Kate Grosmaire and her husband, Andy, had just returned home from a Palm Sunday service in 2010 when they got the news their 19-year-old daughter Ann had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Ann had spent the day with her longtime boyfriend Conor. When the sheriff showed up at their door, Kate asked, ‘Was Conor with her?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘he shot her.’ The rest of that night and next day were a blur. It was then they learned that their daughter and boyfriend had a breakup fight. Conor had intended to get his father’s shotgun to kill himself, but when the couple continued to argue, Conor ended up pulling the trigger and shooting Ann instead.
The following day they took their daughter off life support. “As we were sitting there gazing down at her we saw her literally transform as Christ became one with her. Then I realized that Christ was with my daughter. I realized that it was not Ann asking me to forgive Conor. It was Jesus. And how could I say no to Him who had forgiven me for all my transgressions?”
Through a process known as restorative justice, the couple were able to sit in a room with Conor while they shared their grief and he expressed his remorse for killing Ann. As a result, forgiveness was birthed in their lives and repentance on the part of Conor. Conor shares: “The Grosmaires’ decision to forgive me was the only reason that I ever came to believe in God and believe in Christ.
