OneLife LA 2022: Keynote Address

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Grand Park
Los Angeles, California
January 22, 2022

Greetings, my dear friends!

Thank you for being here today, and thank you for your witness to the beauty and sanctity of human life!

I also want to welcome those who are joining us from all over the country and the world, watching and listening over the channels of EWTN, El Sembrador (ESNE), Guadalupe Radio and Relevant Radio. 

I am grateful to our broadcasting partners, they are good friends, and they have been with us from the beginnings of OneLife LA, eight years ago.

Once again this year, we have gathered to march peacefully and joyfully, to proclaim our vision of an America where every human life is sacred, where every person is cherished and welcomed, especially the weakest and most vulnerable.

OneLife LA has always been more than a procession, and more than an event. OneLife LA is a movement of love and peace. We are seeking to build a new culture and a new way of life in our country.  

And my dear friends, this year I am really hopeful. I believe this year is going to mark a turning point in our long journey to build a culture of life.

Forty-nine years ago, on this day, the U.S. Supreme Court established a constitutional “right” to abortion. But this year, it seems that the Court is finally ready to recognize the tragedy of that decision, and to at least impose stricter limits on abortion.

This is great news! Thanks be to God! And it is a tribute to every one of you — your prayers and sacrifices, to all your patient work over this long half-century.

Thanks to you, and by the grace of God, we can see the day coming when the dignity and rights of the unborn child are finally respected and protected!

So now, my dear friends, we need to keep going! Our work is far from done. That is our theme for this year’s OneLife LA — “Forward in Hope”!

We need to keep going to create a culture of care and compassion for women facing challenging pregnancies. We need to keep going to promote alternatives to abortion such as adoption.

My friends, we need to keep working for an America where it is easier for men and women to get married, easier for them to raise strong and healthy families. An America where it is easier for mothers and fathers to balance the demands of work and family.

This is the next step in our long journey to build a culture of life in America.

Every Catholic family, and every Catholic parish, must take up this responsibility to walk with mothers in need.

So let’s never underestimate the power of prayer. As we continue to pray for an end to abortion, let’s double-down on the prayers and sacrifices that we make for mothers, children, and families.

So, my dear friends, let us go forward in hope. Let us especially take advantage of this moment — and let us finally build the culture of life in America!

By our love, by the way we serve our neighbors, by the way we care for one another, especially the weak and vulnerable, we can renew the soul of our nation.

So let us entrust this beautiful vision of OneLife LA to the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of the Angels. May she walk with us and guide us!

God bless you all!