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Deacon Martin Goedken, director of Catholic Charities of St. Joseph, leads a candlelight vigil for Dennis Skillicorn, who was scheduled to be executed early this morning. The Tuesday vigil was a show of support for victims’ families as well as an effort to bring awareness to attendees’ opposition to the death penalty.

On the eve of a scheduled Missouri man’s execution, people in St. Joseph joined to ask for compassion for his life.

As part of 10 church protests that spanned across Missouri Tuesday, about 10 people joined together in prayer at St. Francis Xavier Church, 2614 Seneca St., to ask blessings for the life of Dennis Skillicorn, a man facing execution after being found guilty of murder.

Barring any setbacks, Mr. Skillicorn was scheduled to be executed at 12:01 a.m. this morning — the first execution in Missouri in almost four years. He was convicted of murdering Richard Drummond, a businessman who pulled over to help Mr. Skillicorn and two other men after their car had broken down near Kingdom City, Mo.

Whitney Zoubek, an administrative assistant at the Human Rights Office, Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, presented a case for Mr. Skillicorn, stating he had turned his life around through works such as writing a book aimed at helping troubled youth and a family-strengthening program to help children avoid the path of their incarcerated relatives.

“There are people that believe it would be better to have him here with the people in prison,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Leading the service, Martin Goedken, associate director of Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, led the congregation in prayers for the victims, elected officials, prisoners and abolishment of the death penalty. He said in accordance with God’s love, this sends the wrong message.

“You can’t teach someone that killing is wrong by killing. In a very real sense, that’s what this thing does,” he said.

Steven Welsh, of the Cathedral of St. Joseph, said the vigil isn’t intended to condone violent actions, but show compassion to all humans.

“It’s the sanctity of life we’re trying to convey to the community,” he said. “We do not condone the sin and we’re not saying do not punish the sinner.”

Ken Albers, of St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church in Kansas City, Mo., said even though people on death row may have taken another person’s life, it’s not another human’s place to do the same.

“I’m not one to judge. The idea of someone’s life, it’s taking it prematurely,” he said.

The statewide group, Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, asked to spare Mr. Skillicorn’s life. On Tuesday, Gov. Jay Nixon denied clemency to Mr. Skillicorn, citing previous murder convictions playing into his decision.

Andrew Gaug can be reached

at andrewgaug@npgco.com