Despite a public reprimand from her religious order last month, Chicago’s pro-choice Roman Catholic nun, Sister Donna Quinn, is not backing down from her support of abortion rights, applauding the defeat of an amendment today that would have added restrictions to the health care bill for women seeking abortions.

On the day the church honors the Immaculate Conception, or conception of the Virgin Mary, Quinn sent a thank you note to those who lobbied their senators to vote against the Nelson-Hatch Amendment, which lost in a 54-45 Senate vote earlier today.

The amendment would have prohibited funds authorized or appropriated under the health care bill, including the tax credits used to help individuals purchase health coverage, from being used for abortions, or for benefits packages that include abortion. America’s Catholic bishops had pushed for the amendment.

“The Amendment lost today but now the work will be to take this Bill and come out with the same good news when the Senate and House work together,” Quinn said.

Citing a poem about the Virgin Mary, Quinn noted the providential date of the amendment’s defeat.

“I was reminded of being with men and women from the Unitarian faith tradition last year as they celebrated Mary who by her [ascent], they believed, was one of the first women in the New Testament to express Choice,” Quinn said.

Check out the Trib for the rest.