The JDS Blog

World Youth Day Provides More Evidence Millenials are Pro-Life

08/23/2011 22:28:00

As with the annual March for Life in the U.S., the mainstream media is missing a big story concerning this month’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Madrid. Through ignorance, disinterest, and sometimes hostility, its coverage often fails to recognize what is truly newsworthy and significant. For example, a few mainstream articles noted the rising proportion of young people participating in the March for Life in Washington in recent years, and recent stories about World Youth Day routinely report that a million or more youthful pilgrims are expected in Madrid. However, what is not emphasized, or even understood, is these events are important signals of what is to come.

What can we expect in the future from a million inspired young people, who travel from afar to WYD seeking identity, solidarity, and mission?

Pro-life commitment and activism (among other things).

Extensive pro-life offerings during WYD will encourage the youthful pilgrims to carry the pro-life message wherever they go.

Indeed, Spain itself needs the help of pro-lifers to reverse alarming increases of abortion over the last ten years. From 1998-2008, Spain had the largest increase in the number of abortions of 27 European countries.[1] This represents an increase of 115%. Over an 18 year period, the rate of abortion grew from 8.57% of pregnancies ending in abortion in 1990 to 18.28% in 2008. With over 1.3 million abortions since 1980, it is the leading cause of mortality in Spain.

To make matters worse, in July 2010 a new law took effect in Spain that further liberalizes abortion. Under the previous law, abortion was a criminal offense except under certain circumstances. However, one exception, for psychological reasons, became a popular loophole, accounting for the ever-increasing numbers of abortions in Spain.

The new “Organic Law of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy” provides unlimited abortion up to 14 weeks gestation. It grants 16- and 17-year-olds the right to procure an abortion without parental consent, and without parental notification if to do so would expose them to violence.

The new law mandates that abortion “will be carried out in centers of the public health network or linked to it.” Rights of conscientious objection are allowed for individual health care providers, but not for institutions, such as hospitals, raising a serious concern for Catholic hospitals.

Popular opinion does not support the new abortion law, put through by the Socialist party. Large public protests followed its passage in the legislature. Opposition leader in the parliament and a candidate for Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, supports repeal of the law. Earlier this year, when Spain’s pro-abortion government official, Bibiana Aido, Minister of Equality, attended an international conference held in Paraguay, 7000 people participated in an online protest of her support of abortion.[2]

Despite set-backs and negative trends, such as Spain’s new abortion law, we cannot become discouraged. With the help of today’s pro-life youth, the future looks promising. As the pro-life group active at WYD, Youth Defence, declares, “Abortion is the human rights issue of our generation and we need to be informed, inspired and motivated to defend life.” These young people may be overlooked and misunderstood at this moment. But in the years ahead, the real story of who they are and what they seek will be told in actions that will have enduring life-affirming consequences.

by Bill Saunders | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com

How Do You Persuade A Woman Against Abortion?

08/23/2011 20:27:00

"How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with LOVE, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to LOVE."

- Blessed Mother Teresa

Life at JDS

08/19/2011 14:19:00

Today was an awesome day at the Juan Diego Women's Center. We had lunch with one of our Juan Diego moms and her 3 mo. old precious baby girl! They are both such miracles, and we thank the Lord for allowing us to serve and support them in their hour of need. A BEAUTIFUL baby will live, love and make a difference in this world because people cared enough to pray, volunteer and donate to our Center. God Bless you all! Please continue to support our Center with your prayers and financial support!

JDS Women's Center To Be Remodeled

01/10/2011 22:37:00

The Juan Diego Society Women's Center is undergoing a New Year remodeling.

I was under the impression that we really needed to clean the drapes and kept on hinting about it. The next thing you know the walls are being torn out and the

painter and carpet guy are coming in.

The best thing about the remodel is that we are expanding the chapel and rear room into one large area. This will allow us to do many seminars, masses, and other large events right at the Women's Center. So look for lots of new learning opportunities and events coming soon.

This Past Week at JDS

11/21/2010 01:00:00

This past week was a busy one at the Center. We have had a lot of clients come in just needing basic necessities for their little ones like clothes, diapers and formula. As the weather has gotten cooler, we've given out a lot more blankets as well. One family came in on Tuesday with a 9 month old baby. The mother was one we had helped through a crisis pregnancy last year. She had her infant daughter, a Juan Diego saved baby, and her older son with her. The baby was only wearing socks on her feet and a little pink dress, even though it was cold out, and had been raining on and off that day. The baby needed warm clothes badly. Thanks to the kindness of our donors, we had everything she needed to dress warmly, even little shoes. Her older brother also needed warm clothes, and especially a jacket and shoes but, unfortunately, we didn't have a size 7 jacket or size 1 shoes for boys that day. We are in need of warm clothing, jackets, sweaters and coats, especially in sizes 3T to size 8 children's for both boys and girls. Your gently-used donations are welcome!

On Friday, we had a mini-family reunion of sorts. The occasion was the return of one of our volunteers who helped us last year. She counseled at least two mothers who chose life for their babies! She has since moved back to her native Mexico and was able to make visit to the Center while she was in town. Many of the JDS crew came together for lunch, to see her and welcome her back. We talked, laughed and teased each other, as usual, over a feast of subway sandwiches and pizza. It was a terrific way to spend the afternoon...with the "extended" family!

Just as our lunch was wrapping up, a client came in with her boyfriend, requesting a pregnancy test. I remembered that she had come in before, and had a pregnancy test then too. Her test then, was negative. But she had returned. She was only 16, and her boyfriend 17. She had had a hard life and spent a good portion of her life in foster care. She just moved back to San Jose after living in L.A. with her grandmother for a couple of months. She seemed very lost, and said that she was undecided about what she would do if she was pregnant. Abortion was apparently an option.

Her test was negative. But while we were waiting for the test to be completed, we talked to her about what she wanted for her future. Like so many children who have been deeply and negatively affected by the failings of their parents, she mourned the fact that her parents were never married, that she never knew her father, and that she was "supposed to have an older sister", but her mother had an abortion before she was born, and did not regret killing her child. She wanted something better for herself.

We were able to share some information on chastity with her. We talked about what real love is and how special and priceless she was. We explained why living chastely would be the best way to keep from making some of the same mistakes her parents made. She seemed to really respond to the fact that their was someone who seemed to care about her, and even perked up a little as we were talking to her.We invited her to come back to the Center any time, even to just have coffee or lunch and just hang out with us. She said she was looking for a part time job, so we offered to let her volunteer at the Center for a few hours a week to get a work reference.

She left the Center smiling, partly from the relief of not being pregnant...and (I would like to think), partly from the feeling that she had found a safe place with friends who cared about her and would help her however they were able to.

Welcome to the JDS Blog

11/05/2010 19:47:00

Welcome to the JDS Blog. Each week we hope to bring you a short post to let you know what is going on at the JDS Women's Center. We hope to give you the feel of what it is like to be right on the front lines at the Center. For this reason we have asked one of our regular volunteers who is at the Center each week to be our blogger. I hope you enjoy the JDS Blog. And remember, blogging is a two way form of communication. We look forward to hearing from you.