A pregnant mom in Texas was escorted out of a Dallas Catholic church by cops for not wearing a mask.

According to Todd Starnes, three police officers approached the pregnant mom, identified as Deirdre Hairston, during a Holy Mass at Holy Trinity Church early this month.

During a recent podcast, Hairston said she was kneeling with the eucharist "still on her tongue" and holding her baby when a police officer told her that she needed to leave the Holy Communion.

It can be recalled that the wearing of masks along with social distancing is encouraged by medical experts and agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Masks are also encouraged to be worn, especially in places where people gather.

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Pregnant Mom on Church

Deirdre Hairston said one of the cops even told her that she would place her in a handcuff if she does not leave. When she was being escorted out, Hairston asked the police officer if they were arresting her, Washington Examiner reported.

The police replied that they would not arrest her but warned that they would arrest her if she does not listen. Once outside, the pregnant mom said the usher ran to her car, took pictures of her license plate, and then police wrote her a ticket for "trespassing on a business."

"It's extremely aggressive. I mean, you're going to arrest a 28-year-old nursing mom who's already socially distanced? I mean, it proves that it's not really about the health. It's just about control," Hairston noted. 

The pregnant mom said she even told the officer that this "isn't McDonalds," and a business, but a sanctuary and a place for worship.

Deirdre Hairston sat on the far right back of the church with her husband and baby. She was not wearing a mask because she feels nauseous from pregnancy.

The usher failed to convince Hairston to wear her mask. Thus, the usher alerted the pastor, who informed the police, Church Militant reported.

Deirdre Hairston said it was most likely that she will be arrested for trespassing if she ever comes back to the church. The pregnant mom said the incident occurred before Governor Greg Abbott ended the statewide mask mandate early this month.

Defense of the Church

The Diocese of Dallas argued that Hairston was not arrested nor ticketed. Instead, the pregnant mom was only issued a "trespass warning," said the statement issued by the Diocese.

The Diocese of Dallas further noted that the parish pastor has required masks at Mass out of concern for the health and welfare of his entire congregation.

It also emphasized that the Canon law grants pastors jurisdiction over their parishes, and the bishop has given the pastors the right to mandate rules like wearing masks in their churches.

Meanwhile, a new poll has indicated that the American church membership has fallen below the majority for the first time.

According to a Fox News report, the data from Gallup tracked church membership started with 73 percent in 1937 and peaked after World War II with 76 percent membership.

It noted that the past 20 years had seen a sharp fall, dropping from 70 percent to 47 percent in that time.

Based on the respondents, 66 percent of the churchgoers are born before 1946. Baby boomers and Gen X have 55 percent, while the Millennials are only amounting to 36 percent.

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