Fourteen schools travel to St. Mary’s Cathedral for pro-life event
By Catholic San Francisco
Eighth-grade students from Catholic schools across the Archdiocese came together at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption for a half-day pro-life retreat on January 22—the National Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Unborn. The annual event was organized by the Department of Catholic Schools.
The 14 participating schools included Holy Angels, St. Catherine of Siena, St, Hilary, Notre Dame de Victoires, St. Roberts, St. James, St. Anselm, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Philip, St. Paul, St. Raphael, All Souls, St. Monica, and St. Anthony Immaculate Conception.
The day began with talks by Kiki and J.D. Carney, a young brother and sister duo who have a podcast on living as Catholics in 21st century life. Kiki spoke on the importance of finding one’s identity in Christ, since we were made in His image, rather than all the “identities” or “images” the world offers. J.D. echoed Kiki’s comments and spoke on the importance of persevering in the faith and finding a home in the Church—a place to which you can always come back.
After the morning sessions, the students joined Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone for Mass at the Cathedral. In his homily, the Archbishop spoke on the importance of every human life and the strength it takes to stand up for what is right in a society that doesn’t always agree. He also encouraged them to be an agent of healing—when people treat us differently or persecute us for standing for what is right and true, to turn the other cheek and pray for them rather than responding in violence.
“It was a pleasure to see the 8th graders of the archdiocese come together to learn about human dignity from our wonderful presenters JD and Kiki Carney and to attend Mass as a community of believers celebrated by the Archbishop,” said Carol Grewal, Associate Superintendent for Governance and Operational Vitality for the Department of Catholic Schools.
