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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The ninth annual OneLife L.A. will be held Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, billed by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as a celebration of the beauty and dignity of every human life from conception to natural death.
The theme is "Our Mission is Love" and will highlight the work of the anti-abortion movement since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that found there was a constitutional right to an abortion.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. at the La Placita Olvera Kiosk with Archbishop José H. Gomez among the speakers giving welcoming remarks. "A Walk for Life" to Los Angeles State Historic Park will follow at 12:30 p.m. A program of speakers and performers will be held at the park from 2-4 p.m.
A "Requiem for the Unborn" Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will begin at 5 p.m., celebrated by Gomez.
Speakers will include Lauren Costabile, founder and executive director of Hearts of Joy International, which provides funding for the heart treatment of children with Down syndrome in developing nations; Mike and Penny Michalak, parents of 16 children, including 10 who are adopted, with four diagnosed with Down syndrome and founders of a school in Louisville, Kentucky, that includes students with Down syndrome; and the Capuchin Franciscan friar and priest known as Bro Vic, who shares the gospel message through Catholic rap music.
"OneLife LA is not a single-day event, but a movement that is meant to be lived throughout the year," said Michael P. Donaldson, senior director of the archdiocese's Office of Life, Justice and Peace.
"This year's theme, `Our Mission is Love,' speaks to our calling to honor the dignity of all humanity and to recognize that each of us are made in the image and likeness of God."