|
Dear
e-link
Subscriber,
The Office for Social Ministry (OSM) has some important news.
Catholic Radio is "on the air"
in San Diego, and the OSM, with Kent, Linda, and Deacon Jim as
hosts, will supply one hour or programming each week on
Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The show is called
"Setting Things Right," so just tune in to AM
1000 on your radio dial or listen online at -
www.catholicradioofsandiego.com.
Join your hosts for an hour of information, dialogue (in-studio
guests and live call in), challenges, and even some fun. Call
them tomorrow night between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. -
760-931-1604.
Visit:
www.catholicradioofsandiego.com for programing
information.
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
Kent, Linda, Deacon Jim, and Maria
     
Tuesday, March 29, 2011, e-link Bulletin #93
Table of Contents
Remarks - Message on Japan from
the Office of the Vicar General - Msgr.
Steven Callahan
Key Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects (please join us)
1. There is still time to participate in the "40
Days for Life" Campaign which
began on March 9th and continues through April 17th -
Midpoint Rally at
7:00 p.m. tomorrow evening (Wednesday, March 30) -
watch Bishop Brom's
video from the first 40 Days for Life
campaign on the 40 Days website
2. Tomorrow night, Wednesday, March
30, there will be a showing of the film,
"Love Lived on Death Row" at St.
Gregory the Great Parish with a
follow-up discussion led by Kent - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m.
3. Get acquainted with the many facets of
Restorative Justice - Learn about
the service opportunities offered through the OSM - one
may be just right
for you!
4. Sixth Annual Good Friday Pro-life Stations of
the Cross, Friday,
April 22, Noon to 1:30 p.m. starting at St. Joseph
Cathedral -
participants will meet in front of the Cathedral -
procession is
to Horton Plaza then back to the Cathedral
5. Fair Trade of San Diego invites everyone to a
"World Fair Trade Day"
celebration Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 1:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m. at the
Ideal Hotel in downtown San Diego, 546 3rd Avenue,
Downtown San Diego
Short Reports on Office for Social
Ministry Related Issues/Events
1. Saturday, January 22, 2011 - Annual Mass and
Candlelight Vigil for the
anniversary of Roe vs. Wade
2. Record-breaking 50,000 Strong -
Walk for Life West Coast Participants are
full of hope in San Francisco - including three
incredible photos
3. Juan Melendez - the Story of an
Innocent Man's Release from Death Row -
Moves a San Diego State University
Audience
4. Knights of Columbus Members Equip Mobile
Pregnancy Care Clinic with
Life-Saving 4D Ultrasound - from the
Southern Cross Catholic Newspaper
Web and e-mail-based Resources
- Visit the new website of
California Catholic Lawyers Against the Death
Penalty
Local and Regional
Events/Gatherings/Projects
1. Attend the San Diego Friends of Fair Trade
monthly meeting on Wednesday,
April 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Open Door Book Store in
Pacific Beach
2. "Get Acquainted with Detention Ministry"
monthly information/training
sessions are offered by Deacon Walsh at the
Pastoral Center - The next
training will be held
Tuesday, April 12 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon - Registration
is required to attend
3. North County prayer witness at the
Carlsbad Planned Parenthood Clinic
scheduled for every third Monday of the month from
10:00 a.m. to
10:30 a.m.
4. Prayerful witness for life at two locations in
San Diego County - every
Saturday and Wednesday at 7340 Miramar Road, just east
of the Pyramid
Building, adjacent to Carroll Road, and the second
Saturday of every
month at 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway
5. St. Dismas Guild sponsors two weekly hours of
prayer for the unborn
in front of the North County Women's Medical Clinic on
Craven Way
6. St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Carlsbad
also supports the St. Dismas
Guild prayer ministry in front of the North County
Women's Medical
Clinic on Craven Way
7. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Encinitas
Pro-Life Mass and Rosary held
on the first Monday of each month
8. Prayer Vigil at Planned Parenthood -
First and Grape Street, San Diego –
Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
9. Most Precious Blood Parish in Chula Vista
Rosary Prayer Vigils held every
Wednesday at 8:45 a.m.
10. Prayer partners are needed at 1079 Third Ave.,
suite 3, in Chula
Vista - abortions are performed at this facility - Meet
each Wednesday
from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
11. Join neighbors and friends to pray in front of
the new Planned
Parenthood facility in El Cajon on Fridays
and Saturdays
12. The Goretti Group is offering a chastity prayer
gathering and a speaker
training monthly along with a Mass to celebrate
chastity
Article/Statement for March 29, 2011
- A Reflection by Deacon Jim Walsh, very fitting for Lent,
on Christ the King,
our call to conversion, and to heal a broken
world - Based on the Gospel of
Luke 23: 25-43
Remarks - From Msgr. Steven
Callahan on "Assistance to Japan"
Japan
Disaster Assistance - Individuals or parishes who want
to help the Japanese
 people
in their present crisis may do so by sending checks designated
“for Japan emergency” in the memo line or cover letter to
Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD
21203-7090.
Contributions can also be made on-line at
www.crs.org
Please be generous.
Thank you and God bless |
Key
Upcoming Culture-of-Life
Gatherings/Projects
Number 1:
40 Days
for Life is in full swing in San Diego - It started on Ash
Wednesday, March 9th and will run through April 17th - Join
hundreds of prayerful citizens in public witness in front of Family
Planning Associates on Miramar Road, sharing the parking lot with
the Pyramid Building - from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. each day
Watch a video and hear the message Bishop Brom
shared with participants at the first "40 Days for Life" in San
Marcos
See the Video:
http://www.40daysforlife.com/sandiego
The 40 Days for Life Midpoint Rally and Candlelight
rosary procession will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 30 at
7:00 p.m. at the Miramar site.
Fr. Anthony Saroki, pastor of Ascension Parish, will lead the
group in prayer and Anne, sidewalk counselor with Helpers of God's
Precious Infants, will be a guest speaker. Participants will meet
on Kenamar Dr. Please join "40 Days for Life" as together, we pray
for an end to abortion and for God's mercy. For directions and
details, please visit
http://www.40daysforlife.com/sandiego/
40 Days for
Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:
- 40
days of prayer and fasting
- 40 days of peaceful vigil
- 40 days of community outreach
We are praying that, with God's help, this groundbreaking effort
will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city -- and
throughout America.
Take a stand for life!
While all
aspects of 40 Days for Life are crucial in our effort to end
abortion, the most visible component is the peaceful prayer vigil
outside a local abortion facility.
You can help
make a life-saving impact by regularly joining the vigil at:
Family Planning Associates, 7340 Miramar Road
(sharing the parking lot with the Pyramid Building - park on Kenamar
Drive behind the mini-mall and walk through to the sidewalk on
Miramar Road - OK to cross through the parking lot without
loitering)
Sign up to participate in one of our local
40 Days for Life vigils:
http://www.40daysforlife.com/sandiego/ Miramar Road
Location
To learn more, sign up for specific vigil hours, or let us
know how you feel called to serve God in this effort, please contact
the 40 Days for Life leadership team:
Lisa James - local director
40days4lifemiramarrd@gmail.com or
858-720-1363
40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing
local communities the consequences of abortion in their own
neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into
action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His
plan for the end of abortion in America.
The 40-day
campaign tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to
transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world. From
Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after
Christ's resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative
value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.
Number 2:
Tomorrow night, Wednesday, March 30,
there will be a showing of the film, "Love Lived on Death Row" at
St. Gregory the Great Parish with a follow-up discussion led by Kent
Peters - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
You're invited!
The St. Gregory Respect Life Ministry is hosting a screening of
the film "Love Lived on Death Row" at the Parish Hall on Wednesday,
March 30, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Kent Peters, the Director of the Office for Social Ministry of
the Diocese of San Diego and an active opponent of the death
penalty, will lead a Q&A discussion following the showing.
More than a Compelling Story...
"Love Lived on Death Row" tells the story of the four Syriani
siblings whose father was sentenced to die for the murder of their
mother in 1990 and Meg Eggleston, who
 became
their father's friend and spiritual advisor through letters to him
in prison.
Orphaned and estranged, the Syriani children lived with hate, anger
and confusion as the man they could only refer to as 'Him Him' lived
on North Carolina's death row. But in 2004 they collectively decided
to visit him in prison, seeking answers so they could move on with
their adult lives.
What transpired that day was a miracle of forgiveness followed by a
journey of healing, restoring family memories and then a battle for
his clemency.
"Love Lived on Death Row's" portrait of a family torn apart by
tragedy and reunited by another impending tragedy is a powerful
examination of not only the healing process, but also of the
damaging role capital punishment plays in serving justice.
View the movie trailer -
http://www.lovelivedondeathrow.com/trailer.html
Gather at the Parish Hall
Saint Gregory the Great: A Catholic Faith Community
11451 Blue Cypress Drive
San Diego, California 92131
Contact respectlife@stgg.org
for more information.
Number 3:
Get acquainted with the many facets of Restorative Justice - Learn
about the service opportunities offered through the OSM - Receive
support as a victim of crime - Receive support as a family member of
one who is incarcerated - Participate in community healing - one of
these opportunities may be just right for you!
Restorative Justice… what is it?
Restorative justice sees crime as a moral issue, with the principle
that crime is primarily an offense against human
 relationships.
Our present criminal justice system sees crime as a statutory issue,
viewing crime as a violation of a law, since laws are written to
protect safety and fairness.
In our culture, we emphasize violation of statutes over the moral
issue of violation of the human relationship. Restorative justice
more faithfully reflects Christian values and tradition - to hold
people accountable, to forgive, and to heal. Our current
retributive justice model focuses primarily on the legal infraction
without recognition of the human damage.
This relational model of Restorative Justice leads the ministry of
the Catholic Church into the following areas. One may be just what
you are looking for!
- Victims of crime – we offer spiritual companionship
with you. Click
http://www.diocese-sdiego.org/osm/victim%20support.mht
for more information.
- Train to be a moderator for Community
Justice Exchange. Facilitate dialogue between victims and
offenders. Click
http://www.sdrjmp.org/ for more information.
- Are you a family member or friend of an
incarcerated person? Click
http://www.diocese-sdiego.org/osm/FriendsFamilyIncarcerated.mht
for more.
- Called to serve in prison ministry?
Discern more by clicking
http://www.diocese-sdiego.org/osm/detention_ministry_files/So%20you%20think%20you.htm
- Participate in a Christ-centered,
self-help correspondence program for prison inmates. More
http://www.diocese-sdiego.org/osm/detention_ministry_files/CreativeOptions11-30-10.mht
Read the U.S. Catholic Bishops document on Criminal Justice reform:
http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/criminal.shtml
Deacon Jim Walsh:
Asst. Director, Office for Social Ministry, Catholic Diocese of San
Diego, Restorative Justice Program Director, Detention Ministry
Chaplain & Volunteer Coordinator
visit our web site
www.diocese-sdiego.org/restore
Contact Deacon Jim by e-mail -
jwalsh@diocese-sdiego.org
Number 4:
The Sixth Annual Good Friday Pro-Life Stations of the Cross
will be held on April 22, 2011 at Noon, in Downtown San Diego. The
event will start at St. Joseph Cathedral, with a procession to
Horton Plaza and a return to the Cathedral
Participants will pray the Stations of the Cross for an end to
abortion, making the link between the killing of the innocent Jesus
and the innocent unborn. There will be no graphic abortion pictures
present at this event. Everyone is invited to bring a Crucifix.
Banners will be available that read: "Take my hand not my life,"
"I'm a child not a choice," and "Life is Precious," as well as signs
that read "Stop killing the innocent unborn".
Join hundreds of pro-life Catholics in the largest annual public
witness for the protection of the unborn in San Diego.
Bring coins for metered parking in the area. Come early and
carpool if you can.
Please spread the word to others who you think would be interested.
Last year was a very holy and moving experience for everyone, as
well as a powerful public witness for Life.
Good Friday Pro-life Stations of the Cross
Friday, April 22, 2011, at Noon
Starting at St. Joseph Cathedral
Fourth Ave. and Beech St.
San Diego, CA
For information or questions about the Good Friday Pro-life Stations
of the Cross, contact Roger Lopez: 619-990-1341 or sue.lopez.helpers@gmail.com.
Number 5:
Fair
Trade of San Diego invites everyone to a "World Fair Trade
Day" celebration on Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00
p.m. at the Ideal Hotel in downtown San Diego, 546 3rd Avenue,
Downtown San Diego
OFFERING...
· fair trade chocolate, ice cream, coffee, and tea tasting
· screening of the film: The Dark Side of Chocolate
· discussion with Fair Trade experts
This is an entirely FREE EVENT to build awareness for Fair Trade and
empower vulnerable producers and artisans.
Supporters in more than 80 countries worldwide will gather to
celebrate the meaning of Fair Trade this year, with an estimated
100,000 participants in North America!
What is FAIR TRADE? Fair Trade seeks dignity and hope for farmers
and
 artisans
who produce the items we consume and enjoy. It helps producers get
paid a fair wage and work in healthy conditions. Fair Trade also
offers a better future for our planet and tastier, higher quality
products for you.
Visit
www.fairtradesd.org for agenda and details.
This complimentary event is brought to you by Fair Trade San Diego
and our generous sponsors.
Short Reports on OSM Related
Issues/Events
Number
1:
Saturday, January 22,
2011 - Annual Mass and Candlelight Vigil for the anniversary of Roe
vs. Wade
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO - More than 100 pro-life
prayer warriors attended the Vigil Mass and Rosary procession on
Friday, January 21, 2011 at St. Ephrem Church in El
Cajon. The evening started with a candlelight rosary procession to
the Mariam Mother of Life shrine, with its towering statue of Mary
and the child Jesus. After the Rosary, a Mass for the protection of
the unborn was offered by Father Nabil Mouannes in the church.
Father Nabil emphasized the importance of prayer and staying
involved in the pro-life movement. He noted how many young people
were in attendance, and how they will carry the fight forward.
Saturday morning, while estimates of
well over 50,000 pro-life people walked and prayed in San Francisco,
a dozen prayer warriors and 4 sidewalk counselors in San Diego,
through the grace of God, saved 3 babies from the hands of the
abortionist at
 Family
Planning Associates on Miramar Road. Later that afternoon, between
125 and 150 people shared a public witness with a pro-life message
with Helpers of God’s Precious Infants on Harbor Drive, in downtown
San Diego. The group held pro-life signs and candles while praying
the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. The opposing gestures were
few, and more subdued than in years past. The weather was clear,
and the candles were bright, bringing God’s message of truth to the
citizens of San Diego - Life is Precious!
May God bless all of you who remembered the innocent unborn in your
prayers on the 38th anniversary of Roe v Wade.
Number 2:
Record-breaking 50,000 Strong - Walk for Life West Coast
Participants are Full of Hope in San Francisco
From Life Site News:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/recordbreaking-turnout-for-walk-for-life-west-coast-in-san-francisco
by Meaghen Hale
January 24, 2011, SAN FRANCISCO – Tens of thousands of pro-life
activists filled Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco’s downtown
this weekend, and then walked 2.5 miles
 along
the waterfront in a record-breaking turnout for the 7th Annual Walk
for Life West Coast.
The day began at 11 am., as Walk for Life West Coast founder Eva
Muntean welcomed the crowd as it gathered in the plaza: “When I look
out at you, all I see is hope.”
Hope was the prevailing theme of the Walk: hope for change. “We
are here to break the chains of the culture of death,” said Dolores
Meehan, also a founder of the walk.
Organizers estimated that at least 40,000 people participated in
the event, which was held on the 38th anniversary of the U.S.
Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. One local
TV station, KTVU, reported the crowd at an estimated 50,000, and
said that police confirmed to them that it was the largest Walk for
Life yet.
Formerr Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, who
walked away from her job at a Texas Planned Parenthood clinic on
October 6, 2009, told the crowd, “For eight years January 22 was a
special day for me, because it was a day that I honored choice.”
But, she added, “Today on January 22nd, I do not honor choice any
more, I mourn choice.”
In a spirited address, Johnson, who had quit her job after
assisting in an ultrasound-guided abortion of a 13-week-old unborn
child, said that change relies on the willingness of young people
to fight for life. “You are the movement. You are the new generation
of the pro-life movement and I can tell you Planned Parenthood is
shaking in their boots.”
“Get out there and do something about it!”
Johnson urged people to “get uncomfortable for life.”
“For so many years we have been comfortable,” she said. “It is
time to go where we have never gone, to reach out to people we would
never reach out to. Almost 4,000 babies die every day just in this
country. Are we going to sit at home or are we going to do something
about it? Today is not the end of our activism. Today is not the end
of our advocacy. Today is the beginning.”
There was also a message of hope for forgiveness. Mary Poirier of
Holy Family Apostolate told the crowd she felt called to speak about
God’s mercy. “How could God forgive my three abortions?” she asked.
“Abortion is wrong. Abortion hurts women. But if you have been
through it, it is never too late to ask for forgiveness. God is so
powerful; nothing is too big for God to forgive.”
The enigmatic Rev. Denise Walker of Everlasting Light Ministries
echoed this statement. “God can forgive you because he forgave me!”
Denise and her husband Brian had chosen to abort their child four
months before their wedding. Denise later founded Everlasting Light
Ministries with her husband, to bring hope and healing to those who
have lost children through abortion.
Rev. Brian Walker emphasized that “it is as much about this child
as it is about us: everybody suffers from abortion.” Rev. Brian
spoke particularly to the men in the crowd, saying “respect for life
starts with you.” He called men to be courageous, to honor women, to
live in the footsteps of Christ. “At four weeks the heart is
beating,” he said. “Why can’t it beat in a grown man?”
The story of speaker Kathleen Eaton proved not only that
forgiveness is possible, but that great things can come of an
apparent evil. After an abortion in 1980, Kathleen asked God for
forgiveness and told Him that the only way she could forgive herself
was if she could save at least one woman and child from the same
fate.
“If you say ‘God, use me,’” laughed Kathleen, “He will!” In 1981,
she started a small pregnancy resource center which then expanded to
half a dozen Birth Choice Health Clinics. According to an
abortionist in her community, the spread of Birth Choice clinics
across America would cause a “seventy-five percent decrease in
abortion without overturning one law.”
As the Ferry Building clock tower struck noon, the walk began to
make its way along the Embarcadero past such famous landmarks as
Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square to Marina Green
Park.
Blessed with sunshine and highs of 70°F, the spirits of the
walkers were soaring. Several groups sang and chanted, and a large
group of young people played drums, guitars, and tambourines,
singing and dancing throughout.
“The people walking are reflections of the healing power of God
for life and the protection of life,” said Bishop Blair of Stockton.
“We are bearing witness to the Gospel of Life.”
Auxiliary Bishop of San Bernardino Rutilio del Riego said, “It is
a gift and a blessing to witness to the sanctity of life. It is an
opportunity for many people to hear the message in a positive way,
to show that the pro-life movement is one of peace and
non-violence.”
A small group of pro-abortion protesters, who gathered along the
sidewalks in garish costumes, disrupted the walk with raucous shouts
of “You don’t care about women!” and other slogans.
In his opening blessing, Bishop Walsh of Santa Rosa said God “did
not spare his own Son and his Mother from a vulnerable beginning. We
must care for the unborn, care for all mothers, protect all life,
and change the hearts of our fellow citizens.”
For the first time in the history of the Walk for Life, the
walkers were accompanied off shore by a sailing ship manned by
thirty-three men, which followed the walk as it wound around the
bay.
 After
passing Ghirardelli Square, the endless river of people could be
seen streaming along the coast towards the Maritime National
Historical Park. The almost 3 mile Walk ended just past the park at
Marina Greens, where testimonies were shared at a Silent No More
gathering, and numerous vendors provided resources at an Info Fair.
For sale by Ignatius Press was “Unplanned,” Abby Johnson’s
best-selling book detailing her experience with Planned Parenthood
and her conversion of heart. Abby signed books for a seemingly
endless line of admirers, her husband Doug at her side. When asked
how she had been most blessed since leaving Planned Parenthood, Abby
laughed that it was coming into the Catholic Church. But both she
and Doug agreed that in addition to faith, the best blessing was
new-found “family time.”
“Without God’s will and without faith, we wouldn’t have the
family structure, and the time we spent together wouldn’t have
meaning.”
The walk was followed by a Walk for Life Youth Rally that brought
together the teenagers and young adults who attended the walk for
praise and worship, networking, and advice for further involvement
in the pro-life movement.
The 2011 Walk for Life West Coast was attended by a variety of
pro-life groups spanning all cultures and faiths, including Silent
No More, Priests for Life, Students for Life of America, Lutherans
for Life and Anglicans for Life. Next year, the Walk hopes to rally
in the AT&T Park, as the numbers of participants have quickly
outgrown the plazas downtown.
Meaghen Hale attended the Walk for Life as a member of the
Media Team, tweeting her experience as a participant from
bayareacatholic.
Number 3:
Juan Melendez -
the Story of an Innocent Man's Release from Death Row - Moves SDSU
Audience
SAN DIEGO SDSU - A packed room at the Agape House Lutheran-Episcopal
Campus Ministry at San Diego State University marveled at the peace
and faith of Juan Melendez. He spoke March 16, 2011 of his struggle
for freedom and his very life after a tainted trial and a death
sentence that sent him to Florida’s death row for 18 years. Since
he was exonerated in 2002, he has crossed the country telling his
inspirational story.
Rev. Darin Johnson, Campus minister at the
Agape Center, began with a reflection that reminded attendees that
the beginning of Lent was an appropriate time to marvel on renewal
and forgiveness that are exemplified in Juan’s life. Many of the
questions that followed his presentation expressed disbelief that
this sort of injustice could take place in the U.S. Juan reminded
the audience that he was the 99th death row inmate
exonerated and that now there are 138 innocent men and women who
have been released from death rows across the U.S. He also lamented
that because of rapid court systems in some states; many more
inmates may have been executed before they could prove their
innocence. Juan credited his faith for keeping him sane, preventing
him from committing suicide during his darkest hour and sustaining
him in his current work.
Following his SDSU appearance Mr. Melendez
was interviewed on KPBS radio’s “These Days”. This interview is
available at the
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/mar/17/juan-melendez-innocent-death-row/.
After San Diego he headed to Anaheim to present his story at the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles Religious Education Conference. His
powerful story is available on a DVD titled "Juan Melendez
6446". The 6446 is the number of days he spent on death row.
The California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty,
San Diego Chapter (CPF) co-sponsored the event. Dr. Mike Peddecord,
from CPF reminded attendees that Illinois abolished their death
penalty on Ash Wednesday, and it was only through education, prayer
and the action of people of faith that we could achieve abolition in
California.
#############
California People of Faith Working Against
the Death Penalty (CPF) is an interfaith organization which
advocates for alternatives to the death penalty in California and
throughout the United States. On its website:
http://www.californiapeopleoffaith.org you can learn more,
sign-up to receive periodic emails and donate to support the work of
CPF. To screen Juan Melendez’s documentary or other powerful
movies, find local speakers or receive emails, contact Dr Michael
Peddecord at cpfsd@cox.net or
call 619-286-9625.
Number
4:
Knights of Columbus
Members Equip Mobile Pregnancy Care Clinic with Life-Saving 4D
Ultrasound - from the Southern Cross Catholic Newspaper
VISTA – A local crisis pregnancy center now has a new,
state-of-the-art ultrasound machine, thanks to the Knights of
Columbus.
A new 3D/4D ultrasound, which allows people to see an unborn baby in
real time and hear the heartbeat, was dedicated Feb. 25 at Pregnancy
Resource Center in Vista. The new machine was blessed by Jesuit
Father Gil Gentile. (See photo at right)
The ultrasound, which is being used onboard the center’s
Image Clear Ultrasound (ICU) Mobile Pregnancy Center, was provided
through the Knights of Columbus’ Ultrasound Initiative. Through the
initiative, the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus matches
funds raised by local councils to purchase ultrasound machines for
crisis pregnancy centers.
“Because the majority of pregnant women choose to keep their baby
when they see an ultrasound image of the baby, we expect that by
providing the latest, state-of-the art, 4D ultrasound machines to
pro-life pregnancy centers, more pregnant women will decide to
choose life for the babies,” said Steve Beuerle, a member of the
Knights of Columbus, who serves as local coordinator for the
Ultrasound Initiative.
The new ultrasound machine cost approximately $48,000. San
Diego-area Knights raised about $25,000 in an ecumenical effort that
included both Catholics and non-Catholic Christians. The Supreme
Council contributed the remaining $23,000.
Ultrasound Manager Kim Regnier described the new ultrasound as “a
wonderful addition” to the center. In 4D, she said, viewing the
ultrasound image is “like watching a movie”
 with
live footage of the baby sucking its thumb and grabbing its toes.
The ICU Mobile Pregnancy Clinic, which is housed in a 36-foot RV,
began operating in 2008. It is capable of traveling throughout San
Diego County to offer free services, including pregnancy tests and
ultrasounds. (See photo at left)
The new ultrasound machine is already saving lives, Regnier
said. On Feb. 28, the first day it was used, a mother-to-be chose
life after viewing an ultrasound of her unborn daughter and hearing
the baby's heartbeat.
Beuerle hopes that San Diegans will consider donating their RVs to
help create a fleet of mobile pregnancy centers, all equipped with
4D ultrasound machines and capable of meeting pregnant women where
they are -- at malls, on campuses and outside abortion clinics.
He also aims to continue
 fundraising,
with the hope of procuring more 4D ultrasounds for the San Diego
area.
“According to Pregnancy Resource Center statistics, each ultrasound
saves approximately 100 babies per year,” he said. “$25,000 is the
amount we need to raise locally to receive matching funds from
Supreme Knights for new 4D ultrasounds. Thus, each $250 we raise
saves approximately one baby per year.
“It is interesting to note that the $250 to save a baby is about
half the $500 average cost for an abortion,” he added.
For more information, contact Steve Beuerle at
scb@procopio.com or (619)
663-8853. Donations made payable to "Knights of Columbus" can be
sent to Beuerle at 525 B St., Suite 2200, San Diego, CA 92101.
The Southern Cross
Web and e-mail-based
Resources
The new web site of California
Catholic Lawyers Against the Death Penalty -
http://www.ccladp.org/
California Catholic Lawyers Against the Death Penalty is an
organization of lawyers that seek to persuade fellow Catholics to
oppose the use of the death penalty. In States such as California,
where the death penalty law was adopted by popular initiative, it
cannot be amended or repealed without a vote of the people. Popular
support for the death penalty remains at a high level, and
California polls have indicated that among religious groups, support
for the death penalty is highest among Catholics.
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 rebuild
a culture of life.
1. Attend the San Diego "Friends of Fair
Trade" monthly meeting
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 13, 2011, at 6:30 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.
To sign up for the Fair Trade San Diego newsletter, send a request
to
fairtradesandiego@gmail.com
2. Get Acquainted with Detention Ministry
in the Diocese of San Diego
Join Deacon Jim Walsh each month for an Information and Training
Seminar on detention ministry and restorative justice at
the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, 92117
Visit the OSM Restorative Justice Web site:
www.diocese-sdiego.org/restore
For the month of April...
- April 12 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Sorry, no walk-ins. Contact Deacon Jim Walsh for
reservations or questions: 858-490-8375 or e-mail Deacon Jim at jwalsh@diocese-sdiego.org
3. North-County prayer witness at the
Carlsbad Planned Parenthood Clinic
North County parishioners meet the third Monday of
every month from 10:00 a.m. 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.
4. Prayerful witness for life at two locations (7340 Miramar
Road in San Diego and 15546 Pomerado Road in Poway) in San Diego
County
Helpers of God’s Precious Infants weekly rosary
prayer vigil from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. every Saturday and
Wednesday 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 Roger Lopez at 619-276-7525 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.
5. 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 North County Women's Medical Clinic, 120 S. Craven Way,
San Marcos, (across from Cal State San Marcos), Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m.
to 10:00 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 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For information on
these prayer vigils, call 760-751-8541.
6. St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Carlsbad has a tri-weekly
prayer ministry in front of the North County Women's Medical Clinic
on Craven Way - San Marcos on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
Please join the St. Elizabeth Seton "Life Matters" Culture of Life
prayer vigils at 10:00 a.m. to Noon every Tuesday, Thursday, and
Friday morning at "North County Women's Medical Clinic": 120 Craven
Road, San Marcos -
http://www.womensmedicalclinic.com/.
Those interested can carpool from St. Elizabeth Seton's upper
parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Those who do not want to carpool, please
feel free to meet us at the Abortion Center at 10:00 a.m. or at any
time between 10:00 a.m. and Noon. These vigils are not
confrontational. We give witness by being present in prayer and
entrust our message to the Blessed Mother. Contact Gene:
ejzoval@yahoo.com
or 760-804-9656 for more information.
7. 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.
8. Prayer Vigil at Planned Parenthood - First and
Grape Street, San Diego – Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Prayer vigil contacts: Luis Mendoza 619-259-3906 or Roger Lopez
619-276-7525. Rosary processions the first Saturday of every month
from Our Lady of the Rosary, Date & State St., after the 7:30 a.m.
Mass.
9. 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 "A Woman's Choice" Clinic
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 619-259-3906.
10. Prayer partners are needed at the
office of Feliciano Rios M.D., 1079 Third Ave., suite 3, in Chula
Vista - Dr. Rios performs abortions at his medical facility - Meet
each Wednesday from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Please contact Luis Mendoza, a Missionary of The
Gospel of Life Lay Associate, at 619-259-3906, with questions or to
share interest in this prayer ministry.
11. Pray in front of the Planned Parenthood facility located
at 1685 East Main, just off the Greenfield Drive exit in El Cajon -
join friends and neighbors
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 Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and Saturday
from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Contact:
mfowler@nethere.com
12. The Goretti Group offers chastity
prayer and speaker training monthly
Every First Friday of the month, the Goretti Group
will celebrate a St. Maria Goretti Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary,
1654 State Street, at 6:15 p.m.
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
#94 around Thursday, May 5, 2011
Article/Statement for March 29, 2011
A Homily given by Deacon Jim Walsh on "Christ the
King" Sunday
Christ The King, Luke 23: 25-43
Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.
The U.S. Catholic Bishops ask us to educate
Catholics in practices that offer hopeful alternatives to our very
broken criminal justice system. In our parish bulletin, we have
been reading different stories about Restorative Justice (RJ) for
three weeks now.
RJ looks at harms that have been committed, it
looks at who has been harmed and who caused the harm. And it offers
support and hope and healing especially for the victim. And it asks
what must be done to right the wrong.
There are ample opportunities for each of us to
help in this work. I am the diocesan director of the RJ program.
Many priests and deacons are involved, including our own pastor.
Many more lay people are involved, including 14 people in our
parish.
We just heard in today’s gospel on the Feast of
Christ the King, about the two criminals and Jesus who were
experiencing the death penalty.
Criminals they are called. We don’t know their
crimes. Whatever they were, they were serious, at least to the
Roman tyrants.
Consider this possible scene. Both are tried in
the same court. They already know their verdict—they were found
guilty. Today they’ll learn their sentences. The judge instructs
the one on the left to stand, some think his name was Gestas. With
a few words, the judge gives him the death penalty. The defendant
shrieks at the top of his lungs, ridiculing and screaming at the
judge. He feels the pain of judgment, but seems to take no
responsibility for what he’s done.
The second criminal, the one on the right, some
think his name was Dismas. Little is really known about him.
Unlike the first criminal, he accepts his fate and seems almost
resigned to getting what he deserved. Maybe after a lifetime of
crime, he wanted to be caught—perhaps it was his way of trying to
make things right, owning-up to what he had done. I have heard of
this in meeting with some prison inmates. He, too, receives the
death penalty.
There were three crosses on Calvary that day upon
which three so-called “criminals” were hung and left to die. There
was no cruel and unusual death by lethal injection, or electric
chair, or firing squad. There was no quick capital punishment—just
the slowest, most painful and humiliating death possible.
Crucifixion was a spectacle and it always drew a crowd.
And in a cruel and deliberate act, innocent Jesus,
found guilty by the court, was placed between the other two. Jesus,
who had shared fellowship and ate meals with sinners, now dies with
them.
The two criminals hung within a few feet of Jesus
in the last hours of his life. Both made their pleas. The one on
the left screams, ridicules, and profanes. “Are you not the one
favored by God? The one who should experience no pain, no death,
especially death on the cross? If you have the power, save us and
get us out of this suffering!”
You see, salvation for him is nothing but a way
out; an escape, and a chance to return to his former way of life.
But the one on the right recognizes death for what
it is. He has earned it, and for him there is no escape. He, who
had served no one, asks Jesus to serve him; he asks Jesus to give
him life. A man staring death in the face, now sees with the eyes
of faith, and sees something that the other is unable to see.
The one on the right asks, “Jesus remember me.”
And for that, he is promised an honored place in heaven.
Two men died with Jesus that day. Not a very kingly sight. Yet,
today we honor Christ as our king at the lowest point of his life.
Not ruling from a throne, but nailed to his throne. Not wearing
a crown of gold, but one of thorns. Not waving to his citizens from
a balcony, but hanging from a cross convulsing in pain.
He is the king who is abandoned, ridiculed, and mocked. He is the
king who wields no power and has no army riding to his rescue. He
writhes in pain seemingly powerless and defeated.
What kind of king is this? What kind of king do we have anyway?
This is a king who thinks of others first, even as he draws his
final breaths. One who dies for another. One to whom the criminal
on the right asks, “Jesus, remember me!”
That same king hears us today as we plead with him. When we are
facing a long illness, or a divorce, or the death of our parents, or
of a child.
When one of our children is struggling. When cancer returns
after being in remission.
When we receive a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum from our employer.
When we regret the way we have lived our life, and don’t know where
to turn for forgiveness -- “Jesus, remember me.”
He who mercifully extended forgiveness in the last moments of his
life . . . remembers us.
This is our king and we are his subjects. So how will we serve
him?
Let me remind us how –
Jesus said “I am the hungry person in the street, weary and
underfed;
I am the waiting and the anxious parent;
I am the nursing home patient, wheelchair-bound and alone;
I am the confused and abused child;
I am the teenager whose parents just divorced;
I am the wounded and angry victim of crime;
I am the unwanted unborn;
I am the convicted man isolated in a prison cell.
I am the least significant human person IN NEED,” Jesus said.
THESE are the faces we are to serve. Jesus says, “they are my
faces, they are Me. Remember them as I remember you.” |
