Day of Prayer and Fasting for Success of Oral Argument before U.S. Supreme Court

At 10:00 a.m. on the morning of March 23 in Washington, D.C., the eight justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Thomas Aquinas College’s case against the HHS Contraceptive Mandate, Zubik v. Burwell. And in Santa Paula, California, where it will still be 7:00 a.m., members of the Thomas Aquinas College community will begin a full day of prayer and fasting for the College, for the justices, and for the future of religious liberty in the United States.

“The idea for a day of prayer and fasting first came up at a recent gathering of our faculty and their spouses,” says President Michael F. McLean. “It was the wife of one of our tutors who suggested it as a way that we, as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, could lend our support, both spiritually and physically, to this most important effort.”

Dr. McLean shared the suggestion with the College’s chaplains, who readily agreed. “Fasting is one of the tried and true ways of refocusing our hearts on God,” says Head Chaplain Rev. Paul Raftery, O.P. “Through fasting we acknowledge that God alone has a claim on our hearts. We put food aside to say that that we want no sensual pleasure, nor anything else in creation, to come between us and Him.”

Ever since the announcement of the HHS Mandate more than four years ago, the College community has said the Prayer to St. Michael at every Mass on Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, asking for Our Lord’s protection. “With this battle now nearing its legal conclusion,” Dr. McLean explains, “we felt the need to intensify our spiritual efforts. By God’s grace, we are hopeful that the College and its co-plaintiffs will win this case, and that employers will be able to continue to offer healthcare coverage that is in keeping with their deeply held religious beliefs.”

Dr. McLean has encouraged all students, faculty, and staff of the College to take part in the Day of Prayer and Fasting, as well as alumni, friends of the College, and supporters of religious freedom everywhere. “It would be a beautiful testimony to our faith if believers across the country would come together in this prayerful defense of religious liberty,” he said. To that end, Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, has urged supporters of his organization to participate in the Day of Prayer and Fasting as part of its overall prayer campaign, SupremeCourtVictory.org.

The College began its legal effort against the HHS Mandate — which compels Catholic organizations to facilitate free contraceptive, abortifacient, and sterilization coverage for their employees — by filing a lawsuit on September 20, 2013. That suit has gone through numerous challenges and appeals, and the Supreme Court agreed to hear it, as well as several similar cases, last fall. Oral arguments will take place on March 23, and a decision is expected to follow in early summer.

“We have total confidence that our lawyers will do their part. Now we must do ours,” said Dr. McLean. “Please join us.”