ISSUE NO. 8 – THE COURAGE TO DEFEND LIFE
Mother holding her sleeping child beside the Faith Matters logo
 
A Publication of Ave Maria Mutual Funds
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
the LENS
   
   
   
 
 
 

Every human life, from conception to natural death, is sacred, unrepeatable, and infinitely precious in the eyes of God. Each life is His gift — entrusted to our protection and love.
 
 
 
TREASURY
 
St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Patron Saint of Mothers, Physicians, and Unborn Children

St. Gianna Beretta Molla was an Italian wife, mother, and physician whose life became a remarkable witness to the dignity of every human life.

Born in 1922, Gianna married Pietro Molla in 1955 and continued practicing medicine while raising their family. During her final pregnancy, doctors discovered a large benign fibroma in her uterus. She understood the risks but asked the surgeon to remove the tumor without endangering her unborn child. As the birth approached, she made her wishes clear. According to the Vatican’s official biography, she said, “If you must [decide] between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child. I insist on it. Save him.”

Her daughter, Gianna Emanuela, was born on April 21, 1962. St. Gianna died from septic peritonitis one week later at the age of 39. Pietro and their three surviving children – Pierluigi, Laura, and Gianna Emanuela – were present when Pope St. John Paul II canonized her in 2004. Her courageous faith continues to inspire families, physicians, and defenders of human life throughout the world.
 
 
 
By the Numbers
The rise of medication abortion: 39% in 2017, 53% in 2020, and 63% in 2023. Source: Guttmacher Institute.
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
in the FRAY
   
   
   
 
 
 
Behind the Abortion Pill’s Safety Numbers
 

Medication abortion accounted for 63% of abortions provided through the formal U.S. health care system in 2023, according to a Guttmacher Institute analysis.

Against that backdrop, an April 2025 report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center examined insurance claims associated with 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 through 2023. The authors identified billing records that they classified as serious adverse events within 45 days in 10.93% of cases, including infection, hemorrhage, sepsis, and other diagnoses or interventions.

The authors argue that these claims-based findings warrant further scrutiny and that patients should receive complete information about the potential physical risks of medication abortion. The report was self-published rather than peer-reviewed, and its conclusions remain disputed; the FDA says its continuing reviews have not identified new safety concerns when mifepristone is used as directed.
READ REPORT
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
VIRTUE of the MONTH
   
   
   
 
 
 
Fortitude
 

Fortitude calls us to stand for what is right, even when doing so is difficult or unpopular. It does not mean living without fear, but moving through fear with faith—remaining steadfast in what is good, patient in adversity, and willing to bear the cost of acting with conviction and love.
 
 
 
 
“Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!”
 
 
Psalm 31:24
 
 
 
Ave Maria Mutual Funds
 
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Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., a registered investment adviser established in 1980, serves as investment adviser for Ave Maria Mutual Funds. The Adviser invests in securities only if they meet the Funds’ investment and religious requirements, and as such, the returns may be lower or higher than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations. The Funds’ method of security selection may or may not be successful and the Funds may underperform or outperform the stock market as a whole. All mutual funds are subject to market risk, including possible loss of principal.

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