La Habra Life Center Newsletter - Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic ...

La Habra Life Center
Newsletter Spring 2011
La Habra Life Center 579 W. La Habra Blvd. La Habra, CA 90631 562-691-9395
Monday–Thursday 11am to 5pm; Friday 11am to 2pm; e-mail: lhlifectr@yahoo.com www.lahabralifecenter.org
The La Habra Life Center is a non-profit, non-sectarian community organization, dedicated to promoting the
sanctity of life from the moment of fertilization to its natural end and promulgating the high moral ethics
expressed in the Judeo-Christian tradition. We seek to carry out this basic philosophy in a practical manner by
offering positive help to women in a crisis pregnancy through counseling, education, and practical help.
An "Open House" was hosted by the Life Center on
January 22 nd as part of many nationwide efforts to
mark the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 by the
Supreme Court. We thank our new volunteers who
signed up to join our efforts to protect all human life!
That same day St. Mary’s Church in Fullerton
celebrated the first anniversary of spiritually adopted
children by throwing them a big ‘Birthday Party’ in
form of a Baby Shower. They collected lots of baby
items including clothes bedding diapers, and toiletries.
This special t-shirt caught our attention.
Thanks so much for your generosity
We received the following letter from one of St. Mary’s parishioners:
“Sorry we missed the Baby Shower. Enclosed
is a donation from my Father.
Ninety (90) years ago my Father was left on
the steps of a church in Denver, CO as a
newborn. He was adopted by a Catholic
couple who were unable to have children.
He has a special place in his heart for
the unborn, the unwanted and mothers in
crisis. He prays for his biological mother
and gives thanks that she gave him life
and left him in a safe place. His parents
were very loving”
***********
We continue to assist well over 70 women and their families each month. Our staff encounters women who come from all
walks of life, religious beliefs, and socio-economic backgrounds. We hear stories of pain, abandonment, despair, addiction,
abuse, and neglect. Yet our Center offers hope and healthy lifestyle choices through counseling and encouragement
Below is the story of a woman transformed from despair… to hope…. to helping others
A story as told by Raquel herself:
The elevator ride
I was saying in my head,” I don’t want to have this baby. This wasn’t how my life was supposed to turn out. I was my
parent’s princess. I was going to get married and have a house with kids and a dog named Rover if I wanted it.
I finally got the strength to accept this baby no matter how difficult. A most loving person gave me courage and help and
since that time my child has become a blessing to me. The whole journey has purified me. I’m more open to other people
now and I try to do what I can do to help out.
I was in the hospital elevator on my way to a doctor’s appointment. Another woman got on with me. I said Hello and she
burst out crying and told me that she was pregnant. I said,” Congratulations! I’m pregnant too.”

She explained that she just couldn’t do it right now: it wasn’t the right time. Then I felt my unborn baby move and I
placed her hand on my belly,” Do you feel that!.
Right at that moment my baby kicked her. She said, “Wow!” I said, “Yeah, my baby is going to be linebacker. He’s gonna
be strong and he’s gonna be blessed And she said ”Why is he gonna be blessed”. I said because he is here – whether you
cry or you laugh. You’re put here for a reason”.
And she said,” I’m gonna get an abortion”. And I said” No you are not. You’re not going to have an abortion: You’re
going to have a girl. I know that already because I wanted to have a girl, but I’m having a boy, but that’s okay – you have
your girl and dress her up in pink, put pony tails in her hair and call her Raquel, and by the way my middle name is
Jasmine. And if she asks you how she got her name tell her you met a fabulous lady who was pregnant on the elevator and
she told you that you were going to have beautiful little girl. I walked her down to make an appointment with my
obstetrician. You see, I can be pushy.
I didn’t see her again until two years later at the same hospital. She was pushing a stroller and ran up to me and hugged
me. She had twins- two girls – and their names are Raquel and Jasmine and she had dressed them all up in pink, just like I
told her. She said.” I love you. You don’t understand Raquel I love you. I love you. I love you. I’ll never forget your
name, your face, your smile. I love you.” And I said” I love you too. I understand, I have experienced it”
You can’t talk about one with out the other: Mary Hernandez and Laura Torres. Both
Mary and Laura have been volunteering for over 15 years at the Life Center by counseling,
fundraising; you name it. Their bilingual knowledge has been of particular value. By having
seen the brokenness and vulnerability of young women for all these years, they now take their
experience all over California. Here you see them in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento
pleading for babies and their mothers with the then Governor Schwarzenegger. For several
years they have also added to their pro-life activities by witnessing and praying at abortion
facilities during the 40 Days for Life campaign.
Thanks, gals, for your unrelenting commitment and courage!
…is long overdue to the Knights of Columbus!
The Knights are fraternal men’s organization, and one of the strongest supporters of
Life. La Habra’s John Scott Council # 7142 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church started the Life Center off 27 years ago
with our first baby shower and Walk-a-thon for Life. In the forefront walked Jason Kurtz, whose life was tragically
cut short during a hiking accident while still a sophomore at Sonora High School. His enthusiasm for Life was remarkable! His
parents, Valerie and Bob Kurtz, and sister Lindsey have kept his fire of enthusiasm going and each year organize our annual
Holy Innocents Vigil. At our last event we had over 200 participants. Mr. La Guardian made sure we never run out of coffee at
the reception. Also a special thanks to Paul Thornburg, present Grand Knight, who pitches in everywhere, no matter what!
On the national level the Knights of Columbus also support the Handicapped, Elderly, and so much more. They were the first to
design pro-life signs, cards and literature. The insert of the KFC is one of their most powerful ones. It continues to save lives
Thanks also to the Elk’s Club
and the Gas Company for their generous community outreach programs.
• Always: Diapers, sizes Newborn through #4, wipes
• Strollers, highchairs, bassinets, and swings (clean and in good working order, please)
• All clothing, including sizes12 months through size 3

In October of 2009 Abbey Johnson, the director of Planned Parenthood in Bryan, TX assisted in an
abortion and saw the baby on the ultrasound machine. At that moment she realized that everything
Planned Parenthood said about abortion was a lie. She quit her job and was welcomed by a group from
40 days for Life.
In her book ‘Unplanned' she wrote in chapter 9 “Irreconcilable Differences”
“‘Oh my word!’ I heard a coworker gasp. She was standing by one of the front windows
facing the fence. “‘What is it’ I asked her.
“‘A nun. There’s a nun in full habit standing in the driveway.’
“I walked over to the window to look, and soon several of us were gawking out the window.
The temperature was near 100 degrees that day, yet there in the hot sun was a nun dressed in a heavy, dark
brown habit that swept the ground. Her head and hair were completely covered so that only her face showed,
a face lifted toward heaven, eyes closed, clearly praying. Believe it or not, I’d never seen a nun in full habit
before – at least not in person. I couldn’t help but think of the Reverend Mother in The Sound of Music, though
this nun was clearly far younger, probably about forty.
“‘Her face looks so sweet,’ said one of our clinic workers. ‘But anguished!’
“There was an awkward silence. Then one of our clients, who had just had an abortion, was escorted out the
door and to her car by one of the volunteers. Our eyes were glued to the nun as, her eyes fixed on the client,
she moved from the center of the driveway to the side, making room for the client to pull out of the drive. And
then she began to weep. She fell to her knees and wept with such grief, such genuine personal pain, that I
couldn’t help but think to myself. She feels something far deeper than I ever will. She is honestly pained. This is
real to her – this grief at knowing that a client had an abortion. A sense of shame washed over me. I tried to
shake it off but couldn’t get past the fact that a nun was grieving over what was happening in my clinic.
“… The truth was, the sister’s simple, prayerful presence bothered most of us, Catholic, ex-Catholic, Protestant
and un-churched alike, as if she somehow represented our consciences.
The sister was small, bubbly and joyful. She had a radiant smile, yet clearly over the months we could continue
to see that she was deeply and personally grieved by the abortions. How many other people cry outside my
workplace because of the work I am doing I wondered. I didn’t like the question.”
*************************
In his book: ‘Abortion, & the Conscience of the Nation’ former President Reagan lamented Roe v. Wade. Below
are some excerpts of his book:
“The 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade is a good time for us to pause and reflect.
Our nationwide policy of abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy was neither voted for by
our people nor enacted by our legislators. ….The consequences of this judicial decision are now obvious: since
1973, more than 15 million unborn children have had their lives snuffed out by legalized abortions. That is over
ten times the number of Americans lost in all our nation's wars.
Over the first two years of my Administration I have closely followed and assisted efforts in Congress to reverse
the tide of abortion. Regrettably, I have also seen the massive efforts of those who, under the banner of
"freedom of choice," have so far blocked every effort to reverse nationwide abortion-on-demand.
Despite the formidable obstacles before us, we must
not lose heart. This is not the first time our country has
been divided by a Supreme Court decision that
denied the value of certain human lives. The Dred
Scott decision of 1857 was not overturned in a day, or
a year, or even a decade. At first, only a minority of
Americans recognized and deplored the moral crisis
brought about by denying the full humanity of our
black brothers and sisters; but that minority persisted
in their vision and finally prevailed. They did it by
appealing to the hearts and minds of their
countrymen, to the truth of human dignity under
God. From their example, we know that respect for
the sacred value of human life is too deeply engrained in the hearts of our people to remain forever
suppressed ………….There is no cause more important for preserving freedom than affirming the transcendent
right to Life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any meaning”
****************************

International Life Services
La Habra Life Center
579 W. La Habra Blvd.
La Habra, CA 90631
We have heard the famous pro-choice litany that abortion should be"safe, legal and rare".
Legal abortion was supposed to end "back-alley abortions." But the practice and results of the back alley
are with us still, they just moved into the front office. The article below, by LifeNews.com of Jan19
is gruesome and graphic. You may feel outrage and sorrow at this incidence called ‘House of Horrors’:
Two women died at the hands of Kansas abortionist Kermit Gosnell. In addition Gosnel purposefully
induced premature birth of hundreds of infants for the purpose of taking their lives. He “induced
labor, forced the live birth of viable babies in the sixth, seventh, eighth month of pregnancy and then killed
those babies by cutting into the back of the neck with scissors and severing their spinal cord.”
“There were bags, and bottles holding aborted fetuses, they were scattered throughout the building “There
were jars lining shelves with severed feet that he kept for no medical purpose.”
******************
Just a few weeks later Lila Rose and her group Live Action Films released seven video/audio tapes of
undercover sting operations from inside Planned Parenthood in three different states. The footage shows a
clinic supervisor and medical practitioner aiding and abetting sexual exploitation of minors, even telling the
undercover “pimp” he can pose as a legal guardian to get discounts for abortions for his underage sex
workers, some as young as 14 years old. …and he need not worry about loosing any $$$ from his trade while
the girl is recuperating from the abortion…. ‘since she can do her work from the waist up’!
************
We need your prayers now and during the 40 days for Life campaign. This is a peaceful and prayerful gathering
in front of an abortion facility, starting March 9 through April 17. Pray that no woman or her
preborn baby will be harmed. Please call Laura 562-587-3530 for information. Also please
consider carpooling with us to www.walk4LIFEsocal.com at the Rosebowl on March 27.