
Mary FioRito
Cardinal Francis George Fellow
EPPC Fellow Mary Hallan FioRito is an attorney, public speaker, and commentator on issues involving women’s leadership in the Catholic Church, work/life balance for mothers, and Catholic Church administration. Her interests also include human life issues, primarily abortion, post-abortion aftermath, and contraception. After she received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1993, the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin selected her as Director of Pro-life Activities for the Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest Catholic diocese in the United States, home to more than 2.5 million Catholics. She was responsible for all activities related to abortion, post-abortion counseling, assisted suicide and euthanasia. Ms. FioRito worked in various capacities for the Catholic Church for more than 28 years, including serving as the Archdiocese of Chicago’s first female Vice-Chancellor. In 2003, she was promoted to the position of Executive Assistant to the late Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., a role she held until the time of the Cardinal’s death in April 2015.
EPPC Fellow Mary Hallan FioRito is an attorney, public speaker, and commentator on issues involving women’s leadership in the Catholic Church, work/life balance for mothers, and Catholic Church administration. Her interests also include human life issues, primarily abortion, post-abortion aftermath, and contraception. After she received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1993, the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin selected her as Director of Pro-life Activities for the Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest Catholic diocese in the United States, home to more than 2.5 million Catholics. She was responsible for all activities related to abortion, post-abortion counseling, assisted suicide and euthanasia. Ms. FioRito worked in various capacities for the Catholic Church for more than 28 years, including serving as the Archdiocese of Chicago’s first female Vice-Chancellor. In 2003, she was promoted to the position of Executive Assistant to the late Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., a role she held until the time of the Cardinal’s death in April 2015.
Ms. FioRito’s professional experiences give her a wealth of knowledge and insight into issues affecting the Catholic faith and its impact on women and the family. She is the contributor to two books: Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves, edited by Helen M. Alvare, and Promise and Challenge: Catholic Women Reflect on Complementarity, Feminism, and the Church, a selection of essays by Catholic women scholars called together by the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is a regular contributor to A Closer Look With Sheila Liaugminas, a national Catholic radio program. In 2000, Newsweek magazine selected her as one of the “Women of the New Century,” highlighting her contribution to the nation’s conversation about abortion law and policy.
Ms. FioRito serves on the Board of Directors of numerous pro-life and charitable organizations, including Aid for Women, a pregnancy resource center and maternity home, and the National Office for Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing. She and her husband are the parents of three daughters.
Remembering Vicki Thorn and the Legacy She Left
Mary FioRito

There were very few souls as humble as Vicki, despite her many accolades and accomplishments and international fame for her work.
Articles
Our Sunday Visitor / April 27, 2022
How Christmas Unites All Americans
Mary FioRito

America proudly affirms that you don’t have to be Christian or practice any particular faith to be an American, but it acknowledges that without God, our claims about freedom, and our rights, mean nothing.
Articles
The Washington Examiner / December 25, 2021
Gov Pritzker’s Christmas Gift to Illinois Parents: The State, Not Parents, Decides What You Get…
Mary FioRito

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a bill repealing the Illinois Parental Notification of Abortion Act, a commonsense law requiring abortion providers to notify parents or guardian that an abortion would be performed on minor girls.
Articles
JohnKassNews.com / December 21, 2021
Texas Program Offers Real Alternatives to Abortion
Mary FioRito

Pro-life centers and charities that serve pregnant women will need to prepare themselves, yet not be deterred from their work. Lives—and the truth—are at stake.
Articles
Newsweek / September 20, 2021
Pro-Lifers Cheer New Texas Law, While Abortion Advocates Show Their True Colors
Mary FioRito

Given abortion’s long association with eugenics, it wasn’t necessarily surprising that some opposing the new Texas law voiced appalling statements about people living with a variety of disabilities.
Articles
Our Sunday Visitor / September 7, 2021
Xavier Becerra Is a Poor Choice for HHS Secretary
Mary FioRito

For many active Christians and Catholics, and others of goodwill who respect the free exercise of religion and religious beliefs, Xavier Becerra’s nomination indicates that Joe Biden’s aspiration to unify a divided country was simply empty rhetoric.
Articles
Chicago Tribune / March 6, 2021
Repealing Abortion Notification Law Would Be Tragic Mistake
Mary FioRito

Eliminating the Illinois Parental Notification of Abortion Act would strip away critical protections for young girls and enable predatory men.
Articles
Chicago Sun-Times / February 10, 2021
President Biden’s Mexico City Policy Repeal Contradicts His Own Recent Statements
Mary FioRito

As a direct result of President Biden’s decision, massive amounts of federal funding once again will flow indiscriminately to foreign-aid groups such as Planned Parenthood International and similar organizations whose chief aim is to profit from an increased number of abortions around the globe, including in countries that reject abortion in law.
Articles
National Catholic Register / January 30, 2021
Remembering the Legacy of Pro-Life Pioneer Joseph Scheidler
Mary FioRito

Joseph Scheidler’s death marked the end of an era for a movement that was often defined by his style of pro-life advocacy — advocacy that was so effective that the National Organization of Women brought lawsuit after lawsuit against him to try and stop it.
Articles
Our Sunday Visitor / January 28, 2021
People of Praise Deserves Ours
Mary FioRito

America has a lot to learn from Amy Coney Barrett’s ‘covenant community.’
Articles
The Wall Street Journal / October 1, 2020
Pardon Me? Pro-Life Heroine Anthony Left a Lasting Pro-Life Legacy
Mary FioRito

Susan B. Anthony believed that by directly challenging unjust laws, she was not just being a good citizen of the United States, but she was remaining obedient to God, who created both man and woman in his image and likeness.
Articles
Our Sunday Visitor / August 21, 2020
‘Choose to Be Catholic and Carry Jesus Into the Public Square’: A Congressman’s Advice to…
Mary FioRito

To help ease the pain of an experience cut short, a slew of celebrities, elected officials and notable personalities offered virtual commencement addresses. But one virtual address stood out from almost every other.
Articles
Our Sunday Visitor / June 22, 2020