These nuns need you. A few weeks ago, Sister Donna Quinn of the National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN) asked me to help spread the word that their coalition of more than 2000 Roman Catholic sisters has endorsed providing birth control through the Affordable Care Act. Because of their faith, they believe “that women should not be singled out by any organization or group through its refusal to insure a woman’s reproductive needs.” The nuns are bravely speaking out just as those on the right want us to believe that birth control use is immoral. In just a few weeks, the Supreme Court will be hearing two cases where company owners who don’t support contraception personally are denying their employees insurance coverage for birth control as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The lawyers for these corporations (one of which is Hobby Lobby) go so far as to call birth control use sinful and immoral. To make it worse, the owners are claiming that including contraceptives in health care violates their company’s religious freedom. Sister Donna and the nuns at NCAN know differently, and they're bravely standing up to their hierarchy. But they need us to stand with them -- to say that as people of faith we support universal access to contraception. We believe women should be able to make personal decisions about their families, their bodies, their sexuality, and their health – not their employers. And we want to make clear that the sin is not a person using birth control. The sin is denying women the right and the means to plan their families. Indeed, it is precisely because life is sacred that we support the intentional and moral use of contraception. We know that religious freedom means that each person has the right to exercise their own religious beliefs; religious freedom cannot mean that an individual or a corporation gets to impose their religious beliefs on their employees. Please join us and take a faith-filled stand with the nuns for women, birth control, and real religious freedom.

It is a basic fact of the moral universe that girls and boys should not be sold for sex. But in our state of New York, thousands of children are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation each year. New York, we have a responsibility to do better. This week, our legislators in Albany have one last opportunity to help fight this unconscionable practice before the legislative session ends next Thursday. It's now or never to pass the "Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act," which it the result of years of collaboration among defense attorneys, prosecutors, service providers, and survivors to identify gaps in New York State’s anti-trafficking laws. Right now we can add our faith-based voices to put urgent pressure on Sheldon Silver to protect our children. Girls like Ruth. After being raped by her mother's boyfriend at age 12, Ruth turned to an "older boyfriend" for love and protection. This "boyfriend" turned out to be a pimp, who prostituted and beat her if she didn’t make nightly quotas. Ruth was eventually arrested, but because of deficiencies in New York State’s anti-trafficking law, Ruth was treated like a criminal while her trafficker and buyers were not held accountable. Today, with great grace and support, Ruth is in school and rebuilding the life that was stolen from her. To make sure victims like Ruth can get their lives back, and to hold criminals like her pimp accountable, here are the key provisions in the Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act that our leaders need to support: New York State MUST • make the penalties for sex and labor trafficking fit the severity of these brutal crimes. Sex traffickers are serial offenders who profit from the repeated rapes of their victims. • provide 16- and 17-year-olds accused of prostitution with the services they need to rebuild their lives, instead of a criminal record that keeps them vulnerable to exploitation. • eliminate the requirement to prove coercion in prosecutions of pimps for the sex trafficking of children under eighteen. As New Yorkers of faith and conscience, we can each do our part to ensure that young girls and boys aren't being abused in the commercial sex industry in our backyard. Right now, please sign and share the petition before our legislators in Albany meet this week to decide how to prevent and protect victims of sex-trafficking.

Please know that just as we campaigned for you, we want to work with you to ensure that the voices of all Alabamians, particularly those who have historically been marginalized, are represented during your tenure in the Senate. Again, congratulations on a very hopeful victory. Let’s continue working together to take the next step to uplift all Alabamians. Sincerely,

Since 2006, Catholics in Southwest Florida have been suffering under Bishop Dewane and asking for an investigation into his misconduct. He has intimidated and banished workers and his violent outbursts and unpredictable anger have become a pattern which, in the name of justice, demands an investigation. After years of letter writing and local action, Catholics in the diocese are writing again to Pope Francis, and asking for the support of others around the country. (For more information on the pastors and parishioners leading the campaign, visit www.cta-usa.org/SWFL)