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Sister Helen Prejean, inspiration for film 'Dead Man Walking' honored at DePaul University

Sister Helen Prejean, inspiration for film 'Dead Man Walking' honored at DePaul
Sister Helen Prejean, inspiration for film 'Dead Man Walking' honored at DePaul 00:36

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The internationally known anti-death sentence activist and nun, Sister Helen Prejean received top honors on Wednesday from DePaul University.

The nun received the St. Vincent De Paul Award from the university. The school said it is one of its highest honors and very rarely given to anyone. The school said Sister Helen represents the spirit of the Lord by addressing the needs of the human family.

Prejean is the real-life nun who wrote the book "Dead Man Walking" which was the basis of the 1995 movie. Susan Sarandon won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Sister Prejean.

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