|
Dear
e-link
Subscriber,
The staff of the Office for Social Ministry (Kent, Linda, Jim,
and Joseph) wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a New Year
filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. May the Holy
Spirit bring clarity as you seek the will of Our Father in
heaven. Let us re-build a culture of life together!
Here is just a thought... As you view the Upcoming
Gatherings/Projects section below, remember that a given
opportunity highlighted there might not be of interest to
 you
but may be of interest to someone you serve or someone with whom
you minister. How easy it would be to cut-n-paste one of the
events (including text and photos) into an e-mail and send it
with a short note about the opportunity. For example, below is
information on a free one-day workshop on alcohol and drug
addiction that the OSM is co-sponsoring with the National
Catholic Council on Alcoholism and Related Drug Problems. Do
you know anyone who works a 12-step program or serves in a
alcohol or drug recovery program? They might want to know about
the event. It's just a thought...
As always, we remind current members and inform new members that
past e-link bulletins and this current bulletin can be viewed at
www.osmelink.org.
God Bless!
     
Wednesday, December 20, 2006 OSM e-link
Bulletin #55
Table of Contents
Remarks from Jim Walsh - A Brighter
Christmas Behind Bars, Thank You from the OSM
Key Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects (please join us)
1. Local January Respect-life Events on January 20 (10:30
a.m. Rosary Vigil,
Noon Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary, and 12:45 p.m.
Holy Hour with Bishop
Salvatore Cordileone following Mass) and
January 22 (Candlelight Prayer
Vigil from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Grape St. and Harbor
Drive, Downtown)
2. OSM & the National Catholic Council on Alcoholism and
Related Drug Problems
to co-sponsor one-day workshop on drug and and
alcohol addiction - on
Monday, January 22, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at
the Hanalei Hotel
and Conference Center, 2270 Hotel Circle N. in San
Diego - the event is
free and includes lunch - please spread the word
3. A one-day training on
Domestic Violence for faith leaders to be held in
El Centro at the Vacation Inn and Suites, 2015
Cottonwood Circle,
from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
4. The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC)
of San Diego to hold fund-raising
reception at which it will honor Gilbert J.
Gentile, S.J., the inaugural recipient
of the 2007 Della Strada Award. It will take place at
the University of San
Diego, Degheri Alumni Center, on Sunday, January 28,
2007, from 3:00 p.m.
to 5:00 p.m. - all are welcome
5. Second Notice: Walk for Life, West Coast,
in San Francisco, on Saturday,
January 20, 2007 - so far about 20 have registered -
our goal is 50
Short Reports on Office for Social
Ministry Related Issues/Events
- Young Adult Christmas Gala a huge success - more than
$650 raised for
Culture of Life Family Services
- Two Social Justice classes at Marian High School send
gifts of love to two
janitors' families through the Interfaith Committee for
Worker Justice
Advocacy Request X
2
- LIFE: Please sign an e-petition asking the FDA to reject
companies that use
aborted fetal tissue or embryonic cells to grow
vaccines
- DIGNITY: Please sign the moratorium on use of the death
penalty in
California if you have not already done so
Advocacy Reportback
- Kent reports on sending an e-mail to Amnesty
International, asking that AI
not change its "abortion neutrality" position
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
- Please visit the U.S. Bishops "Ending Global
Poverty" web site and get ready
for new activities in the Diocese of San Diego on this
issue
Local and Regional
Events/Gatherings/Projects
1. North-County prayer witness at the Carlsbad Planned
Parenthood Clinic
scheduled for every third Wednesday of the month from
10:00 to 10:30 a.m.
2. Prayerful witness for life at two locations in San Diego
County - every
Saturday at Sixth and Palm in San Diego and every
second Saturday of
the month at Pomerado Road in Poway
3. St. Dismas Guild sponsors two weekly hours of prayer
for the unborn in
North County
4. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Encinitas Pro-Life
Mass and Rosary held on
the first Monday of each month
5. Most Precious Blood Parish Rosary Prayer Vigils held
on Wednesdays each
week at 8:45 a.m. (Saturday Prayer Vigils have been
cancelled)
6. The ministry of prayer and sidewalk counseling at the
Clinica Medica abortion
facility in Chula Vista is seeking sidewalk counselors
for Wednesday mornings
7. Join neighbors and friends to pray in front of the new
Planned Parenthood
facility in El Cajon
8. The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants is sponsoring a
sidewalk counseling and
prayer seminar for Catholics on Friday, January 12,
2007, from 7:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, at
the corner of State
and Date Streets, Little Italy, San Diego, 92101
9. The Goretti Group is offering a chastity workshop for
the Oceanside Deanery
on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at St. Frances Church in
Vista, CA from
10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - all are welcome
Article/Statement for December 20, 2006
- This month we are reprinting Cy Kellett's essay on
the meaning of the Season
of Advent, A
Season Overgrown by Excess
Remarks from Jim Walsh
Brighter Christmas Behind Bars, A Thank You from the
Office for Social Ministry
We received more than 8,000 unsigned English and Spanish
Christmas cards for inmates from generous people with good
hearts this year! Your contributions helped many incarcerated
people send Christmas greetings to family and friends who were
thrilled to see a greeting from someone they did not expect to
hear from. The inmates are always moved, sometimes emotionally,
to have little things like your cards with which to connect with
the outside world. In jail or prison, little things mean a
lot. Inmates appreciate knowing that you did something you did
not have to do but wanted to do.
It’s the same when a team of volunteer lay ministers
 comes
into a facility to meet with a group of inmates for prayer,
scripture and discussion services. The inmates realize they are
receiving a grace – an unexpected and undeserved gift – through
strangers. The volunteers’ mere presence becomes a channel of
God’s redemptive love for them.
Remember Mary’s faith-filled greeting to Elizabeth and
Elizabeth’s response, “Blessed are you who believed that what
was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Inmates need
to hear the Word of God – that He has not abandoned them, that
He has been in them since their conception, and that He has a
plan for them.
If you have a desire to find out more about serving “the
least of these” in a jail, detention center, or prison setting,
please see our web site for an Information Seminar at www.diocese-sdiego.org/detentionministry
or call Deacon Jim Walsh at 858-490-8375.
Thank you (especially for the Christmas cards) and God bless! |
Key
Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects
Number 1: Since
1973, in late January, those of us who value human life from
conception to natural death have gathered to lament the Roe vs.
Wade, the infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized
unrestricted abortion in all 50 States. Join us on Saturday,
January 20, at 10:30 a.m. and Noon and again on Monday, January 22,
from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to remember the unborn and pray for all
those who have been traumatized by abortion
Cherish Life!
Roe vs. Wade Anniversary Events
Saturday, January 20th, 2007
*10:30 a.m. Life Saving Rosary Vigil, Family Planning
Associates, 2850 6th Ave, at Palm,
across from Balboa Park (there may be some graphic abortion
pictures displayed by
another group at this event)
*12:00 Noon Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church,
Corner of State & Date,
in Little Italy
*12:45 p.m. Holy Hour for Life with Bishop Salvatore
Cordileone following the
Noon Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary
Monday, January 22nd, 2007
*4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Candlelight prayer vigil, meet at Grape and
North Harbor Drive - May need coins for meters - peaceful,
legal and prayerful
For more information on any of these events, please contact Sue
Lopez at 619-276-7525
Number 2:
The Office for Social Ministry is honored to co-sponsor a FREE
one-day workshop on drug and alcohol addiction with the National
Catholic Conference on Alcoholism and Related Drug Problems - join
us on Monday, January 22, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the
Hanalei Hotel and Conference Center in San Diego
Presentations in both English and in Spanish
This FREE workshop (complimentary buffet lunch will be provided)
will
 provide
a full day of training for the Diocese of San Diego and will focus
on: The Medical Aspects of Addiction, Family and Addiction, The
Strength of Catholic Devotions and Recovery from Addiction, and
Steps to Establish a Parish-Based Substance Abuse Ministry. This
will be a special time for learning and sharing! Whether you are a
Catholic in recovery or serve those who are, you won't want to miss
this information-filled celebration of sobriety!
TO ATTEND, YOU MUST REGISTER BY CALLING 858-490-8323
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JAN 5, 2007
Presentations in English:
Presentations in Spanish:
Catholic Conference
on Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Monday, January 22, 2007, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(registration begins at 8:00 a.m.)
Hanalei Hotel and Conference Center
2270 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108
619-297-1101
For information or questions about the conference or to register by
January 5th, contact Joseph Horejs at 858-490-8323
Number 3:
Faith in Violence-Free Families Presents "Building
Partnerships for Change," a Workshop for Faith Leaders and Domestic
Violence Prevention Advocates - Contact Linda Arreola for
information and to register - 858-490-8323
When: Thursday, February 1, 2007
Where: Vacation Inn and Suites 2015 Cottonwood
Cir. In El Centro, CA . 92243
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Registration &
morning refreshments at 7:30 a.m.)
A Project of the California Department of Health
Services (CDHS) Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control
(EPIC) Branch, Administered and Presented by Transforming
Communities: Technical Assistance, Training and Resource Center (TC-TAT).
In Partnership with the Office for Social Ministry, Diocese of San
Diego
Participants will receive an official
Certificate of Completion signed by the California Department of
Health Services.
7 MFT/LCSW/RN contact hours of Continuing Education also
available.
This workshop will focus on fostering working relationships between
faith leaders and
domestic violence prevention advocates while discussing strategies
for combining efforts and expertise to better serve the community.
Upon completion of the workshop day, participants will leave with a
concrete plan for you and your community partner(s) to maximize each
other’s experience in assisting those in need more effectively.
Participants will also discuss strategies for stopping the violence
before it occurs.
Learning objectives include:
Understanding of domestic violence, as it affects all communities
of faith;
Understanding how faith can affect those witnessing and/or
involved in abuse
Recognizing the signs of abuse;
Appropriately approaching and assisting those in need;
Engaging in a community-wide response, without compromising
belief systems
nor excluding other community services in place; and
Preventing abuse before it takes place.
Come with community partners, or establish new partners at the
workshop. Invite your
local faith leader or colleague to attend with you! Persons with
all levels of experience with domestic violence response and/or
prevention are encouraged to participate.
This workshop is offered to community members, as well as
individuals employed at agencies, who provide services and support
to those affected by domestic violence, such as: faith community
leaders and members; domestic violence shelter workers and
prevention advocates; public and mental health care providers;
social workers; educators; justice/law enforcement; and others. This
workshop is wheelchair accessible.
There is a $20.00 registration fee, which covers all materials and
meals. Registration fee assistance is available.
Contact Linda Arreola for further information or to register -
858-490-8323
Number 4:
The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) of San Diego
to hold fund-raising reception at which it will honor Gilbert J.
Gentile, S.J., the inaugural recipient of the 2007 Della Strada
Award. It will take place at the University of San Diego, Degheri
Alumni Center, on Sunday, January 28, 2007, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. - all are welcome
The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) of San
 Diego
cordially invites you to a fund-raising reception at which we will
honor Rev. Gilbert J. Gentile, S.J., the inaugural recipient of the
2007 Della Strada Award. The
Della Strada Award is named after Santa Maria della Strada, the
first church used by Ignatius and the early Jesuits to serve the
urban poor in the center of Rome. The award honors an individual
whose life reflects the Ignatian values of service to the poor, and
of
 working
and educating for a more just society.
The Ignatian Volunteer Corps is a national
faith-based, non-profit organization that provides men and women 50
and over the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are
materially poor and marginalized, to work for a more just society,
and to grow deeper in the Christian faith by reflecting and praying
in the Ignatian tradition. IVC was founded eleven years ago in
Baltimore and currently has over 250 volunteers in 12 metropolitan
areas across the United States, including San Diego and Los
Angeles.
When asked why he became part of bringing IVC to San Diego, Fr. Gil
shared, “I have great faith in Divine Providence and in recognizing
the hand of God working in people, institutions, events - in all of
life’s big and small moments. When I was first invited to be part
of IVC I saw it as a providential moment in my life and in the life
of the Catholic community in San Diego. And after these 6 or so
years of being a part of this faith-filled group, I know deeply that
the hand of God is truly at work here in the Church of San Diego
through the Ignatian Volunteer Corps.”
We invite you to join us on January 28th to
honor and show appreciation to Fr. Gil for his many gifts of love
and service, and to support the continuing work of IVC.
Proceeds from the event will support
the continuing work of IVC San Diego.
To attend, please provide your name, address and phone number to
Josie Piranio, IVC San Diego, at 858-484-0027, or by email at
SanDiego@ilvc.org, by January
16, 2007
Number 5: Second Notice -
We are firmly convinced that if you simply view the
five-minute promotional video developed for the January 20, 2007
"Walk for Life" in San Francisco, you will make a reservation to
attend this event. The OSM is sponsoring a one-day trip to San
Francisco to celebrate life with thousands from across the Western
United States at the Walk for Life West Coast. Join us!
View the Video, then sign up to
become a part ot history:
http://www.walkforlifewc.com/
The round-trip fare to Oakland
on Southwest Airlines is now only $118.
We will arrive in Oakland at 8:40 a.m., take the BART
to the parade route starting point, and arrive back in San Diego at
(your choice) either 8:10 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. See details below.
San Diegans can be a vocal and visual message
that people of the West Coast stand for life. Reach out to women
harmed by abortion. Inform society of the damage done to women by
abortion. We will walk along San Francisco's waterfront, a great
example of natural and manmade beauty, as we demonstrate for that
most beautiful gift--life!
SATURDAY,
JANUARY 20, 2007
Here is a quote on the West Coast Walk for Life
from Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of
Denver, Colorado
"Every step we take in
publicly witnessing to the sanctity of life is a step toward a more
humane society. Bravo to Walk for Life West Coast for their courage
and commitment to the unborn."
Schedule for West Coast
Walk for Life 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
7:10 a.m. Depart from the San
Diego Airport - Southwest Air #2463
8:40 a.m. Arrive at the Oakland Airport
9:00 a.m. Take the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) bus to the
BART Coliseum Station
9:20 a.m. Depart on the BART from the Coliseum Station
9:40 a.m. Arrive in San Francisco at the Embarcadero Station
11:00 a.m. Walk for Life Rally begins
11:30 a.m. Walk for LIfe Walk begins
1:00 p.m. Walk for Life ends
1:10 p.m. Info Faire and gathering open to all participants
2:00 p.m. Free time in San Francisco
For the return trip pick one:
4:30 p.m. Head back to the Oakland Airport from San Francisco
via BART
6:45 p.m. Depart from the Oakland Airport - Southwest Air #2517
8:10 p.m. Arrive back in San Diego,
or
6:00 p.m. Head back to the Oakland Airport from San Francisco
via BART
8:05 p.m. Depart from the Oakland Airport - Southwest Air #1834
9:30 p.m. Arrive back in San Diego
How does one register for the West Coast Walk for
Life 2007? It's as simple as one, two, three.
1. Go to the Southwest Airlines web site
below and reserve your flight. The cost at this time is $118
dollars for the round trip air fare. The bus to the Coliseum
Station from the airport is $2 each way, and the round-trip ticket
on the BART to San Francisco is about $7.
We will be leaving San Diego on January 20th on Southwest Flight
#2463 departing at 7:10 a.m. and returning on either Southwest
Flight #2517 - departing at 6:45 p.m., arriving back in San Diego at
8:10 p.m. or Southwest Flight #1834 - departing at 8:05 p.m.,
arriving back in San Diego at 9:30 p.m.
Reserve your flight here:
http://southwest.com/cgi-bin/buildItinerary2?hps=b1
2. Call the Office for Social Ministry at
858-490-8323 or email us at
reportback@diocese-sdiego.org
to let us know that you have made your reservation and provide us
with your address and e-mail address.
3. Meet at the San Diego Airport at 6:00 a.m.
on Saturday, January 20, 2006, at the Southwest gate area for flight
SW 2463.
That's it!
For more information on the West Coast Walk for Life 2007, contact:
Linda Arreola at 858-490-8327
.
Short
Reports on OSM Related Issues/Events
Number 1: First Annual
Young Adult Christmas Gala Exceeds Early Expectations
SAN DIEGO -- Roughly 185 Catholics in their 20s and 30s attended the
diocese’s first annual Young Adult Christmas Gala, Dec. 7, at the
Marriott Mission Valley.
The evening of dinner and dancing was co-sponsored by the Office for
Young Adult Ministry and Pastoral Juvenil.
The gala also served as an opportunity to support the mission of
Culture of Life Family Services, a San Diego-based non-profit that
provides family health care, psychological counseling, natural
family planning education and spiritual direction in the local
community.
(Participants Chad Vaughn, Dawn Madison, Nicole Pascarella, and
Rob Howard
enjoy great company and a "celebration of life" at the Gala)
All attendees were asked to donate an unwrapped baby item and
encouraged to participate in a silent auction, which also benefited
Culture of Life Family Services.
“The results of the Christmas Gala exceeded our expectations,” said
Michele Fleming, director of the Office for Young Adult Ministry,
who plans to put together a similar event for next Christmas.
She said, “The young adult community gathered in large numbers to
celebrate the Christmas season, our collection of baby items and
proceeds (more than $650) for the Culture of Life Family Services
was overwhelming, and the diocese was able to connect our young
adults into other ministry events.”
For more information on the Office of Young Adult Ministry and
upcoming events, visit www.yamsd.org,
email
y-yaconnect@diocese-sdiego.org or call (858) 490-8260.
The Southern Cross
Number 2: Social Justice
Classes at Marian/Mater Dei Catholic High School Join the Interfaith
Committee for Worker Justice (ICWJ) in Support of Janitors' Families
at Christmas
Dalene DiTommaso, a religion instructor at Marian/Mater Dei
Catholic High School, proposed to her two Social Justice senior
classes that they participate in the ICWJ's "Adopt a Janitor's
Family" program. An immediate "yes" from the students translated
into a generous outpouring of love and gifts intended to lighten the
heavy load these families endure, especially at Christmas time.
(Dalene, at right, with a few of her generous students)
photo by Joseph Horejs
As Dalene delivered the students’ gifts to the ICWJ office,
director Rabbi Laurie Coskey shared, “Janitors in San Diego often
live pay-check to pay-check and still have trouble making ends meet,
and so Christmas can be a difficult time. Santa Claus has arrived a
little early this year for some janitors and their families! Thank
you, Marian Catholic High School students.” Bet Lawrence, the ICWJ
organizer, commented, “We are happy to work with such amazing high
school seniors who really know how to put their faith into action.”
A Deeper Meaning...
The OSM views the participation of Dalene and her students as a
striking example of the sort of “lay ministry” described so well in
John Paul II’s 1988 apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici. In
section 41 he states, “Through charity towards one's neighbor, the
lay faithful exercise and manifest their participation in the
kingship of Christ, that is, in the power of the Son of man who
"came not to be served but to serve" (Mk 10:45). They live and
manifest such a kingship in a most simple yet exalted manner,
possible for everyone at all times because charity is the highest
gift offered by the Spirit for building up the Church (cf. 1 Cor
13:13) and for the good of humanity. In fact, charity gives life
and sustains the works of solidarity that look to the total needs of
the human being.” Ultimately, the Marian/Mater Dei students
provided a royal "gift of self" to the struggling janitors’
families.
As Bishop Brom never tires of reminding his local church, especially
the young, an authentic encounter with Christ always leads to
conversion; authentic conversion leads to communion with both God
and neighbor; and this communion necessarily moves each disciple
into the mission of Christ.
The Marian/Mater Dei students demonstrate so well the mission of
Christ, especially at the time of year that we celebrate Christ as
“gift to the world.”
e-link Advocacy
REQUEST
Life Request:
Do you oppose the use of aborted
fetal cell lines and embryonic cell lines in the production of
vaccines? Then let your voice be heard!
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
has opened a 90 day timeframe for public comment on
 directives
they will be providing to vaccine manufacturers in the near future.
Your response may very well shape he future of all medical products
research and development.
The following petition and subsequent
link to the FDA has been prepared to address the concerns of
Catholic parents, physicians and clergy regarding the use of aborted
fetal cell lines and embryonic cell lines in the production of
vaccines.
From the petition on the Children of
God for Life web site, you will be directed to the FDA comment
section where you can leave a short message like the one below.
Please do
all you can to eliminate the use of aborted children's bodies in
the production of much needed vaccines. I would also ask that you
end the use of embryonic cell lines in vaccine production.
There are safe, morally
acceptable and effective alternatives to using humans in the
production of biological materials. Please use those
alternatives.
Please sign the petition and leave a short message with the FDA:
http://www.cogforlife.org/
Thank you from the OSM.
Dignity Request:
A petition for a moratorium on the death penalty in California has
been circulating for a little over four years. To date more than
180,000 signatures have been secured.
If you have not yet signed the moratorium petition, now may be a
good time to do so. It will only take about two minutes.
http://www.deathpenalty.org/index.php?pid=sign_petition&menu=1
A moratorium is a "time out" on executing prisoners. Californians
for a Moratorium on Executions (CME) is asking the Governor to
suspend all executions at least until a study of the racial,
economic, and geographic disparities in California's death penalty
can be completed.
A moratorium is about the fundamental principles of the United
States: due process, the right to a fair trial, and justice. The
first moratorium in the U.S. in recent years was implemented by
Governor Ryan of Illinois in January, 2000 after the 13th innocent
individual walked off of death row in his state. The purpose of the
moratorium and the study is to avoid precisely this type of error,
and to examine the inconsistencies in who gets sentenced to death
and who lives.
e-link Advocacy REPORTBACK
I wrote a very personal and heart-felt e-mail to Amnesty
International asking the
 organization
to continue with its "no position" policy on abortion.
In the letter, I described the very positive working relationship
that has existed between AI and many dioceses in the United States,
including ours, especially around the issue of the death penalty.
I spoke honestly about the likely diminishment of that relationship
if AI were to change its policy.
If AI replies to me e-mail, I will publish that response in a future
e-link.
In the Peace of Christ,
Kent Peters
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
 
CRS & USCCB's Catholic
Campaign Against Global Poverty
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty/
We hope you will visit the web site for the Catholic Campaign
Against Global Poverty.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invite Catholics throughout the U.S.
to join this campaign as we advocate for U.S. policies that foster
economic and social development for people living in poverty
throughout the world.
The campaign focuses on three areas of U.S. economic policy:
Trade: Shaping U.S. trade policies so that
overcoming poverty and promoting human development are central
priorities;
Aid: Supporting effective programs that foster
long-term development and empowerment of the poor.
Debt: Eliminating the debt of the poorest countries
in ways that reduce poverty and promote human dignity.
Visit this site often as new materials for educational programs,
prayer and worship, and advocacy will be added regularly.
Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers
of mine, you did for me. - Matthew 25:40
New
Local/Regional Events and
Gatherings
If you are planning an event that falls within the mission of social
ministry, send the particulars four to five weeks in advance to the
Office for Social Ministry via e-mail,
osmelink@diocese-sdiego.org. The OSM reserves the right to
publish or not to publish any proposed event information. We hope
this will assist your local efforts to re-build a culture of life.
1. North-County prayer witness at the Carlsbad Planned
Parenthood Clinic
North County parishioners meet the third Monday of every month
from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. to peacefully pray the rosary in front of
the Carlsbad Planned Parenthood Clinic. The clinic is located at
1820 Marron Rd. (in the shopping center just west of Plaza Camino
Real Mall). For more information contact Jahna White of St.
Margaret Parish at 760-586-6356.
2. Prayerful witness for life at two locations (Sixth and Palm in
San Diego and Pomerado Road in Poway) in San Diego County
Helpers of God’s Precious Infants weekly rosary prayer vigil from
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday at Family Planning Associates
2850 Sixth Ave, at Palm, across from Balboa Park. Prayer warriors
also needed as early as 7:30 a.m.
Call Sue Lopez 619/990-1341 for more information.
2nd Saturday of the month: 20 decades of the Rosary are prayed in
procession past 4 clinics following the 7:30 a.m. Mass, 15546
Pomerado Road, Poway. For more information, call 858-748-2109.
3. St. Dismas Guild sponsors two weekly hours of prayer for the
unborn in North County
Join members of St. Dismas Guild for a rosary picket at Womancare,
120 S. Craven Way, San Marcos, (across from Cal State San Marcos),
Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m.
The Guild also sponsors prayer (the rosary) in front of PayLess
at Mission Avenue and Escondido Blvd. 347 W. Mission on Thursdays,
10:30-11:30 a.m. For information on these prayer vigils, call
760-751-8541.
4. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Encinitas Pro-Life Mass and
Rosary held on the first Monday of each month
The first Monday of every month is designated Pro-Life Monday at
St. John the Evangelist Church, 1001 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas. The
8:00 a.m. Mass will be followed by a Rosary for Life. For more
information, please call Helene McIlhon at 858-756-0622.
5. Most Precious Blood Parish Rosary Prayer Vigils held on
Wednesdays each week
The Pro-Life Prayer Group from Most Precious Blood sponsors a
Rosary Prayer Vigil in front of the Clinica Medica abortion facility
at 1550 Broadway, Chula Vista every Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. For more
information, please call Shirley Henry at 619-420-7096 or Luis
Mendoza at 619-300-5563.
6. The ministry associated with the Clinica Medica abortion
facility in Chula Vista is seeking sidewalk counselors for Wednesday
mornings and some Friday mornings - training will be provided
The CLINICA MEDICA abortion facility in Chula Vista is now
performing abortions on Wednesday mornings, some Friday mornings and
occasionally on Saturdays. Please contact Luis Mendoza, a
Missionary of The Gospel of Life Lay Associate, at 619-300-5563,
with questions or to share interest in this ministry.
7. There is a new Planned Parenthood facility located at 1685
East Main, just off the Greenfield Drive exit in El Cajon - join
friends and neighbors in prayer
According to the PP website, chemical (RU-486) abortions only are
done at this location - not surgical abortions. They do refer women
for abortions to their surgical center on First Ave. Join the
group each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Contact: Debbie
619/933-7776
8. Have you ever wanted to participate in sidewalk
counseling at an abortion facility? Have you ever felt called to
pray at an abortion facility when abortions are occuring? Training
for both is now available.
The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants is sponsoring a
sidewalk counseling and prayer seminar for Catholics on Friday,
January 12, 2007, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the
Rosary Catholic Church, at the corner of State and Date Streets,
Little Italy, San Diego, 92101 - Suggested Donation $5.00 for
sidewalk counseling notebook and CD’s. Coffee, tea and cookies
available. For information and to RSVP with number
attending contact Sue Lopez: slopez@integrity.com
or call 619-276-7525.
9. The Goretti Group is offering a chastity
workshop for the Oceanside Deanery
The Goretti Group is dedicated to building a community that
encourages and maintains healthy choices about sexuality. The
Group is offering a chastity workshop for the Oceanside Deanery on
Saturday, January 20, 2007, at St. Frances Church in Vista, 525 West
Vista Way, CA from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - all are welcome - Call
619-702-7009 for additional information
Watch for OSM e-link bulletin
#56 around Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007
Article/Statement for December 20, 2006
Please enjoy this reflection on Advent by Cy Kellett, editor of the
Southern Cross. It fits, so well, the mission of the Office for
Social Ministry to re-build a culture of life.
A Season Overgrown by Excess
By Cyril Jones-Kellett
What is Advent? Is it mini-Lent? Are we supposed to give something
up? Are we supposed to do something extra?
That’s the funny thing about Advent: we know it’s there, but many of
us are not sure what it is, exactly, or what we are supposed to do
with it. The secular world calls this time “The Holiday Season,” or
– more accurately – “The Holiday Shopping Season.” And the secular
world knows exactly what to do: shop, party, wrap things, watch
holiday specials, eat.
All of which is an enjoyable way to mark the fading of the warm
months and the nestling in for the cold.
But perhaps we have the nagging feeling that there is something else
we should be doing as we prepare for Christmas.
Part of that nag is certainly the fact that the highly
commercialized festivities can overwhelm our efforts to observe the
religious nature of the season. But perhaps another part is that we
misunderstand Advent.
Here's what the Church’s General Norms for the Liturgical Year and
the Calendar has to say about Advent:
"Advent has a two-fold character: as a season to prepare for Christ
when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when
that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second
Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and
joyful expectation."
This norm was promulgated in 1969, after the Second Vatican
Council. Before the council, Advent was indeed thought of by most
as a mini-Lent, it was a time to do penance and prepare for the
coming of the Lord. Even today, the Eastern Churches call it the
"little Lent.”
And, of course, any preparation for the Lord requires a turning away
from sin. Every part of the Church’s life includes a recognition
that we must turn away from our bad habits and turn more completely
toward God.
So there is a penitential aspect to Advent. But it is not the key
attribute of the season. Instead, the Church chooses to emphasize
remembrance, joy and expectation.
Speaking last year about Advent, the pope said that it should be
marked by two attitudes: "vigilance in prayer" and "exultance in
praise."
Our exemplar of this season, is, of course, Mary, the mother of
Jesus.
With Joseph she celebrated the first season of waiting for the
Redeemer Child.
Advent is, therefore, a time to remember the virtues of Mary and to
learn from them –- her patience, her trust, her strength, her love
for the Christ Child and her nurturing of him within herself.
Advent is a time to walk with Mary so that we can hold with her the
Christ Child. Are we, too, letting the life of Christ grow within
us? Does the growing of that life bring us joy? Do we nurture it?
And are we waiting for him, as she waited for him?
Perhaps Advent is difficult for us because we are results oriented;
we are not oriented toward waiting, toward simply loving the Lord
who grows within us.
But that is all Advent is: to wait joyfully, expectantly -- both for
Christmas and for the fulfillment of God’s promise to us for life
eternal with him, for a new Heaven and a new Earth.
To celebrate Advent requires a heart willing –- amidst all the
bustle of the season -– to simply love the life of Christ and to
take joy that he is coming to fullness in us and that he is coming
into the world.
One of the nice things about this is that it doesn’t really conflict
with “The Holiday Shopping Season.” There is nothing about the
pre-Christmas fun that has to upset Advent.
Certainly Mary and Joseph had very many worldly concerns as they
awaited the coming of the child.
But the concerns did not become the central thing for them. The
central thing was yet to come, even as it was already in their
midst.
Their main task as they waited was simply to love and adore the one
who was coming, the one they would love and adore all the more when
they saw him face to face.
The Southern Cross |
