New abortion clinic trial in New Jersey involves a hermit, a friar and two laypeople
A diocesan hermit, Father David Nix, is one of four defendants going on trial March 14 in Madison Joint Municipal Court in Madison, New Jersey, for a July 13, 2019, “rescue” at a clinic in nearby Morristown. Father Fidelis is one of four defendants facing trial March 14, 2025, in a New Jersey court for a July 13, 2019, “rescue” at a clinic in Morristown, N.J. Despite President Donald Trump’s January pardons of 23 people convicted of violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinics Act, or FACE Act, at least one prosecution of pro-life activists accused of violating a local law by disrupting an abortion clinic is moving ahead.
The Defendants and the Red Rose Rescue
Father David as well as Father Fidelis Moscinski and William Goodman, both of whom received presidential pardons for their earlier participation in clinic blockades, and another activist, Sally Hernandez, were charged after participating in a Red Rose Rescue at Garden State Gynecology. Red Rose Rescues are sponsored by the Michigan-based Citizens for a Pro-Life Society. The trial has been postponed twice, once as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Morristown event was similar to the activities of Operation Rescue decades ago, but was not a “lock and block” blockade, in which doors and parking lot gates were closed with chains and bicycle locks. Rather, the defendants entered the clinic waiting room and began praying while handing out red roses to women and clinic staff. Each rose had a card stating, “You were made to love and to be loved. Your goodness is greater than the difficulties of your situation,” and included phone numbers of pregnancy resource centers. Morristown police arrested them without incident.
The following table provides details on the individuals involved in the trial:
| Name | Role / Status | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Father Fidelis Moscinski | Franciscan Friar of the Renewal | Convicted of participating in a clinic blockade in Hempstead, New York, in 2022. |
| Father David Nix | Diocesan hermit | A Boston College graduate and a former paramedic, ordained in the Archdiocese of Denver in 2010. |
| William Goodman | Layperson | Originally from Wisconsin and active in Red Rose Rescues since 2017. |
| Sally Hernandez | Layperson | Active in Red Rose Rescue for several years. |
Legal Defense and the 'Justifiable Necessity'
In a court filing, Vincent J. Sanzone Jr., the lawyer for all four, said the defendants “have pleaded the defense of justifiable necessity” and “acted upon a reasonable and good faith belief that the abortion facility was killing human life and that staying in the clinic waiting room to dissuade mothers from killing their unborn babies was the only available means of preventing the killing of those lives." A conviction could result in fines and a short jail term.
Regarding their mission, the Red Rose Rescue website says it includes entering “the actual places where the innocent unborn are about to be dragged to death.” In a statement to OSV News, Father Fidelis said, “A ‘revolution of common sense’ has occurred in our nation. I am confident that all of us will be found not guilty.”
Profiles of the Clergy Involved
- Father Fidelis Moscinski: From the Bronx borough of New York, he has been jailed several times for his advocacy.
- Father David Nix: Lives a solitary life directly under the authority of the local bishop, professing poverty, chastity and obedience, and following a personalized plan of life approved by the bishop.
It was the third Red Rose Rescue event in New Jersey; others have taken place in Trenton and Montclair. There have been 30 Red Rose Rescues since September 2017.