L.A. March for Life brings in national pro-life leaders
The sixth annual Los Angeles March for Life (March 14, 8-11:30 a.m., at St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church in Encino) will have five national pro-life leaders in attendance.
The Knights of Columbus-sponsored event, which drew 600 walkers last year, will include speeches from Father Peter West of Priests for Life (New York), Janet Morana, co-founder and director of Silent No More (New York), Joe Langfeld, deputy director --- Human Life Alliance (Minnesota) and Gingi Edmonds, director of Media for Survivors (California).
Participants will start and end their two-mile walk at St. Cyril's, marching down Ventura Boulevard in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of unborn children and the sanctity of life. All proceeds from the march are donated to pro-life organizations that support women in crisis pregnancies, including the Pregnancy Counseling Center in Mission Hills.
Registration is $5. Online registration is available at lamarchforlife.org or by calling Nick Bryan, (818) 789-3237 or John Costello, (949) 285-8918, event co-organizers from the Knights of Columbus, Van Nuys Council 3148. Established in 1949 to serve 12 Catholic parishes in the San Fernando Valley, the Knights of Columbus Van Nuys Council was awarded the State of California Council of the Year in 2007.
Chaminade HS hosts robot 'blessing' at Cathedral
In anticipation of this weekend's robotics competition at the Long Beach Convention Center, Chaminade High School brought together FIRST Robotics Teams from several Catholic schools for the sixth annual robot blessing held this year at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral Feb. 15. Joining Chaminade's Eagle Engineering were teams from Louisville, Bishop Alemany, Verbum Dei, Notre Dame and Chaminade Middle School. Msgr. Marc Trudeau presided over the ceremony.
The teams have been working for several weeks to complete their robots for the spring competition season. The teams have shared parts, ideas and helped each other with programming and strategy. The FIRST program was created to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. Information on the program is available at www.usfirst.org.
St. Finbar announces Lenten events
St. Finbar Church in Burbank welcomes people of all faiths to Lenten events at the parish. Taize Prayer Around the Cross, including sacred chant and veneration of the cross, takes place March 18 and 25, 8-9 p.m., in the church.
On April 10, a Living Stations of the Cross will be presented at 12:30 p.m. by the parish drama and music ministries. Admission is free. Good Friday services will follow the performance at 2 p.m. The parish is located at 2010 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. For information, call (818) 846-6251 x 554 or visit www.stfinbarburbank.org.
St. Robert Bellarmine School celebrates Grandparents Day
Close to 300 students, family members and faculty at St. Robert Bellarmine School in Burbank celebrated Grandparents' Day Feb. 13 with a Mass in the church followed by an awards ceremony honoring successful students from all grade levels.
Father John Collins, parish administrator, presided at the Mass. A reception was later held in the church auditorium in honor of all the grandparents, who had the opportunity to visit their grandchildren during the school's open house on the eve of Valentine's Day.
OLL plans Lenten Scripture study, penance service
Our Lady of Lourdes in Northridge will hold a Lenten Scripture program March 30-April 1 led by Jesuit Father Felix Just, director of Biblical Education at the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange.
Father Just, who will speak each day following the 9 a.m. Mass and again at 7:30 p.m., will lead participants through the Passion stories in preparation for Holy Week. On April 1, a Lenten Penance service will take place at the parish, followed by an opportunity for individual confession. Further information is available at www.ollnr.org.
Crespi HS's 'Walk like a Man' challenge benefits breast cancer research
The Crespi Lacrosse Team continues on its "Walk like a Man" challenge raising money and awareness for breast cancer research. On Feb. 14, members of the Crespi Lacrosse team participated in a fund-raising walk around the campus' new track . The team hopes to collectively run and walk a distance of 5,500 miles, representing the round-trip distance from Los Angeles to Long Island where they will play in April against other New York teams who are also participating in the Walk like a Man challenge.
Lacrosse players from Crespi and team members from participating New York schools, Sewanhaka, Hewlett and H. Farnk Carey, will complete the last few miles of the challenge by walking together across the Brooklyn Bridge to the Times Square Studios of "Good Morning America" where they will present a check to officials. So far, Crespi Lacrosse Team members have raised $45,748 toward their goal of $140,000. For donor information, visit crespi.dojiggy.com.
VIC sponsors senior dining centers
The Valley Interfaith Council (VIC), in efforts to help seniors facing food insecurity, has 11 dining centers serving a hot nutritious lunch Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. Any senior the age of 60 or over can enjoy food and fellowship with neighbors from the community. Diabetic friendly, low fat and no salt added meals are available for only $2.50 suggested donation.
"We do not want any senior in the San Fernando Valley to be without enough to eat," said Valerie Evans, VIC Nutrition Director. Dining centers are located in Arleta, North Hollywood (3), Pacoima, Panorama City, Sherman Oaks, Sylmar, Sunland and Van Nuys (2). Site addresses are available on the VIC website, www.vic-la.org, or by calling (818) 718-6460. |