Catholic nuns who have spent more than a century caring for dying poor patients are suing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, arguing that a new state law could force them to choose between their faith and their mission, or face fines, loss of licensing, and even jail time.
“We are consecrated religious Sisters and have one mission,” Mother Marie Edward, O.P., said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “It is to provide comfort and skilled care to persons dying of cancer who cannot afford nursing care. We do not take insurance or government funds or money from our patients or families. The care is totally free.”
“We are supported by the goodness of our benefactors,” she continued. “We do this without discriminating on the basis of race, religion, or sex. We do it because Jesus taught us that, when the least among us are sick, we should care for them, as if they were Christ himself.”
The dispute stems from a New York law signed on Nov. 30, 2023, that expands protections for long-term care facility residents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or living with HIV. The law bars discrimination by facilities and staff based on a resident’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or HIV statusThe Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who run Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the law they say would require them to assign rooms by gender identity, not biological sex; allow access to opposite-sex bathrooms; allow expression, relationships and identity practices; use preferred pronouns; require staff training in gender ideology; and post a public notice stating compliance with the law.
Edward told Fox News Digital that “New York’s gender ideology mandates not only violate our Catholic values, they threaten our existence with fines, injunctions, license revocation, and even jail time. This is why we were forced to go to court to seek protection of our religious exercise and freedom of speech so that we can continue our ministry to the poor.”
A press release from the Catholic Benefits Association said the New York State Department of Health sent the first in a series of “Dear Administrator” letters to the Hawthorne Dominicans’ Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed facility, on March 18, 2024.