Miami delegation meets with legislators in Tallahassee to raise awareness about human life and dignity

By Priscilla Greear - Florida Catholic

Photography: PRISCILLA GREEAR | FC

TALLAHASSEE | Armed with public policy education and a spirit of civility, more than 30 delegates from the Archdiocese of Miami advocated for legislation to uphold human life and dignity at Catholic Days at the Capitol in Tallahassee. They discussed with lawmakers a spectrum of Florida Church priorities for the 2025 legislative session, from human embryonic education in public schools to urgent renovations to failing prison infrastructure such as air conditioning.

Angela Curatalo, director of the Respect Life Ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami, led the annual legislative mission trip from March 18-20, 2025. This year the archdiocesan delegation consisted of 34 advocates, up from 19 in 2024, and included several members of the Miami Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. Also traveling were Father Michael Davis, pastor of St. Gregory the Great Church in Plantation; Father Milton Martinez, director of the archdiocesan Vocations office; and seminarians Jonathan Sanchez and Erich Vazquez. They joined more than 300 Catholics from across Florida in the capital for the opening legislative briefing at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, led by Michael Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, FCCB.

Joseph Harmon, policy coordinator for the FCCB, shared details of three pending bills to expand the pool of those eligible for the death penalty. He noted that Florida leads the nation in new death penalty convictions and exonerations while it is not a clear crime deterrent. “Executing somebody doesn’t actually provide relief or peace to the victim,” he said. “The death penalty costs the state tens of millions of dollars more than it would to confine someone for life.”

Among other legislative proposals is a bill to legalize physician assisted suicide, which the Church opposes, arguing that it makes people expendable and leads to an overall higher suicide rate.

The FCCB supports a proposal to require health education on human embryology and fetal development for students in grades 6-12.

 It also calls for an increase to the $100,000 allocated yearly for prison infrastructure renovations, citing a report of $2.2 billion needed for immediate critical prison repairs across 134 correctional facilities, with nearly 75% of housing units lacking air conditioning.

Father Theodore Costello of St. Petersburg, who serves in prison ministry, affirmed the severe conditions. “You try to sleep with no AC in Florida and bugs crawling on you,” he said. “Conditions are horrible and can you imagine being in a building with no windows, no (sufficient) light, no nothing.” 

In an evening Mass, Father Martinez commissioned the Miami advocates to study the issues and go forth in faith. “Be strong in prayer and justice taking to heart that we are going to stand in the eyes of the Lord” defending the vulnerable, he said.

On March 19, at the Capitol Day breakfast, Archbishop Thomas Wenski thanked participants for putting their faith in democratic action, reminding them to share God’s love and persuade by attraction. 

Sporting Holy Spirit-inspired red attire, the Miami delegation hit the Capitol in small groups to meet with their assigned legislators or their assistants. MACCW members Josephine Gilbert, Jean Marie Carter and Cecilia Cantu prayed together and navigated the House of Representatives though a flurry of visitors.

The team first visited Rep. Michael Gottlieb, who said he opposes any expansion to the death penalty and expressed openness to unbiased, medically focused embryonic education. While open to assisted suicide for extreme suffering in terminal illness, he would favor increased funding for public prison infrastructure. He has sponsored bills to address gender-based hate and doxxing. “There is way too much hate and not enough love and tolerance,” Gottlieb said. “We have some common ground that we can sit down here and discuss. This is what we should stand for.”

Gilbert, advocating since 2007, said it’s “amazing” to see lawmakers gain new insight on a bill or issue. She believes her yearly advocacy makes a difference. “You’re talking to people making laws. (It’s worth it) if you can change one mind,” she said.

Cantu appreciated Gottlieb’s responsiveness. “He wasn’t so evasive. He was more open to dialogue.”

MACCW member Monica Kramer met with a legislator who is “pro-death penalty,” asserting that it deters crime. “But Florida is number one in exonerated individuals and what better punishment is there than to be put in a cage for the rest of your life?” she said.

Under a sunny, crystalline sky, the group recharged in the plaza between the current and historic Capitol buildings and enjoyed a performance by the Florida State University pep band. Some breezed through the old Capitol, now the Florida Historic Capitol Museum.  Kramer’s group entered the Florida Supreme Court and met Justice John Couriel.

“We’re all discovering and learning the importance of Catholic advocacy. It’s been a great, meaningful experience,” said Father Davis.

He believes embryonic education is an excellent proposal to reveal “the mystery of human life” and that prison repairs are exigent to address deplorable conditions. “We’re not endorsing any crime but people are people and have human dignity. Having jails without AC in Florida is unthinkable.” 

First time participant Laura Losciale, a member of St. Augustine Church in Coral Gables, felt called to action. “It’s a very important responsibility of the church to be involved in politics and to influence policy outcomes,” she said. “This (assisted suicide) bill is chilling. It’s a very slippery slope. It needs to be opposed so it’s not even raised in this state.”

Participant Ed Suazo, a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Miami, met with a representative who opposes assisted suicide and the death penalty and, while supporting abortion rights, agreed that embryonic education “that prevents unintended pregnancies is great.”

Sheedy said that “the Church tries to be the good conscience for society” through civil, persuasive advocacy and show solidarity with legislators. “We try to focus on the principles, on the issues, not the people, not the personalities, not the parties.”

The Church also opposed Florida immigration bills signed into law following the Feb. 11-13 special session, Sheedy noted. They included a death penalty mandate for undocumented people convicted of capital crimes; elimination of in-state tuition for the undocumented; and a criminal offense for “illegal entry in Florida,” with a similar Texas law being challenged.

The day culminated with the faithful assembling at the Co- Cathedral of St. Thomas More for the 50th annual Red Mass of the Holy Spirit for the executive, judicial and legislative branches. Archbishop Wenski celebrated the Mass and concelebrants were Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach; Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice; Bishop John Noonan of Orlando; Bishop Gregory Parkes of St. Petersburg; Bishop William Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee; Bishop Erik Pohlmeier of St. Augustine; and Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado of Miami. Gov. Ron Desantis attended, Hon. Lance Neff and Rep. Dana Trabulsy served as lectors, and Speaker of the House Daniel Perez read the prayers of the faithful.

In his homily, Archbishop Wenski reminded everyone of their calling to seek holiness and work for justice, recognizing the sanctity of life. He said that when people look at others as merely problems, they seek unjust solutions. “There is no such thing as a ‘problem pregnancy,’ only a child who is to be welcomed in life and protected by law. Migrants, even ones without legal papers, are not problems. The migrant may perhaps be a stranger, but one who is to be embraced as a brother,” he said. “Even those incarcerated in our prisons, for all the horror of their crimes, do not lose their God-given dignity as human beings. They too must be treated with respect, even in their punishment.”

Leaders must seek to grow in “the virtue of justice by which you give both God and neighbor their due seeing other people as God sees them with perfect and unwavering charity.”

Curatalo said the trip was a wonderful way for Catholics to stand up for their convictions in the public square. “We had so many new people, about half of the participants,” said Curatalo. “It is our chance to truly be a ‘voice for the voiceless.’”

Editor's note: In this article published in the Florida Catholic, the last name of Miami delegate Catherine Donn has been corrected as it was misspelled as Catherine Dunn.

For more information about Church legislative priorities visit the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Florida Catholic Advocacy Network at www.flaccb.org/flcan. 

Photographer: Courtesy FCCB

The Miami delegation of 34 poses before a morning breakfast and meetings with legislators on March 19, 2025 in Tallahassee during Catholic Days at the Capitol.