Bishop Jaime Soto presided at the 5 p.m. Mass on Sunday, April 30 in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento, followed by a eucharistic procession around the state Capitol in a journey of prayer and public witness to end abortion.
Carried in the procession was an actual 4’ X 6’ authentic replica (Missionary Image) of the original Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe which is enshrined in the Basilica in Mexico City.
The procession concluded a two-month long pilgrimage to various abortion centers in Northern California titled “Our Lady’s Mission for Life: A California Pilgrimage to Close Abortion Centers.” The pilgrimage organizers noted it is a faithful response to the prompting of Our Blessed Mother. With the blessing of Bishop Richard J. Garcia of Monterey, they set out with the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and visited, in prayerful vigil, every abortion center in California.
Unfortunately, the Bishop choose to do this witnessing on a Sunday after 5pm—when no politicians are at the Capitol.
His witness was to empty seats.
An almost empty gesture to be at the Capitol on a Sunday! Nobody is there!
The good Bishop needs to lead a procession to the office of Gov Jerry Brown on a Monday afternoon.
At the office? Monday afternoon? Brown would be over at the posh and venerable Sutter Club for scotch and sodas. Good grief, man, he’s not a camel. :)
Catherine and Eddie,
These are good points. However, despite what was stated in the article that implied a political event, Bishop Soto had stated that the event was religious in nature: not political.
A procession from the Cathedral, carrying the Blessed Sacrament with a number of people following. Another good deed that goes unpunished!! Can we not be positive about anything?
Could the Bishop even get a parade permit for a weekday during business hours?
If the march was purely religious, why march to the Capitol? Intended or not, the location of the march certainly leaves the inference of a [partially] political objective.
Mikem,
Bishop Soto’s intent was clear. But maybe I can put this another way: If you pray to end abortion, is this a political event or a religious event?
Mikem,
I probably should add that there was an inference of a political objective, but does this mean that there was actually a political objective?