COACHELLA—In an election year, the Diocesan Migration Mass fittingly was not without political overtones. 

 But the Jan. 10 liturgy was also underscored by powerful personal testimonies of those seeking refuge in the United States from extreme danger in their home country. And if the sprawling outdoor crowd at Our Lady of Soledad Parish in Coachella that exceeded 1,500 was any indication, the message of “welcoming the stranger” clearly resonated.

By Clara Fox
THE TIDINGS

LOS ANGELES—Carrying banners and signs to celebrate the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, thousands of Catholics and Christians of different denominations, including hundreds from the Diocese of San Bernardino, joined together as they walked through the streets of downtown Los Angeles Jan. 23 in support of OneLife LA.

SACRAMENTO—A signature gathering campaign aimed at overturning California’s recent legalization of doctor prescribed suicide fell short, according to a January 5 announcement by the California Catholic Conference.

By Hilda Cruz

COACHELLA—The Diocese of San Bernardino will celebrate its 10th Annual Migration Mass at Our Lady of Soledad Church in Coachella on Sunday, January 10.

 January 22 will mark the 43rd anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions, legalizing the termination of a pregnancy up to minutes before birth.

By Marie Widmann

 In November Bishop Barnes, in solidarity with the Catholic Bishops of California, gave permission and encouragement to parishes throughout the Diocese of San Bernardino to gather signatures to place a Referendum on the November 2016 ballot, so that Californians would have the opportunity to veto the doctor prescribed suicide law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October.