Maryland CLN Message to Striking Nurses at St Agnes

The Maryland Catholic Labor Network is here today to say loud and clear: we stand with the nurses of Ascension St. Agnes. Your courage, your conviction, and your commitment to patient care are a witness to justice—and we are proud to stand beside you.

For us, solidarity with workers—especially those who care for the sick—isn’t optional. It’s a matter of religious obligation. Catholic Social Teaching insists that workers have the right to organize, to strike, and to be treated with dignity. We’re not just here out of goodwill—we’re here because our faith compels us.

The work of nurses is sacred. You uphold the dignity of human life in its most vulnerable moments. When your voices are silenced or your needs unmet, it is not just labor rights at stake—it’s the health, safety, and humanity of every patient you serve.

You don’t have to be Catholic to see the truth: workers deserve safe staffing, fair pay, and a voice in the systems that impact their lives. We are proud to stand in solidarity with people of all faiths—and of none—who believe in human dignity and the common good.

This will not be our only day standing with you. Whether on the picket line, in the halls of power, or in our pulpits and parishes—we will continue to amplify your cause, because it is a just cause. We are with you until justice is won.

May this strike be a moment of awakening—for hospital leadership, for our communities, and for our Church—to recognize and defend the dignity of nurses. You have our prayers, our presence, and our promise: we will not look away.