
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.
Celiac Disease Does Not Mean “No Eucharist for You!”
Mary FioRito

Hysteria aside, celiac disease is serious business. The Church can better address this issue with more consistent treatment of parishioners with the disease.
Articles
Aleteia / July 12, 2017
Here’s The Graceful Commencement Speech Hillary Clinton Should Have Given This Year
Mary FioRito

Hillary Clinton missed an opportunity to share with young women what it is like to win the popular vote but still lose the election, and nevertheless get up in the morning to fight another day. In one way or another, this sort of thing happens to all of us (although in a less public and spectacular way).
Articles
The Federalist / June 23, 2017
Hanson’s New Life-Affirming Single is Impossible to Resist
Mary FioRito

In a musical world filled with lyrics that degrade, shock, and diminish others, ‘I Was Born’ is an inspiring (and addicting) antidote.
Articles
The Federalist / May 31, 2017
How Dr. Seuss Can Help Explain the March for Life to Children
Mary FioRito

As today’s March for Life unfolds in Washington, D.C., parents may find themselves asking how to get across the pro-life argument to young children in a way that doesn’t seem either terrifying or harsh.
Articles
Crux / January 27, 2017
The March for Life and the Women’s March: Can We Walk on Common Ground?
Mary FioRito

While it might seem to the casual observer that participants in the Women’s March on Washington don’t have much in common with the March for Life, it’s almost too bad both groups won’t be there at the same time.
Articles
Crux / January 13, 2017
Hospice, Not Abortion, for Dying Infants
Mary FioRito

Given Hillary Clinton’s strong support from Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, it’s no surprise that she defended late-term abortion. But she did a tremendous disservice particularly to families facing the tragedy of a dying infant.
Articles
National Review Online / November 5, 2016
Excerpt from “Can Catholic Women Lean In? Working Women in the Church”
Mary FioRito
The Church could not possibly image God’s presence to the faithful without the complementary gifts of women being brought to bear on ministry, evangelization, and service.
Articles
Promise and Challenge / November 13, 2015