July 14, 2021

Dear Friends in Christ,

As Catholics, one of the cherished tenets of our faith is protecting the life and dignity of human beings. In our faith community, this belief manifests itself in many ways – embracing people of all colors, ethnicities, and abilities in our parish, and supporting organizations such as the Shady Grove Pregnancy Center and Project Rachel, among them. Through our Baptism, we are called to witness to the truths of our faith – and this is one such moment in which to do that.

This week, the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations will mark up a spending bill that currently excludes a longstanding amendment prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars to fund elective abortions. The exclusion of the Hyde Amendment and other bipartisan provisions would force taxpayers to pay for abortions, compel health care providers and professionals to perform abortions and refer for them against their beliefs, and require employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortions. The elimination of these provisions after more than 40 years of bipartisan support is a disheartening act and one for which we must say something.

I invite you today to contact your U.S. congressional representatives and voice your dissent against the exclusion of the Hyde Amendment and other provisions from the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriation bill. Contact your congressional representatives on Voter Voice. The appropriations bill is expected to move out of committee as early as tomorrow.

We often demonstrate our ‘faith in action’ through loving works serving our fellow brothers and sisters in need. Today, let our collective voices in speaking for the unborn be the way we witness as loving disciples of Jesus Christ.  

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John