Catholic nuns who have spent generations caring for the terminally ill now warn they could face criminal penalties under a New York law, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal fight over religious freedom and government mandates.
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, a Catholic religious order, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a state measure they say forces them to act against their deeply held beliefs.
The complaint targets legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul that imposes gender identity requirements on long-term care facilities statewide.
At the center of the dispute is New York’s LGBT Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights, enacted in 2023.
According to NewsNation, the law requires care providers to recognize a resident’s gender identity in key areas, including room assignments, pronoun usage, and access to private spaces such as bathrooms.
It also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.
Hochul defended the measure when signing it into law.
“New York’s seniors should be able to live their lives with the dignity and respect they deserve, free from discrimination of every kind,” she said at the time, according to the Daily Mail. “LGBTQIA+ and HIV-positive seniors are among our most vulnerable populations… Hate will never have a place in New York.”
The sisters argue the mandate leaves them with an impossible choice: comply with the policy despite their religious convictions or refuse and risk serious consequences.
According to the lawsuit, those consequences could include fines, loss of licensing, and potential jail time.
The order operates Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed hospice in Hawthorne, New York, where they provide free end-of-life care to individuals battling terminal cancer.
The facility does not accept insurance or government funding, relying entirely on charitable donations to support its mission.
“We are consecrated religious Sisters and have one mission,” Mother Marie Edward said. “It is to provide comfort and skilled care to persons dying of cancer who cannot afford nursing care.”
She added that their work is rooted in Christian teaching, caring for patients “as if they were Christ himself.”
The sisters say they have long cared for people from a wide range of backgrounds without issue and have never received complaints.
However, they maintain that requirements such as using preferred pronouns, allowing opposite-sex bathroom access, and assigning rooms based on gender identity directly conflict with Catholic doctrine.
Their legal complaint argues the law violates First Amendment protections by compelling speech and interfering with the free exercise of religion, according to the National Catholic Register.
It also raises concerns about unequal treatment, noting that some religious groups—such as Christian Scientists—may qualify for exemptions while Catholic organizations do not.
The dispute escalated after the sisters requested a religious exemption but did not receive a response from the state.
After waiting weeks without action, they moved forward with filing a federal lawsuit seeking relief from the mandates and protection from enforcement.
State health officials have declined to comment directly on the case but reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing the law.
A spokesperson said the Department of Health is “committed to following state law, which provides nursing home residents certain rights protecting against discrimination including, but not limited to, gender identity or expression.”
The sisters warn enforcement of the law could jeopardize their nearly 125-year-old mission.
Their legal team argues the mandates could ultimately force the closure of their facility if they refuse to comply, ending a ministry that has served terminally ill patients for generations.
