SPEAKER LINE UP ANNOUNCED FOR ONELIFE LA WHICH RETURNS IN-PERSON ON JANUARY 22
January 11, 2022  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

—This year’s inspirational speakers include a religious sister who serves pregnant women in crisis, a father who lost his daughter to suicide and is a leading advocate for those facing mental illness, and one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People for her work with migrant families and children—

Archbishop José H. Gomez will be joined by inspiring speakers and performers at OneLife LA on Saturday, January 22, 2022, in downtown Los Angeles. In its 8th year, this celebration of life themed “Forward in Hope,” will highlight the beauty of human life from conception to natural death in a special way, uniting people of all backgrounds throughout Southern California.

Among the speakers is Sister Bethany Madonna, from the Sisters of Life, whose mission is to care for women who are pregnant and in crisis. Sister Bethany currently lives in Phoenix, serving as the local superior and mission coordinator, where the religious sisters accompany vulnerable pregnant women and have a ministry of presence and evangelization at Arizona State University Tempe Campus.

Gloria Purvis is a public speaker and radio host, who connects our understanding of the dignity of the human person to the issues of racism and abortion. She is dedicated to promoting the dignity of human life, marriage, and creating a just society for all.

Sister Norma Pimentel, named one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2020, is a member of the Sisters Missionaries of Jesus and has served as Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley for more than 12 years. She received the award in recognition for her work on the U.S.-Mexico border, where Sister Norma oversaw the provision of a safe space for migrants to rest and regain strength. She has also been the recipient of many other awards for her work, including the Martin Luther King Jr. “Keep the Dream Alive” award from Catholic Charities USA in 2015.

Ed Shoener serves on the Council on Mental Illness of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and on the Board of Pathways to Promise, an interfaith cooperative that facilitates the faith community’s work in reaching out to those with mental illnesses and their families. Along with family and friends, Mr. Shoener founded The Katie Foundation after his daughter, Kathleen, died by suicide in 2016.

Mari Pablo has worked in youth ministry for more than 15 years, both as a youth minister and theology teacher. Mari is well known for her dynamic presentations at the annual Steubenville Youth Conferences. She is a presenter for Ascension Presents, and most recently in Connected-Catholic Social Teaching for younger generations.

Christopher Duffley weighed 1 lb. 12 oz when he was born, due to drug exposure. His challenges of total blindness and severe delays would forever be a part his future, but Christopher removes these limitations by teaching, through his own life experiences, what it means to be unlimited and to have a mission possible attitude.

OneLife LA 2022 performers include Francis Cabildo, a singer-songwriter, worship leader and speaker from Southern California; Las Colibrí (The Hummingbirds), who play all-string instruments of the early 20th century Mariachi tradition; and Sarah Kroger, a worship leader and songwriter.

Spearheaded by the Archdiocese’s Office of Life, Justice and Peace, OneLife LA was celebrated virtually in January 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. To see more highlights of OneLife LA 2021, please visit Virtual #OneLifeLA 2021 – YouTube

For more information, or to register for OneLife LA 2022, visit onelifela.org or #1lifela.

###