Christmas Cards Carry a Quiet Appeal Into Clinic Workplaces
As Christmas approaches, a small but persistent outreach is reaching abortion clinic workers across the United States through handwritten cards sent by religious sisters. The initiative, coordinated by And Then There Were None, frames the season as a moment for reflection rather than confrontation. Cards offering prayers, encouragement, and practical resources are mailed to clinics nationwide, inviting workers to consider paths beyond their current employment. The effort draws on the contemplative traditions of multiple religious orders, whose members dedicate time to writing personal messages during the Christmas season. Rather than public protest, the project relies on quiet presence and repetition, using mail as a means of sustained contact. Organizers describe the approach as relational, aiming to reach individuals privately within a highly politicized environment. Christmas is treated not as a symbolic backdrop, but as a period when openness to change may be more likely to surface.
The program has expanded steadily, with more than a thousand Christmas cards sent this year alone by sisters from Dominican, Benedictine, Carmelite, Franciscan, and other communities. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of handwritten notes have been delivered to clinics as part of a broader effort that continues throughout the year. According to organizers, the consistency of contact is central to the strategy, ensuring that clinic workers regularly encounter messages framed around care rather than judgment. Each card typically includes contact information for assistance programs that help workers transition into alternative employment. The inclusion of religious imagery and prayer reflects the sisters’ spiritual identity, while the handwritten format emphasizes individual attention. Supporters argue that the simplicity of the gesture contrasts sharply with the pressures of clinical environments, offering a different point of reference during a season associated with family and renewal.
The initiative is led by Abby Johnson, who previously worked within the abortion industry before founding the organization to assist others seeking to leave. She has described handwritten correspondence as one of the most effective ways to prompt workers to make contact, noting that many keep the cards for extended periods before reaching out. Volunteers maintain an updated database of facilities to ensure regular delivery, creating a rhythm of engagement that continues beyond Christmas. Religious sisters involved in the project often come from cloistered communities, making letter writing a natural extension of their daily prayer life. Cards are typically blessed and prayed over before being mailed, reinforcing the spiritual intent behind the outreach. The effort blends activism with pastoral care, relying on patience rather than visibility.
Organizers view the Christmas season as especially significant, citing increased responses during this period compared to other times of the year. The focus on the Holy Family is intended to highlight themes of life, relationship, and belonging without direct argumentation. By centering messages on dignity and personal concern, the outreach seeks to humanize conversations that are often reduced to slogans. Supporters acknowledge that the initiative operates within a contested moral landscape, but maintain that its strength lies in restraint. The cards do not demand decisions, instead offering resources and presence. As the project continues to grow, it reflects a broader pattern within Catholic activism that prioritizes accompaniment over confrontation. Christmas, in this context, becomes a point of entry for dialogue shaped by conscience rather than coercion.
