If there’s one thing that millions of people will take away from the Los Angeles wildfires this month it’s how fragile life is.
In the midst of ongoing efforts to contain the fires and begin to recover from the massive destruction, an annual event that calls attention to where life is most fragile will again gather, but will be scaled back due to the emergency.
OneLife LA, which bills itself as a way to promote the beauty and dignity of every human life from conception to natural death, normally begins with a rally at La Placita Olvera in downtown Los Angeles and makes its way to Los Angeles State Historic Park.
This year, it will be largely confined to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA.
Included in the lineup of speakers at this year’s event, to be held on Saturday, January 18, will be people who have been severely impacted by the wildfires. The theme this year is “Let us stand up together in hope.”
“OneLife LA 2025 will offer a time to unite as a family of God in prayer, healing, community and hope as the devastating wildfires continue through Southern California,” promotional material for the event says.
Anywhere life is threatened
OneLife LA was first celebrated on January 17, 2015, and calls attention to a number of issues where life is threatened, including abortion, euthanasia, homelessness, and human trafficking.
“It is our hope to build upon the spirit of OneLife LA as a movement of love and mercy in our city especially during these times that have been devastating for so many families in our communities,” said Michael P. Donaldson, Senior Director of the Office of Life, Justice & Peace of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “We will be in a different space and things will look a little different but our commitment to building a culture of life and accompanying the most vulnerable remains and extends to our brothers and sisters who are suffering from the destruction of the wildfires.”
Schedule
The event will begin at 1 p.m. with OneLife community partner organizations and service agencies offering service opportunities and other resources. The speaker and performance program will begin at 2 p.m. The program will include testimonials from victims of the fires and reflections on the impact of the emergency on groups at risk like those facing homelessness and in the foster care system.
Organizers said that the annual walk for life prior to the program has been canceled out of an abundance of caution for health concerns due to poor air related to the ongoing fires and to alleviate any need for city or law enforcement support normally required for a large walk that usually draws tens of thousands in attendance.
But Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles will celebrate an annual Requiem Mass for the Unborn at 5 p.m.
The program will be live-streamed on onelifela.org and facebook.com/lacatholics.
