Fall 2012: Letter from Mother Mary Christina

Our Response to the HHS Mandate

In August, Mother Mary Christina
spoke at a rosary rally for
religious freedom in Aurora, IN.

Dear Family Members and Friends of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker,

Praised be Jesus Christ! Earlier this year, President Obama unveiled the ruling from the Department of Health and Human Services commonly referred to as the “HHS Mandate.” This mandate and the ‘compromise’ proclaimed by the President will force any employer, regardless of their religious beliefs, to provide insurance coverage to pay for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception. The Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker support the Bishops of the United States in strongly objecting to this mandate. 

The Mandate and proposed ‘compromise’ could force our community into the situation of having to stop serving and employing peoples of all faiths in order to fall under the narrow exemption proposed by the ‘compromise.’ The  mandate requires all insurers to include abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception, so we will be unable to obtain coverage without violating our beliefs. This threatens to end our ability to serve in the education and health care fields. We will not go against our consciences and violate the teachings of the Catholic Church.  

We are asking for your help, especially as the presidential election draws near. Pray that religious freedom will be protected in our country; with God all things are possible. We also ask you to make your voices heard: contact your Representatives and Senators and express to them your concerns about this issue.Let us put our words into actions and win back our religious freedom! May God bless you.

Mother Mary Christina, SJW

and the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker

To read the complete letter, visit our website at www.ssjw.org.