Armed with religious icons, a small but determined group of Catholics met on the sidewalk in front of Catholic Medical Center on Dec 8th to protest the erosion of Catholic ethical standards they say would result if the hospital affiliated with secular Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health. “It is spiritual warfare that we’re engaged in.”

The estimated 20 Catholics waged their battle on the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a holy day for Roman Catholics. Some also brought pictures of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Mexican Catholics, whose feast is celebrated Saturday.

“She is the protectress of the unborn,” explained Breuder, 62, as she held a tapestry bearing an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“We’re just begging our protectress to make sure the affiliation will not go through and that our hospital will remain Catholic and become more authentically Catholic,” added Breuder, vice-president of New Hampshire Right to Life, a group that opposes abortion.

Catholic Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health are considering a plan to integrate CMC into a regional health system controlled by Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

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