The Men’s Leadership Forum involves men in acknowledging and preventing domestic and sexual violence. 

Men and boys must become actively involved in this important public heath issue for substantive change and healing to occur.  Join with men, young and old, recognized as community leaders, to positively impact the San Diego community for the good of everyone.  This event will focus on the role men can play in overcoming relationship violence, but women are also welcome to attend. 

Workshops will include:

- Ken Druck, Ph.D. “Breaking The Cycle of Loss and Violence”
- Dr. Vincent Felitti “Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Cycle of Violence”
- Lic. Ricardo Ruiz Carbonel “Dignidad Quebrantada: Raíces de la Violencia” Taller en   
   español / Spanish breakout session
- Cindy Grossman "Domestic Violence Effects on Children"
- Craig McClain and Joe Sigerton "Boys to Men"
- Steve Allen, Esq. "Justice and the Limits of the Long-Arm of the Law"
- Kent Peters "Safe Place Faith Communities" an initiative report
- David Wexler "Good Men Behaving Badly"
- Two or three additional workshops will be scheduled (youth, workplace, etc.) 
 

5th Annual Men's Leadership Forum
Monday, February 14, 2005
Paradise Point Convention Center
1404 Vacation Road in San Diego
Cost - $20 per person

For more information and scholarship opportunities call/contact:

Steve Allen, Esq, (858) 272-5328 sallen@ccssd.org,

Kent Peters, (858) 490-8323 kpeters@diocese-sdiego.org, or

the San Diego Domestic Violence Council at (619) 533-6041
 

Number 4:   A Death Penalty Vigil for Donald Beardslee will be held on Tuesday, January 18, 2005, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Mr. Beardslee will be executed at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, January 19 at San Quentin

(SPECIAL NOTE - IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THIS VIGIL, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY AT 858-490-8323 ON JANUARY 18 BETWEEN 1:00 P.M. AND 2:00 P.M. TO DETERMINE IF THE VIGIL IS STILL BEING HELD AS SCHEDULED)

Death Penalty Focus, California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty, and Amnesty International are sponsoring this vigil.

Donald Beardslee is being held on Death Row at California's San Quentin Prison.  The State of California has set an execution date of January 19th as punishment for the 1981 murder of Patty Geddling in San Mateo County.  This week Beardslee's attorneys attempted to argue before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that errors in the penalty trial had affected the jury's verdict- the Court ruled that this was not the case.

Regardless of the guilt or innocence of Mr. Beardslee, we will pray for his life, for all who have been harmed by his actions, and an end to executions in the United States. 

The Roman Catholic Church officially urges countries that can protect their citizens without recourse to the death penalty to do so.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church States, "If, instead, bloodless means are sufficient to defend against the aggressor and to protect the safety of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.  Today, in fact, given the means at the State's disposal to effectively repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one who has committed it, without depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming himself, cases of absolute necessity for suppression of the offender today are very rare, if not practically non-existent."

Vigil for Donald Beardslee
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.-- (call for final confirmation of event)
San Diego Hall of Justice
330 west Broadway

(SPECIAL NOTE - IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THIS VIGIL, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY AT 858-490-8323 ON JANUARY 18 BETWEEN 1:00 P.M. AND 2:00 P.M. TO DETERMINE IF THE VIGIL IS STILL BEING HELD AS SCHEDULED)
 

Short Reports on OSM Related Issues/Events

Number 1:   Posada Without Borders highlights message of hospitality.

By Vincent Gragnani

SAN YSIDRO -- More than 100 people from San Diego and Tijuana gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border to celebrate Christmas with prayer, songs and reflections on the theme of hospitality. The 11th annual La Posada Sin Fronteras, or Posada Without Borders, was held at Border Fields State Park on Dec. 18, with half the participants on one side of the border fence and half on the other.

A Posada is a traditional reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in the hours before Jesus birth, and, in addition, the Posada Sin Fronteras includes a remembrance of those who have lost their lives crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We link the Christmas story -- where Jesus, Mary and Joseph were migrants in search of hospitality -- with the migrant community that is with us," said Linda Arreola, assistant director of the diocesan Office for Social Ministry. "Many of us are immigrants who were also once in search of hospitality."

While many of the attendees may hold political views advocating a more loosely regulated border, the event was not a political one, and it likely included people of various opinions on Operation Gatekeeper and other border issues, Arreola added. What everyone had in common was a desire to provide hospitality to those who need it, she said.
 
Bishop Rafael Romo of Tijuana attended the event, and began with a reflection on Luke's account of the Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. Their journey was the result of a government order, but also a fulfillment of God's plan, he said. He prayed that everyone be obedient to the designs of God and that everyone be welcome, wherever they need to go.

Father Peter Ruggere, MM, director of the diocesan Office for the Missions and resident priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in San Ysidro, gave the keynote address in Spanish and in English on "The Gift of Hospitality."

Christmas, the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago, is relevant today because it shows God's solidarity with us in our humanity, Father Ruggere said, and our solidarity with migrants celebrates God's solidarity with us.

God was a migrant, too, he added, quoting Luke's Gospel: "Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest."

He posed several questions to the people for reflection, including: How have I changed? How do I see those who walk fast, hiding their faces, afraid because they are without papers? Does my parish have organized help for migrants? Does it educate and inform people about the migrant situation? How am I working for policies and laws that will promote the rights of migrants? How am I fighting the racial prejudice that is behind so much anti-terrorism talk, talk that is really anti-migrant.

Participants also read the names of each migrant who died crossing the border in the past year. After each name was read, the people responded saying, "presente," a sign that those who have died are not forgotten, are more than a number, and are present in the hearts of the people. Luminaries bearing the names were also lit just before sunset.

The evening concluded with people on both sides of the border throwing bags of candy back and forth to each other, similar to a traditional Posada, which would end with the breaking of a piñata and an exchange of gifts.

The event was sponsored by several faith-based groups, including the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights and the diocesan Office for Social Ministry. For biweekly notices of events sponsored by the diocesan office, visit www.osmelink.org.

The Southern Cross

As you may know, special collections were taken up this past weekend in parishes across the diocese for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunamis and their families.

If you did not have a chance to make a donation at your parish and would still like to donate, click on the Catholic Relief Services photo to the left or visit the CRS web site home page at www.crs.org  and hit the donate now button.

CRS is on of the most respected development and relief agencies in the world.  You can be absolutely confident that your donation will will be put to work providing food, clothing, housing and redevelopment services to those most adversely affected by this disaster.  CRS has worked in this region for many years and has an infrastructure in place that will allow your donation "go to work" immediately. 

Pope John Paul II spoke to the whole world following the tsunami disaster in these words, "In this season of Christmas I urge believers and all men and women of good will to contribute generously to the major operation of solidarity for these peoples so tragically stricken and now exposed to the risk of epidemics of disease."

Thanks for helping those in dire need!
 

And then, as always, please report back via e-mail reportback@diocese-sdiego.org sharing your reflection on what it means to give to those in need we will likely never meet.

Because the regard for life has been devalued in our culture, we need reminders of the priceless worth of each human life.  Let this work begin in our homes, schools, and churches with these Scripture-based bulletin inserts, which include a detachable bookmark as a daily prayer guide. 

They are perfect for use as individual flyers, as well.