WASHINGTON (RNS) After the death of one of their own in an alleged drunk-driving accident, the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia want attention to move away from the alleged illegal immigrant behind the wheel and onto drunk driving.

Benedictine Sister Denise Mosier was killed, and two elderly nuns were badly injured, in a Virginia car accident Sunday (Aug. 1) when they were hit by Carlos Martinelly-Montano, who was charged with drunk driving.

Martinelly-Montano, an illegal immigrant originally from Bolivia, was awaiting a deportation ruling at the time the incident occurred, family members told The Washington Post.

Mosier’s death and Martinelly-Montano’s illegal status have become fodder for a national debate on illegal immigration; Tea Party Nation recently asked supporters to submit stories “if (you) have been the victim of a crime by an illegal.”

The Benedictine nuns, however, don’t want Mosier’s death to become a political football.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia said they were “dismayed and saddened that this tragedy has been politicized and become an apparent forum for the illegal immigration agenda.”

Instead of pointing to illegal immigration, they said the incident should “re-focus attention on the consequences of drinking.”

In their official statement and subsequent statements to the media, the nuns emphasized the importance of compassion, saying it is required of all Christians.

“Responses of mercy and forgiveness, though usually not easy, are not optional for Christians,” the statement said. They are “required in order to preserve and promote the dignity of life at all stages.”

Sister Glenna Smith, a spokeswoman for the Benedictine Sisters, told The Washington Post that Martinelly-Montano is “a child of God and deserves to be treated with dignity.”

“Denise, of all of us, would be the first to offer forgiveness.”