Nuns Fight New York Law to Serve Dying Cancer Patients

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne challenge a state mandate that conflicts with their Catholic faith.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 4:50am

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A serene, dimly lit hospital room with an empty bed bathed in warm, golden light, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation and the sacred duty of end-of-life care.The Dominican Sisters' hospice provides a peaceful, faith-filled environment for those facing the end of life.NYC Today

A group of Catholic nuns, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, have filed a lawsuit against New York Governor Kathy Hochul over a 2024 state law that requires long-term care facilities to use a patient's preferred pronouns and assign rooms and restrooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex. The Sisters, who operate a 42-bed hospice facility for terminally ill cancer patients, say they cannot comply with the law without violating their religious beliefs.

Why it matters

The case highlights the ongoing tensions between religious liberty and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as the role of faith-based charities in providing care for the most vulnerable. The Dominican Sisters have operated their hospice for 125 years with zero complaints, yet now face potential fines, license revocation, and even jail time for refusing to comply with the state's new mandate.

The details

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court after the state did not respond to their request for a religious exemption. Their hospice, Rosary Hill Home, only accepts terminally ill cancer patients who have no one else to care for them, and provides free, around-the-clock care. The law they are challenging passed the state legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support, but the Sisters argue it violates their Catholic beliefs about human dignity and the body.

  • The Dominican Sisters filed the lawsuit against New York Governor Kathy Hochul in early April 2026.
  • The state law they are challenging was passed in 2024.

The players

Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne

A Catholic religious congregation that operates Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed hospice facility for terminally ill cancer patients in Westchester County, New York. The Sisters provide free, around-the-clock care for those with nowhere else to turn.

Kathy Hochul

The Democratic Governor of New York who signed the 2024 law that the Dominican Sisters are challenging in court.

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What they’re saying

“We cannot implement New York's mandate without violating our Catholic faith. Without our Catholic identity, there's no purpose for us to do what we're doing.”

— Mother Marie Edward, General Superior of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne

“The implications are so much greater than whether to utter the words 'he' or 'she.' To demand that a Catholic deny another's sex is to require him or her to affirm another religious worldview.”

— Mother Marie Edward, General Superior of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne

What’s next

The U.S. District Court will hear arguments from the Dominican Sisters and the state of New York on the request for a religious exemption.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between religious liberty and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as the vital role that faith-based charities play in caring for the most vulnerable. The Dominican Sisters' unwavering commitment to their Catholic beliefs and their decades-long mission of compassionate hospice care for the terminally ill have put them on a collision course with the state of New York.