Key Upcoming Culture-of-Life Gatherings/Projects

Number 2:   Saint Martin of Tours Catholic Church will offer two special presentations: one on Fair Trade (Friday, March 6, 2009, at 5:00 p.m.) and another on Worker Justice (Friday, April 3, 2009, at 5:00 p.m.) - Special Lenten "Fish Tacos" served at 5:00 p.m. on both evenings -presentations begin at 6:00 p.m. - 7710 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego


- Announcing a Lenten Opportunity

 - Coming Together as a Community of Faith on
    Friday Evenings

 - Making a difference for those in need

 - Building Hope in San Diego County



St. Martin Fair Trade Presentation

Fair Trade Event

A Presentation on Fair Trade in San Diego

Friday March 6, 2009 - 5:00 p.m. for fish tacos in Barry Hall -6:00 p.m. presentation




-Learn about how Fair Trade can make a difference in our world
-Discover a wealth of Fair Trade products.
-Take Action to expand the Fair Trade marketplace

Guest Speaker:
Dawn Stary, President, San Diego Friends of Fair Trade

What Is Fair Trade?
A trading partnership that seeks greater equity in international trade and contributes to sustainable development by securing the rights of marginalized producers and workers. It addresses systemic poverty and marginalization, especially in underdeveloped countries.

What Is Its Purpose?
 - create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society
 - help end poverty, environmental destruction, and human exploitation

How Do Products Get Certified as “Fair Trade”?
In the manufacturing and/or growing process the following conditions must be met:

 - workers paid a living wage
 - safe and healthy working conditions
 - fair prices for products
 - respect for human dignity of workers 
 - preservation of local customs and practices
 - financial and technical assistance for producers where needed
 - long term relationships between buyers and producers

What Are Some Fair Trade Products that I Can Purchase Locally?
Coffee and Tea - Chocolate and Flowers - Fruit - Sugar and Rice - Wine
Vanilla and Spices - Baskets and Quilts - Jewelry and Home Decor Items


St. Martin Worker Justice Presentation

http://www.calchannel.com
 

Web and e-mail-based Resources

"Visit the St. Gianna Physician Guild web site"

Learn more about how Catholic medical professionals can influence the culture and create community within the profession of medicine

http://www.catholicaction.org/st._gianna_physician_s_guild/home/

Saint Gianna Physicians Guild was founded by a Catholic laymen who saw a need for physicians and other health care workers to bring their Faith more into their lives and medical practices.

Thomas McKenna, a long-time lay activist, teamed up with a close friend and internationally renowned physician in the specialty of gynecologic oncology from the University of Southern California, Dr. Paul Morrow, to form a movement to do this.

The goal is to gather physicians and others to be part of an association which can address issues of public concern especially focusing on those related to the practice of medicine and the health care industry. Through programs and activities members will have the opportunity to meet other who share their concerns as well as their Faith. The program has spread to include nurses, medical students, residents as well as others who share these concerns.

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.

 

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: 619-733-8439

Watch for OSM e-link bulletin #76 around Friday, March 27, 2009    
 

Article/Statement for February 27, 2009

From Protectmarriage.com - "Yes on 8"




February 24, 2009
This just in from Hollywood:

“I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights.”

Sean Penn, accepting the Oscar for Best Actor, February 22, 2009

This is the message that was communicated throughout the world on Sunday night during the Academy Award show by Hollywood liberals, including their “best actor” Sean Penn.

In fact, viewers weren’t two categories into the awards show when a gay screen writer bashed the Mormon Church, as much as said that supporters of Prop 8 are hateful bigots and promised that, soon, gays would have the right to marry. He even promised that the Obama Administration would make sure gays could marry “federally.” That brought a big round of applause.

It is perhaps not surprising that Hollywood liberals would use their “awards” show to campaign in favor of gay marriage. After all, many of these same liberals donated or raised millions of dollars to attempt to defeat Proposition 8.

What is perhaps surprising is their brazen attempt to influence public opinion against traditional marriage by manipulating people into thinking that this is a “human rights” issue, or a “civil rights” issue, or even an “equal rights” issue. What they don’t tell people is that gay couples in domestic partnerships in California already have equal rights! Gay domestic partners in California enjoy the same legal rights as married spouses.

Liberal Hollywood activists like Sean Penn know a thing or two about reaching audiences. They make millions – tens of millions – learning how to connect with an audience. One audience they no doubt hoped to influence on Sunday night was the California Supreme Court, which is hearing challenges to invalidate Prop 8 in just ten days. Another audience probably watched the show from the upstairs of the White House in Washington. Still another audience is made up of voters here in California, enough of the 7 million of whom they hope to shame into repudiating their votes cast in favor of traditional marriage the next time the issue is on the ballot. Traditional marriage has served society well, and there are many sound reasons why people support one man, one woman marriage – including continuing the best institution to give children both a mother and a father. Prop 8 wasn’t an attack on gay couples, it was an affirmation of traditional marriage – but you didn’t hear that at the Academy Awards.

ProtectMarriage.com has made very powerful, legally sound arguments in our briefs filed with the Supreme Court. Our attorneys, including former Solicitor General Kenneth Starr, are working hard to prepare to present these arguments directly to the justices on March 5 when the challenges to Prop 8 will be heard. We think that attempts to campaign to get the attention of judges, like we saw from Hollywood the other night, will fall on deaf ears. We are confident that the Court will decide the Prop 8 cases strictly on the law, and we have the law on our side.

However, we must also be mindful of the incessant effort from Hollywood and gay activists to portray our support of Prop 8 in hateful, negative terms. From the protests that have been orchestrated against Proposition 8, to the “outing” of countless donors to our campaign, to the violence and vandalism of our churches, supporters of traditional marriage have been subjected to a carefully orchestrated attempt to erode public support and intimidate our donors and volunteers. It’s time that we fought back, and ProtectMarriage.com intends to do just that. Will you help us?

Under the leadership of our Executive Committee, ProtectMarriage.com is formulating several new programs to uphold and defend traditional marriage, to educate the public about the benefits of traditional marriage and to engage in public discourse as to the correctness of the vote cast last November. We’re working on extensive outreach and education plans. We’re developing research efforts to better make a public case for traditional marriage, and the consequences of permanently legalizing gay marriage. We are putting high-tech grassroots programs in place. And we’re hard at work on developing an integrated, sophisticated communications plan – including taking our messages directly to the public via advertising, grassroots tactics and online activities.

I’m asking for your financial support of this effort. Our opponents raised at least $5 million more than we did during the campaign, and they have the support of an energized Hollywood crowd and other liberal activists. We have had to deplete our coffers to pay for the legal defense of Proposition 8 before the California Supreme Court. Many of our opponents, including several public entities like the City of San Francisco, are being financed with tax dollars, giving them a tremendous financial advantage over our committee. ProtectMarriage.com is the only organization with legal standing before the Supreme Court arguing to uphold the vote of the people. If it weren’t for our efforts, Prop 8 would be defenseless. We have poured our hearts, souls, energies and resources into making the strongest legal case possible before the California Supreme Court. And we expect to prevail.

But this legal battle has left us with precious little additional resources to mount an aggressive public education effort, which is essential to deal with the incessant campaign from the left to falsely portray traditional marriage as an out-dated, homophobic institution that denies rights to gays and lesbians. If we do not respond to the public effort our opponents have mounted, it will only be a matter of time before our victory at the polls last November will be hollow.

Please make a contribution now to help us fight back against this orchestrated effort from the left and continue to advocate in favor of traditional marriage.

https://www.icontribute.us/protectmarriage/initiative/main

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
 
Frank Schubert
Campaign Manager
ProtectMarriage.com - Yes on 8