A Message from Acting President Sara Hutchinson Ratcliffe

For more than 45 years, CFC has worked to engage, educate and embolden prochoice Catholics in the US and abroad. With all that we have to face, there has never been a more important time to lift those voices, bolster our community, strengthen and support prochoice Catholic elected officials, and equip advocates and allies with tools to confront the continued onslaught of antichoice policies around the world.  That is why I am excited to take up the mantle as Acting President of Catholics for Choice and lead our organization into the future of faith-based advocacy for reproductive health, rights and religious liberty for all, both at home and abroad.

After a successful 24 years at CFC, Jon O’Brien had decided to move on to pursue other career opportunities. Jon will continue to work with us through the end of the year to help with our transition.  As we begin a new chapter in our organization’s history, I think it important to recognize all we have accomplished together.  Since Jon became president 12 years ago, CFC has:

• Conducted our unique and dynamic trainings in 33 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States, helping more than 4,200 activists, partners, providers, thought leaders, and policymakers to hone their skills and ready their tools to fight for reproductive freedom for every individual;
• Engaged and empowered prochoice Catholics across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia to send more than 40,000 messages supporting prochoice policy to their elected representatives, , including our network of prochoice policymakers;
• Played a critical role to help push for abortion law reform in Chile, Ireland and (hopefully soon) in Argentina;
• Worked to help make possible contraceptive law reform in the Philippines;
• Hosted in person screenings of CFC films and videos for more 3,500 activists, partners and policymakers and allowed countless more to watch, share and engage online; and
• Made the case for prochoice Catholic thought and opinion with US and international audiences through well over 800 news media interviews, mentions and original opinion pieces in outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Ms. Magazine, The Irish Times (Ireland), El Mundo (Spain), National Catholic Reporter, Agence France Presse, Religion News Service, PBS Newshour, National Public Radio (NPR), Time Magazine, Fox News, The Hill, MSNBC and CNN en Espanol.

I’m proud to say I have spent 10 of these past 12 years working closely with Jon to help make these achievements possible.  My decade at CFC has been more rewarding than I can truly say. Those who know me have often heard me say this is my dream job, allowing me to marry my faith and my political experience with a deep sense of commitment to a cause near and dear to my heart.  I’m ready to take on the opportunities and challenges ahead and am committed to continue raising the bar for CFC’s future work.

Most of all, I am awed by the renowned history of this important organization I am now privileged to lead.  I stand on the shoulders of the dynamic leaders who have come before me.  Together with our CFC team of staff, activists, and supporters, I know we will carry our work to new heights and I look forward to what’s next!