Defending Life and the Dignity of the Human Person
Catholic Social Teaching
The Diocese of Orange asks parishes to promote respect for human life in four specific ways:
- Celebrate Respect Life Month each October
- Public Prayer in defense of human life
- Lobby legislators on Life Issues
- Support Crisis Pregnancy Centers and the services they provide
St. Bonaventure invites all parishioners to participate in activities in these four areas, as described below. For more info on any of these activities, or to offer help or suggestions, please contact Life Issues team leader Kathy Nichols at 714-305-0748 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Monthly Rosary in Front of Planned Parenthood
On the third Saturday of every month, we meet at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Planned Parenthood office on Beach Blvd. just north of Hazard (park on Hazard east of Beach) to pray the Rosary. We don’t bring signs, and we quietly pray the full rosary in reparation for abortion; we meditate on each of the 20 decades using the reflections from Priests for Life.
Legislative Lobbying on Life Issues
Catholic Advocacy Day
Each April, Catholics are invited to join with several bishops in Sacramento to lobby key State legislators on bills of interest or concern to Catholics. Contact Greg Walgenbach at the Diocese (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for information on dates and travel arrangements.
Specific Issue Lobbying
Catholics are encouraged to contact their elected representatives and ask them to defend life and human dignity with their votes. Among the key Catholic positions we should support are: ending abortion and public support of abortion; fighting euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide; protecting the conscience rights of religious employers and health care providers who don’t want to participate in abortion or assisted suicide; ending the death penalty; and fighting the scourge of Human Trafficking.
An excellent resource is the Catholic Legislative Network, which sends a weekly email to members with info on which bills to contact our legislators about. Go to www.cacatholic.org (the California Bishops’ website) and click on the Catholic Legislative Network icon to join.
Support Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Catholics are often falsely accused of fighting against abortion but not helping pregnant women who choose to keep their babies. The following are activities we conduct to support organizations that that help pregnant women who choose life. The organizations we help are described below in the Partners section.
Annual Mother and Child Drive
The Justice and Peace ministry annually hosts an “April Shower” to support the three shelters for pregnant women as listed on the Diocese of Orange website (also shown in Partners section below). These local non-profit Orange County organizations provide food, shelter, and support for homeless pregnant women, and training so they can build a better future for themselves and their children. Donated items are collected and given to the women in the shelters for Mothers’ Day. Suggested items are: clothing, blankets, bottles and bibs for the babies; and nursing aids (pads, creams, pillows), comfort items (slings and carriers) and lotions, body oils and soaps for the moms.
Annual Walk for Life
St Bonaventure participates in the annual Walk for Life which supports Horizon Pregnancy Clinic in Huntington Beach. Participants walk over a short course through the streets of Huntington Beach, giving witness to their support for Life, and drawing attention to the availability of Horizon’s services. Commemorative T-shirts are provided at registration, and all donations support the services offered by Horizon.
Partner Organizations
Horizon Pregnancy Clinic
Provides Alternatives to Abortion
Horizon Pregnancy Clinic is a God-focused non-profit that has been providing pro-life services to women in Huntington Beach for over 10 years by serving women experiencing crisis pregnancies and needy families with newborn.
In a safe, loving environment, Horizon offers FREE and confidential pregnancy medical services including ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, options counseling, and the Earn While You Learn mentor program, in addition to referrals for medical care, adoption, housing, etc.
Horizon also offers Reality Check O.C., a sexual integrity program for churches and schools, and a Post Abortion Recovery Bible study to men and women for restoration and healing
They have added the Mobile Clinic “Courage” which allows them to reach and save even more lives!
Visit Horizon Pregnancy Clinic at: www.horizonpc.org
Casa Teresa
Provides support for pregnant women 18 years and older who are on their own
Casa Teresa’s mission is to save lives by providing a temporary home and ongoing support for pregnant women age 18 years and older who are alone. They provide emergency maternity and family shelters, counseling, and programs designed to build self-confident and self-sufficient women.
Visit Casa Teresa's webpage at: www.casateresa.org
Mary's Path (formerly Mary's Shelter)
Provides a loving home to pregnant minors
Mary's Shelter provides a loving home to pregnant minors committed to carrying their babies’ full term and teen mothers and their babies needing support services. This organization strives to break the negative cycle of teen pregnancy: abortion, high-risk births with premature and low birth-weight babies, interrupted education, repeat pregnancy, poverty, dependence on public assistance, and child abuse and neglect. Mary's Path is now also able to provide trauma care to it's girls (all pregnant or parenting minors), many of whom come from abusive situations including human trafficking.
Phone: (714) 730-0930
Website: www.maryspath.org (just getting started)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Address: 18221 East 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Precious Life Shelter
Provides residential support for adult women with no place to have their child
Precious Life Shelter provides residential support services in a safe, loving environment for homeless, pregnant, adult women with no place to have their child. The services include career planning, life skills development, health and nutrition education, instruction in childbirth and parenting, and drug diversion and counseling, which allows each woman to regain stability and become self-reliant for themselves and their child.
Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos web page: http://www.preciouslifeshelter.org