Four pro-life activists were found guilty on March 14 of trespassing during a 2019 Red Rose Rescue at an abortion facility in New Jersey; however, they will not serve jail time.

The activists — Father David Nix, a diocesan hermit; Father Fidelis Moscinski, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal from the Bronx; William Goodman, a Wisconsin native; and Sally Hernandez — all received 18 months probation at the hearing in Madison Joint Municipal Court in Madison, New Jersey. According to OSV News, they will not have to report to a probation officer, and their 30-day sentences for trespassing were suspended.

“The Holy Spirit was with us; the 30-day suspended jail time was the best thing we can do. The judge gave us some leeway in presenting our arguments for life. It was an honor and privilege defending these pro-life saints,” said Vincent James Sanzone, the activists’ attorney.

The rescue took place on July 13, 2019, at Garden State Gynecology in Morristown, New Jersey, during which the pro-life activists talked with women scheduled for abortions and handed them roses with a card reading, “You were made to love and to be loved… your goodness is greater than the difficulties of your situation. Circumstances in life change. A new life, however tiny, brings the promise of unrepeatable joy.” The card included the phone number of a local pregnancy resource center.

The rescuers remained in the facility as a sign of solidarity with the preborn babies scheduled to be killed and refused to leave when instructed to do so by officers, leading to their arrests.

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“These four pro-lifers performed an act of love and charity for innocent, helpless unborn children about to be brutally put to death — and they also reached out to their mothers — offering to them words of encouragement and practical help,” Monica Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society told OSV News. “Unfortunately, we expect that the unborn will remain unseen, their lives not considered in the court of law — as if they didn’t even exist!”

Father Fidelis and Goodman were two of the 23 pro-life activists pardoned by President Donald Trump on January 23 after they had been convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for previous rescue efforts. Father Fidelis was convicted of FACE Act violations for a New York rescue in 2022 and Goodman for a rescue in Washington, DC in 2020. Both have been incarcerated several times for their pro-life activism.

Four pro-life activists were found guilty on March 14 of trespassing during a 2019 Red Rose Rescue at an abortion facility in New Jersey; however, they will not serve jail time.

The activists — Father David Nix, a diocesan hermit; Father Fidelis Moscinski, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal from the Bronx; William Goodman, a Wisconsin native; and Sally Hernandez — all received 18 months probation at the hearing in Madison Joint Municipal Court in Madison, New Jersey. According to OSV News, they will not have to report to a probation officer, and their 30-day sentences for trespassing were suspended.

“The Holy Spirit was with us; the 30-day suspended jail time was the best thing we can do. The judge gave us some leeway in presenting our arguments for life. It was an honor and privilege defending these pro-life saints,” said Vincent James Sanzone, the activists’ attorney.

The rescue took place on July 13, 2019, at Garden State Gynecology in Morristown, New Jersey, during which the pro-life activists talked with women scheduled for abortions and handed them roses with a card reading, “You were made to love and to be loved… your goodness is greater than the difficulties of your situation. Circumstances in life change. A new life, however tiny, brings the promise of unrepeatable joy.” The card included the phone number of a local pregnancy resource center.

The rescuers remained in the facility as a sign of solidarity with the preborn babies scheduled to be killed and refused to leave when instructed to do so by officers, leading to their arrests.

Abortion Doctors Share How The Most Common Abortion Procedures Take Place

“These four pro-lifers performed an act of love and charity for innocent, helpless unborn children about to be brutally put to death — and they also reached out to their mothers — offering to them words of encouragement and practical help,” Monica Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society told OSV News. “Unfortunately, we expect that the unborn will remain unseen, their lives not considered in the court of law — as if they didn’t even exist!”

Father Fidelis and Goodman were two of the 23 pro-life activists pardoned by President Donald Trump on January 23 after they had been convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for previous rescue efforts. Father Fidelis was convicted of FACE Act violations for a New York rescue in 2022 and Goodman for a rescue in Washington, DC in 2020. Both have been incarcerated several times for their pro-life activism.