ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ URGES THOUSANDS GATHERED DURING THE 10TH EDITION OF ONELIFE LA TO KEEP IN THEIR MINDS AND ACTIONS THE BEAUTY AND DIGNITY OF EVERY HUMAN LIFE
January 23, 2024  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

—The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles received a $10,000 award to support its mission to
serve foster children and parents–

Thousands of Southern Californians, inspiring speakers and performers joined Archbishop José H. Gomez and six
Southern California bishops, including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ auxiliary bishops, during the 10th anniversary of
OneLife LA today at Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the beauty and dignity of
every human life from conception to natural death. To commemorate the milestone, the annual event was themed “10
Years Together as ONE.”

“OneLife LA has always been more than just a beautiful day. OneLife LA is a vision for a new way of living, a culture of
life, a society where every life is sacred, and every life cared for,” said Archbishop Gomez during his remarks at Los
Angeles State Historic Park. “Every life! At every stage and in every condition. From the moment a person is conceived
in the womb, until the moment that person’s life reaches its natural end.” Please see full remarks below.
Archbishop Gomez was joined by Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Marc Trudeau, Brian Nunes,
Slawomir Szkredka, and Matthew G. Elshoff, plus Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno Joseph Brennan and Bishop Emeritus
for the Diocese of Fresno Armando Xavier Ochoa.

OneLife LA seeks to promote a culture of life, where every human life is dignified, especially the most vulnerable and
marginalized. Spearheaded by the Archdiocese’s Office of Life, Justice and Peace, the event kicked off at the city’s
birthplace, La Placita, with a welcome from Archbishop Gomez, who led a Walk for Life from Olvera Street to Los
Angeles State Historic Park for the official program and celebration. The program and family festival included a roster of
dynamic voices sharing their personal and life-affirming stories.

“We face many ‘issues’ in our society. But behind every one of these ‘issues’ are real people, with their own stories, their
own dreams, their own struggles. Every one of them is a child of God, and every one of them is our brother or our sister.
And we are called to love them. As Jesus loves them. Without exception, without judgment, with no conditions. With all
our hearts and all our strength. Our vision presses on until every life matters and every life is considered sacred, until
every person is welcome at the table of life,” said Archbishop Gomez.

During the event, families were able to engage with community partners that offered service projects in foster care, mental
health, services for the homeless, combating human trafficking, and healthcare assistance for seniors, as ways for
attendees to get involved in the mission of OneLife LA beyond the day of the event.
Among these community partners were The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, the recipients of
the fifth annual OneLife LA Service Grant of $10,000 to support its mission and pastoral work assisting seniors at Santa
Teresita Assisted Living in Duarte, California, “We are filled with joy to award this year’s OneLife LA grant to the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los
Angeles. We recognize the tremendous gift that the Sisters have been to people of Los Angeles,” said Michael P.
Donaldson, senior director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Life, Justice and Peace. “The Carmelite Sisters and professional
staff at Santa Teresita are truly dedicated to respecting all stages of human life. They have created an environment of care,
support, and love for those they serve.”

Other community partners this year included organizations such as Through God’s Grace Ministry, Order of Malta, 40
Days for Life, Hearts of Joy International, Sofesa, Knights of Columbus, FosterAll, NET Ministries, Providence Inland
Northwest Foundation, Sidewalk Advocates, Society of St. Vincent De Paul, My Catholic Doctor, Los Angeles CMA
Guild, and Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
OneLife LA 2024 speakers and performers included:

Amilyon (Millie) Nelson, who was born to a single mom who was homeless, helpless, and in serious need. Nelson was
abandoned by her mother for long periods of time and eventually placed into foster care and adopted into a family full of
love. She uses her story to break the stereotypes around foster care and adoption, highlighting the work organizations like
FosterAll do to help bring real hope and love to helpless children like herself and give them a most priceless gift, a forever
family.

Katie Prejean hosts the Ave Explores podcast, a long-form interview style podcast that digs into various Catholic topics
relevant to people who want to learn more and live their faith in a real, practical way. The show has accumulated more
than 275,000 downloads and has been honored by the Catholic Media Association. Prejean McGrady regularly writes for
Blessed is She, Catholic News Service, and appears as a commentator on CNN and other various news outlets.
Jorge Giron, who with his late wife Veronica González Guevara were the respect life coordinators for St. John Eudes
Catholic Church. They attended OneLife LA year after year with their family, until in 2021, when this Southern California
family was excitedly awaiting the arrival of a sixth child suffered a heartbreaking loss due to the coronavirus. Eight
months into her pregnancy, 37-year-old González Guevara tested positive for COVID-19. Doctors had to deliver the baby
five weeks early, but González Guevara never experienced the joy of holding her sixth child as she passed away three
days after little Imani was born. Giron continues his wife’s ministry work through his testament and volunteer work.
Fr. Josh Johnson, who has dedicated his life to becoming a wholehearted disciple of Jesus Christ. Ordained for the
Diocese of Baton Rouge in 2014, Fr. Josh now travels widely as a speaker. He is well known for his podcast Ask Father
Josh as well as his Q&A video show on Ascension Presents. He has written several books, including the Pocket Guide to
Adoration. Fr. Josh is the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, as well as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus
Church and School.

Gloria Purvis, an author, commentator, and the host of The Gloria Purvis Podcast. She is a strong Catholic voice for life
issues, religious liberty, and racial justice. Appearing in numerous media outlets, she also presented a powerful video
series entitled “Racism, Human Dignity and the Catholic Church” through the Word on Fire Institute. Gloria is the
Inaugural Pastoral Fellow at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and holds honorary
doctorates in Humane Letters from the University of Portland in Oregon and Saint Martin’s University in Washington
State.

Masters of Ceremony included Brenda Noriega, a national speaker who collaborates in national and international
ministry committees, such as the International Youth Advisory Body for the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life
in Rome; Benito Medrano, who is the Young Adult Ministry coordinator for the Diocese of Orange, CA and has worked
with youth and young adults for other dioceses in California; Father Victor, a Capuchin Franciscan Friar and Priest, and
a native of Southern California. Besides doing retreats, talks, and conferences, the priest loves to share the Gospel
message through Catholic Rap music in live events, social media, and Spotify, going by the moniker, “Bro Vic.”
Performers included Francis Cabildo, a singer-songwriter, worship leader and speaker from Southern California, who has
shared his gifts and talents with NET Ministries, Life Teen, Inc., 242Revolution.com college ministry; Kairy Marquez, a full-time worship leader and speaker from Dominican Republic who is daughter to a former Aguilas del Cibao baseball player; and LA native Gabe Reyes, who has journeyed in faith and service at various parishes for the past 20 years.

For more information and for photos of the event, please visit lacatholics.org/onelifela, onelifela.org or #1lifela and
Angelus News.

Archbishops remarks follow:
Greeting — OneLife LA
Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
Los Angeles State Historic Park
January 20, 2024

Greetings, my friends!

Thank you for coming out, it’s so wonderful to be with you! What a joy it is to be together, to believe in Jesus Christ, and
to celebrate his great gift of life!

We are joined today by brothers and sisters from all over the world and all over the country, so we want to say “thank
you” to our media partners who are helping us to share the beautiful vision of OneLife LA over the airwaves and internet.
Let’s give a round of applause and thanks to EWTN, El Sembrador and Guadalupe Radio!
Today, we are celebrating 10 Years of OneLifeLA! And I know that many of you have been with us since the very
beginning. I’m grateful to all of you for your witness to the cause of life and human dignity.
Hoy estamos celebrando 10 años de OneLifeLA. Y sé que muchos de ustedes han estado con nosotros desde el principio.
Agradezco el testimonio de todos ustedes a favor de la causa de la vida y de la dignidad humanas.
My friends, OneLife LA has always been more than just a beautiful day.
OneLifeLA is a vision for a new way of living, a culture of life, a society where every life is sacred, and every life is cared
for.

Every life! At every stage and in every condition. From the moment a person is conceived in the womb, until the moment
that person’s life reaches its natural end.
Every human life is precious to God! And what God loves, we are called to love. And what God loves, we are called to
protect.

This is our beautiful vision!
OneLifeLA es acerca de una nueva manera de vivir, una cultura de la vida, una sociedad en la que toda vida es sagrada y
protegida.

Todas y cada una de las vidas, en cada una de sus etapas y en cada una de sus condiciones, desde el momento en que una
persona es concebida en el seno materno, hasta el momento en que su vida llega a su fin natural.

Toda vida humana tiene un valor inestimable para Dios. Lo que Dios ama, nosotros también lo hemos de amar y hemos
de esmerarnos en defenderlo.

We need to keep going, always forward, keep working to defend the most innocent among us, the unborn child.
We also need to keep opening our hearts, ever wider, keep expanding the circle of our compassion, the circle of our care.
We face many big “issues” in our society. But behind every one of these “issues” are real people, with their own stories,
their own dreams, their own struggles.

Every one of them is a child of God, and every one of them is our brother or our sister.
And we are called to love them. As Jesus loves them. Without exception, without judgment, with no conditions. With all
our hearts and all our strength. Our vision presses on until every life matters and every life is considered sacred, until
every person is welcome at the table of life.

Tenemos que perseverar, avanzando siempre, esmerándonos en darle continuidad a nuestro empeño por defender a los
más inocentes de nosotros, a los que aún no nacen.

Hemos, también, de seguir abriendo cada vez más nuestros corazones, buscando ampliar siempre más el ámbito de
nuestra compasión y de nuestro cuidado por los demás.

Nuestro proyecto nos impulsa a avanzar hasta que contemos con una cultura y una sociedad en las que toda vida sea
reconocida en su justo valor, en la que toda vida sea apreciada y amada, celebrada y protegida.
Todos somos parte de algo que va mucho más allá de nosotros mismos. Formamos parte de la maravillosa idea que Dios
tuvo para la creación, de ese reino de amor que ha de venir a la tierra como está en el cielo.
Brothers and sisters: We are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We are a part of God’s beautiful vision for
creation, the kingdom of love that he wants to bring on earth as it is in heaven.
OneLife LA is the vision of the world as God made it to be!

So, let us thank God today for the gift of our lives, for the gift of our families. And let us ask God for the grace and
courage to keep doing our part to bring his beautiful vision to fulfillment.
Let’s keep going! Let’s keep pressing on for the beautiful cause of life!
And may Our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of Life, keep you always close in the mantle of
her love.

Démosle, pues, gracias a Dios en este día por el don de nuestra vida, por el don de nuestra familia. Y pidámosle a Dios la
gracia y el valor para hacer nuestra parte, llevando así a cumplimiento su maravilloso proyecto.
Y que Nuestra Santísima Madre María, la Madre de Dios y la Madre de la Vida, los mantenga siempre cerca de ella, bajo
el manto de su amor.

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