Each year, 200-300 Catholics from throughout Florida visit state legislators in Tallahassee to put their faith and civic responsibility into action. Representatives from the Diocese of St. Petersburg will visit the state capitol this week, February 1-3, 2022, to influence change and give support to those advocating for the dignity of all life.

“Generally, legislators are very concerned about what their constituents have to say. Our volunteers are there because they understand Catholic social teaching and they seek to advance legislation that’s really for the common good and building up the community,” said Sabrina Burton Schultz, Director of Life, Justice and Advocacy for the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

The four key issues they will be advocating for deal with restrictions to abortion and the death penalty (with the goal of ending these tragic practices), increased access to pre-school education and conscience protections for health care providers.

“Catholic Days is life-oriented, but very broad in scope. We’re talking about a bill to exempt the severely mentally ill from the death penalty.  We’re talking about voluntary pre-kindergarten programs and increasing funding for that,” said Schultz.

Schultz says they’ll also be pushing for passage of the Healthcare Ethics and Liberty Protection Act, also known as the “HELP” Act.  This act protects healthcare workers and institutions from being forced to provide services that they find objectionable on religious, moral, or ethical grounds.

“We try to put forward not only our faith but sound reasons as to why we think the way we do and why we’re supporting the legislation that we are. We back everything up with research, so it’s not just our opinion but it is faith-based and it’s research-based,” said Schultz.

Catholics have worked since the 1970s to end abortion, and that groundswell of support has never been stronger.

“The Supreme Court heard the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s case in December of this year.  We don’t know what the ruling on that is yet but there’s a good possibility that the Supreme Court could send this back to the states. So, it’s important for us as Catholics to make sure that in preparation for that possibly happening, that we get our voices out there,” said Bishop Parkes.

The visit culminates this year with the 47th annual Red Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More.   Bishops, Catholics, legislators, and other government officials will gather to celebrate Mass and ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit for the upcoming legislative year.

With so many threats against human life and religious freedom, the work of advocacy is even more important today.

“Forming legislation, crafting legislation, and trying to reach across the aisle to work on various issues is very challenging, especially in these times. Our legislators really need our support and our prayers,” said Schultz.

Advocacy leaders are asking the faithful to pray and fast on the 22nd of every month until the Supreme Court rules on the Dobbs case later this summer.  The Roe vs. Wade case was decided by the Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, legalizing abortion in all 50 states.

“There is a great spirit of optimism in the pro-life community right now. We need to work to not only advance more pro-life legislation on the state level and not only to pray that the supreme court makes the right decision in the Dobbs case, but to really to do our part to make abortion unthinkable,” said Schultz.

Bishop Parkes adds, “We believe that God is the author of all life and it’s only for God to give life and only for Him to take it away.”