To reiterate words from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "As a gift from God, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. The life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition."Over 50,000 people on Saturday rallied in San Francisco in the promotion of the dignity of human life. We, the Capuchins at St. Conrad Friary, attended the event and it was such a great blessing to be in solidarity with so many people.
Later that evening, we went to St. Mary Magdalen's in Berkeley for the first Catholic Underground of 2015. Fr. Hai Ho, OFM Cap presided, as he did the exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Brother Alex Rodriguez, OFM Cap and Postulant William Cisneros assisted Fr. Hai as altar servers. Fr. James Johnson, OFM Cap was one of the priests who administered the Sacrament of Reconciliation to many of the young adults there, extending the mercy of God to all who were seeking it. Br. Lance Houck, OFM Cap, led the congregation in beautiful and moving praise and worship, in collaboration with the CFR's who were also in attendance that evening (Br. Malachi and Br. Isaiah), as well as Cecilia Flores (sister of David Flores and a missionary to South America).
As the event moved underground, the group Celli@Berkeley performed a group of instrumental songs that moved the crowd, and Br. Victor Taglianetti, OFM Cap did an impromptu spoken word and rap with the CFR's Br. Malachi and Br. Isaiah. The night was ended with a performance by IHS Project. Overall, the day was full of grace and blessings. It was a privilege to walk in solidarity with so many pro-lifers as well as use our God-given gifts and talents with our fellow CFR brothers. We hope to continue to work with them in the future as God's will permits. We also want to thank Bishop Michael Barber for his support of the Catholic Underground Ministry and for the gracious words he shared.
