Faithful Citizenship in Pa's 1st Congressional District and the Central Garden State

Sr. Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA
Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB
Sr. Mary Persico, IHM
Sr. Susan Hadzima, IHM
Sr. Mary Genino, RSHM
Sr. Nancy Conway, CSJ
Sr. Debra M. Sciano, SSND
Sr. Josephine Gaugier, OP
Sr. Kathleen Nolan, OP
Sr. Corinne Weiss, SJ
Sr. Adrian Dover, OP
Sr. Rose Mary Dowling, FSM
Sr. Mary Martens, BVM
Sr. Beatrice Haines, OLVM
Sr. Joan Saalfeld, SNJM
Sr. Jo'Ann De Quattro, SNJM
Sr. Sharon Simon, OP
Sr. Maryann A. McMahon, OP
Sr. Agnes Johnson, OP
Sr. Pat Mulcahey, OP
Sr. Pam Chiesa, PBVM
Sr. Patricia Anne Cloherty, PBVM
Sr. Gloria Inés Loya, Sisters of the Presentation
Sr. Gloria Marie Jones, OP
Sr. Mary Litell, Sisters of St. Francis of Penance & Christian Charity
Sr. Theresa Sandok, OSM
Sr. Claire Graham, SSS
Sr. Margaret Byrne CSJP
Sr. Teresa Donohue CSJP
Sr. Carmelita Latiolais, S.E.C.
Sr. Joan Mumaw, IHM
Sr. Clare of Assisi Pierre, SSF
Sr. Marla Monahan, SND
Sr. Vivien Linkhauer, SC
Sr. Dolores Maguire
Sr. Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, OSB
Sr. Suellen Tennyson, MSC
Sr. Barbara Hagedorn, SC
Sr. Francine Schwarzenberger, OP
Sr. Maureen McCarthy, School Sisters of St. Francis
Sr. Eileen C. Reid, RJM
Sr. Cecilia Dwyer, O.S.B.
Sr. Joann Sambs, CSA
Sr. Mary Kuhlman, Sisters of St. Francis
Sr. Helen McDonald, SHCJ
Sr. Jane Blabolil, SSJ-TOSF
Sr. Michelle Wronkowski, SSJ-TOSF
Sr. Dorothy Pagosa, SSJ-TOSF
Sr. Linda Szocik, SSJ-TOSF
Sr. Gladys Guenther SHF
Sr. Dorothy Maxwell, Sisters of St. Dominic Blauvelt
Sr. Sheral Marshall, OSF
Sr. Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN
Sr. Michele Harnett, SSL
Sr. Ruth Goodwin, OSF Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Sr. Joanne Buckman, OSU

Dear Sisters,

On March 17, 2010, you asked members of Congress to give a "'yes' vote when the Senate health care bill (H.R. 3590) comes to the floor of the House....despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. It will uphold longstanding conscience protections....We urge you to vote 'yes' for life by voting yes for health care reform in H.R. 3590." Sisters, your assessment was inaccurate, and your support was misplaced.

Sisters, the so-called "'preventive services' mandate [would include]...drugs which can attack a developing unborn child before and after implantation in the mother’s womb" (USCCB press release, 8/1/11). No Orwellian playing with words can change the truth of that being abortion. The mandate would violate the conscience rights of Catholics and others with moral objections to paying for such poisons. As per Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, "Although this new rule gives the agency the discretion to authorize a 'religious' exemption, it is so narrow as to exclude most Catholic social service agencies and healthcare providers."

Sisters, it is likely that you are not directly familiar with the struggles of lay Catholic health care workers, who are not professed members of relgious communities. The lack of true conscience protections, in the legislation which you advocated, places faithful Catholic health care workers in grave jeopardy. I suspect that few of you have ever had to deal with issues of employment security, when there are young children to feed or mortgages/rent to be paid.

Sisters, it was 70 years ago today that Maximilian Kolbe went to his death, so that the dad of three children would be spared. As a matter of justice, I urge you to keep lay Catholic health care workers in mind - especially those with families - and support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179 & S. 1467). Please add your name to We need HR 1179 immediately, because 'pregnancy is not a disease, & children are not a "health problem"'; this petition which will go to Health & Human Services, Congress, & the President.

Sincerely,