On April 19, Mallory McMorrow, Democratic State Senator of Michigan, delivered a speech in the chamber of the Michigan State Capitol. It instantly struck a chord on social media, and has since been viewed by millions of people throughout the world. 

Pushing back forcefully against a Republican colleague’s accusations of “grooming and sexualizing children” as well as defending her support of LGBTQ people, McMorrow cited her Christian faith—and in particular her Catholic upbringing—as an inspiration for her political outlook and her insistence on taking the side of the marginalized.

On this episode, McMorrow speaks with Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi about what went into writing that speech, what she hopes listeners will take from it, and what role she hopes a renewed, nuanced understanding of faith might yet play in public life.

For further reading:

• ‘Let Church Be Church Again,’ Sr. Carol Keehan, DC
• ‘American Politics & Social Catholicism,’ E.J. Dionne, Jr. 
• ‘Civic Virtue & the Common Good,’ Bishop Robert W. McElroy, John T. McGreevy, Cathleen Kaveny, and Matthew Sitman