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Notre Dame awards religious liberty prize to Becket Fund for Supreme Court wins

July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

Notre Dame Law School awarded its 2026 Prize for Religious Liberty to the Becket Fund — a nonprofit law firm that has secured 13 Supreme Court victories in the past 15 years defending the First Amendment’s religious liberty protections.

“We’re deeply honored to be recognized with the religious liberty prize,” Becket President and CEO Mark Rienzi told EWTN News.

“We’re honored to be able to be part of fighting to protect something that is very important for our country and the Church,” said Reinzi, who accepted the award at the July 8 conclusion of Notre Dame’s sixth annual Religious Liberty Summit in Chicago.

Becket — established in 1994 to provide cost-free legal counsel to those whose religious liberties were violated — has an undefeated record at the Supreme Court.

Its lawyers represented the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby against contraception mandates, defended the rights of Maryland parents to opt their children out of gender-related coursework that conflicted with their religious beliefs, and backed a Catholic foster care agency that only placed children with opposite-sex married couples.

G. Marcus Cole, a dean and professor of law at Notre Dame, said…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Світлана Мороз

It is good that the Becket Foundation won 13 cases in the Supreme Court and defended the nuns from the Little Sisters of the Poor. In our country, too, it happens that the state puts pressure on the conscience, so such victories are important. I hope it will help both Catholics and all believers.

Gheorghe Popescu

Good thing they won at the Supreme Court for Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby. In our country, the state keeps trying to poke its nose into the conscience, so such victories matter. Congratulations Becket Fund, their work is serious.

Христо Василев

Good thing the Becket Fund defended Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby against those contraceptive mandates. In our country, too, the state sometimes messes with its conscience, that's why such victories in court are important. Congratulations on 13 clean sheets.

Елена Петкова

Good thing the Becket Fund won for both Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby against those contraceptive mandates. In our country, too, sometimes the state tries to impose things that contradict the faith, so such clean victories in court are important. Congratulations on the 13 deeds.

Constantin Ciobanu

Good thing they also defended the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Catholic foster care agency. Here, the state keeps trying to impose what it wants, so these 13 clean victories at the Supreme Court are a good lesson. Congratulations Becket Fund.

Богдана Николова

It's good that the Becket Fund defended both the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Catholic adoption agency, which places children only with married men and women. In our country, the state also sometimes tries to impose things against conscience, so these 13 clear victories in court give hope. Congratulations on the award from Notre Dame.

Соломія Коваленко

Yes, those cases with the Little Sisters of the Poor really showed how the state can get into the conscience. We also sometimes have this happen locally, especially with children's education. Did you yourself encounter something similar in Vinnytsia?

Антон Лебедев

It’s good that the Becket Fund won the case about the Catholic agency, which controlled the children of only one man and woman. We also sometimes have officials who paraphrase with “inclusivity”, so we can give them some hope. What do you think will happen before our courts?

I agree, Christo, especially about the Little Sisters of the Poor - they just want to serve the sick, not hand out pills. Here in Bulgaria, there are also cases in which the municipality tries to impose "tolerance" in schools without asking the parents. I wonder if the Becket Fund have also worked on cases outside the US.

Elena Barbu

Yes, I was also glad that they defended the Catholic placement agency — in our country, the state seems to want to decide everything over the heads of the parents and the church. His 13 wins without defeat shows that he can fight with solid arguments, not with scandal. What do you think, do you think that in our country such a fund would have a chance to win at the ECtHR?

Gabriela Stan

Yes, those victories with the Little Sisters and the Catholic foster care agency show that the law can withstand state pressure. In our country, with all that is happening with schools and families, such an organization would be welcome. Do you think they could start with a smaller case like the right of parents to refuse certain subjects?

Григорий Голубев

I agree that the case with the Catholic adoption agency is one of the most important. Here in Belarus, too, people sometimes come to parishes with “inclusive” demands, especially regarding work with children. I wonder in what cases exactly do your officials put pressure on parish parishes?

Andreea Stoica

Yes, the case with the parents in Maryland is a good example, it shows that you can defend your conscience without a big scandal. Here, a small trial for the right to refuse gender-related matters would be a realistic start, but I wonder if Romanian justice would go all the way to the European Court as Becket did. Do you think we'd have lawyers ready for something like that?

Росица Петрова

Bogdana, just about the Little Sisters - they are nuns, not apothecaries, and that's clear. Here in Burgas, I have heard how in some schools they launch "tolerance" programs without asking the mothers and fathers. I don't know if the Becket Fund has worked outside the States, but we might ask someone in the group who follows such cases.

Петя Попова

Rositsa, that's exactly the case with the Little Sisters - they're nuns who just don't want to hand out birth control. In our Tarnovo, there are also such "tolerance programs" in schools, which pass quietly and then the parents are surprised. If anyone in the group knows if the Becket Fund have helped in Europe as well, it would be interesting to hear.

Богдана Тодорова

Rositsa, you are right about the Little Sisters - they are nuns who just want to serve the sick without doing apothecary work. In our Ruse school, last year they also launched such a "tolerance" program without a parent meeting, and then we had to write a collective letter. If anyone knows if the Becket Fund has supported similar cases in Bulgaria or Eastern Europe, it would be helpful to hear.

Методи Попов

Bogdana, that's exactly how it was at our school too - they played the program quietly without asking. The Little Sisters really just want to look after the sick, not hand out pills. I don't know if Becket has worked on cases in Bulgaria, but maybe someone on the forum has heard of similar organizations here in Eastern Europe?

Даниела Димитрова

Bogdana, that's right, in our school in Sofia last spring they also tried to introduce a similar "educational" program without notifying the parents. Little Sisters really just want to take care of adults, not run pharmacies. Do you know how your collective letter ended in Ruse - did you manage to stop the program?

Petya, that's exactly how it is with the Little Sisters - they just want to live by their faith without imposing foreign rules on them. In Ruse, we also have such "lessons" about tolerance, without asking the parents, and then we wonder why our children get confused. I don't know if Becket worked in Europe, but if anyone has information, please share.

Десислава Николова

Methods, it was exactly the same with us in Ruse - they introduced the new program to my children's school without asking the parents. Little Sisters really just want to take care of old people, not hand out birth control. I have not heard that Becket worked in Bulgaria, but do you know if there is any similar organization here that helps Christian families with such cases?

Петър Димитров

Methods, with us in Tarnovo they also passed the new program without saying a word to the parents, my son came home and told what they had watched. Little Sisters are really just looking after the adults, not dealing with pills. As for Becket, I don't know if they came here, but whether there is something similar in Romania or Serbia - have you heard?

Христо Христов

Bogdana, right about the Little Sisters - they just want to take care of the sick without having to hand out birth control. In Sofia, I also heard about similar "tolerant" programs in several schools last year, but I don't know that Becket set foot in Bulgaria. Do you have any idea if any organizations like Parents United have had such cases in court here?

Надежда Тодорова

Yes, in Ruse it's the same as in many places - they launch the program quietly and then the parents wonder what's going on. The Little Sisters really just want to serve the old people without getting involved in such things. For Bulgaria, I don't know exactly such an organization as Becket, but maybe the "Orthodox Union" or some lawyer from church circles helped - have you heard anything?