|
Dear
e-link
Subscriber,
It was at this time in 2003 that the first e-link bulletin,
Number 1, was sent to exactly eight e-mail boxes. After five
years of publication, the OSM is sending e-link Number 66
to 1,189 members. We ask Our Lord to continue to bless the
small role that this online/e-mail publication plays in
educating and galvanizing the community on behalf of human life
and human dignity. Happy fifth birthday, e-link!
We have some very good news. Linda Arreola will be producing a
Spanish version of e-link that will be distributed a few days
after the English version is sent. For the time being, both
versions will be sent to everyone with e-link membership. Those
who use the English version may want to forward the Spanish
version to any Catholic they know who is more comfortable using
Spanish. Thank you in advance.
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, April 2, 2008 OSM e-link
Bulletin #66
Table of Contents
Remarks from Kent Peters on Easter Joy and Ongoing Human
Suffering
Key
Upcoming Culture-of-Life Gatherings/Projects (please join
us)
1. Mass and Rosary Procession with
Bishop Cordileone to the new Family
Planning Associates abortion facility on Miramar Road
in Mira Mesa will take
place on Saturday, April 26, 2008 - Mass at Good
Shepherd Catholic Church,
8200 Gold Coast Drive, will begin at 8:30 a.m. -
procession to follow, all are
welcome to attend (group will drive to
Miramar location)
2. The San Diego Chapter of California People of
Faith Working Against the
Death Penalty (CPF) will host an
"Open House - Meet and Greet" on
Monday, April 21, 2008, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at
the Diocesan
Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive in San Diego -
Visit with current
chapter leadership - discover how you can help end the
use of the
death penalty in California
3. Join the San Diego Chapter of Friends of Fair Trade
for "Reach Across the
World - Transforming Lives through Fair Trade"
on Saturday, May 10,
2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Cafe Moto, 2619
National Ave.
in San Diego (Barrio Logan neighborhood) - Breakfast
and Lunch Provided!
4. Deacon Jim Walsh asks for your participation in the
Restorative Justice
Program of the Office for Social Ministry.
Currently there is much need
and many opportunities in the area of Detention
Ministry. Please consider
joining the 325 volunteers who serve in the jails,
juvenile halls and prisons
in both San Diego and Imperial Counties
5. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) "NAMIWALK"
set for
Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Balboa Park - Registration
opens at 6:30 a.m. -
Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. Join with Diocesan
Disability Facilitators
to raise awareness, hope, and resources for NAMI San
Diego
6. Congregations for Civic Action in
North San Diego County is seeking a
full-time, faith-based community organizer
Short Reports on Office for Social Ministry Related
Issues/Events
1. Good Friday Pro-life Station of the Cross draws more
than 230 participants
to Downtown San Diego - Watch it on Youtube
2. Seventeenth Annual Downtown "Walk with the Suffering -
Stations of the
Cross" draws attention to the plight of many
Web and e-mail-based
Resources
- Internet Addiction Recover Resources for
Catholics - both online and printed
Local and Regional
Events/Gatherings/Projects
1. Attend the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade meeting on
Wednesday,
April 9, at 7:00 p.m. at the Open Door Book Store in
Pacific Beach
2. North County prayer witness at the Carlsbad Planned
Parenthood Clinic
scheduled for every third Monday of the month from
10:00 to 10:30 a.m.
3. Prayerful witness for life at two locations in San Diego
County - every
Saturday at 7340 Miramar Road, directly above Metro
Flooring in the complex
with the Pyramid Building, adjacent to Carroll Road
and the second Saturday
of every month at 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway
4. St. Dismas Guild sponsors two weekly hours of prayer
for the unborn in
North County
5. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Encinitas Pro-Life
Mass and Rosary held on
the first Monday of each month
6. Most Precious Blood Parish in Chula Vista Rosary
Prayer Vigils held every
Wednesday at 8:45 a.m.
7. The ministry of prayer and sidewalk counseling at the
Clinica Medica abortion
facility in Chula Vista is seeking sidewalk counselors
for Wednesday mornings
8. Join neighbors and friends to pray in front of the new
Planned Parenthood
facility in El Cajon
9. The Goretti Group is offering a chastity prayer
gathering and a speaker
training monthly
Article/Statement for April 2, 2008
- Politically Correct Eugenics... Brownback and Kennedy do
the right thing
by Wesley J. Smith - From the Weekly Standard
Remarks from Kent Peters
Can there be Joy When Suffering Abounds? Consider an
Easter Answer in the Affirmative!
The Easter celebration can be seen as God's yearly reminder
that all of creation has already been brought under Our Lord's
dominion in the Resurrection. Everything, both spiritual and
physical (all that is not lost to the evil one) will ultimately
be bathed in God's own light and glory. In heaven, as spiritual
beings, we will finally see God face to face, what theologians
call the Beatific Vision. We will have God's being splashed
upon our spirits - our minds and hearts - in such that we may
have difficulty seeing the difference between God and
ourselves. We will remain finite creatures, yet we will
experience our infinitely beautiful and glorious God in our own
consciousness. This is pure blessing. This is eternal joy.
But what of the everyday human suffering experienced as we await
that end?
Good Friday points us in a certain direction. God's suffering
in the human nature of Jesus was God's unexpected answer to the
question we all ask, "Why must we suffer? Why must our families
suffer?" If none of us personally caused the fallen human
nature, why must we share in suffering? And God responded, "My
answer to you is not to answer, but rather, to be with you and
to fully share the excruciating pain involved in the human
experience. I willingly suffer with you." In a very real way,
through His experience on the cross, Jesus sits with us and
squeezes our hands tightly as we endure the very real pain of
this life, but his gaze reminds us that these trials are
temporary.
On the cross, Christ's humanity brought the fullness of God's
divinity into our world filled with suffering. But when we
consider human suffering, we know that God allows or permits it
and has the power to end it. So why does he allow it? It's a
mystery, but God's own suffering on the Cross pulls the veil
back on that mystery just a bit. God allowed/accepted his own
suffering on the cross in order to unleash the divine
infrastructure that brings Sanctifying Grace to all humans -
past, present and future. The universe's ultimate glorification
in Christ resulted from Christ's suffering in human form. This
is the mystery of God's merciful love. It is also important to
remember that Scripture makes clear that our individual
suffering can be merged into Christ's suffering, and that we,
too, in our suffering, can participate in the glorification of
all creation. What a noble role we are offered in Christ.
Suffering itself never becomes a good, but it has the potential
to lead to the universe's greatest created good - human persons
being united with God. Knowing that fact can bring joy into the
greatest of suffering.
Why, then, should the suffering of others move us to compassion,
when we know that suffering in this world is temporary, that it
can bring about a great good, and that it will be eclipsed by
eventual heavenly bliss? This mystery shows another facet of God's enduring love, and we don't really get
an answer. Again, we just see Jesus spending most of his earthly
time compassionately lifting burdens from those he loved:
illness, hunger, doubt, fear, hatred. Simply put... Hurting
really mattered to Jesus.
We are called to imitate Christ and likewise do everything
within our power to alleviate the suffering we encounter in
those around us. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved
you." We are called to feed, heal, advocate, teach, visit, pray
for, support, and to even die for others - for deprivation and
suffering are real evils.
And so, God is with us in suffering, God calls us past suffering
to Glory with Him, God asks that we do all within our power to
alleviate any human suffering we encounter on our path through
life, and God will, in the end, fill beyond any manner of
measurement the emptiness or hurt we carry into the afterlife
due to suffering.
This is the fullness of the Easter message. This is God's
vision for humanity. This "call" should motivate us all to
more fully embrace what is at the core of diocesan Social
Ministry - reaching out to the marginalized of the world,
lifting them out of suffering into a community that more fully
reflects the community we will experience in the Kingdom to
come. The rich suffer, the poor suffer, the able-bodied suffer,
those with disabilities suffer, sinners suffer, the righteous
suffer, the born suffer, the unborn suffer. We surely have a
job to do in this life.
What JOY there is in knowing God's mind and heart for all
humanity. What JOY there is in serving our sisters and
brothers. What JOY there can be even as we personally share in
the suffering of Christ.
This past weekend at St. Gregory the Great we sang the
well-known Easter hymn, "Sing with all the Saints of Glory," the
first verse of which expresses so well our ultimate Hope in
Christ.
Sing with all the saints in glory,
sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth's dark story,
to the former days belong.
All around the clouds are breaking,
soon the storms of time shall cease;
in God's likeness we, awaking,
know the everlasting peace.
Text: William J. Irons, 1812-1883
When human affairs are well ordered, what is called "vertical"
hope, that each of us will attain everlasting glory in
heaven, becomes the foundation of our hope to change the world
for the better, a "horizontal" hope. And, even though we know
that perfecting the world can never be fully accomplished, we
work as if it is possible, and as our love grows in regard to
our neighbor, our love for God is tested and perfected.
May your Easter season be filled with the JOY of Christ!
Thank you and God bless! |
Key
Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects
Number 1:
Mass and Rosary Procession with Bishop Cordileone to the new Family
Planning Associates (FPA) abortion facility in Mira Mesa, 7340
Miramar Road, at the Pyramid -- Saturday, April 26, 2008 - Mass at
Good
 Shepherd
Catholic Church, 8200 Gold Coast Drive, will begin at 8:30 a.m. -
the procession at FPA will follow, all are welcome to attend (The
group will drive to the FPA Miramar location)
Following the
8:30 a.m. Mass at Good Shepherd, the group will carpool to FPA, the
World's Largest For-Profit Abortion Business, just over two miles
from the church. From two blocks away, the group will process to
FPA, just above the furniture stores North of the Pyramid Building.
For a little over an hour, the group will pray the Mysteries of the
Rosary, interspersed with hymns and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. To
close the group will spend a few minutes in silent prayer for
mercy. Participants should bring Rosaries, hats, and water.
 On
February 14th of this year, the San Diego Office of Family Planning
Associates moved from it's location of the the last five years on
Sixth Avenue across from Balboa Park to the Metroplex Shopping
Center on Miramar Road. They are leasing 5,600 square feet above
high-end furniture stores.
The Helpers of God's Precious Infants prayer group and sidewalk
counselors have begun gathering at FPA to pray and counsel women on
Wednesdays and Saturdays while abortions are being performed, just
as they did at the previous location. The group is also making
retail customers aware that an abortion center as moved into the
area. Many lives have been saved despite the increased difficulty
in speaking to those entering the facility. 
So far this year 54 women have turned away from abortion at FPA,
with another five from Clinica Medica in Chula Vista and two from
Planned Parenthood Surgical Center, making a total of 61 known lives
spared in three months! This is a considered a great miracle as
there were 60 saves for the whole year of 2007 and only thirty for
2006. The visit of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our
Lady of Fatima and the pro-life procession to FPA on January 20th of
this year with Bishop Cordileone have brought many graces to the
community.
This prayer vigil is not intended to be a visible public protest or
intimidating to persons entering the abortion facility. It is a
peaceful and legal expression of First Amendment rights with the
sole intention of saving parents and children from abortion and for
the conversion of all those involved in abortion. Please keep
driveways and sidewalks open to public access. For more info:
Office for Social Ministry, 858/490-8323 or Sue Lopez, 619/276-7525
or
sandiegohelpers@earthlink.net
Mass
and Rosary Procession with Bishop Cordileone
Saturday, April 26, 2008, 8:30 a.m.
Good Shepherd Catholic Church
8200 Gold Coast Drive
San Diego, CA, 92126
Final Note:
Please join the Helpers of God's Precious Infants in prayer each
Wednesday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. am to 11:00 a.m. at 7340
Miramar Road to help save lives and prevent FPA from being accepted
as just one of many businesses in the area.
Number 2:
The San Diego Chapter of California People of
Faith Working
Against the Death Penalty (CPF) will host an "Open House - Meet and
Greet" on Monday, April 21, 2008, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the
Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive in San Diego - Visit
with current chapter leadership - discover how you can help end the
use of the death penalty in California
An open house
interfaith gathering designed to share the vision of CPF with those
interested in ending the death penalty has
 been scheduled
for Monday, April 21, 70:00 p.m. at the Diocesan Pastoral Center,
3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, 92117. Local activists will
introduce themselves, describe the chapter and state-wide activities
of CPF, and encourage participation in future activities.
Refreshments will be served and a short video on the death penalty
“Conversation With an Executioner” and facts on the death penalty in
California will be highlighted.
To learn more about the statewide efforts of CPF, please visit its
web site at:
http://californiapeopleoffaith.org/
If you can not
attend but want more information, please contact Mike Peddecord, CPF
San Diego Chapter Coordinator, at 619-286-9625 or
Peddecord@cox.net. Please
pass this information on to anyone who might be interested.
CPF SD Chapter, Interfaith "Open House - Meet
and Greet"
Monday, April 21, 2008, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Diocesan Pastoral Center
3888 Paducah Drive
San Diego, CA, 92117
Number 3:
Join the San Diego Chapter of Friends of Fair Trade for "Reach
Across the World - Transforming Lives through Fair Trade" on
Saturday, May 10, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Cafe Moto,
2619 National Ave. in San Diego (Bario Logan neighborhood) -
Breakfast and Lunch will be Provided! Coffee and Chocolate tasting
at no charge!
This half-day workshop with breakfast, lunch,
and the sampling of fair trade products is offered as a gift to you
from San Diego Friends of Fair Trade
Come and enjoy learning about how you
can make Fair Trade work for your church or place of business - You
can Reach Across the World!
What is Fair Trade? It’s about justice. Fair Trade
provides an alternative trade model which insures healthy working
conditions and a living wage for farmers. Fair Trade aims to improve
living conditions in producing communities. Membership guidelines
and regulations for Fair Trade are managed by the non-profit
certification group, TransfairUSA. For more information on Fair
Trade, go to
www.transfairusa.org.
The morning will include Keynote Speaker, Jaqueline DeCarlo,
and a panel presentation
Free Continental
Breakfast and Lunch...
Registration for Reach Across the World is required by May 7, 2008
Register at:
www.fairtradesd.org
or register by
calling: 858-274-0587
To download and print a Pdf poster for this
event, go to:
http://www.osmelink.org/messages2005/ReachAcrossTheWorldPoster.3.19.08.pdf
Reach Across the World is sponsored by:
- San Diego Friends of Fair Trade,
- Café MOTO,
- Karma Market,
- Office for Social Ministry,
the Diocese of San Diego,
- Open Door Books,
- Christ Lutheran Church, and the
- Interfaith Committee For Worker
Justice of San Diego County
For more information, contact: the Office for Social Ministry
at 858-490-8323 or Carolyn Lief at 858-274-0587.
Reach Across the World - Fair Trade Mini-Conference
Saturday, May 10, 2008, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Tastings Provided at no charge
Cafe Moto in Barrio Logan
2619 National Ave.
San Diego, CA, 92126
Register at:
www.fairtradesd.org
Number 4:
Deacon Jim Walsh asks for
your participation in the Restorative Justice Program of the Office
for Social Ministry. Currently there is much need and many
opportunities in the area of Detention Ministry. Please consider
joining the 325 volunteers who serve in the jails, juvenile
halls and prisons in both San Diego and Imperial Counties
March
28, 2008
Detention
Ministers and Tutors Needed in South Bay, East County, and Imperial
County
By Deacon Jim Walsh
There are over
7,000 juvenile and adult inmates in five separate facilities on Alta
Road in Otay Mesa,
 near
the intersection of the Rt. 125 and 905 freeways.
30 to 40 per
cent of the inmates are Catholic. While the ministry is growing in
other areas, insufficient numbers of lay volunteers, priests, and
deacons have come forward to properly conduct group church services
and administer sacraments to inmates in South Bay.
There are
similar needs in Imperial Valley, Campo, McCain Valley and Alpine.
The Office for
Social Ministry coordinates Restorative Justice programs including
Detention Ministry in the Diocese. We want to thank volunteers who
have come forward from many parishes who have committed to meeting
the needs of “the least of these”. However, to effectively meet
inmates’ needs, more volunteers from additional parishes need to
come forward.
The 28
detention facilities within the boundaries of the Diocese of San
Diego hold about 27,000 total inmates. The Office for Social
Ministry of the Diocese of San Diego provides the structure and
training for Catholic volunteer detention ministry. Information and
Training Seminars will be held in
 April
and May.
The Juvenile
Detention facilities in San Diego County also are in need of tutors
(in non-religious subjects) to help high school students being held
in detention.
No matter
where you live, if you want more information on the Information and
Training Seminars or if you feel called to serve, please visit
www.diocese-sdiego.org/restore or contact the Office for Social
Ministry at 858-490-8375.
Number
5: Whether it's Depression, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Eating
Disorders, Schizophrenia, or one of a host of other serious
disorders, nearly every Catholic family has been touched by mental
illness. Join Parish Disability Facilitators on Saturday, April 19,
2008 at 8:00 a.m. at Balboa Park to "Walk for the Mind of America"
with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness
******Balboa Park at 6th and Laurel******
Get ready to join San Diego County's NAMI Walk for the Mind of
America! The journey
 your
footsteps will make at Balboa Park will join those across the nation
to fight for the cause of mental illness.
NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the nation’s
largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving
the lives of persons living with serious mental illness
and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has become the nation’s
voice on mental illness, a national organization including NAMI
organizations in every state and in over 1100 local communities
across the country who join together to meet the NAMI mission
through advocacy, research, support, and education.
One in five people will be treated for a biological brain disorder
at some point in life.
 NAMI
Walks for the Mind of America, the annual NAMI San Diego County
fundraiser, is a big part of the solution. Financial support that
NAMI receives from the Walk is used for its programs that increase
mental health recovery and reduce mental illness stigma.
NAMI is dedicated to the eradication of mental illnesses and to the
improvement of the quality of life of all whose lives are affected
by these diseases.
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 8:00 a.m.
Schedule of Events:
6:30 a.m. Registration Opens
8:00 a.m. Welcome to NAMI WALK
8:10 a.m. Presentation from Honorary Chair
8:20 a.m. Warm-Up
8:30 a.m. WALK Begins!
REGISTRATION - Runners/walkers can register
online at:
www.nami.org/namiwalks/CA/sandiego You may also register the
day of the walk. If you register under a team, your team captain
will pick up your race bib and t-shirt coupon.
WARM UP - Be ready at 8:20 to participate in
warm-up stretching! Post race repeat stretching to make sure muscles
quickly recuperate.
START - The race will start promptly at 8:30a.m.
POST-RACE FESTIVITIES - This year, along with
our usually wonderful resource fair, we also have activities for
children and food vendors so teams can picnic in the park after the
race!
VOLUNTEERS - Over 60 volunteers will be needed
to safely conduct the NAMI WALK . If your friends or family would
like to be a part of the excitement, have them call (619) 584-5564.
All volunteers receive a free t-shirt.
INFORMATION - Call Shannon Jaccard at
619-584-5564 or visit:
www.namiwalksandiego.org NAMI San Diego, 4480 30th Street, San
Diego, CA 92116
shannonjaccard@namisd.org
Walk for the Mind of America with NAMI
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Balboa Park, at 6th and Laurel
Check-in time starting at: 6:30 a.m.
Walk/Run Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
Number
6: Congregations for Civic Action (CCA) is seeking a
full-time faith-based community organizer
Faith-Based Community Organizer Job Opening
Congregations for Civic Action (CCA) is a federation of 11 North
San Diego County congregations representing 21,000 families. Its
vision is for all people to experience the
 justice
and opportunity that is extended by the American promise. It
strives for that vision by building the capacity of congregations to
represent the interests of families in local, state, and national
public affairs. This is accomplished through the development of
grassroots congregational leaders and powerful congregation-wide
action in issue areas such as housing affordability, healthcare
access, public safety, youth, and public education. CCA is
affiliated with The PICO National Network (piconetwork.org).
Congregations for Civic Action seeks a full time community
organizer. The position requires frequent evening work and some
weekends. Organizing duties will be primarily in coastal North San
Diego County. Salary is $40,000-$45,000 (DOE) plus health benefits
and retirement plan.
Responsibilities:
• Develop volunteer leaders and community organizing committees
in member
congregations using the PICO model of congregation-based
community organizing
• Conduct one-to-one visits with volunteer leaders, clergy, and
community stakeholders
on a highly frequent basis
• Guide community organizing committees through research and action
on local issues
• Participate in PICO efforts to shape policy at state and national
levels
• Participate in fundraising and administrative activities as
required
• Participate in PICO's professional development sessions and other
training activities
designated by the executive director
Qualifications:
• Associate or baccalaureate degree. May be substituted with
relevant work experience
• Experience in social justice, political, or community development
work
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Outstanding presentation, training, and writing skills
• Keen analytical skills
• Ability to work with diverse religious congregations and
racial/ethnic communities
• Spanish language proficiency or fluency preferred
• Candidates must successfully complete a one-to-one interview
process with volunteer
leaders, clergy, and Civic Action staff
To apply:
Please mail or e-mail a cover letter and resume to:
Peter Hasapopoulos
Executive Director
Congregations for Civic Action
1785 S. Escondido Boulevard, Ste B
Escondido, CA 92025
Email:
phasapopoulos@sbcglobal.net
Deadline for application: Open until filled
Short
Reports on OSM Related Issues/Events
Number 1:
Good Friday Pro-life Station of the Cross
draws more than 230 participants to Downtown San Diego - Watch it
at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10R56EfRkFw&feature=user
Organizers of the Good Friday
Pro-Life Procession and Stations of the Cross described
 turnout
for the event as "beyond our dreams!"
More than 230 Catholic pro-life activists gathered at St. Joseph's
Cathedral at noon to begin a five-block procession praying the
Divine Mercy Chaplet on the way to praying the Precious Blood Way of
the Cross along Broadway in the heart of Downtown San Diego. The
procession was led by Knight of Columbus Ed Ashbaugh, five altar
boys, two priest and a deacon. One police cruiser and two
motorcycle officers escorted the group. Several homeless men and
women made the sign of the cross as the group processed by them.
Fr. Anthony Saroki, Vocations
Director for the Diocese of San Diego, led the group in praying the
Pro-Life Stations. Fr. Joseph Tabigue and Deacon Nick Amicone of
Our Lady of the Rosary were present along with Deacon Ken Finn.
Holy Cross Choir director, Vita La
 Fond,
led the group in the Stabat Mater and closing hymns.
The group recalled the Lord's
Passion for nearly an hour along Broadway between Third and Fourth
Aves while non-stop traffic passed by. Participants carried
pictures depicting each of the Fourteen Stations, relics of the
Cross, St. Maria Goretti, St. Padre Pio and St. Simon Stock, as well
as pro-life signs and banners that read "We are praying for an end
to abortion," "Take my hand not my life," "Life is precious," and
"Stop killing the innocent unborn." The group had wonderful
assistance from the San Diego Police who stayed during the vigil and
accompanied the procession back to the Cathedral.
 Organizers
would like to thank all those who participated in the event,
especially those who helped to promote the event. Participants said it
was a very powerful public witness of Faith as they brought the
Church to the streets of San Diego. Sue Lopez, event organizer,
indicated, "Publicly and proudly proclaiming their Catholic
identity, especially Good Friday devotions, seems to be one way the
Holy Spirit is working to bring healing to the Church. Surely Our
Lady of Fatima is continuing to pour out her graces on San Diego."
A Youtube video of the procession can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10R56EfRkFw&feature=user
Number 2: Seventeenth Annual Downtown "Walk
with the Suffering - Stations of the Cross" draws attention to the
plight of many
From an article on Good Friday celebrations by Sandi Dolbee of
the Union Tribune - The article in its entirety can be found at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080322-9999-1m22good.html
 ...Earlier
yesterday, about 120 people gathered in downtown San Diego for
another outdoor procession, the 17th annual “Walk With the
Suffering.” At each stop along the route, the stations from the New
Testament account were applied to a contemporary social ill –
including hunger, homelessness, poverty, health care and needy
children.
“By walking with the
suffering as Jesus did, we will be reminded of the suffering in the
community . . . and to do something to alleviate that suffering,”
said Rosemary Johnston of the Ecumenical Council of San Diego
County, which sponsored the walk.
As in past years, there
were speakers and costumed Catholic students who portrayed the
biblical characters.
Natalie DiGregorio, , 18, a
senior at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace in North Park, was
outfitted to play a couple of roles. She saw the event as a reminder
that Holy Week and Easter Sunday are religious holidays. “It's not
just about the bunny and eggs and Easter egg hunts,” she said.
Sandi Dolbee: (619)
293-2082;
sandi.dolbee@uniontrib.com
Web and
e-mail-based Resources
A very important resource on internet addiction recovery is
now available online...
http://www.netaddiction.com
along with a written guide for Catholics, "Breaking Free of the Web,
Catholics and Internet Addiction"
Are you or a loved one addicted to the Internet? Do you sit for
hours and hours in front of a computer screen, surfing the Web at
the expense of your mental and emotional health? Are your addictive
behaviors jeopardizing your job and putting you and your family at
risk? Has your ability to socialize with others diminished? Are
you ashamed and concerned about the Web sites you are visiting
regularly? Do you want to stop your addictive behavior?
 Dr.
Kimberly Young and Sister Patrice Klausing want to help you.
They've written the ultimate guide for Catholics who seek to break
an addiction to the Internet. With their combined clinical and
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both therapeutically sound and rooted in faith.
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the basic facts, information, how-to-measures and real-life
scenarios about real people struggling to kick their Internet
addiction, in addition to spiritual exercises and prayers that will
guide Internet addicts through the difficult journey to health.
Together the authors have created one of the most comprehensive
books on Internet addiction available today.
To purchase the book, visit:
http://catalog.americancatholic.org/product.aspx?prodid=B16804&pcat=103
Breaking Free of the Web
Catholics and Internet Addiction
Kimberly Young, PSY.D., and Patrice Klausing, O.S.F.
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. Attend
the San Diego "Friends of Fair Trade" monthly meeting in April
San Diego Friends of Fair Trade is a coalition of non-profit
organizations and congregations attempting to advance the cause of
fair trade. They work to insure that all individuals who toil, both
at home and around the world, to provide consumers with commodities
are paid a living wage, one that can sustain a life with dignity.
The next SD Friends of Fair Trade meeting will be on Wednesday,
April 19, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. at the Open Door Book Store on 4761
Cass St., Pacific Beach - For more information please contact
Carolyn Lief at
fairtradesandiego@gmail.com
2. 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.
3. Prayerful witness for life at two locations (7340 Miramar
Road in San Diego and 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway) in San Diego
County
Special Notice - New Location for Family Planning Associates
Helpers of God’s Precious Infants weekly rosary prayer vigil from
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday at 7340 Miramar Road,
directly above Metro Flooring in the complex with the Pyramid
Building, adjacent to Carroll Road. Prayer warriors also
needed as early as 7:30 a.m.
Call Sue Lopez 619/990-1341 for more information.
Second 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. The ministry associated with the Clinica Medica
abortion facility in Chula Vista is seeking sidewalk counselors -
training will be provided
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.
8. 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.
9. The Goretti Group offers chastity prayer and speaker
training monthly
Every First Friday of the month: Culture of Life Praise and
Prayer at Our Lady of the Rosary, Giovanni Room, 7:00 p.m. -
Praise the Lord to live music, join in praying the rosary, and hear
a witness on living the virtue of chastity!
Every Second Monday of the month: ChasteMasters Meeting at Our
Lady of the Rosary, Giovanni Room, 7:00 p.m. - Please join us in
prayer, a roundtable discussion, and providing feedback as chastity
speakers refine their talks.
For more info please visit:
www.thegorettigroup.org or call David at: 619-733-843
Watch for OSM e-link bulletin
#67 around Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Article/Statement for April 2, 2008
From the Weekly Standard:
http://weeklystandard.com/
From...
Politically Correct Eugenics
Brownback and Kennedy do the right thing
by Wesley J. Smith
03/31/2008, Volume 013, Issue 28
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/915cuzel.asp
 It
is a bitter irony that even as we are enlarging our commitment to
human equality in many areas, we are turning our backs on it in
others. In particular, we may be about to eliminate from our society
people with Down syndrome (DS) and other genetically caused
disabilities.
With the development of prenatal genetic diagnosis, the drive toward
eugenics has returned with a vengeance. Americans may heartily cheer
participants in the Special Olympics, but we abort some 90 percent
of all gestating infants diagnosed with genetic disabilities such as
DS, dwarfism, and spinal bifida. Not only that, but a study
published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in
2005 found that of the approximately 5,000 babies born with DS
annually, only about 625 were born to mothers who knew of their
baby's condition before birth. Together, these figures suggest that
under the regimen of universal prenatal genetic testing urged upon
us by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the number
of DS babies born each year could plummet below 1,000.
This is precisely the purpose of testing, many will say. But others
see that attitude as a denial of universal human equality. Moreover,
many worry that parents of genetically disabled children are nudged
toward the abortion option, a choice they might not make if a fuller
and fairer picture were presented to them. Indeed, parents of babies
diagnosed prenatally with DS reported in the study mentioned above
that 23 percent of the physicians or genetics counselors they spoke
with either "emphasized the negative" aspects of parenting such
children or "urged" parents to choose abortion. (This, in contrast
to 14 percent who emphasized the positive possibilities or counseled
in favor of continuing the pregnancy.) And even when prenatal
counseling is truly neutral, parents may not receive the depth and
breadth of information or the emotional support required for a fully
informed decision.
To prevent parents from being subtly or expressly pushed in making
decisions about their genetically disabled child, a strange pair of
bedfellows--Senators Edward Kennedy and Sam Brownback--have
coauthored the "Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Condition
Awareness Act" (S 1810), which just passed its first committee
hurdle.
Kennedy's adamant support for abortion rights infuriates pro-lifers,
while Brownback is ardently pro-life, accused by paranoid liberals
of harboring theocratic tendencies. Their disagreement about
abortion notwithstanding, their bill would require parents faced
with pre- and postnatal diagnoses of disability to receive "timely,
scientific, and nondirective counseling about the conditions" as
well as "up-to-date, comprehensive information about life
expectancy, development potential, and quality of life" for a child
born with Down syndrome or any other genetic disability, as well as
"referrals to providers of key support services." Their hope,
clearly, is that when parents receive a more complete picture, more
of them will welcome their disabled babies into the world.
The case of cystic fibrosis is suggestive. After a prenatal genetic
test was recently developed to detect this disease, the number of CF
live births in Massachusetts plunged by about 50 percent. No one
knows why--no studies have been done. But if this drop is due to
eugenic abortion, perhaps some of these children would have been
carried to term if their parents had been required to be informed
that great progress is being made and CF is no longer a certain
early childhood death sentence.
Or imagine the potential impact on parents agonizing over whether to
abort their DS baby if they were presented with testimony to the joy
that many parents of Down children discover. British sportswriter
Simon Barnes, for instance, recounted his experience in the Times of
London. "If you find the idea of love uncomfortable," Barnes wrote,
or sentimental or best-not-talked-about or existing only in the
midst of a passionate love affair, then you will find problems with
what I am writing. I am writing of love not as a matter of grand
passions, or as high-falutin' idealism, or as religion. I am writing
about love as the stuff that makes the processes of human life
happen: the love that moves the sun and other stars, which is also
the love that makes the toast and other snacks. . . .
What is it like to have Down's syndrome? How terrible is it? Is it
terrible at all? It depends, I suppose, on how well loved you are. .
. . I can't say I'm glad that Eddie has Down's syndrome, or that I
would wish him to suffer in order to charm me and fill me with
giggles. But no, I don't want his essential nature changed. Good
God, what a thought. It would be as much a denial of myself as a
denial of my son. . . . I am here to tell you that Down's syndrome
is not an insupportable horror for either the sufferer or the
parents. I'll go further: human beings are not better off without
Down's syndrome.
A famous columnist once opined that only people who have the "moral
authority" earned by hard experience should express opinions about
such difficult matters. What Kennedy and Brownback hope to provide
to parents of genetically disabled babies is the legal assurance
that they will be provided information that is complete and
informed--rather than counseling tainted by prejudice, ignorance, or
fear. The Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Condition Awareness
Act may have a clunky name, but it is a noble and practical bill
that deserves the support not only of those ideological opposites
Kennedy and Brownback--but also of everybody in between.
Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, an
attorney for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted
Suicide, and a special consultant to the Center for Bioethics and
Culture.
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