6-6-25 The Mirror(lowres)

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National pilgrimage leaders urge large procession turnouts to counter anti-Catholic protesters

Catholics are encouraged to turn out in strong numbers for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Eucharistic processions to counter the growing number of anti-Catholic protesters who have afflicted the route’s public events from the first week.

“ We need to be there. We need to show up for Jesus,” said Jason Shanks, president of National Eucharistic Congress Inc.

“This is the Way-of-theCross type of pilgrimage. This is walking with our Lord against attacks.”

as the 36-day pilgrimage enters Texas and the Diocese of Dallas June 3, and to continue until the pilgrimage culminates in Los Angeles for the feast of Corpus Christi, June 22.

EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE TO MIAMI, OK Eight pilgrims from Holy Trinity Parish, Aurora, and SS Peter and Paul Parish, in Pulaskifield, joined pastor Fr. Paul Pudhota for a trip to Miami, OK, on Fri., May 30, to be part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage currently taking place from Indianapolis, IN, to Los Angeles. Pictured (not in order) after a Mass in Sacred Heart Parish, celebrated with The Most Rev. David Konderla, Tulsa, OK, and Fr. Pudhota were Aurora and Pulakifield pilgrims Edward Laning, Sara Seigriest, Margie Jenkins, Julie Fairchild, Carol Rote, Mark Conn, and Carol Leitle. Father Pudhota said that their group did not encounter any protesters while participating in the pilgrimage. However, they could be seen along the route they traveled. (The Mirror)

With megaphones and speakers, the protesters have been preaching against Catholic beliefs, including that Jesus is truly and fully present in the Eucharist. A few protesters have been present at public events since the end of the pilgrimage’s first week in late May, but an estimated 40 to 50 protesters, including families with children, met the pilgrimage at May 30-June 2 events in Oklahoma.

Protesters include members of the Church of Wells in Wells, TX, a town in the northeast part of the state. A church elder told OSV News that the group aims “to put the ‘protest’ back into ‘Protestant Christianity.’”

“ We hope that through preaching

many people will come to understand the vast difference between Catholicism and Protestantism,” Sean Michael Morris, a Church of Wells elder, said in a June 2 Email to OSV News.

However, he said, “We do not wish to be associated with any particular church. There have been Protestant believers attending the processions for the same purpose who are not a part of any church in Texas.”

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage organizers expect the protests to grow

The pilgrimage’s 2025 St. Katharine Drexel Route covers 3,340 miles over 10 states in 20 dioceses. Its eight perpetual pilgrims— young adults who are traveling the full distance— began in Indianapolis, May 18 and have so far stopped at parishes, shrines and other Catholic sites in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. After stops in Texas, June 3-11, they will cross New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California.

The pilgrims’ stops include Mass, Eucharistic adoration and charitable service, and also public processions, which is where they have encountered the majority of the protesters.

Last year’s inaugural National Eucharistic Pilgrimage—an eight-week, four-route endeavor that culminated in Indianapolis ahead of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024—did not encounter similar protests, Shanks said.

He encouraged Catholics who attend the 2025 pilgrimage’s processions to show charity and humility, and he discouraged them from interacting with the protesters. He said that Catholics should be aware that

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NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE WALKS WITH CHRIST AMID PROTESTS, FINDS INSPIRATION ALONG THE WAY

The third week of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage kicked off amid protests in the Diocese of Tulsa, OK, May 30, with a 5.5-mile procession from the University of Tulsa to Holy Family Cathedral. Eight local parishioners from Holy Trinity Parish, Aurora, MO, and SS Peter and Paul Parish, Pulaskifield, participated in the pilgrimage along with their pastor, Fr. Paul Pudhota.

The pilgrims contended with protesters lining the route with megaphones and speakers, preaching against Catholic beliefs, including belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. An estimated 40 to 50 protesters followed the pilgrimage in Oklahoma and Texas. That said,

2025 NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE OKLAHOMA CITY—Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City carried the monstrance as pilgrims from the archdiocese processed June 1, 2025, from Christ the King Catholic Church to St. Eugene Catholic Church, during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Pilgrimage organizers are encouraging Catholics to turn out in strong numbers for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Eucharistic processions to counter the growing number of anti-Catholic protesters who consistently have been present at the route’s public events. (OSV

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DIOCESE
SPRINGFIELD—CAPE

JYOU WILL SEE

The Sacred Heart bids us to be faithful to the Mass COME, AND

une belongs to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Well, every month belongs to the Sacred Heart, but June is when the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart is celebrated, this year on June 27, which is later than usual. It always falls on the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, which is June 22. And since it is at the end of the month, we have more time to prepare!

Is there an image of the Sacred Heart displayed prominently in your home? Has your home been consecrated to the Sacred Heart? If not, contact your parish priest and invite him to do so. Can you provide the image with fresh flowers from your yard, or place a cloth and candle to enhance reverence for the image? Could you take time to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart? Every 1st Friday is devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On that day, let us pray for vocations in a special way. If you go to our diocesan Website, you can find resources to grow in your love of the Sacred Heart.

As many of you may recall, last year was the 350th anniversary of the revelation of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. To mark that anniversary, Pope Francis, God bless him, gave to the Church a beautiful reflection, “He Loved Us,” (“Dilexit Nos”). I recall some of his comments:

Some have questioned whether this symbol is still meaningful today. Yet living as we do in an age of superficiality, rushing frenetically from one thing to another without really knowing why, and

FIRST FRIDAY MASS FOR VOCATIONS—Bishop Edward M. Rice gathered with faithful at a recent First Friday Mass for Vocations in St. Agnes Cathedral in which is shown the image that Bishop Rice received from the Knights of Columbus of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Knights of Columbus presented Bishop Rice with two images to accompany him at all First Friday Masses. (The Mirror)

ending up as insatiable consumers and slaves to the mechanisms of a market unconcerned about the deeper meaning of our lives, all of us need to rediscover the importance of the heart.

Reflecting further, Pope Francis quotes the spiritual writer Romana Guardini, “If the heart is not alive, man remains a stranger to himself.”

“Surrounded by superficial satisfactions, we are invited to ponder the more pressing, deeper questions of life, questions that lead us back to the heart.”

Reflecting on the wound in Christ’s side, Pope Francis reminds us, “The heart of the risen Lord preserves the signs of that complete self-surrender, which entailed intense sufferings for our sake.”

Before his retirement in 2008 as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Bishop John Leibrecht wrote a standing column in The Mirror entitled, “Walking Together.” At the end of each article, Bp. Leibrecht would normally share a funny story referencing his travels to the schools, or time with friends, family, or other bishops. The Mirror has decided to share a few of these in an ongoing series entitled, “Another walk through: ‘Walking Together.’” We hope you enjoy them.

May 21, 1993 Letter from son at school: Dear Dad, Gue$$ what I need mo$t. $end it $oon. Be$t wi$hes, Jay. Reply: Dear Jay, We kNOw you like school. Write aNOther letter soon. NOw I have to say good-bye. Dad.

May 28, 1993 A member of St. Agnes Cathedral Parish, Springfield, told me that she has been bringing her small son to Sunday Mass each week. Among other things, she talked to him about the various furnishings in the church. One Sunday,

while pointing to the episcopal chair, the boy asked his mother, “Isn’t that the bishop’s chair?” After she assured him that it was, the boy asked, “Why is it empty? Doesn’t the bishop ever go to church?”

June 11, 1993 A pastor wanted everyone at Mass to sing. “Remember,” he said, “if God gave you a good singing voice, sing to show your gratitude. And if the Lord didn’t give you a good voice, sing to get even!”

Let us claim the month of June for the Sacred Heart. Look for some small ways to offer sacrifices in reparation for our sins and the sins of others. And I thank the Knights of Columbus for the two beautiful images of the Sacred Heart that accompany me when I offer the First Friday Mass in the diocese. “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine.”

A REFLECTION FROM DEATH ROW

Paranoia – a reflection from a death row inmate – “Sometimes we get a little too wrapped up in ourselves. Paranoia is close to narcissism; It makes everything about us. I tell some guys that the way I

got over feelings of paranoia was by realizing I’m really not that important. For the whole world to be conspiring against me, they’d have to know me. That is highly unlikely. And for those who know me and don’t like me to conspire against me, I would have to be worth their time and effort. That too is unlikely. Sometimes we just think too much of ourselves. It is good to have selfesteem and a positive view of ourselves, but we mustn’t take that too far. Being cautious is not being paranoid either; It’s just prudence.”

As we enter into the summer season, I ask everyone to make a concerted effort to be faithful to the Sunday celebration of Holy Mass. Whatever your plans may be, wherever you travel, it’s most likely that there is a Catholic Mass somewhere nearby. If you can purchase a plane ticket on the computer or make reservations for a hotel or a restaurant, then you can do a search at MassTimes.org and find the nearest Mass. As I often mention at Confirmation, make a commitment to never miss Holy Mass.

“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine.” Be committed to the Mass. ©TM

STUDENTS PLEDGE PRAYERS FOR BISHOP RICE

John J. Leibrecht
OUR GOOD SHEPHERD—Bishop Edward M. Rice received a card from the entire student body of Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau, pledging their prayers for him on Good Shepherd Sunday, May 11, 2025. (The Mirror)

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Fr. Pudhota indicated that the eight pilgrims from the Diocese of SpringfieldCape Girardeau did not personally encounter any protesters; they could only be seen along the route.

Protesters included members of the Church of Wells in Wells, TX, a town in the northeast part of the state. The church has faced media scrutiny in the past for alleged cult-like behavior.

“ We hope that through preaching many people will come to understand the vast difference between Catholicism and Protestantism,” Sean Michael Morris, a Church of Wells elder, said in a June 2 Email to OSV News. He added that other Protestants who are not members of the Church of Wells have been joining the protests.

Addressing the protests, Jason Shanks, president of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., said in a June 5 press conference that “while this is new for us— this was not a regular occurrence last year—this is not new for Catholics. Even going back to John Chapter 6, we hear about quarrels happening related to the bread of life discourse.”

“ What we’re seeing and what these pilgrims are experiencing on the road is a lot of debate and shouting and things of that nature, going straight at the “real presence of Jesus,” he said.

He said the National Eucharistic Congress is “working behind the scenes with law enforcement on security,” and “have not seen any sense of violence on the route” and don’t expect any. The protesters are only joining for the public processions and have not been coming to private events along the route.

They expect the protesters will continue on their route all the way to its conclusion on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 22, in Los Angeles.

In light of this, Shanks called for an increase in the number of Catholics participating to witness to Christ with their presence.

“I’m calling all Catholics to show up for Jesus,” he said, “this is our opportunity to step out in faith ... to

witness to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.”

“Our witness is going to be in our silent suffering with Jesus,” he said, “we’re asking Catholics to come, but to evangelize through their silent witness and their walk because these protesters are focused on antagonizing, trying to get in debates and to record those so that they can put them Online.”

IMPACT ON CATHOLIC PARTICIPANTS

Ace Acuña, a perpetual pilgrim who works in campus ministry at Princeton University in New Jersey, said at the press conference that the protesters’ presence along the route has been “difficult,” but, “as with any difficulty that Christ puts in our way, he can always redeem that.”

He said that parts of Scripture have “come alive” for him as a result of the protesters’ presence, like “Jesus telling his disciples to pray for those who persecute you. Blessed are you when they persecute you and revile you.”

He said that the team has also felt “conformed to the heart of Mary through all of this” in her quiet prayer, walking alongside Jesus in his suffering.

Leslie Reyes-Hernandez, another perpetual pilgrim who teaches high school algebra in Phoenix, said that the protesters gave her a “reality check,” reminding her of the importance of continuing to choose to walk with the Lord, not just in good times, but even when people are “not yelling the nicest things.”

Reyes-Hernandez also spoke of “what an inspiration” it was to visit the shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City June 3 amid these difficulties. She said she hadn’t previously known the story of the Oklahoma priest who was martyred for his missionary work in Guatemala and felt blessed to “learn from him.”

The pilgrims will head from the Diocese of Fort Worth, TX, to the Diocese of San Angelo, TX, June 7, and will remain there until June 10. They will close out their time in Texas in the Diocese of El Paso June 10-11 and continue on to the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. ©OSV

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EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE // Continued from page 1...

efforts to debate or challenge the protesters may appear on social media.

“ We don’t need to engage with these folks,” he said. “We need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord in prayer and adoration. We need to be courageous and steadfast.”

TRANSFER OF THE MONSTRANCE & HOST—May 30 saw the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Miami, OK, transfer the Monstrance and Host from the Diocese of Wichita to the Diocese of Tulsa. Eight faithful from Aurora, MO, and Pulaskifield, traveled with their pastor, Fr. Paul Pudhota, to participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Miami, OK. (The Mirror)

Catholics should also be prepared to hear insults against the faith, he advised.

Public Witness

But attending the pilgrimage’s processions— especially as part of a large crowd—is a way for Catholics to demonstrate their faith, he said. “We as Catholics have been talking about how we evangelize and catechize— and getting out there, this is our public witness,” he said.

Shanks said that the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc., is addressing potential security factors but that the protesters have not yet caused the pilgrimage to alter its public schedule. However, he encouraged people planning to attend the pilgrimage’s events to register, so that pilgrimage organizers can directly communicate any schedule changes.

Shanks also asked for prayers for the perpetual pilgrims and any spiritual battles they might encounter.

He said that the pilgrims are being cared for by their chaplains from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and their team leader, that the NEC’s leaders are also checking in with them regularly, and that there are mental health professionals ready to assist if needed.

“This is going right at their interior life,” he said. Drawing a parallel to Jesus’ journey on the Via Dolorosa, the route he took while carrying the cross in Jerusalem to his crucifixion and death, Shanks said, “They’re (walking) the Way of the Cross.”

“Pilgrimage is suffering, and they’re suffering for our Lord,” he said. “They’re walking with Jesus. They’re hearing this. And it’s not just one time. … It’s traveling with them.” ©OSV

Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News. Editor’s Note: The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is scheduled to end in Los Angeles on June 22, 2025.

E

ucharistic Adoration is all about placing ourselves before our Lord, who is truly and sacramentally present to us in the Eucharist exposed on the altar in the monstrance. Eucharistic Adoration is about listening to His heart from your heart, about His love and joy for you, His plans and inspirations, His forgiveness and ministry, and His ways of helping you grow in your spiritual life, and service of others. Jesus present in the Monstrance (from the Latin word—monstrare, which means to show, which is the root for—demonstrate) enables us to fix our gaze on him for the reparation for sins; the intercession for healing of the world, among other needs or sources of gratitude.

Perpetual Adoration

(24 hours a day, seven days a week)

is held in two places in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Please come and spend time in either of these locations:

Perpetual Adoration at Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau Call Donna (573) 450-1451

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Holy Trinity Church, Springfield Call Marilyn (417) 224-4043

A POPE FOR OUR TIME

Over the course of my lifetime, the Catholic Church has had six popes— Saint Paul VI, John Paul I, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Pope Leo XIV.

Paul VI was pope when I was born, and I cannot say that I remember the elections of either John Paul I or John Paul II, though growing up in a Catholic household in a small village with a significant Catholic population, we must have been on the lookout for the first wisp of white smoke.

I do, however, have very strong impressions of the first years of John Paul II’s pontificate. Being half-Polish (on my mother’s side), I was, of course, brimming with ethnic pride. And as I became more aware in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s of the state of the Cold War, I began to believe that the choice of a Polish pope was a sign that the Holy Spirit was on the move, and the Soviet Union’s days of dominating Eastern Europe were coming to an end.

John Paul’s miraculous survival of, and recovery from, the May 13, 1981, assassination attempt was simply more proof, as if any were needed.

John Paul II went on to become one of the longest reigning popes in the history of the Church, long enough for me to have graduated from elementary school, junior high, high school, college,

and graduate school, and to be 10 years into my professional career before his years of suffering —through which he gave such a perfect example to Catholics and all Christians—came to an end.

When, a few weeks later, the white smoke arose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the words “Habemus papam!” were followed by the introduction of Pope Benedict XVI, I was overjoyed. I had read much of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s work (though even “much” was only a small fraction of what he had written), and I greatly admire his intellect and, more importantly, the way that he placed that intellect at the service of the faith.

Despite my admiration for Benedict XVI, when his pontificate came to what seemed to me an unnecessarily early end with his resignation seven years later, I found the initial introduction of Pope Francis to be both refreshing and a promising continuation of the legacy of the two previous popes and even after 12—at times tumultuous—years, history, I believe, is more likely to bear those first impressions out than many people think.

As I think back on my first impressions of each of these popes, I realize that there is something qualitatively different between them and

ALL THINGS NEW

my first impressions of the election of Pope Leo XIV. Of course, there’s a bit of patriotic pride in the election of the first American pope that’s similar to the ethnic pride I felt with Pope John Paul II. But I’ve also had an absolute conviction, from the moment that his papal name was announced, that this pontificate will have an historical significance to rival that of John Paul II’s, Leo XIII’s, and Pius IX’s.

I’ve always been skeptical of those who spend their days trying to read the signs of the times, and for many that practice leads to eccentricity at best and more often outright despair.

But while much has been made of Pope Leo’s own acknowledgment that he see the AI revolution to be as potentially disruptive as the Industrial Revolution and accompanying economic, social, and political change that Leo XIII addressed in his social encyclicals (especially “Rerum Novarum”), it struck me immediately that Leo XIII wrote more encyclicals than any other pope, including an encyclical on Americanism (“Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae,” even more relevant to Catholics in the United States today then when it was released in 1899).

Pope Leo XIII also decreed that the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel be

recited following every Mass, after he experienced a vision of hell. And May 8— the date of Pope Leo XIV’s election—was, in the traditional calendar, the Feast of the Apparition of Saint Michael (a different apparition, but still).

What relevance these facts may have to Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, time will tell. In the end, my conviction may prove entirely wrong. But three weeks after his election, that conviction remains just as strong.

May God grant Pope Leo XIV many happy years, as he faithfully preaches the Word of His Truth! ©OSV

Scott P. Richert is publisher for OSV.

DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING

40 CELEBRATE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

COME HOLY SPIRIT—On May 31, 2025, Bishop Edward M. Rice celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with 30 youth from St. Canera Parish, Neosho; six youth from St. Mary Parish, Seneca; and four from Nativity of Our Lord Mission Church, in Noel. Pastor of those three communities is Leopold native Fr. Charles (“Chaz”) Dunn: CONGRATULATIONS! (The Mirror)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cape Girardeau Worldwide Marriage Encounter: Join the millions of couples worldwide that have learned how to keep their marriage vibrant and alive! The emphasis of Worldwide Marriage Encounter is on communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and the tensions of everyday-life, to concentrate solely on each other. The next Marriage Encounter experience will be held Aug. 1-3, 2025 at the Drury Plaza, Cape Girardeau. For more information, go to wwme.org.

Diocesan-wide Perpetual Adoration (24 hours a day, seven days a week) is held in two places in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Please come and spend time in either of these locations: Perpetual Adoration at Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau; for more information, call Donna (573) 450-1451; Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Holy Trinity Church, Springfield; for more information, call Marilyn (417) 224-4043.

Marble Hill SAVE THE DATE! Band Fest VI benefitting Options for Women will be held Sat., Sept. 20, at 10 Point Lake, CR 520. Questions: contact Terrie Rose, (573) 238-5731.

Marionville—Spend a day with the Society of our Mother of Peace, ages 13 and older, meet and pray with the religious sisters devoted to contemplative life and engage in

bringing Christ to Others. Come and See: Sat., June 14, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at Queen of Heaven Solitude, located at 12494 Highway. Email: smpsistersvoc@gmail.com, call (417) 744-2011 or (636) 495-5382. Please RSVP by June 11.

Springfield—Sacred Heart Church will hold its Annual Garage Sale, Fri., July 25, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat., July 26, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and again the following weekend, Aug. 1-2, with the same hours. Clothing, including X-large sizes for adults, a variety of coats, small appliances, linens, specialty items, sports equipment, and much more. Please stop by and pick up some treasures to take home.

Springfield—St. Agnes Cathedral will have its Annual Parish Garage Sale, Thu., June 12, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fri., June 13, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sat., June 14, 7-11 a.m., in the school gymnasium located on the west-side of The Catholic Center.

Springfield—Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri (CCSOMO), in partnership with Knights of Columbus Council #13681, will hold its Charity Golf Tournament, Mon., June 23, at Fremont Hills Country Club—Nixa, with a 12-noon shotgun start. Proceeds to benefit LifeHouse of Springfield. Sponsorships and teams are available. For a day of fun, fellowship, and giving back, register at https://ccsomo.org/ koc-golf-tournament/.

Parishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events to be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.

With Missouri abortion access in limbo, both sides eye battles in court, on the ballot

The state Supreme Court imposed a ‘de facto abortion ban’ last week, though how long that will last is unclear

Both sides of the abortion debate seemed caught by surprise on May 27 by the Missouri Supreme Court’s order that essentially reimposed the state’s abortion ban.

Planned Parenthood clinics were sent scrambling, cancelling abortion appointments and working with patients to ensure access in other states — a return to the way things operated before voters enshrined reproductive rights in the state constitution last year.

Anti-abortion advocates, meanwhile, celebrated the return of regulations but acknowledged the win could be temporary.

With no clear indication of when — or if — access to abortion will be restored, and a GOP-crafted amendment banning the procedure heading for the ballot next year, advocates on both sides are navigating the uncertainty and gearing up for the fight ahead.

“…anti-abortion politicians in Jeff City have once again weaponized our political system against Missourians. What’s really clear here is the confusion this will cause among patients was the whole point,” said Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, later adding: “Missourians proved at the ballot box that what we want is access to abortion. This is not over, and I’m confident that ultimately abortion care will continue in Missouri.”

Sam Lee, a longtime anti-abortion advocate with Campaign Life Missouri, expressed relief that state regulations are back in place but cautioned that the only way to “safeguard the lives of unborn children” is to amend the constitution next year.

“ While it is good news that abortion has ended in Missouri – at least for now – it would be a mistake for the pro-life movement to rely on the state courts to keep these health and safety laws and regulations in place,” he said.

While the court last week imposed

what abortion providers called a “de facto ban,” it didn’t actually weigh in on the constitutionality of state regulations.

The decision was procedural, calling into question the legal standard a Jackson County judge used to justify blocking certain abortion regulations enacted over the years by state lawmakers.

The injunction was vacated and the judge was ordered to re-evaluate the case using the standards the Supreme Court laid out last week. A new injunction could be issued, or access could be left in limbo while the case makes its way to a January 2026 trial.

Fifty-two percent of Missouri voters in November approved Amendment 3, which said “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

The amendment made Missouri’s abortion ban unconstitutional, at least until the point of fetal viability, which is generally considered at or around 24 weeks.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey acknowledges this in his appeal to the Supreme Court, writing that among the laws which are no longer enforceable because of Amendment 3 are “Missouri’s prohibitions on abortion before viability.”

But myriad other restrictions remained on the books, including wait times before abortions and constraints on where abortions could be performed.

Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri sued in December to overturn the state’s Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers, or TRAP laws. Over the course of a decade before an outright ban on abortion was put in place, those laws resulted in the number of abortions performed in Missouri falling from more than 5,000 to less than 200.

Over the course of two rulings — one in December and one in February

— Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang pointed to the voter-approved constitutional amendment in issuing the temporary injunction.

Most notably, Zhang struck down licensing requirements for abortion clinics, arguing the regulations were “unnecessary” and “discriminatory” because they do not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care.

She left in place a requirement that all abortion providers have a medical license.

Zhang ’s ruling opened the door for procedural abortions to resume in Planned Parenthood’s Kansas City and Columbia clinics. Medication abortions, which nationally make up two-thirds of all abortions, have not been available as the clinics have been unable to get the state to approve a required complication plan.

The state Supreme Court order, signed by Chief Justice Mary Russell, means even procedural abortions are now inaccessible in Missouri.

“This is not the end of the legal battle, but it is a critical victory for

DURING THIS EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL, FR. DAVID COON OFFERS THE FOLLOWING QUOTE FOR THE REFLECTION ON THE EUCHARIST:

“In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: ‘O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us’”

— CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC), 1402

Father Coon is

of

every pro-life Missourian,” said Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life.

Abortion may be inaccessible in Missouri, but “the good news is that this court ruling does not affect other reproductive and sexual health care provided at Planned Parenthood health centers across the state,” said Dr. Margaret Baum, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Rivers.

The hope, Baum said, is that the court’s order is only a “temporary setback.” In the meantime, she said access to abortion is still available in Kansas and Illinois and that Planned Parenthood will support patients “who need lodging, transportation and other resources to access sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion.” ©MI

This article first appeared in the Missouri Independent, https://missouriindependent. com, and is reprinted with kind permission. Jason Hancock has spent two decades covering politics and policy for news organizations across the Midwest, with most of that time focused on the Missouri statehouse as a reporter for The Kansas City Star. He is co-founder of the Missouri Independent

He serves the Diocese as

As of May 31, 2025, 76 parishes reported 3,202 pledges totaling $1,597,567 or 52% of the 2025 DDF goal of $3,100,000.

Pastor
Sacred Heart Parish, Dexter.
Priest Minister for Spiritual Deliverance & Exorcism and the Confraternity of Priest Adorers of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus.
AN ABORTION PROCEDURE ROOM pictured on March 3 at Planned Parenthood in Columbia. (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)

Missouri struggles to administer safety net programs: Congress is proposing more red tape

Advocates worry thousands of vulnerable Missourians will lose Medicaid and food stamps because of new administrative barriers

When Courtney Leader gets the letter from the state each year telling her it’s time to recertify her daughter’s Medicaid eligibility, she scrambles to make sure the paperwork gets to the right place.

Leader, of Ash Grove, considers herself adept at navigating her 8-yearold daughter’s complex medical needs and appointments, but even she has fallen through the cracks of Missouri’s safety net thanks to the state’s red tape.

Without Medicaid for her daughter, who has complex medical needs and developmental disabilities, Leader’s family wouldn’t be able to afford the thousands of dollars in monthly costs for her feeding tube and formula, specialty appointments and at-home nurses.

Yet despite Leader’s diligence, her daughter was once kicked off Medicaid after the state lost her paperwork. Even when the paperwork makes it through, she says it takes days to confirm.

She has waited hours on the phone for help, just to be automatically disconnected, and has refreshed the online chat again and again trying to get answers — knowing any delay could cost her daughter coverage.

Now, as Congress proposes changes to Medicaid that promise to add even more bureaucratic hurdles for families like hers, Leader worries about what’s in store for her daughter’s health care coverage.

“I’m terrified that further red tape throughout the system will disrupt my daughter’s care and put her health in jeopardy,” she said. “…Medicaid is a lifesaver, but I’ve seen the challenges of an overburdened system firsthand, and felt the panic when my paperwork was lost.”

Leader spoke on Monday alongside the heads of several advocacy organizations gathered at the Missouri Capitol to sound the alarm on the potential ramifications of Congress’ planned changes to Medicaid.

The federal reconciliation bill aims to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, in part by cutting at least $600 billion nationally from Medicaid over a decade.

Proposed Medicaid changes include work requirements estimated to potentially kick over 100,000 people off in Missouri — many of whom would be still eligible but could lose coverage

anyway due to procedural issues. Copays would be added for some patients, eligibility checks would increase to twice a year and thousands of adults would need to confirm their work status each month.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would also face enormous reductions under the proposed budget, potentially cutting thousands of recipients in the state.

Missouri would be in an especially vulnerable spot, advocates said, because the state Department of Social Services has struggled for years to administer safety net programs.

The Family Support Division, which oversees benefits administration for the state, is understaffed: The agency’s request to fund 220 new staff this year was not granted by the legislature. And failures in the administration of Medicaid and food assistance programs have earned rebukes from the federal government and possible sanctions from a St. Louis judge.

Emily Kalmer, Missouri government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said the Department of Social Services’ struggles to administer these programs could be exacerbated by the proposed federal changes to Medicaid and SNAP.

“ With all the challenges they already have, and then this timeframe,” she said, referring the Family Support Division and the proposed implementation of work requirements at the end of 2026 “…we’re just going to have a lot of things happening at the same time, and how the legislature decides they want to use their limited

budget to deal with that — it’s going to be kind of the perfect storm.”

One in five Missourians is on Medicaid, or over 1.2 million people. Missouri’s Medicaid program covers 39% of all children in the state and pays for two-thirds of nursing home care.

A single low-income adult has to make under $20,814 annually to qualify for Medicaid.

At various points in recent years, the state has had the worst, or among the worst in the nation processing times for Medicaid applications, prompting federal scrutiny last year.

Missouri is also being sued over its administration of SNAP, with a judge concluding the state violated federal SNAP law and the Americans with Disabilities Act for the way it runs its call center eligibility interviews.

The average wait time for the general call line, which includes Medicaid queries, was just over one hour in March, It was 49 minutes for the line specific to SNAP interviews.

Thousands of callers are automatically disconnected before getting through to a person: Over 50,000 calls were automatically ended for the SNAP interview call line in March and nearly 16,000 for the general call line.

The work requirements being considered by Congress mandate 80 hours of work per month, or various exemptions, including for caregivers and those with disabilities.

Most adults on Medicaid are already working or would qualify for an exemption. But in the states that have tried work requirements, including Arkansas, thousands lost coverage even though they were eligible. It’s estimated

that over 100,000 Missourians could lose coverage due to work requirements.

Kalmer shared the story of one cancer patient who struggled to get on Medicaid because of the state’s hurdles, but wouldn’t have gotten on at all under the proposed federal changes.

The woman had been working when she fell and had spinal surgery, and then found out she had thyroid cancer. Her private insurance wasn’t going to cover anything, so she applied for Medicaid and “didn’t hear anything,” and couldn’t go to the doctor for care. She reached out to Kalmer who was finally able to get her coverage.

During the course of her treatment for cancer, the woman wasn’t able to work, and didn’t qualify for Social Security.

That means under the work requirements proposed by Congress, she wouldn’t have qualified for Medicaid.

Kalmer said to qualify as disabled and exempt, you must be officially declared disabled by Social Security, a process that can take months or years.

“This entire time that she’s been going through this cancer journey, she would not be necessarily qualified for the exemptions that are in the bill,” Kalmer said.

Congress also wants to require Medicaid recipients to pay copays of up to $35, which could discourage very lowincome patients from seeking care.

“All of this is really just creating more and more roadblocks for the valuable health insurance that cancer patients need and rely on to get the treatment that they need,” Kalmer said.

Traci Gleason, vice president of external affairs for the progressive Missouri Budget Project, said the changes will create significant “barriers to care” for Missourians.

“There is simply no way that they can make those kinds of cuts to Medicaid without slashing health care for Americans, slashing health care for Missourians,” she said. “And I want to be clear that the consequences to Missourians — both on Medicaid and those who are not — really can’t be overstated.” ©MI

This article first appeared in the Missouri Independent, https://missouriindependent. com, and is reprinted with kind permission. Having previously written for the Nevada Current, Clara Bates covers social services and poverty, reporting on such issues as labor violations in casinos, hurdles facing applicants for unemployment benefits, and lax oversight of the funeral industry, among others.

COURTNEY LEADER, who spoke at a Capitol press conference on Monday, worries that her daughter’s Medicaid coverage would be at risk under proposed federal cuts. (Clara Bates/Missouri Independent)

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