Sept. 21 to Sr. Helen- Situation at Loretto

After sending my initial email regarding Ms. Marie Bain to both you and Sister Barbara on Monday, I called Loretto today (Wednesday) at 12:30 to determine the status of my concern. Since I had not received any response at all, I wondered if perhaps the emails had even been received or read. Your voice message indicated you were out of town and therefore, I spoke with Sister Barbara. She said she had received my emails and that she was simply waiting for you to return before responding. However, I was really hoping for an answer along the lines of:

"Yes, Mrs. Sills, we have received your information and if proven to be true, certainly share your concern. We are looking into the situation and will eventually get back to you. In the meantime, considering the preponderance of evidence, as a precaution, Ms. Bain will be placed on paid administrative leave for the protection of our young women at Loretto. Thank you very much for this information."

Instead, I received a very different and disappointing response from Sister Barbara. In your absence, I assume Sr. Barbara is left with the responsibility to protect our daughters at Loretto and respond to parental concerns, yet clearly she did not share my concern or sense of urgency, but rather gave many disappointing, defensive statements, that include:

"Just because a person volunteers at Planned Parenthood does not necessarily mean they support abortion," said Sr. Barbara. I reminded her that I provided photos of the individual enthusiastically encouraging young women in for abortions, specifically volunteering on killing days. Ms. Bain was not working as a file clerk, trying to make enough money to pay for rent, but rather willfully VOLUNTEERED her free time to be there during the critical killing hours of 8:30-10:30 Tuesdays and Fridays. How could that be interpreted any other way than supportive of abortion?

Sister Barbara continued, "Mrs. Sills, you said yourself, that she had not been there for several weeks..." implying that Ms. Bain's presence at Loretto is somehow now acceptable. Obviously, my observations do not vouch for Ms. Bain's presence or non-presence at PP, for I am not there every day, all day. Sister Barbara volunteered that employees are asked to sign a contract in which they agree to abide by Catholic teachings and apparently Sister Barbara erroneously believes recently or currently volunteering as a Planned Parenthood escort is not in conflict with our church. Optimistically, I sincerely pray that Ms. Bain has experienced a change of heart and now fully respects the sanctity of human life, which would be a conversion on the magnitude of Saul to Paul, but like those early Christians, I am cautious to assume such, without some further explanation of Ms. Bain's current position on abortion. Until this is indicated, my protective maternal instincts make me very uncomfortable knowing that this "teacher" has access to 600 young women, particularly at Loretto CATHOLIC school. This is an embarrassment and affront to our Catholic church and teachings.

Sr. Barbara also said, "Mrs. Sills, you would be very surprised if you knew the number of Catholics who receive services at Planned Parenthood" as if this made Ms. Bain's presence justified. I was appalled and deeply saddened by this desperate, defensive attempt. At the abortion clinics, I often see cars with rosaries hanging from their rear view mirror and Catholic Radio bumper stickers on their cars, so I am sadly all too aware of the extent Catholics receive "services" there. However, how can hiring and continuing to defend a pro-abortion employee help this situation? Loretto's initial hiring and subsequent inaction only contributes to this terrible disintegration of our doctrinal teaching and faithful obedience. What example is this giving our young women?

This is a very sad situation for Loretto, but a bad situation is only worsened when an administration chooses to "protect" Loretto and its employees at the cost of subjecting our daughters to significant pro-abortion risk by remaining stubbornly unresponsive to well-documented, fully verified, parental concerns. Again, I urge that Ms. Bain be placed immediately on paid administrative leave until this predicament can be rectified. I know there are many Loretto parents and fellow Catholics who will be very surprised to learn of this staff member's pro-abortion history and Loretto's seemingly tolerance of her views. She has already had a month's access to our daughters and as a parent I do not want another day to pass, particularly knowing my daughter sits a few feet away from her every morning in homeroom. As theater teacher and academic counselor, Ms. Bain has extensive unsupervised access to many students.

For the sake of the Loretto High School, our Catholic church and faith, for the safety of the students, for the protection of human life, I plead that you take care of this situation, before it is magnified even further.