On March 23, oral arguments will be heard in HHS Mandate cases before the Supreme Court.  As appellants in these cases, the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Erie have both asked for prayers for religious liberty, especially on March 23, when the bishops of both diocese will tr

Did you miss it? Watch the episode here. The Sisters of Saint Joseph have provided care to elderly people in need in the Erie region for more than 130 years. Learn about their history and take a tour of the modern long-term care facility at Saint Mary’s Home of Erie and state-of-the a

The Diocese of Erie was disappointed by the opinion issued today in the cases the Erie and Pittsburgh dioceses had brought against the government under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the United States Court of Appeals. At issue was whether the dioceses—which are exempt from

When Sister Mary Hoffman, OSB, and Sister Phyllis Schleicher, OSB, first opened the home base of the Catholic Rural Ministry in Port Allegheny, they had no idea the magnitude of the impact their presence would have on their local communities. Their presence in the Allegheny Mountains

The Fortnight for Freedom: Freedom to Serve will take place from June 21 to July 4, a time when our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, S

The U.S. bishops have called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period of prayer and action, to address many current challenges to religious liberty, including the August 1, 2013, deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS contraceptive mandate, Supreme Court rul

Here is a round up of the Pennsylvania Bishops’ reactions to Pope Francis. Click on the links to read their statements in full. Archbishop Chaput of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said, ” I first met our new Holy Father at Rome’s 1997 Synod for America, and still ha

The Bishops of the United States have declared a “Fortnight for Freedom” from June 21 to July 4, a time for prayer, education and personal witness to the importance of religious liberty in American life. The Fortnight begins on the vigil of the feast of St. Thomas More and St. John Fi

On Monday, May 21, the Diocese of Erie and the Diocese of Pittsburgh filed separate federal lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the HHS mandate that would require nearly all religious organizations to cover abortion causing drugs, sterilization and contraception in health ca

Thousands of Catholic students attend public schools all over Pennsylvania. Supporting families in educating their children no matter where they go to school is part of our obligation to promote the common good. School choice should not be viewed as an “us v. them” debate between publ