Catholic churches and other religious institutions in Florida are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign to defeat an amendment intended to overturn the state’s controversial restrictions on abortion access.

Defeating the Amendment 4 proposal has become a major goal for the state’s Republican leadership, with Gov. Ron DeSantis throwing considerable political weight behind the effort. And faith-based groups rank among the most vocal and generous partners in the battle — creating websites, mounting social media campaigns and pushing congregations to join the fight.

Money may be the most telling measure of their influence. Religious institutions accounted for more than a third of the total contributions — almost $850,000 including check and in-kind donations according to calculations by the Miami Herald — to the Florida Voters Against Extremism PAC, the political committee behind the “Vote No on 4” campaign. Catholic organizations and churches accounted for almost $834,000 alone, while Florida Baptist organizations contributed around $10,500.