They fought a false charge of voter fraud before the 2024 election, and now the Benedictine Sisters of Erie are being honored for their political courage.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt nominated the nuns for the 2025 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award, and they won.

The award recognizes the preservation of democracy.

Two weeks before the presidential election, social influencer Cliff Maloney posted on X that no one lived in the monastery in Harborcreek, where 59 nuns do live.

The post drew national attention, and the Benedictine Sisters had to provide evidence to prove his claim false.

“It was kind of...well, all we're going to do is say, 'No, we live here,' and prove that there are a number of us living here,” said Benedictine Sister Diane Rabe. “So, they came

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