Posted by Eric Scheidler (March 17, 2012 at 8:00 am)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Patrick brought the gospel to Ireland in the same way we are bringing the message of religious freedom to our own culture.
Today, amid the celebration, let’s remember to lift our nation up in prayer that our nation would uphold the principles of religious freedom that have made it so great.
Let’s join in prayer today with day 4 of the Novena to Reverse the HHS Mandate.
Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate: Day 4
Lord Jesus Christ,
Ruler of all nations,
You gave Your apostles the command
to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth,
and promised that You would be with them all days,
even until the end of the world.
After Your Ascension,
they went forth to preach Your word
and You confirmed with signs and wonders
that You were working through them.
When they were told by the authorities of their day
not to speak Your name anymore,
and were even arrested and scourged,
they boldly declared,
“We must obey God rather than men!”
Lord Jesus,
You continue to proclaim Your Word
in Your Church today.
Give us the same clarity, courage, and determination
that Your apostles had,
that we may not allow any obstacle or earthly power
to intimidate us into silence or compromise.
Grant that our highest loyalty may always and only be to you,
Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
It’s one week till the Rally and we’re still adding Rally cities—the list is now at 120! Let’s keep fighting together—both in our Rallies, and on our knees.
Posted by Eric Scheidler (March 15, 2012 at 8:00 am)
Prayer is the foundation of all our efforts to fight President Obama’s HHS Mandate, which forces all employer health plans to provide free contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, without regard to objections of conscience.
Posted by Eric Scheidler (March 7, 2012 at 2:10 am)
My good friend and fellow pro-life warrior Fr. Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, has just issued a strong statement of encouragement and support for the Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom. Father Frank was one of the first pro-life leaders I reached out to when I first conceived the Rally plan with my co-chair, Monica Miller.
Father Frank declares:
The growth of the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Coalition is one of the most encouraging developments in the response of the American people to the HHS Mandate. The Coalition makes clear that this fight is not just a matter of the Catholic Church and the bishops. This is a fight for America and for religious freedom, a Constitutional right that belongs to every American, and a basic human right that belongs to every human being.
Priests for Life, and I personally, am proud to be among the first to join forces with my colleagues Eric Scheidler and Monica Miller to launch this effort, which will go far beyond the March 23 rallies. This is a fight we will conduct for as long as it takes, and through a wide variety of activities that will be needed to win the victory.
Thanks for the kind words, Father Frank! I’m honored that we’re working together on this urgent battle to defend out cherished religious liberty.
Posted by Eric Scheidler (February 10, 2012 at 10:50 pm)
On January 20, the Obama administration made it clear that the new HHS mandate requiring employers to provide free contraceptives, sterilization and abortifacient drugs through their insurance plans would be imposed on religious institutions.
The HHS provided a “religious exemption” so narrow that it would exclude Catholic hospitals, universities and charities, forcing these institutions to act in direct opposition to Catholic teaching through the health care plans they provide.
Institutions run by other religious organizations would be similarly affected.
Religious leaders across the country have been speaking out against the HHS Mandate, including 181 Catholic bishops, and numerous lawsuits have been filed by Catholic institutions.
And now it’s time for direct, grassroots activism!
On March 23 at Noon, concerned citizens will gather outside federal buildings in cities across the United States to rally in defense of religious freedom and stand up against the HHS Mandate.
Join the effort! Find a Rally for Religious Freedom in a city near you.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Patrick brought the gospel to Ireland in the same way we are bringing the message of religious freedom to our own culture.
Prayer is the foundation of all our efforts to fight President Obama’s HHS Mandate, which forces all employer health plans to provide free contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, without regard to objections of conscience.
My good friend and fellow pro-life warrior Fr. Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, has just issued a strong statement of encouragement and support for the Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom. Father Frank was one of the first pro-life leaders I reached out to when I first conceived the Rally plan with my co-chair, Monica Miller.