New York Preparing to Punish Catholic Nuns Caring for Dying Patients for Refusing to Follow Woke Gender Identity Rules

For more than a century, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne—also called the Dominican Sisters of the Sick Poor—have dedicated their work to caring for people who are poor and terminally ill, especially those suffering from cancer.

One of their ministries, Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, operates as a 42-bed licensed hospice and skilled nursing facility that focuses on serving some of society’s most vulnerable patients. The sisters run the facility without accepting insurance payments, government funding, or fees from patients and their families. Every person who receives care there is treated free of charge.

Now, the sisters say policies from New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration threaten their ability to continue that mission. The religious order has filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that they argue forces them to choose between their Catholic beliefs and their ministry.

The dispute centers on the LGBTQ Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights, which became law in 2024 and applies to nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the state, including those run by religious organizations. The measure requires facilities to follow several rules related to gender identity and sexual orientation.

Under the law, residents must be assigned rooms based on their self-identified gender identity rather than biological sex, even if another resident sharing the room objects. Residents must also be allowed to use bathrooms and other facilities that correspond with their gender identity.

Facilities are required to use residents’ chosen names and pronouns, including in conversations when the resident is not present. Staff members must also receive cultural competency training that addresses gender identity and sexual orientation. The law further requires facilities to permit consensual sexual relationships between residents without restrictions based on a facility’s religious or moral beliefs.

The New York State Department of Health has issued warning letters to facilities, including Rosary Hill Home, outlining possible violations such as separating rooms or bathrooms based on biological sex or failing to use a resident’s preferred pronouns.

Penalties for failing to follow the law can include fines of up to $2,000 for a first violation, $5,000 for additional violations, and as much as $10,000 for willful violations. Other possible consequences include injunctions, the loss of a facility’s license, and potential jail time for repeated willful violations.

The Dominican Sisters say these requirements conflict with their faith and the principles guiding their ministry. Mother Marie Edward, O.P., the order’s General Superior, explained that the sisters’ purpose is focused on caring for people who are dying and cannot afford medical support.

She said the sisters’ mission is to provide compassionate nursing care to patients with terminal cancer who lack the financial means for such treatment. The facility operates entirely through charitable support from donors and does not charge patients or their families.

According to Mother Marie Edward, the sisters have always welcomed people from all backgrounds and beliefs. She said patients are treated with dignity and Christian charity regardless of their race, religion, or sex.

The order traces its mission back more than 125 years in Hawthorne, New York, where the sisters have provided care and comfort to those suffering from incurable cancer. However, they say new directives tied to the state’s transgender policies have placed them in a difficult position.

The Department of Health first notified Rosary Hill Home about the state’s requirements in a letter dated March 18, 2024. The correspondence outlined the expectations for long-term care facilities and included training materials instructing staff to adopt policies aligned with the state’s approach to gender identity.

Mother Marie Edward said the sisters were disappointed by the demands. She explained that Rosary Hill has long served patients from many walks of life and has not faced complaints about its care. However, she said complying with the state’s mandate would require actions that conflict with Catholic teaching.

According to the sisters, the law would force them to house biological men in rooms with women even if a female roommate objects. It would also require allowing people to use bathrooms designated for the opposite sex, using pronouns the sisters believe are inaccurate, and promoting language and programs affirming residents’ sexual preferences. The policy also requires staff to receive training reflecting the state’s gender identity framework.

Rosary Hill Home and the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne are members of the Catholic Benefits Association, which has provided legal support. Through attorneys affiliated with the organization, the sisters asked the New York State Department of Health to grant them an exemption from the requirements, arguing that the mandates infringe on their religious beliefs and their freedom of speech.

After waiting two weeks without receiving a response, the sisters filed a lawsuit in federal court on April 6, 2026.

Their attorney, Martin Nussbaum of the First & Fourteenth law firm, said the situation was particularly frustrating because the state law includes a religious exemption for long-term care facilities connected to the Christian Science Church, but not for Catholic organizations like Rosary Hill Home.

According to Nussbaum, the sisters believed legal action was their only remaining option after their request for an exemption went unanswered.

Sister Stella Mary, O.P., who serves as the administrator of Rosary Hill Home, said the order’s mission traces back to its founder, Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne. The foundress instructed the sisters to care for those approaching the end of life and to make them as comfortable and peaceful as possible during their final days.

Sister Stella Mary said the sisters intend to remain faithful to that mission but believe they need protection from the court in order to continue serving patients while remaining true to their religious convictions.

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