Michael Schwartz, a steadfast advocate for the Catholic Church and pro-family policies in Washington, D.C., and a good friend of The Cardinal Newman Society, reportedly died Sunday after a tough battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Schwartz served more than a decade as chief of staff to pro-life Senator Tom Coburn after many years at the Free Congress Foundation. He was instrumental to the founding of The Cardinal Newman Society in 1993 and served on the Advisory Board for many years. On January 25, Schwartz was recognized for his lifetime of pro-life leadership by the National Pro-Life Religious Council.

According to an announcement from the Capitol Hill group Faith and Law:

It is with sadness that we inform you that Michael Schwartz went home to be with the Lord. After a year-and-a-half battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Mike finished his race today.

Mike, Chief of Staff to Senator Tom Coburn, was a devout Catholic who loved the Lord deeply. He was active teaching adult catechism in his home parish. Mike fought valiantly for the unborn from the advent of legalized abortion in America. He was an avid reader of the most rigorous books and essays, reading a book or two each week. He relished discussions about God, the Supreme Court, and politics. He was a friend of the high and mighty and the lowly and powerless alike. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather.

See, below, Senator Coburn’s tribute to Mike on the Senate floor.

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