Former death row inmate Aaron Patterson told a crowd at an Evanston church Sunday that his life took on a new mission when former Gov. George Ryan pardoned him three weeks ago.

“I’m a former inmate from death row,” Patterson said. “I’m here today to discuss this thing we call the death penalty.”

Patterson spoke at Lake Street Church of Evanston during a celebration of Ryan’s decision last month to pardon four death row inmates and commute the sentences of 167 people awaiting execution. Among the participants were another pardoned man’s sister; the mother of a prisoner whose death sentence was commuted to life; the sister of a murdered police officer; and leaders of Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Christian congregations in the Chicago area.

The event was co-sponsored by the Restorative Justice Center for Capital Cases, based in Centralia, Ill., and Miami.

Gail Rice, whose brother was murdered while on duty as a police officer, said her family disagrees with her anti-death penalty stance. Her brother’s alleged killer committed suicide before police could arrest him.

“I hope many interfaith services like this one can help people along the path of reconciliation,” Rice told about 60 people at the church, 607 Lake St.

Patterson — whose innocence was long championed by Northwestern Prof. David Protess and his journalism students — read the names of six men who he said are serving life sentences for crimes they didn’t commit.

“I feel like I have an obligation and commitment to help these guys get home,” Patterson said. “These are the names of people that I personally know are innocent.”

Robin Hobley said her brother’s case demonstrated the unreliability of the death penalty. She is the sister of exonerated prisoner Madison Hobley.

“The system failed Madison. The system failed my mom, my sister and myself,” Robin Hobley said.

Prayers, songs and speeches were interspersed between readings from words of the Buddha, the Torah, the Bible and the Koran.

Among the banners in the church was one that asked, “What part of ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ don’t we understand?”

“The death penalty is a hate crime,” another read.

“All religions teach us the sanctity of human life,” said Imam Ahmed Murad, who is affiliated with Chicago’s Muslim Community Center. “The most important things in this world are the other human beings.”

Jane Ramsey, executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, said her faith is an integral part of her opposition to capital punishment.

“If you look, the Judaic teachings clearly guide us to oppose the death penalty,” Ramsey said. She added that events such as the one Sunday are a “critical opportunity to say to Governor (Rod) Blagojevich that it’s time to abolish the death penalty (in Illinois).”

The Rev. Melodee Smith, executive director of the Restorative Justice Center for Capital Cases and an activist who has testified before the United Nations Human Rights Committee in support of an international moratorium on the death penalty, delivered the closing prayer.

She referred to Ryan as “a marked man by many” because of his death row decisions and because of the scandals that followed him from his tenure as secretary of state.

“(But) for those of us who lift up human dignity … he stands firmly in the name of justice,” Smith said.