“Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name” (Isaiah 49:1)

Life is a gift that comes to us from God from the moment of conception. Our laws should protect the dignity and value of life at every moment from conception until natural death.

That the Supreme Court has recognized that life begins at conception is an answer to prayer and is the beginning of a process of reclaiming our society’s respect for the fundamental dignity of every human person.

Our country is divided on the question of legalized abortion and has been for many years. We pray for those who may disagree with us. Changing an unjust law does not end our commitment to open hearts to the always-hopeful gifts that accompany life through our daily care for the broken, the lost, and the marginalized.

We also pray for all women and families who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy situation. We offer our help to moms in need.

We pray that we can find a way to have a respectful dialogue here in our state and throughout the country to protect the dignity and value of every human life. We need to support women at every moment – from conception through birth and as families raise children.

Let us respect and work to protect the dignity and value of life at every moment. Together we desire to promote a “Culture of Life,” in which we appreciate that every child and every person is a unique and beautiful gift from God.

I would also encourage you to read Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s statement and the joint statement from the Catholic bishops of New Jersey regarding today’s Dobbs v. Jackson Ruling.

We turn to our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, to be our guide as we follow her Son, Jesus Christ, and respond to challenges before us. May Mary’s words, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46), light our way to be God’s instruments of justice, love, and peace.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney
Bishop of Paterson

"So great is the value of human life and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother's womb, that no alleged right to one's own body can justify a decision to terminate that life which is an end in itself and which can never be considered 'property' of another human being" (Pope Francis, AL 83).