordinated response to homicide in Boston. Chaplain Chéry developed the first crisis management services to guide families of murder victims through the funeral and burial process.   

As part of her personal healing journey, Chaplain Chéry needed to know who could raise a child that could kill another child. Chaplain Chéry built a relationship with Doris, the mother of Charles who was convicted of killing Louis. Through that connection, Chaplain Chéry realized that families on both sides of homicide are impacted. She worked with Doris on a plan to ensure that when Charles returned home from prison, both families would have what they need to live in peace. Chaplain Chéry created a model for healing, reconciliation, and accountability that the Peace Institute has been able to replicate with other families.

For over two decades, Chaplain Chéry has worked through the Peace Institute to fulfill her spiritual mission being a minister of God peace, in love, unity faith, hope, courage, justice and forgiveness and her professional goal of  transforming society’s response to homicide so that all families are treated with dignity and compassion. She has developed innovative programming for families impacted by murder and best practices for serving survivors of homicide victims. Chaplain Chéry also published the definitive Survivors Burial and Resource Guide and other resources for families and the providers who serve them. Chaplain Chéry has trained thousands of public health professionals, policy makers, and law enforcement officials across the country. 

Chaplain Chéry is available for speaking engagements and keynote presentations on the following topics:

Finding Purpose in Pain – a Mother’s Journey
In 1993, five days before Christmas, Clementina Chéry’s oldest son Louis David Brown was shot and killed in the crossfire of a shootout. To honor Louis’ life and legacy, Chéry founded the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute as a center of healing, teaching, and learning. As part of her healing journey, Chéry needed to know who could raise a child that could kill. Chéry built a relationship with the mother of the man convicted of killing Louis and through that connection realized how deeply families on both sides of violence are impacted. Over two decades after Louis’ murder, Chéry continues to pursue the purpose she found through her pain as the President and CEO of the Peace Institute.  Chéry is a beloved leader in the survivors’ movement and is nurturing the next generation of peacemakers.  Her personal story has moved many along their path towards a deeper commitment to peace and justice.

Transforming Society’s Response to Homicide
Chaplain Clementina Chéry is an internationally recognized expert in the field of homicide response with over twenty years of experience serving families on both sides of murder. Chéry has trained thousands of law enforcement officials and public health professionals on the best practices for equitable and effective homicide response. In this presentation, Chéry will address the root causes of violence and solutions to interrupt those cycles and heal from generations of trauma. She will also share a personal and professional perspective on the shame and stigma surrounding homicide, and what we can all do to ensure that impacted families are treated with dignity and compassion regardless of the circumstances.

Cultivating Peace from Within
After her son was murdered, Chaplain Clementina Chéry relied on her faith to lead her toward healing. Along with prayer and Bible study, Chéry practiced the Seven Principles of Peace: love, hope, unity, faith, courage, justice, and forgiveness. She was able to share this practice and encourage other survivors to cultivate peace from within even while they struggled with grief and loss. Chéry noticed that traditional forms of therapy sometimes weren’t always accessible or culturally relevant to the survivors she served. To address this gap, Chéry modified a therapeutic technique explicitly for families impacted by murder. Peace Play in Urban Settings helps individuals express their struggles and strengths through experiential play rather than through words. Since then, Chéry and her staff have facilitated Peace Play for hundreds of people from every walk of life. In this presentation, Chéry will share approaches to developing a sense of inner peace that have worked for her through the most difficult and most joyful moments of her life.