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Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo García of Santiago de Cuba prays before an image of Mary in the Basilica National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity on March 24, 2024. / Credit: Archbishopric of Santiago de CubaACI Prensa Staff, Mar 26, 2024 / 17:30 pm (CNA).The archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Dionisio Guillermo García, offered a lengthy prayer before the nation's patroness, the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, on Palm Sunday, imploring the Virgin for the needs of the people, hoping that they find freedom and the light of faith amid adversity. "Our people have said and repeat what we all know: electricity and food. Is that unattainable? Is that asking too much? No no no. Our people also ask for freedom, so that everyone can reach their goals in life and ensure that their children benefit the most."  In an atmosphere of silence, the archbishop offered his prayer in the emblematic National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre Basilica.This took place a week after crowds i...

Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo García of Santiago de Cuba prays before an image of Mary in the Basilica National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity on March 24, 2024. / Credit: Archbishopric of Santiago de Cuba

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 26, 2024 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

The archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Dionisio Guillermo García, offered a lengthy prayer before the nation's patroness, the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, on Palm Sunday, imploring the Virgin for the needs of the people, hoping that they find freedom and the light of faith amid adversity. 

"Our people have said and repeat what we all know: electricity and food. Is that unattainable? Is that asking too much? No no no. Our people also ask for freedom, so that everyone can reach their goals in life and ensure that their children benefit the most."  

In an atmosphere of silence, the archbishop offered his prayer in the emblematic National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre Basilica.

This took place a week after crowds in several cities in Cuba took to the streets to demand a change in the system, due to the continuous power outages and food shortages on the island, where people have been living under a dictatorship for more than 60 years.

Continuing his prayer, García referred to the role of the Virgin Mary as the mediator of the supplications and longings of the Cuban people: "I want to ask you what the pilgrims come before you to pray for... We want to live with less pressing needs, we want to try to live a normal life in which everyone can make their plan and life project."

"We want to use the hours of our time in reading and in service, but many times we use them in the daily struggle to obtain the essentials of life, which are almost always in short supply. The nights become long, without power. We ask, Lord, that you give us inner power," he continued.

García also addressed the need to eradicate violence in the streets and to promote mutual respect among citizens: "We ask you, Mother, that we all be one and that we Cubans respect one another... In the same way that we are beginning Holy Week, let us accompany the sacrifice of Jesus."

"I ask you that we have the hope of that people who were awaiting the Messiah. We know that one day the light will come to our people, the inner light. I ask you that we may realize that if we do not do the will of God, which is to do good, we will fail in life," he prayed.

"We also ask you, Father, that one day we will see the light, the light [to resolve] these problems. But also that we all find the light of faith, which is what leads us precisely to give an account of everything that exists, of what we experience," he added.

The archbishop ended his petitions with a Hail Mary for peace and unity: "Let us pray for the Cuban people and for the faith of the Cuban people... Let us pray."

"Our Lady of Charity, pray for us. Our Lady of Charity, pray for us. With your protection we take refuge, Holy Mother of God, do not reject the supplications that we address to you in our necessities, but rather, deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen," García concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Hundreds of pro-life and pro-abortion demonstrators hold rallies alongside each other as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the high-stakes abortion pill case Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration, March 26, 2024. / Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNAWashington D.C., Mar 26, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).Several hundred pro-life and pro-abortion activists held dueling rallies outside the Supreme Court building on Tuesday as the justices heard oral arguments in the high-stakes abortion pill case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration (AHM v. FDA).At issue in the case is whether the FDA should restore certain restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone that were in place prior to 2016, most notably those removed by the Biden administration such as prohibiting administering the pills through the mail or via telemedicine. At the pro-life rally, abortion demonstrators blasted loud music in an attempt to drown out the pro-life speak...

Hundreds of pro-life and pro-abortion demonstrators hold rallies alongside each other as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the high-stakes abortion pill case Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration, March 26, 2024. / Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

Washington D.C., Mar 26, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

Several hundred pro-life and pro-abortion activists held dueling rallies outside the Supreme Court building on Tuesday as the justices heard oral arguments in the high-stakes abortion pill case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration (AHM v. FDA).

At issue in the case is whether the FDA should restore certain restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone that were in place prior to 2016, most notably those removed by the Biden administration such as prohibiting administering the pills through the mail or via telemedicine. 

At the pro-life rally, abortion demonstrators blasted loud music in an attempt to drown out the pro-life speakers.

Many pro-abortion demonstrators wore pink and held homemade signs such as one that read: "Leave my mifepristone alone." Other signs held by abortion activists had vulgar messages on them, with some mocking conservative Supreme Court justices.

Pro-lifers, meanwhile, held signs reading: "Chemical abortion hurts women" and "Women's health matters," while some prayed. 

During a few tense moments, Capitol Police officers, who lined the street, had to intervene to separate the two groups as demonstrators got into each other's faces and shouted slogans over megaphones.

CNA spoke with some of the demonstrators to learn why they came. Here is what they said:

'My daughter has rights' 

Savanna Deretich (left) with Students for Life and Savannah Evans (right) with Live Action stand in front of the Supreme Court building as pro-life demonstrators, March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
Savanna Deretich (left) with Students for Life and Savannah Evans (right) with Live Action stand in front of the Supreme Court building as pro-life demonstrators, March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

Savannah Evans, a pro-life activist with Live Action, traveled from Florida to stand for life in front of the Supreme Court. Evans, who is 34 weeks pregnant, lifted her sweater to reveal her baby bump on which she had written the words "Human Too."

"Human life begins with fertilization, and anything after that is the killing of a human being," Evans said.

"I'm out here because I'm 34 weeks pregnant, and I believe that my daughter has rights."

'Force the FDA to do their job'

Ken Meekins, a student from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, said he came because he believes that "the abortion pill does hurt women."

"I'm here to stand for women's health," he said. "I think that it's awful because the majority of abortions are chemical abortions. And not only that, they're even more dangerous than surgical abortions because they're done at home. And so, I'm out here today to ask the Supreme Court to force the FDA to do their job."

 'The pope should not dictate what medications we're allowed to take'

Ashley Wilson (left) and Kate Hoeting (right) with Catholics for Choice stand in front of the Supreme Court on March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
Ashley Wilson (left) and Kate Hoeting (right) with Catholics for Choice stand in front of the Supreme Court on March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

Ashley Wilson and Kate Hoeting, members of a group that calls itself "Catholics for Choice," were in front of the Supreme Court building advocating for abortion. They claimed to represent what they said was the majority of Catholics who "disagree with the bishops on abortion." Wilson called the attempt to regulate abortion pills an example of "religious overreach."

"One in four abortion patients in this country is Catholic," Wilson said. "So, we trust a woman's conscience-informed decision to have an abortion if she needs one."

Pro-abortion demonstrators cheer as Catholics for Choice President Jamie Manson gives a speech in front of the Supreme Court building, March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
Pro-abortion demonstrators cheer as Catholics for Choice President Jamie Manson gives a speech in front of the Supreme Court building, March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

 Jamie Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, was one of the speakers at the pro-abortion rally. She called the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the movement to place more restrictions on abortion "part of a coordinated long game to undermine democracy and establish a theocracy."

"The pope should not dictate what medications we're allowed to take in the United States," she went on. "We want doctors, not doctrine, to shape our health care."

'I came to D.C. today to stand up for my patients'

There were a large number of pro-life doctors, many from the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), who rallied in front of the Supreme Court, March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
There were a large number of pro-life doctors, many from the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), who rallied in front of the Supreme Court, March 26, 2024. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

Dr. Susan Bane, an OB-GYN from North Carolina and member of the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs (AAPLOG), spoke at the pro-life rally. 

She told CNA that she is advocating for restrictions on mifepristone because of the life-threatening dangers the drug poses to women. She said it is especially dangerous to administer mifepristone without medical supervision. 

"I came to D.C. today to stand up for my patients as well as the thousands of pro-life members of AAPLOG to care for women," she said.

"The FDA's own labeling says 1 in 25 women who use abortion drugs will go to the emergency department and they show up with potentially life-threatening complications, retained tissue infections requiring antibiotics, bleeding that's so severe that they need transfusions or emergency surgery."

"So, women should have the ongoing care of a doctor when taking high-risk drugs. And that's why we want to see these safeguards put back in place," she went on. "We want the FDA to do their job, and their job is to protect our patients."

'Science tells us that there is a life in the womb' 

Hayden Laye, a member of the Democrats for Life of America, traveled to D.C. from South Carolina. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
Hayden Laye, a member of the Democrats for Life of America, traveled to D.C. from South Carolina. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

Hayden Laye, a member of Democrats for Life of America, traveled to D.C. from South Carolina. He said that his belief in science tells him that "there is life in the womb."

"As a Democrat, I'm against killing human beings, and that includes human beings in the womb," he said.

He added that he felt "compelled" to come to express his support for restoring safeguards on the abortion pill out of concern for his community.

"I just want to make sure that both women and children in my state, in my community, are safe, are protected. I hope and pray that the Supreme Court upholds the safety laws for women regarding the abortion bill."

'We look to protect the women and children of Texas' 

Jade and Casey Casias from Amarillo, Texas, traveled over 1,500 miles to show support for the pro-life side. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
Jade and Casey Casias from Amarillo, Texas, traveled over 1,500 miles to show support for the pro-life side. Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

 Jade Casias and her husband, Casey Casias, came to demonstrate for life. They flew over 1,500 miles from Amarillo, Texas, where AHM v. FDA originated.

"In Texas, we're really big on our pro-life issue," Jade said. "We don't come up to Washington, D.C., regularly to protest or anything. I haven't been here in years, and this is my husband's first time. But because that case originated in Amarillo, we felt like it was necessary to really represent our culture."

Despite abortion being illegal through all nine months of pregnancy in Texas, Jade said that mifepristone, which can be obtained via mail and administered without any doctor's supervision, still threatens Texan women's lives.

"We're seeing that abortion pills are being mailed to our women," she said. "We're here to say, mifepristone, we don't want that across state lines, but more than that, we want to have a call to say everyone needs to have some action in this."

'Pray, pray, pray. I think that's the answer' 

Joan McKee, a Catholic pro-lifer from D.C., said what we need is to "pray, pray, pray." Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA
Joan McKee, a Catholic pro-lifer from D.C., said what we need is to "pray, pray, pray." Credit: Peter Pinedo/CNA

Joan McKee, a Catholic pro-lifer from D.C., said she came to "help these people stop murdering their children."

While tensions were high between the two crowds, with people trying to out-scream one another, McKee was holding a rosary in her hand. She said she was praying for not only an end to abortion but also the conversion of those advocating for abortion.

"Pray the rosary, pray to St. Joseph, the Holy Family," she said. "Pray, pray, pray. I think that's the answer."

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The Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum, April 15, 2022. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNARome Newsroom, Mar 26, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).Pope Francis for the first time in his 11-year pontificate will pen his own spiritual meditations for Friday's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) against the dramatic backdrop of Rome's historic Colosseum.The reflection will be based on the theme "In Prayer with Jesus on the Way of the Cross." The pope will write a unique treatment for each station, "centered on what Jesus experiences in that moment," the Holy See Press Office announced.Vatican News observed that the pope's decision to write his own mediations this year dovetails with the spiritual dimension of the Year of Prayer, a period of reflection the pope has called in anticipation of the 2025 Jubilee Year.In 1985 Pope John Paul II started the tradition of delegating the writing of the Good Friday Way of the Cross reflections to different individuals and groups. But he interrupted this custom...

The Stations of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum, April 15, 2022. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Mar 26, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis for the first time in his 11-year pontificate will pen his own spiritual meditations for Friday's Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) against the dramatic backdrop of Rome's historic Colosseum.

The reflection will be based on the theme "In Prayer with Jesus on the Way of the Cross." The pope will write a unique treatment for each station, "centered on what Jesus experiences in that moment," the Holy See Press Office announced.

Vatican News observed that the pope's decision to write his own mediations this year dovetails with the spiritual dimension of the Year of Prayer, a period of reflection the pope has called in anticipation of the 2025 Jubilee Year.

In 1985 Pope John Paul II started the tradition of delegating the writing of the Good Friday Way of the Cross reflections to different individuals and groups. But he interrupted this custom when he authored his own reflections for the "Great Jubilee," or Holy Year of 2000. Pope Benedict XVI continued with the tradition throughout his pontificate. 

The setting for the papal Way of the Cross is rich with history and holds a special meaning for Rome's Christians. 

The Colosseum, which also bears the name of the Flavian Amphitheater, was constructed during the first century A.D. during the reign of the Flavian dynasty. The massive elliptical structure sits in the heart of ancient Rome and was known as a site for gladiatorial battles, military reenactments, and dramatic productions. 

Tradition holds that early Christians were martyred in large numbers at the Colosseum. Though the archaeological evidence of the Colosseum as a site for martyrdom is scarce, the world's largest ancient amphitheater still holds a central place in the Christian imagination, serving as a symbol of the persecution of the early Church. 

In 1750 Pope Benedict XIV erected a large cross and the 14 stations of the cross there; in 1756 he dedicated the edifice to the memory of the passion of Christ and the martyrs. The tradition lasted for a century until the unification of Italy in 1861, when the Church lost its sovereign temporal authority over the city of Rome. 

Pope John XXIII presided over the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum once in 1959. But it was not until 1964 with Pope Paul VI that the celebration became a permanent fixture of the pope's Holy Week itinerary. 

In past years Pope Francis has entrusted the meditations to different groups and individuals reflecting a wide range of themes such as war and peace, migration, and the experience of the incarcerated.

Last year's Way of the Cross was centered on the theme "Voices of Peace in a World at War," incorporating the testimonies of victims of violence whom Pope Francis encountered during his international apostolic journeys over the past 10 years.

The full text of the meditations will be made available on Friday morning ahead of the service, which will begin at 9:15 p.m. Rome time.

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null / Credit: ever/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 26, 2024 / 10:30 am (CNA).In vitro fertilization (IVF) has dominated political discourse in the past month after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February recognized the personhood of embryonic human life.The Catholic Church and many other pro-life advocates are opposed to IVF. The process involves fertilizing a woman's eggs with sperm in a laboratory, which separates procreation from the marital act and results in the destruction of millions of human lives, the embryos of which are never implanted.Some doctors who have ethical and medical objections to the treatment have been offering an alternative route to couples who struggle with infertility. The process, known as natural procreative technology (or NaPro for short), has been used for decades and is designed to treat underlying conditions that cause infertility and allow women to conceive naturally by monitoring their fertility cycles."We've gone the distance ...

null / Credit: ever/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 26, 2024 / 10:30 am (CNA).

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has dominated political discourse in the past month after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February recognized the personhood of embryonic human life.

The Catholic Church and many other pro-life advocates are opposed to IVF. The process involves fertilizing a woman's eggs with sperm in a laboratory, which separates procreation from the marital act and results in the destruction of millions of human lives, the embryos of which are never implanted.

Some doctors who have ethical and medical objections to the treatment have been offering an alternative route to couples who struggle with infertility. The process, known as natural procreative technology (or NaPro for short), has been used for decades and is designed to treat underlying conditions that cause infertility and allow women to conceive naturally by monitoring their fertility cycles.

"We've gone the distance … in really trying to find an ethical approach in helping women with infertility," Theresa Notare, who serves as the assistant director of the Natural Family Planning Program at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, told CNA.

How does it work?

NaPro approaches fertility treatment by two methods: identifying and treating the underlying causes of infertility and charting the woman's fertility cycle to understand when she is most fertile. 

The process can sometimes require lifestyle changes to improve fertility, surgical intervention to treat conditions that cause infertility, and medicine to induce ovulation in the woman or improve the sperm count in the man. When the issues are addressed, and the couple has a better sense of when the woman is more fertile, the treatment helps the couple conceive a child through the marital act naturally.

"Infertility itself is not a disease," Marguerite Duane, the executive director of FACTS About Fertility, told CNA. "It's really a symptom of other underlying conditions."

Duane, a family physician, said IVF clinics "may not do a detailed work up to diagnose and treat those underlying conditions" but instead chalk the problem up to "unexplained infertility." 

The frequency of such diagnoses, she said, is "not acceptable" and a sign that "a doctor has not done their job [to] explore the underlying causes of infertility and treat those underlying causes."

When women chart their cycle through models like the Creighton Model or Fertility Education and Medical Management (FEMM), Duane said a doctor can "identify abnormalities and then make a … diagnosis and then [prescribe an] effective treatment."

"It is designed to work with the body and restore normal reproductive function," Duane said.

Sometimes infertility problems are caused by the results of lifestyle choices, such as obesity, or drugs or alcohol usage in either the man or the woman. In other cases, there can be conditions — such as endometriosis, fallopian tube blockage, polycystic ovarian syndrome, cesarian-section scars, or inflammation inside the uterus — that would require medical and possible surgical treatment.

Gavin Puthoff, a gynecologist and the medical director of Veritas Fertility and Surgery, told CNA that a "comprehensive, in-depth diagnostic evaluation" can often determine the cause for infertility, because infertility is a "symptom as opposed to a disease." He said "what women and couples really want" is the reason for the infertility. 

"They've been asking themselves the 'why' for months if not years," Puthoff added.

When medication is used to assist in conception, he noted that the medication "cooperates with their cycle" rather than trying to supersede it: The treatment in this case is "supporting their own natural fertility." 

Puthoff said the NaPro technology helps ensure "a pregnancy in a state of health." He contrasts this with IVF, which he said is "ignoring the issue and going around it" and noted that preborn children conceived through IVF have higher rates of congenital abnormalities, preterm delivery, and miscarriage.

Additionally, Puthoff added that NaPro shows "respect for each embryo — each life — from the moment of conception" and supports "the dignity of marriage." 

"This is a very pro-life and pro-woman, pro-marriage and pro-family type of treatment," he said. 

What are the results?

Although the data on NaPro success rates is sparse, a 2012 study of 108 people using the treatment in Ireland found that 66% of couples who received the treatment were able to conceive and give birth to a child within 24 months.

Puthoff said the success rate for his patients ranges between 65% and 80%, depending on what the underlying condition of the infertility is. Although the process takes more time than IVF, he argued that it is "more effective." 

The success rate for IVF treatments resulting in a live birth is about 50% for women under the age of 35, but significantly lower as women get older.

Virginia resident Katie Carter, a patient of Duane's, told CNA that she conceived two children after receiving NaPro treatments to address her infertility. One is now 2.5 years old and the other is 3 months old.

Prior to receiving the treatments, Carter suffered three miscarriages. Her doctors referred her to IVF for treatment, but she worried she "would continue to miscarry" because the clinics were not "getting to the root problems." 

She said the doctors "kept telling me I had unexplained infertility and they never really tried to figure out why." 

When a friend referred her to Duane, Carter began charting, which she said "really hones in on how your body is responding and how your hormones are working," allowing the doctor to diagnose the underlying conditions causing her issues. 

She ultimately required surgeries to address the conditions that were causing her infertility, which she credited with helping "heal [her] body" and successfully giving birth to two children. 

"I think every woman deserves this kind of care," Carter said.

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Greensburg officers are sworn in to serve the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of GreensburgCNA Staff, Mar 26, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).A diocese in Pennsylvania is working to keep students safe by hiring retired police officers who become not only security detail but also mentors at each Catholic school. Days after his retirement from the Greensburg police station in July 2023 with 25 years of law enforcement experience, Lt. Ryan Maher began a new job as the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg."I was tasked with forming a department and placing an officer in each of the 12 schools as the primary focus of my mission, with a longer-range mission of evaluating safety and security throughout the diocese in general," Maher told CNA. Chief Ryan Maher is sworn in as the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of GreensburgLast summer the former police officer filed the diocese as a...

Greensburg officers are sworn in to serve the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg

CNA Staff, Mar 26, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A diocese in Pennsylvania is working to keep students safe by hiring retired police officers who become not only security detail but also mentors at each Catholic school. 

Days after his retirement from the Greensburg police station in July 2023 with 25 years of law enforcement experience, Lt. Ryan Maher began a new job as the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg.

"I was tasked with forming a department and placing an officer in each of the 12 schools as the primary focus of my mission, with a longer-range mission of evaluating safety and security throughout the diocese in general," Maher told CNA. 

Chief Ryan Maher is sworn in as the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg
Chief Ryan Maher is sworn in as the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg

Last summer the former police officer filed the diocese as a private police department under Pennsylvania law, giving police full authority on diocesan property, parishes, and the 12 Greensburg Catholic schools. 

Now well into the school year, Maher has hired 18 police officers, all with at least 20 years of law enforcement experience. Most work full time; all must have attended either the Pennsylvania State Police Academy or the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers Training Academy, also known as Act 120. 

"Our goal is to have a full-time officer assigned to each building because then they become a member of that school community," Maher explained. "They get to know the kids, they get to know the parents. That level of trust and familiarity is built with the students."

But hiring was a "laborious process," Maher told CNA. 

"We don't want a hard-nosed law enforcement officer in there with blouse pants that's walking around like the Gestapo," Maher explained. "We want that person that's going to be a mentor to the kids and be a part of that community. So it took a while to find the right folks to fill the positions."

Bishop Larry Kulick hired Maher with a "vision of having a trained police officer in every school," the diocese said in a press release.

A police officer keeps guard during a Mass in the Diocese of Greensburg. The officers have authority not only in Catholic schools but also on any diocese property. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg.
A police officer keeps guard during a Mass in the Diocese of Greensburg. The officers have authority not only in Catholic schools but also on any diocese property. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg.

The project began after a 2022 advisory council that Kulick formed "to research the issues related to school violence," Maher explained. 

Once the project was announced, parents wanted it in place as soon as possible, Maher said. 

"They wanted it done yesterday," he said. "There was no pushback or anything along those lines."

Now the community that Maher envisioned is coming to fruition. Each school "has an officer every day that the kiddos are in the building." 

"We've gotten all positive feedback," he said. "And as far as mentoring goes, I supervise the officers working in the 12 schools, so I'm out and about throughout the week at various locations. And I see the kids coming up and giving fist bumps to our guys, or I see our guys asking a fifth grader how that test went last week, how the basketball game went last evening, and those types of things."

"They've really gotten to know the kids," Maher said. "They know their families, if they have siblings or not, those types of things — those small, little details." 

He says officers are quick to sign up to work at extra events such as graduation ceremonies.

"They feel that sense of pride in seeing these kids accomplish something and moving on to the next phase," Maher noted. "They want to be there and be a part of that special moment for those kids as well." 

"And that's what it's all about, is building those relationships, because once those kiddos feel that this is another trusted adult that has an interest in them, that's when those kids will bring information to the officers," he continued. "And that's what could prevent a tragedy happening that very easily could be avoided."

While other private police departments exist throughout Pennsylvania, the Greensburg Diocese is pioneering this particular model. 

"We're not the first in the commonwealth, but we're certainly the first diocese within the commonwealth to do this," Maher noted. 

This isn't the only initiative the diocese is taking on to help school safety. The diocese also implemented a joint venture with Catholic Charities to place counselors in the school at least one day a week, he said. 

"So that occurred at the same time that the police department was being formed because we view [school violence] as a multifaceted problem that we're trying to tackle," Maher said. "And we're coming at it from a bunch of different ways."

Chief Ryan Maher is the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg. Maher has 25 years of law enforcement experience. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg.
Chief Ryan Maher is the director of security for the Diocese of Greensburg. Maher has 25 years of law enforcement experience. Credit: Courtesy of the Diocese of Greensburg.

When asked if other areas could follow Greensburg's model, he noted that "we're certainly not the first to put police officers in schools by any stretch."

"It's just a sad commentary of society that that's where we are, but I think it's necessary," he said. "I think it's a model that could be followed in other organizations that are similar to us. But I think it can't be the only step that is being taken to prevent some tragedy from occurring."

Maher highlighted other improvements such as "mental health evaluations," "resources being available to students," and "physical security of buildings." 

"There's a lot of components that go into making a safe environment," he said. "But this is one of them. This is one part of it that I think is certainly necessary."

Maher, who is Catholic, said that while his police background informs his job performance, his faith is important as a moral foundation. 

"I think that having a strong faith in this position, as it is with any law enforcement position, is important," he said. "Because that's where your morals come from in the first place. So it influences it, but it doesn't necessarily guide every aspect of what I do."

"I think that it makes me sensitive to the organization," he added, "and the specialness of what is going on in the schools, and why our parents have the kids in our schools."

Maher said it's been "a great experience" so far. 

"Building something from the ground up and seeing the fruits of the labor has been fantastic," he said, adding that he appreciates "getting to work with a great group of people, not only within my department but throughout the diocese."

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Father Augustus Tolton's life was explored in an October 2022 episode of EWTN's "They Might Be Saints." / Credit: EWTN News NightlyCNA Staff, Mar 26, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).A priest on his way to sainthood has inspired the creation of a new Scouts patch in Illinois. The Catholic Committee on Scouting in the Diocese of Springfield announced the Venerable Father Augustine Tolton Activity Patch, which honors the first recognized Black priest in the United States.Depending on the grade of the child, there are several requirements and activities that need to be completed in order to receive the patch. Some of these requirements and activities include learning about Tolton's life, visiting a seminary or religious community, visiting Tolton's grave in Quincy, Illinois, and composing a prayer.Kyle Holtgrave, director of catechesis for the Diocese of Springfield, told CNA that he has "always been looking for ways to bring more attention to him [Tolton] and his ministry.""I work with...

Father Augustus Tolton's life was explored in an October 2022 episode of EWTN's "They Might Be Saints." / Credit: EWTN News Nightly

CNA Staff, Mar 26, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A priest on his way to sainthood has inspired the creation of a new Scouts patch in Illinois. 

The Catholic Committee on Scouting in the Diocese of Springfield announced the Venerable Father Augustine Tolton Activity Patch, which honors the first recognized Black priest in the United States.

Depending on the grade of the child, there are several requirements and activities that need to be completed in order to receive the patch. Some of these requirements and activities include learning about Tolton's life, visiting a seminary or religious community, visiting Tolton's grave in Quincy, Illinois, and composing a prayer.

Kyle Holtgrave, director of catechesis for the Diocese of Springfield, told CNA that he has "always been looking for ways to bring more attention to him [Tolton] and his ministry."

"I work with the Catholic Committee on Scouting, serving as the chair of our local diocesan efforts, and we are always promoting various religious activities as part of a Scout's duty to God," he explained. 

The Diocese of Springfield will host a stop in the Junipero Serra leg of the Eucharistic pilgrimage leading up to the National Eucharistic Congress taking place in Indianapolis from July 17–21. Pilgrims will stop in Quincy, Illinois, at Tolton's gravesite. 

"I saw these areas — Catholic Scouting and the Eucharistic Congress — as an opportunity to bring more attention to Father Tolton with this event," Holtgrave said.

Originally, Holtgrave thought of planning a pilgrimage for Scouts on the evening that the Eucharistic Pilgrimage will be at Tolton's grave and have a patch awarding participation. However, he realized that "learning about the life and ministry of Father Tolton should not be limited to a one-time event." 

"Since the Catholic Committee on Scouting has a variety of other patch award programs, I looked for ways to model the Father Tolton patch award based on these other programs," he shared. "The result is an ongoing opportunity for Scouts to learn about Father Tolton and receive a religious award for doing so."

He hopes that Scouts will "learn that the Holy Spirit calls people in all kinds of ways" while working to receive this patch and "when the Holy Spirit is prompting you, you can overcome obstacles to follow that call." 

Holtgrave added that "Scouts will also learn about the sin of racism and will hopefully be more aware of injustices like the racism that Father Tolton faced." 

"Additionally, Scouts will learn that we don't have to take on the world by ourselves," he said. "Father Tolton found support from people who helped him on this journey not only to the priesthood, but also during his ordained ministry."

Tolton was born into slavery in Missouri on April 1, 1854, to Catholic parents. He escaped to Quincy, Illinois, with his family during the Civil War. He studied for the priesthood in Rome because no American seminary would accept him on account of his race. He was the first African American to be ordained a priest in 1889. He served for three years at a parish in Quincy before moving to Chicago to start a parish for Black Catholics, St. Monica Parish, where he remained until his death in 1897.

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Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) senior counsel Kellie Fiedorek (center) and Elizabeth Gillette (right), who survived severe complications from a chemical abortion, spoke with EWTN News Nightly anchor Tracy Sabol about the case. / Credit: Screenshot/EWTN News NightlyCNA Newsroom, Mar 25, 2024 / 19:40 pm (CNA).The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday regarding the Biden administration's alleged deficient safeguards surrounding use of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone and the risk the drug poses to women.Among the safeguards, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine case could see the restoration of the initial requirement of in-person doctor visits before prescription of the pill as well as the initial seven-week limit on use of the abortion pill. In the case, the FDA challenged an August 2023 federal court ruling that affirmed that the FDA did not follow proper testing and safety protocols when it approved the abo...

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) senior counsel Kellie Fiedorek (center) and Elizabeth Gillette (right), who survived severe complications from a chemical abortion, spoke with EWTN News Nightly anchor Tracy Sabol about the case. / Credit: Screenshot/EWTN News Nightly

CNA Newsroom, Mar 25, 2024 / 19:40 pm (CNA).

The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday regarding the Biden administration's alleged deficient safeguards surrounding use of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone and the risk the drug poses to women.

Among the safeguards, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine case could see the restoration of the initial requirement of in-person doctor visits before prescription of the pill as well as the initial seven-week limit on use of the abortion pill. 

In the case, the FDA challenged an August 2023 federal court ruling that affirmed that the FDA did not follow proper testing and safety protocols when it approved the abortion drug in 2000. 

In 2021, the FDA eliminated the in-person doctor visit originally required to obtain the drug, allowing the abortion pill to be prescribed via telemedicine and distributed through the mail. Earlier this year, drug stores such as Walgreens began selling the abortion pill over the counter

Elizabeth Gillette, who survived severe complications from a chemical abortion, is set to testify about the lack of sufficient safeguards surrounding the drug and spoke with "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Tracy Sabol about the case.

In the interview, Gillette shared her experience with a chemical abortion — severe bleeding, labor pains, and seeing her dead child — that inspired her to testify against the lack of safeguards. 

"I was not properly prepared for the powerful drug that is the abortion pill. I suffered devastating side effects," Gillette explained.

Chemical abortions involve a two-pill regimen consisting of the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol. This type of abortion cuts off the nutrients necessary for an unborn child to develop and then expels him or her from the womb. 

"I found myself on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood until I ended up expelling the entire amniotic sac with my baby — a recognizable baby inside," she continued. "The trauma from this horrific experience still follows me today in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder."

"This is nothing like what they told me would happen," Gillette said. "It was minimized and the care was subpar."

Chemical abortions account for over half of all U.S. abortions, according to a recent study.

Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Kellie Fiedorek also spoke about the case in an interview with Sabol.

"The FDA recklessly removed its original safeguards that provide women with in-person, ongoing care when taking abortion drugs," she said. "Because they removed those, they put women's lives in danger."

"We sued the FDA on behalf of doctors to hold them accountable, and we're asking the Supreme Court to reinstate those vital safeguards to protect the health and safety of women across this country," Fiodorek indicated.

"The FDA's own label says that roughly one in 25 women who take these drugs will end up in the emergency room," Fiedorek continued. "So regardless of what people's beliefs might be about abortion, we should all agree that women deserve the ongoing in-person care of a doctor when they're taking high-risk drugs."

The FDA first approved mifepristone for abortion in 2000 but included some restrictions on dispensation to prevent severe side effects. One restriction was that the drug had to be prescribed and dispensed in person.

That changed in 2021 when the FDA decided that the in-person requirement put a "burden on the health care delivery system."

Over the years, other restrictions on the drug have also been removed. In 2016, the FDA determined that the drug can be used when a woman is pregnant with a child at 70 days' gestation. Before 2016, the gestational limit was seven weeks. The FDA also decided in 2016 that non-physicians could prescribe the pill. 

In August 2023, the Fifth Circuit Court affirmed a lower court ruling that the FDA must reinstate the restrictions on the mifepristone pill that were in place before 2016. Those restrictions are currently on hold pending the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. 

America's Catholic bishops expressed concern about chemical abortions. In a February statement, the bishops noted that if the FDA policies are allowed to remain in place, "potentially harmful drugs [will] be mailed directly to girls and women who did not see a medical professional in person and may be injured or killed without public knowledge of the cause."

"I would like everybody to remember that this is an extremely powerful drug, and women deserve ... to be treated with respect and with the safeguards in place," Gillette said. "We're worth it."

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Pro-lifers march through lower Manhattan amid a heavy downpour and pro-abortion protests necessitating a significant police presence on March 23, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey BrunoWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 25, 2024 / 18:18 pm (CNA).In what has become an annual confrontation, pro-life advocates faced taunts and intimidation from abortion activists as they made their way through the streets of New York City amid a heavy downpour for the annual International Gift of Life Walk on Saturday. As hundreds of pro-lifers walked the route, escorted by a contingent of "New York's Finest" police officers, the protesters followed them, shouting "Shame on you!" and hurling expletives along the way.The record-breaking deluge dropped 3.6 inches of rain on the group, but neither the animosity of the protesters nor the weather dampened their spirits."Man, did it rain. But the joy? It's incredible," Jeffrey Bruno, a Catholic photojournalist who documented the event, told CNA. He des...

Pro-lifers march through lower Manhattan amid a heavy downpour and pro-abortion protests necessitating a significant police presence on March 23, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 25, 2024 / 18:18 pm (CNA).

In what has become an annual confrontation, pro-life advocates faced taunts and intimidation from abortion activists as they made their way through the streets of New York City amid a heavy downpour for the annual International Gift of Life Walk on Saturday. 

As hundreds of pro-lifers walked the route, escorted by a contingent of "New York's Finest" police officers, the protesters followed them, shouting "Shame on you!" and hurling expletives along the way.

The record-breaking deluge dropped 3.6 inches of rain on the group, but neither the animosity of the protesters nor the weather dampened their spirits.

"Man, did it rain. But the joy? It's incredible," Jeffrey Bruno, a Catholic photojournalist who documented the event, told CNA. He described the experience as "solidarity and joy on steroids."

Hundreds of pro-lifers joined the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, despite heavy rain and protestors on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
Hundreds of pro-lifers joined the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, despite heavy rain and protestors on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Dawn Eskew, president of Personhood Education New York and one of the walk's organizers, told CNA that between 350 and 400 pro-lifers of all ages joined the walk. Though most wore heavy jackets or plastic rain ponchos, all were still thoroughly soaked, one attendee said. 

The event began with a rally and several pro-life testimonies at downtown's Foley Square after which participants traversed a mile through some of the city's most iconic areas in lower Manhattan, including Broadway's "Canyon of Heroes" and Wall Street.

Eskew said that since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the event, held this year for the eighth time, has been met with intense anger from abortion protestors. Last year, pro-abortion activists threw piles of trash in the path of the pro-life walkers, temporarily stopping them in their tracks.

Eskew said that she had feared the turnout for the walk might be light because of the violence of last year's protest. But now she believes people must have been "energized by those protesters," because this year's walk was even more highly attended.

Hundreds of pro-lifers joined the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, despite heavy rain and protestors on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
Hundreds of pro-lifers joined the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, despite heavy rain and protestors on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Though she said that she was grateful for an increased police presence and barricades, she said that didn't stop pro-abortion protesters from attempting to disrupt the walk again this year. 

As the pro-life advocates walked the route, they chanted prayers, sang hymns, and some played drums while protestors attempted to drown them out by clanging barriers and shouting expletives.

The New York Police Department arrested at least eight pro-abortion protestors during the event, one social media user who was at the event told CNA. 

New York City police had to make several arrests of pro-abortion protestors during the event because of attempts to disrupt the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
New York City police had to make several arrests of pro-abortion protestors during the event because of attempts to disrupt the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Catherine Donohoe, president of the Pregnancy Service Network and one of the speakers at the rally, told CNA that she estimated there were about 120 pro-abortion protestors.

She said the walk was a good way to begin Holy Week and to join in Christ's passion. 

"People screamed obscenities at him and cursed him and spit at him. And that's what was happening; we were being spat at and cursed out," Donohoe said. "But God always told us, and St. Paul reiterated, that being a witness to Christ is never going to be easy. We're not asking you to have an easy life. We're asking you to be obedient, and that's what we were doing. We were being obedient to God's call to protect the voiceless."

Despite all the hardships, it was a "wonderful day," Donohue said.

"We were soaked, I was drenched," she said, "but this was nothing compared to what Christ endured."

New York Police Department officers escort pro-lifers in the International Gift of Life Walk as pro-abortion protestors heckle and attempt to disrupt the event in lower Manhattan on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
New York Police Department officers escort pro-lifers in the International Gift of Life Walk as pro-abortion protestors heckle and attempt to disrupt the event in lower Manhattan on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy in New York.

Donohoe, whose pregnancy network helps 5,000 women and children per year, said that events such as the walk are important to let people know that there are other options and resources besides abortion. 

"The politicians are so against us," she said, "but it's important for people to know that there are people out there that can help you."

Phil McManus, another pro-life New Yorker who took part in the walk, told CNA that it was an "amazing thing to see such dedication" among the pro-lifers.  

"There's no doubt that there is a spiritual war, which turns into a physical war," he said. "You could see the power of God and you could also see the power of Satan on the other side."

Hundreds of pro-lifers joined the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, despite heavy rain and protestors on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
Hundreds of pro-lifers joined the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, despite heavy rain and protestors on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

As pro-abortion as the laws already are in New York, McManus said he believes it will only continue getting worse unless pro-lifers and people of faith "step up."

"I believe they're expanding the death culture to sick people, elderly, people that are marginal and are not able to protect themselves. It's spreading and we have to do everything we can to say 'Enough is enough.'"

"We could preach to the choir but what we need to do is to preach to Main Street. We need to get out there," he said. "That's what this walk is all about."

A Franciscan Friar of the Renewal marches alongside the pro-lifers at the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
A Franciscan Friar of the Renewal marches alongside the pro-lifers at the International Gift of Life Walk in lower Manhattan, New York City, on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

For many Catholic attendees, the event began with Mass celebrated by Father Lawrence Schroedel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal at St. Peter's Parish by One World Trade Center. 

Bishop Joseph Coffey, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, also joined this year's walk and spoke at the rally.

In a statement obtained by CNA, Coffey said that "it is imperative that all New Yorkers of goodwill stand up and demand the recognition that, from the moment of conception, all preborn children are persons. As persons they are fully invested with all rights of the equal protection under the laws of this state and this great nation." 

Father Lawrence Schroedel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal celebrates Mass before the International Gift of Life Walk at St. Peter's Parish in New York City, on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
Father Lawrence Schroedel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal celebrates Mass before the International Gift of Life Walk at St. Peter's Parish in New York City, on March 23, 2024. Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Reflecting on his experience at the walk, Bruno shared a statement on X in which he said: "It's easy to imagine what it's like... But to be present, to hear the jeers and taunts directed at you, to be soaked to the skin from the torrents of rain as if they were the tears of heaven, to need police in riot gear walk beside you to ensure your safety, that's quite a different thing."

"But to be present," he went on, "is to stand beside those who join in solidarity and faith, it's to be the voice of the defenseless in the public square, and it's to live the call to proclaim the truth without compromise. It's the modern road to Calvary paved with selfless sacrifice and suffering, and while the road to Calvary is long and agonizing it ultimately leads to what we stand for, what we pray for, what we seek: life."

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Plymouth Bishop-elect Christopher Whitehead's planned installation was cancelled in February. / Credit: © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk|Flickr|CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEEDCNA Staff, Mar 25, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).A diocese in England has announced that it will undertake "no canonical action" against a priest whose installation as bishop of Plymouth was canceled without explanation earlier this year.The Diocese of Plymouth had said in a statement in early February that the ordination of Plymouth Bishop-elect Christopher Whitehead, at the time a priest in the nearby Diocese of Clifton, would "not take place" on Feb. 22 as had been previously scheduled."A canonical process is currently underway, and no further comments will be made until this has been concluded," the diocese said at the time, noting that Whitehead himself had "stepped back from active ministry whilst this process is ongoing."In the wake of the announcement, the Plymouth Diocese had quickly moved to scrub its website of...

Plymouth Bishop-elect Christopher Whitehead's planned installation was cancelled in February. / Credit: © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk|Flickr|CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED

CNA Staff, Mar 25, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

A diocese in England has announced that it will undertake "no canonical action" against a priest whose installation as bishop of Plymouth was canceled without explanation earlier this year.

The Diocese of Plymouth had said in a statement in early February that the ordination of Plymouth Bishop-elect Christopher Whitehead, at the time a priest in the nearby Diocese of Clifton, would "not take place" on Feb. 22 as had been previously scheduled.

"A canonical process is currently underway, and no further comments will be made until this has been concluded," the diocese said at the time, noting that Whitehead himself had "stepped back from active ministry whilst this process is ongoing."

In the wake of the announcement, the Plymouth Diocese had quickly moved to scrub its website of nearly all references to the bishop-elect. An earlier interview with Whitehead, as well as a Christmas message from the bishop-elect, were both missing from the site after the cancellation was announced, as was the December announcement of Whitehead's appointment by Pope Francis. 

On Friday, the Diocese of Clifton said in a statement that it had "undertaken a preliminary investigation into the allegations raised against Canon Christopher Whitehead" and that "at the conclusion of the aforementioned inquiry, it was determined that no canonical action was warranted." 

"The diocese communicates that Canon Whitehead has resumed his duties as parish priest of St. John the Evangelist in Bath," the statement said. 

Reached for comment on Monday morning, diocesan spokesman Phil Gibbons provided CNA with an identical statement.

It is not clear if Whitehead is still slated to be installed as bishop or if another priest will fill that role. James Abbott, a spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, told CNA on Monday that the statement from the Clifton Diocese was "all we have just now."

"As soon as we can provide anything further about Plymouth, we will certainly do so," Abbott said. 

In its bulletin for Palm Sunday, meanwhile, St. John the Evangelist Parish in Bath announced that Whitehead "has been given the chance to return to St. John's and resume his ministry here as our parish priest." 

"He will, most probably, say something at each Mass, but he has tremendous gratitude for the concern, the love, and the prayer that has accompanied him across the last eight or nine weeks, prayers that have truly sustained him along the painful journey of this process," the bulletin said. "It is good to enter into Holy Week with a shepherd to lead us."

It was unclear on Monday if Whitehead had spoken of the incident at the past weekend's Masses. The parish did not immediately respond to a query from CNA, nor did Whitehead himself. 

A parishioner at St. John's, meanwhile, told the Catholic Herald that there was "nothing more to know" about the controversy. 

The inquiry into the canon has been "completed," the parishioner told the outlet, and "nothing more needs to be said." 

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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey held a news conference to sign school choice legislation on March 7, 2024, in Montgomery, Alabama. / Credit: Governor's Office /Hal YeagerCNA Staff, Mar 25, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).The school choice debate continues to resonate across the nation following a record year in 2023, when 20 states expanded school choice programs, with 11 states enacting "universal" school choice by allowing all students to use state tuition assistance to attend nonpublic schools.More than 13.7% of Catholic school students nationwide use school choice program funding to help with tuition, according to the latest data from the National Catholic Education Association. In Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Arizona, more than half of students attending Catholic schools receive tuition aid from school choice programs.Popular programs include publicly funded "education savings accounts" (ESAs) as well as tax credit scholarships, which allow taxpayers to receive tax credits ...

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey held a news conference to sign school choice legislation on March 7, 2024, in Montgomery, Alabama. / Credit: Governor's Office /Hal Yeager

CNA Staff, Mar 25, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The school choice debate continues to resonate across the nation following a record year in 2023, when 20 states expanded school choice programs, with 11 states enacting "universal" school choice by allowing all students to use state tuition assistance to attend nonpublic schools.

More than 13.7% of Catholic school students nationwide use school choice program funding to help with tuition, according to the latest data from the National Catholic Education Association. In Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Arizona, more than half of students attending Catholic schools receive tuition aid from school choice programs.

Popular programs include publicly funded "education savings accounts" (ESAs) as well as tax credit scholarships, which allow taxpayers to receive tax credits when they donate to private school scholarship programs. 

In addition, private school vouchers draw from public funding set aside for the particular child's education. Charter schools and open-enrollment public schools also enable parents to pick the school they think is best for their child. 

For all families: Alabama

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on March 7 signed school choice legislation to create publicly funded ESAs for families.

"Alabama is only the 14th state in the nation to provide families with an education savings account option," Ivey said in a statement

The Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students' Education (CHOOSE) Act of 2024 sets aside up to $7,000 of funding per family per year for school tuition. Set to begin on Jan. 1, 2025, the program will use up to $100 million annually.  

Parents can put these funds toward school-related expenses including textbooks, educational software, and even tutoring. It can also go toward nonpublic online organizations and education services for students with disabilities. 

These ESAs will be available to "the parent of an eligible student whose family had an adjusted gross income not exceeding 300% of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year," the bill read.

Like many school choice programs, Alabama's ESAs will gradually become available for all families in 2027. 

"Our plan will not only work for Alabama families — it will work for the state and will be effective and sustainable for generations to come," Ivey said. 

A narrow vote: Idaho

The turbulent school choice debate in Idaho continues as another school choice bill was shot down earlier this month.

The school choice billHouse Bill 447, would have created a $50 million tax credit and grant program to subsidize private school tuition, but the House Revenue and Taxation Committee narrowly rejected it. 

The bill, which failed by a narrow 9-8 vote on March 12, follows several attempts to develop school choice in Idaho through bills including varied programs of tax credits, ESAs, or school vouchers.

HB 447 would have granted up to $5,000 per family to use for educational expenses, including private school tuition, while families with a child with a learning disability could claim an extra $2,500. The funds would have been on a first-come first-served basis, with a cap of $50 million total in government spending. 

A proposed amendment: Kentucky

Kentucky on March 15 approved a proposed constitutional amendment on school choice to appear on the ballot in November. This amendment would open up the possibility of school choice in Kentucky schools.

Because of the 1891 "Blaine Amendment" that prevents public education funds from going toward nonpublic schools, Kentucky is currently unable to institute public charter schools. 

But the amendment would remove "legal barriers to Kentucky families having the same kind of educational opportunities available in most other states," a press release from school choice advocates stated. 

The school choice amendment would change the state constitution to allow Kentucky "to provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools," the proposed amendment reads.

According to Jim Waters, president of the Bluegrass Institute, the amendment "would not determine Kentucky's specific school-choice policy; rather, it simply clarifies that nothing in the Constitution prevents lawmakers from creating and funding such policies." 

Debating legislation: Wyoming 

Wyoming passed school choice legislation March 8 that would allow families to use state education savings account programs to fund tuition for a nonpublic school of their choosing.

The bill allows funding to go toward private, charter, and some home-based education. The ESAs can be used for tuition, fees, or even school supplies. 

The program depends on a sliding scale, offering between $600 to $6,000 per student per year depending on the families' income, ranging from 150% of the federal poverty level to 500%. 

The Wyoming Education Association is currently suing the state, alleging that it is not providing K-12 with enough funding, and will go to trial in June.

The governor has 15 days to sign or veto the bill. 

Nearly there: Georgia 

A school choice bill in Georgia that would offer ESAs for private school tuition passed narrowly in the House. The bill still has to pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, who has expressed support for the program.

The bill would allow parents whose children are in the bottom quarter of public schools in terms of test scores to send their children to private schools or to teach them at home. The bill would grant them $6,500 in funding. 

Children who already attend nonpublic schools would have to spend a year in public school to qualify for the voucher, whereas new kindergarteners would qualify for it immediately. 

The bill also includes measures codifying teacher pay raises and increasing funding for pre-Ks as well as testing requirements for voucher students.

The proposed program would be capped at about $140 million, which would accommodate more than 21,000 students.

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