St. James the Less Catholic Parish

A judge in Ohio ruled the state’s educational voucher program unconstitutional, but the Ohio Catholic Conference said on June 24, 2025, it is confident the issue, which benefits Catholic schools, will ultimately prevail on appeal. / Credit: Take Photo/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 25, 2025 / 18:01 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Conference of Ohio has issued a statement expressing confidence that the state’s voucher program allowing parents to send their children to private schools would ultimately prevail after a judge ruled the program unconstitutional.

Franklin County Judge Jaiza Page on June 24 declared the Educational Choice Scholarship (EdChoice) Program, which provides funding for public school students to attend private schools in the state, unconstitutional, claiming it harms public education by channeling funds toward private schools, including Catholic institutions.

Page said in her ruling that the plaintiffs had proved “beyond a reasonable doubt that the EdChoice voucher program violates Article VI Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution,” which bans religious schools from having “any exclusive right to, or control of, any part of the school funds of [the] state.”

Page also wrote that “the state may not fund private schools at the expense of public schools or in a manner that undermines its obligation to public education.”

The ruling is expected to be appealed. The 10th District Court of Appeals will hear the case next, after which it could go to the Ohio Supreme Court.

“We remain confident the EdChoice program will prevail in the appeals process,” Brian Hickey, executive director for the Catholic Conference of Ohio, said in a June 24 statement. Hickey called support for the program “a matter of social justice.”

The Catholic Conference of Ohio is the official representative of the Catholic Church in public policy matters.

“The Catholic Church will continue to advocate for and defend programs that support parents as the primary educators of their children and enable them to select a school that best suits their child’s needs,” Hickey said. 

“We are proud that Catholic schools in Ohio continue to flourish with ethnic and racial diversity while providing a rich spiritual and intellectual environment,” he continued. “Catholic schools, like other chartered nonpublic schools in Ohio, work closely with the Department of Education and Workforce to adhere to state chartering requirements, including operating standards, teacher licensing, state audits, and approved testing.”

A coalition of public school districts, Vouchers Hurt Ohio, filed a lawsuit in 2022 to end the Educational Choice Scholarship (EdChoice) Program, which provides funding for public school students to attend private schools in the state of Ohio. 

The anti-vouchers group argued that the program unconstitutionally created a second system of schools to be funded by the state, causing harm to its public school system.

About 300 sisters and supporters gathered on June 24, 2025, for “Sisters Speak Out” in the nation’s capital in anticipation of the Senate voting on the budget bill this week. / Credit: Julia Morris

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 25, 2025 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

Sisters from 60 congregations gathered in Washington, D.C., on June 24 to urge lawmakers not to cut government programs that support immigrants and people with low incomes.

The event, called “Sisters Speak Out,” was held in the nation’s capital while approximately 40 “echo events” took place across the country. Around 300 sisters and supporters attended the D.C. gathering for “immigrants and a just economy” in anticipation of the Senate voting on the reconciliation bill this week.

According to a press release from the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the sisters were gathered to speak out against budget cuts they believe will “gut health care and food assistance, inflicting serious harm on families, children, the elderly, and disabled.”

Sister Eilis McCulloh, a Humility of Mary sister and grassroots education and organizing coordinator for the justice organization Network, told CNA the idea for the demonstration came from “a desire for some action.”

“In March, there was a conference of a bunch of justice promoters for women’s religious communities … we began meeting every single week … to plan something that we could do together and that could take place across the country as well,” she said.

From these meetings the group decided to plan the Sisters Speak Out event because they believe the reconciliation bill affects the communities that they are “intertwined” with in their ministries.

McCulloh told CNA that “one of the really cool things” about the day was how much participation there was across the nation.

“So many people are saying, ‘Physically, I can no longer participate in events’ … And so we collected rosaries for it, one of the co-planners helped collect them and we received over 300 rosaries for people to use.” 

The event “had five different speakers” and the group gathered to pray a decade of the rosary together. 

“We used the sorrowful mysteries,” McCulloh said. “And each of the mysteries was connected to one of the issues that we were talking about.” The five speakers specifically discussed Medicaid, immigration, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Sister Mary Haddad of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas spoke about how health care is a “human right” and said passing the budget bill “would harm critical health and social safety-net programs that millions of Americans rely on to live with health, dignity, and security.”

“Medicaid is not just a health program — it is a lifeline,” she said.

Sister Patty Chappell, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, explained at the event that 13% of the population relies on $230 a month to feed their families. “That covers only a subsistence diet,” she said, and then asked: “How would you be able to feed your family on a SNAP budget of just $6.20 per day, per person?”

Sister Terry Saetta, a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas who works with immigrants, discussed border issues. “No child should leave the house traumatized, fearing they may never see their mother or father again,” she said.

The budget, she said, “is a moral document. It shows what we value.”

After the sisters had gathered, some met with senators including Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland; Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina; Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia; Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois; Dick Durbin, D-Illinois; and John Cornyn, R-Texas, to discuss the bill and how they believe it will affect vulnerable groups. 

The group also sent a letter to senators that was signed by approximately 2,500 sisters that said the bill “would be the most harmful legislation for American families in our lifetimes, and it goes against the principles and teaching of our Catholic faith.”

“I think we’re still just beginning to see this ripple effect of what this event meant, not just for the world but for everyone who took part in it and how we’re going to take the energy that we had yesterday and bring it back to our own congregations, our own communities where we live,” McCulloh said Wednesday. 

The reconciliation bill was passed by House Republicans in May, and Trump has called for the Senate to also pass it as soon as July 4.

Many Catholic and pro-life agencies have supported the bill from the start as it would defund Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform abortions, but many Catholic organizations are also wary of how other government cuts will affect U.S. families and programs that assist the poor.

The United States Conference of Bishops recently released its stance on the bill, stating that it “supports certain provisions” but similarly to the sisters is “concerned with other inclusions that will negatively impact millions of people,” such as Medicaid and SNAP.

A Colorado department will allow a Christian summer camp to separate boys and girls on the basis of biology after the camp sued the state in May. The agreement was reached June 24, 2025, and the camp has dropped the lawsuit. / Credit: anatoliy_gleb/shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 25, 2025 / 14:53 pm (CNA).

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood will allow a Christian summer camp to separate showers, bathrooms, and sleeping areas on the basis of biological sex after both sides reached a legal settlement on Tuesday, June 24.

Per the settlement, Camp IdRaHaJe is exempt from a state rule that requires camps to separate facilities on the basis of self-asserted “gender identity” rather than biological sex. If the rule had been enforced, the camp would have been required to let biological males who identify as transgender girls access all private facilities reserved for biological girls.

In the settlement, the department recognizes that the camp is a nonprofit organized exclusively for religious purposes. For this reason, the settlement states that the camp is not subject to the rule.

“Government officials should never put a dangerous ideology ahead of kids,” Andrea Dill, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom — the organization representing Camp IdRaHaJe in the lawsuit — said in a statement.

“State officials must respect religious ministries and their beliefs about human sexuality; they can’t force a Christian summer camp to violate its convictions,” she said. “We’re pleased that Camp IdRaHaJe is again free to operate as it has for more than 75 years: as a Christian summer camp that accepts all campers without fear of being punished for its beliefs.”

The Christian camp, which derives its name from the 1922 Christian hymn “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” sued the department in mid-May based on concerns that it could face fines or have its license suspended or revoked. The camp opened on June 8 and did not comply with the rule. The department did not take any enforcement action against the camp.

Per the agreement, the state agreed that it will not impose any fines or take any action against Camp IdRaHaJe’s license.

The Department of Early Childhood also agreed to add language to its administrative guide and update a memorandum on its website to clarify that a location “principally used for religious purposes” is not subject to the “gender identity” rule.

CNA reached out to the department for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Lisa Roy, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, said in a statement to CBS News that the department is “glad to support Camp IdRaHaJe’s understanding of their ability to provide a Christian camp experience to kids” after the settlement was reached.

“The [department] did not take any enforcement action against Camp IdRaHaJe related to any of the licensing regulations raised in the lawsuit and the camp was never under a threat of closure,” she said in the statement.

Although no direct enforcement action was taken against Camp IdRaHaJe, the camp expressed concern in its initial lawsuit that it could be subject to enforcement action because its request for an exemption from the rule had previously been denied.

That lawsuit notes that the camp believes and teaches that God “has immutably created each person as either male or female in his image” and that “the differentiation of the sexes, male and female, is part of the divine image in the human race.” It adds that this belief is integrated into all of the camp’s programs and operations.

Camp IdRaHaJe hosts about 2,500 to 3,000 students between the ages of 6 and 17 every year. It was established in 1948 for “the purpose of winning souls to Jesus Christ through the spreading of the Gospel,” the “edifying … of the believers through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God,” and “evangelizing of campers through witnessing and missions,” its website states.

Following the settlement agreement, Alliance Defending Freedom filed for a dismissal of the initial lawsuit.

Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino. / Credit: Diocese of San Bernardino/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Jun 25, 2025 / 13:24 pm (CNA).

Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, California, on Tuesday urged authorities to cease their aggressive arrests of immigrants in the state, with the prelate calling for immigration enforcement that “respects human rights and human dignity.”

The plea comes as the federal government under President Donald Trump continues its broad effort to arrest and deport unauthorized immigrants in California and throughout the rest of the country.

California has been at the epicenter of much of that enforcement. Pew Research Center estimated last year that the state is home to 1.8 million “unauthorized immigrants,” the highest number of any state in the country.

The federal government, meanwhile, has been boasting of its immigration raids in the state, describing in press releases its arrests of the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” in Los Angeles and slamming what it called “sanctuary politicians” in states like California who “work to thwart” the work of immigration officers. 

Last month Trump aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly pushed ICE agents to arrest 3,000 people per day. According to Forbes, “the Trump administration internally has set a goal of deporting 1 million people during Trump’s first year.”

‘It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ’

In his Tuesday message, Rojas noted the “change [and] increase in immigration enforcement in our region and specifically in our diocese.” San Bernardino is located about 90 minutes east of Los Angeles.

“Authorities are now seizing brothers and sisters indiscriminately, without respect for their right to due process and their dignity as children of God,” the bishop wrote of the immigration raids. 

Speaking to immigrant communities bearing the “trauma and injustice of these tactics,” Rojas wrote that the Church “walks with you and supports you. We join you in carrying this very difficult cross.”

Rojas wrote that Catholics “respect and appreciate the right of law enforcement to keep our communities safe from violent criminals.” But the recent enforcement has gone beyond that, he argued.

“[W]e are now seeing agents detain people as they leave their homes, in their places of work and other randomly chosen public settings,” the bishop wrote. “We have experienced at least one case of ICE agents entering a parish property and seizing several people.”

The aggressive enforcement “is creating a tremendous amount of fear, confusion, and anxiety for many,” he wrote.

Describing those extreme methods as “not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” the bishop asked political leaders to “reconsider and cease these tactics immediately, in favor of an approach that respects human rights and human dignity and builds toward a more lasting, comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”

It “is painful to see such division amongst God’s people at this moment,” the bishop admitted. 

“This is not what he wants for us. Let us instead remember what we all share — our creation in his image and likeness. Let us look for God in one another.”

Religious leaders have spoken out against the Trump administration’s immigration policy in the months since the Republican leader took office in January.

In February more than two dozen religious groups sued the White House over its policy allowing immigration officers to arrest suspected illegal immigrants in houses of worship and other “sensitive locations.”

The groups said the policy had the effect of “substantially burdening” religious worship, since many immigrant parishioners were avoiding worship altogether.

In a similar case filed around the same time, a federal judge ruled in February that the government would not be permitted to conduct unrestricted arrests of suspected unauthorized immigrants at some religious sites while the lawsuit plays out in court.

Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska. / Credit: Diocese of Lincoln

CNA Staff, Jun 25, 2025 / 12:24 pm (CNA).

Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, this week slammed a so-called “drag Mass” performance put on by a University of Nebraska student, calling it an “offensive” display marked by “lies, evil, and ugliness.” 

The higher education news website the College Fix first reported on the performance on May 30. The LGBT-centric demonstration was hosted by a local Lutheran church; its creator, music doctoral student Joseph Willette, said the event was meant to “bridge the gap between queerness and spirituality.”

Explicitly describing the performance as an “appropriation of the traditional Mass,” Willette said the display “blurs the lines between the sacred and the profane.” The College Fix said the incident “imitated various parts of the Mass, including the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.” It reportedly featured a chamber orchestra and singing along with drag performances.

In a June 24 statement, Conley called the event a “blatant public display of faith-based discrimination,” one that led to Willette himself earning a doctorate. 

The profane performance “reflects poorly on the University of Nebraska, its faculty, and our community,” Conley said.

“There is no redeeming value in such a display of ignorance,” the prelate wrote. “Such discrimination would not be tolerated if directed at other religions, so why is it tolerated if the target is the Catholic faith?”

“It’s offensive and should be condemned by the university, not applauded or rewarded,” he said. “Education should strive for the true, the good, and the beautiful — not lies, evil, and ugliness.”

The mockery of the Mass generated significant pushback and criticism, including from the Catholic League, which the College Fix reported sent a letter to the University of Nebraska demanding the school “[hold] accountable” the professors who sanctioned the display.

In a video response posted to Instagram, Willette said he felt “no need to defend myself or my work.”

Stating that he would not be “bullied” into “submission,” Willette vowed that he would “continue to make unabashedly queer music.”

Conley, meanwhile, called on the university “to do more than ignore such a vile display of hatred.” 

“Have the courage to stand up and declare your institution will not tolerate or reward such inappropriate behavior and take action against the faculty who encouraged it,” he said.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 18:07 pm (CNA).

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed this week that there is an “ongoing investigation” into the deaths of “the D.C. Five,” the five late-term aborted babies recovered from a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic three years ago.

During a June 23 House budget hearing for the Department of Justice, West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore noted that, in 2022, the D.C. Metropolitan Police “recovered the remains of five unborn children, apparently from a D.C. abortion mill, which appeared to be the victims … of a brutal partial-birth abortion.”

Moore asked Bondi — who was at the hearing to present the White House’s Department of Justice budget — if the government would “commit to working with me and this committee to conduct a full and fair investigation into the deaths of these children to ensure justice is served for the D.C. Five?”

Bondi confirmed that the controversy is “an ongoing investigation,” adding that she “cannot discuss that in this forum.”

“The D.C. Five” were found at the home of Catholic convert and pro-life activist Lauren Handy. The group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising said it obtained the remains from reported whistleblowers who thought the killings may have violated federal laws against partial-birth abortion and infanticide.

Activists said the remains were from the Washington Surgi-Clinic, an abortion center in northwest D.C. operated by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo.

Following the discovery of the babies, pro-life House members and U.S. senators demanded autopsies to investigate if any of the abortions were performed after the babies were partially born, which would have violated the Partial-Birth Abortion Act and the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act.

“Public reporting suggests that President Biden’s [Department of Justice] directed the D.C. chief medical examiner to destroy the remains of the children without performing an autopsy, which the [examiner] appears not to have done yet,” Moore said at the Monday hearing.

Though President Joe Biden’s DOJ did not apparently investigate “the D.C. Five” case, it did prosecute multiple pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Lauren Handy was one of the prosecuted activists and was charged for her role in a protest at an abortion clinic. 

She was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison until President Donald Trump pardoned her and 22 other pro-life activists in January. 

Although Bondi declined to share details about the open investigation, she noted that the “woman who retrieved those five fetuses was convicted and she was pardoned by President Trump, and they were basically unborn babies, is what is alleged … but I can’t discuss it any further.

The exchange between Moore and Bondi follows a May letter sent to interim Washington U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro by a coalition of nine pro-life organizations led by Advancing American Freedom. The letter urged Pirro to investigate the suspected infanticide of the D.C. Five.

The work of Association Meter, an organization that combats online pedophilia, was featured on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” / Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 17:37 pm (CNA).

Research from the Association Meter, an Italian-based organization run by Father Fortunato Di Noto that operates the World Observatory Against Pedophilia, has found that online pedophilic videos tripled over the last year, rising from from 651,527 in 2023 to 2,085,447 in 2024.

Moreover, in its annual report for 2024, Association Meter identified over 8,000 links to pedophilic content, with U.S.-based servers hosting half the links.

“A reported link can lead to a single video or photo file, but also to mega-archives containing thousands of child pornography files,” the report indicated. “These links are often distributed via chats or group.”

In an interview with “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” Di Noto said “the seriousness of the problem has not been grasped.”

Association Meter identified and reported on 410 groups on social media, including 336 Signal groups and 51 Facebook pages, among others, that share illicit materials. 

Signal is a U.S.-based encrypted messaging app that keeps conversations secure. As Di Noto sees it, “Signal has become an accomplice to evil.”

“The current configuration of encrypted platforms prevents law enforcement from identifying those responsible and therefore hinders justice for victims. An urgent dialogue with digital platforms is needed to find technical and regulatory solutions that ensure both security of personal communications and protection of children from online abuse,” the report asserts.

According to the organization’s analysis of child pornography material found online, the 8- to 12-year-old age group is the most requested, with 1,589,332 minors photographed and 1,678,478 minors filmed on video. The 3- to 7-year-old age group follows, with 404,589 photos and 405,748 videos.

Association Meter also found that technology advancements in AI are increasing demand for child pornography. “Although some contents generated by AI can be considered fakes, they still represent a serious danger because they fuel criminal networks that are already complex to monitor; they objectify minors, contributing to the normalization of abuse; [and] they increase the demand for child pornography content, pushing exploiters to commit real abuses.”

Last month, Association Meter posted a report finding that pedophiles are also starting to create minors with AI. “[Pedophiles] use tools based on artificial intelligence to generate deepfake images of minors, with the aim of virtually ‘undressing’ them.”

In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice arrested a Wisconsin resident for the distribution, possession, and production of AI sexually explicit content of minors.

Addressing that case and the growing problem of AI-generated child pornography, the St. Thomas Law Review also published a policy paper last fall titled “Crafting New Boundaries,” which recommended updating existing laws and introducing new statutes to ban AI-generated sexually explicit content that represents minors.

This year’s report also warned about online video games, stating that “there is a growing risk of solicitation: Phone contacts are requested by pedophiles to move the conversation from the video game to a private dimension and requests for nude photos or attempts to establish emotional relationships with vulnerable minors.”

Mass at a cathedral in Nagasaki, Japan, after the U.S. dropped a nuclear weapon on the city in August of 1945. The Japanese bishops asked for international nuclear disarmament in a June 20, 2025, letter. / Credit: Nagasaki City Office (長崎市役所), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, as “the only bishops from a country to have suffered atomic bombings in war,” is urging the international community to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all in 2025.

“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,” the bishops wrote in a June 20 statement, “[we] carry deeply engraved in our hearts the heavy history and pain that atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered, and hereby declare our strong commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons.”

Hiroshima is the site of the world’s first atomic attack on Aug. 6, 1945, while Nagasaki was bombed three days later. The bombings resulted in the estimated deaths of 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki by the end of 1945 alone.

In the years that followed, many of the survivors in Japan faced leukemia, cancers, and other terrible side effects from radiation, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

In their “Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025,” the bishops of Japan pledged their commitment to “convey the reality of the atomic bombings to the world and declare the inhumanity of nuclear weapons” as well as to “stand in solidarity with domestic and international movements for the abolition of nuclear weapons and promote actions to achieve this goal.”

The statement came amid rising tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities.

Two days after the statement’s release, the U.S. carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, with President Donald Trump announcing that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites with bunker-busting bombs.

A ceasefire has since been reached between Israel and Iran, though the terms of the deal remain unclear and reports of initial violations have raised concerns over whether it will be possible to resolve the conflict in the near future.

“The existence of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to all life, as it degrades the dignity of human beings and the world that God created to be very good,” the bishops wrote, urging the international community to remember the lives lost during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. 

“This tragedy must not be repeated,” they said. 

The bishops pointed out that many still suffer the aftereffects of the bombings and that the environmental destruction caused by the explosions has continued to have “an enormous negative impact on global ecosystems.” 

The bishops further slammed nuclear deterrence as an “ineffective” tactic. 

“The concept of nuclear deterrence is not only an ineffective means of resolving conflicts, but it also plunges the world into a ‘security dilemma’ that in reality pushes the world toward the brink of nuclear war. We cannot tolerate this kind of thinking,” they wrote.

“The use of nuclear weapons as a means of intimidation in any conflict situation should never be tolerated under international law and norms,” they adding, stating: “As followers of the Gospel of Christ, we strongly urge the complete abolition of nuclear weapons in order to achieve peace through dialogue and to protect the life and dignity of all people.”

Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta. / Credit: Thomson200, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Jun 24, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare have announced a new sponsorship agreement that will preserve the Catholic identity and mission of Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. 

Atlanta’s first hospital, founded in 1880 by the Sisters of Mercy, Emory Saint Joseph’s will continue to operate as a Catholic-sponsored institution committed to serve all people, particularly the most vulnerable, under the guidance of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv, celebrated a mid-morning Mass of Thanksgiving in the hospital’s auditorium on June 23 in recognition of the agreement, which underscores a shared vision to uphold the hospital’s legacy of integrating science, faith, and mercy.

Heather Dexter, president of the Emory Healthcare Regional Hospital Division, emphasized the significance of the partnership: “This sponsorship ensures adherence to Catholic ethical directives, preserves robust chaplaincy services, and continues community outreach rooted in Gospel values. Emory Saint Joseph’s will remain a place where medicine and mercy walk hand in hand.”

Hartmayer expressed gratitude to the Sisters of Mercy for their 145 years of service, recognizing their enduring legacy.

“The archdiocese is honored to continue the mission they began. Emory Healthcare’s leadership in health care makes this partnership a promising step for our community,” he said in his homily. 

The Mass, concelebrated by hospital priest chaplain Father Patrick Scully, former chaplain Father Steve Yander, and Father Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez, was attended by hospital staff, volunteers, and Sisters of Mercy Peggy Fannon and Jane Gerety.

In his homily, Hartmayer reflected on the hospital’s role in serving those burdened by illness and fear.

“Within these walls, we encounter the suffering daily. Nurses, doctors, chaplains, and families embody Christ’s compassion, offering healing, and hope,” he said, drawing parallels to the disciples sent to serve the afflicted.

Gerety, chief mission officer of Mercy Care, spoke after Mass, expressing confidence in the continuity of the hospital’s mission.

“The sponsorship links us to the Church’s values of compassion and outreach to the vulnerable,” she said.

As the Sisters of Mercy transition their apostolate to Mercy Care, the hospital’s staff and leadership remain committed to the Mercy identity — compassionate care for the whole person, especially the most vulnerable, she said.

“Mercy isn’t something we overlay; it’s what we do,” Gerety affirmed, highlighting the hospital’s enduring dedication to Jesus’ teaching to love one’s neighbor.

Of the transition, she said she did not expect the new sponsorship would change the feel of the institution. “The spirit and culture brought by the Sisters of Mercy remain alive. This agreement ensures decisions are made through the lens of love and compassion,” she said.

The historic hospital is a 410-bed acute-care facility, serving 126,000 outpatients and 17,500 inpatients annually. Recognized as a Magnet-designated hospital since 1995, it has ranked as the No. 2 hospital in Georgia and metro Atlanta by “U.S. News and World Report” for eight consecutive years. 

Emory Saint Joseph’s, one of the Southeast’s top specialty-referral hospitals, is also a cutting-edge training center for robotic cardiothoracic surgery and home to Georgia’s only American Heart Association Mitral Valve Reference Center.

The scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., after the court released its decision in the Dobbs abortion case on June 24, 2022. / Credit: Katie Yoder/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 15:47 pm (CNA).

Three years after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision, American Catholic bishops are celebrating the anniversary of the pro-life victory but also reminding the faithful that more work is needed to foster a culture of life.

“Despite the good that Dobbs decision accomplished, the battle for life is far from over,” Bishop Daniel Thomas, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-life Activities, said in a June 24 statement.

“I urge all Catholics to engage their elected officials on all issues that threaten the gift of human life, in particular the threat of abortion,” Thomas said.

Thomas noted that the Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, “ended nearly 50 years of virtually unlimited, nationwide abortion,” adding that “hope had never been lost in God’s power to right that wrong and accomplish what the world believed to be impossible.”

From 1973 until 2022, the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to obtain an abortion and prevented states from enacting pro-life protections for the unborn. Overturning that decision now allows both the states — and the federal government — to restrict or even prohibit abortion through legislation.

Thomas wrote that the decision also “paved the way for pro-life victories nationally,” pointing out that Congress is currently considering language in the budget bill to end federal Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for Planned Parenthood and “other organizations whose abortion profiteering harms women and babies.”

As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope throughout 2025, the bishop reminded Catholic parishes to continue efforts that “welcome, embrace, and accompany women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies” and to share “Christ’s message of mercy with all who are suffering in the aftermath of an abortion.” He referenced two initiatives: Walking with Moms in Need and Project Rachel.

“As we move forward in hope, may we be united in our efforts to protect God’s gift of life, in every stage and circumstance,” Thomas concluded.

Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge — a consultant to the USCCB’s pro-life committee and its former chair — in a June 24 statement similarly celebrated the anniversary as a “deliverance from the injustice” of Roe but also cautioned that “the tragic effects of Roe remain.”

“Abortion and other violations of human dignity continue to threaten the sanctity of life of millions of our brothers and sisters,” Burbidge said. “We pray and work for the day that American law truly upholds equal justice for all, which includes equal protection of the law for every member of the human family.”

Several states have adopted amendments to their state constitutions to establish a right to abortion after the Supreme Court decision, and there is currently an effort in Virginia to do the same.

“All Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington and others of goodwill are morally responsible for peaceful advocacy, virtuous political engagement, and fervent prayer that may save our Commonwealth from the social injustice of abortion,” Burbidge said. “If abortion is ever enshrined in Virginia’s constitution, we must humbly ask God for the courage, prudence, and wisdom necessary to overcome such an injustice by his amazing grace.”

Pro-life battles ahead

In the three years since Dobbs, 12 states have enacted laws prohibiting nearly all abortions and another seven states have put restrictions on abortion, outlawing the procedure at an earlier stage in pregnancy than Roe allowed.

Alternatively, some states have eased rules about abortion, with nearly a dozen adopting amendments to their state constitutions establishing a legal right to abortion. 

House and Senate Democrats held news conferences on the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision to convey their support for legislation that would legalize abortion nationwide and override state-level pro-life laws. Previous federal legislative efforts have been unsuccessful amid Republican opposition.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a news conference that “today marks a grim anniversary” and said Senate Democrats “will continue to stand together and fight back against Republicans in every single way” with efforts to legalize abortion nationwide and halt efforts to strip funding from Planned Parenthood.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries similarly called the 2022 decision “one of the most unconscionable and un-American decisions in the history of the United States of America” and said House Democrats “are here to fight back” with legislation to legalize abortion nationwide and other efforts.

Many pro-life organizations remain active on the state and federal level as these legislative battles over abortion continue. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), a national pro-life organization, held a news conference the day before the anniversary to discuss the ongoing efforts. 

“If you’d been living a couple of decades ago, you would never have predicted that anything close would come to where we sit right now, celebrating the overturn of Roe and the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood and the rest of the big abortion lobby,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said during the news conference on June 23.

Dannenfelser highlighted many of the state-level wins but noted that most states still allow abortion until the point of viability and several states permit abortion until the moment of birth for any reason. She said SBA field teams are supporting pro-life candidates in several swing states for the midterm elections.

“A human rights movement needs teeth,” Dannenfelser added. “It needs ground game. It needs to win elections.”