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The Benedictine presence loomed large at the Kansas Fortnight for Freedom rally for religious liberty. Buses and a caravan left from Benedictine College and Maur Hill-Mount Academy.
Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis, who with Archbishop Naumann launched the Memorare Army prayer campaign for religious liberty, at the Rally for Freedom in Topeka, Kansas.
Screenshot of a Capital-Journal photo of Gov. Sam Brownback at the Topeka, Kansas, Rally for Freedom.
Screenshot of an AP photo of religious sisters at the Topeka, Kansas, Rally for Freedom.
Screenshot of an AP photo of the crowd at the Topeka, Kansas, Rally for Freedom.
Brock Martin holds the Benedictine College banner at stage right at the Topeka, Kansas, Rally for Freedom.
Benedictine College joins in the Rally for Religious Freedom in Topeka.
The Catholic Bishops of Kansas called for a Rally for Religious Freedom on the south steps of the state capitol building today from 2 – 3:30 p.m. A large group from Benedictine College is there, along with many others who are committed to defending religious liberty. Update: Photo slideshow added above.
Archbishop Naumann wore a Benedictine College hat to the event and said, “My other hat is a miter.”
You may watch the LIVE broadcast on EWTN. Update: Kansas Watchdog has exerpts and audio from the event. Click here.
Here are Tom Hoopes’ live “Tweets” from the event:
Gov Brownback at #standupforfreedomkansas: “This is the largest rally any of us has seen here.”
Cathy Ruse at #standupforfreedomkansas “They don’t mean access, they mean you get it free. They don’t mean contraception, they mean abortion.”
Archbishop Naumann at #standupforfreedomkansas “It’s this administration that is making war on men and women of faith.”
Cathy Ruse at #standupforfreedomkansas “I refuse to play victim in a phony war on women.”
“We will never never never give up our religious liberty or our freedom of conscience.” Archbishop Naumann at #standupforfreedomkansas
Cathy Ruse at #standupforfreedomkansas “They put America on the pill and sent the Catholic Church the bill.”
Gov Brownback at #standupforfreedomkansas … “Kansas is pro-life and we aren’t going back.”
UPDATE:
Here are some quotes from the Kansas City Star story on the event.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., said that though the church is active in combating poverty and other ills, “this strikes at our very identity.”
“If we lose this battle and our right to really define ourselves and to hold true to our own convictions, then we’re not going to be able to be effective in any other battles,” he said.
Gov. Brownback called the HHS mandate “an affront to people of faith.”
“Freedom is a gift from God, not a privilege a government is entitled to take away,” Brownback said. “This unconscionable mandate must not be allowed to stand.”