Melissa Ohden survived the unthinkable. Her mother underwent a saline-infusion abortion that was supposed to end Ohden’s life. The abortion failed and Ohden was born in 1977, weighing just 2 pounds, 14 ounces. Doctors would later learn Ohden’s mother was actually seven months along in her pregnancy, not the five estimated previously. Although she was given little chance to survive, today Ohden is a world-renowned speaker, author and pro-life activist.

If there’s one thing Deacon Rogelio Rosenbaum wants people to know about the Prison Ministry, it’s that everyone has made bad decisions in their lifetime.

This year has seen milestones of three significant events in the pro-life cause. 2018 is the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and locally, the 40th anniversary of the opening of Birthright of Corpus Christi. 

Delma Trejo believes the children of today will become leaders of the future. It’s her love and compassion for children displaced from their homes that have fueled Trejo’s dedication to the Ark Assessment Center & Emergency Shelter for Youth since 1999.

Fifty-eight years after the introduction of the birth control pill, society is still reeling from its effects, including divorce, infidelity, and the general breakdown of the family. These problems were dramatically prophesied by Pope Paul VI in his encyclical letter, “Humanae Vitae” (Latin: Of Human Life), published in 1968.

Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement today for Respect Life Month. New resources have been developed around the theme “Every Life: Cherished, Chose, Sent” and are available at www.usccb.org/respectlife. Respect Life Sunday is Oct. 7.

Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated Mass at the 17th Annual Blue Mass for all local law enforcement, firefighters and first responders as well as their families. Mass was held at Sacred Heart Church in Mathis on Sept. 29, the feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, Archbishop of San Antonio and chairman of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement today following the close of the V National Encuentro that took place Sept. 20-23 in Grapevine, Texas.

For Esmerelda Hernandez, a parent whose child attends St. Joseph School in Alice, back to school season is a busy time of year. Sometimes the checklist of things to do can be daunting. What she and other parents in Catholic schools don’t have to worry about is getting their children’s eyes checked. Thanks to the schools and Alice Pediatric Clinic those tests are done at the beginning of every school year.

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (SABS) was officially founded on Dec. 8, 1908, by Bishop Thomas Kurialacherry in Kerala, India.

Supporters gasped and smiled as they unveiled the “Sea of Hope” mural on Aug. 18 at The Ark Assessment Center and Emergency Shelter for Youth. The 76-foot-wide, 14-foot-high painting, revealed underwater sea life, including various plant life, corals, snails, crabs, octopuses, and a colorful array of fish right out of Walt Disney’s “Finding Nemo.” The mural includes a blowfish, starfish, a whale, dolphins, a turtle, sea horses, stingrays and a shrimp waving to the viewer on top of a yellow submarine. 

Los asistentes quedaron boquiabiertos y sonrientes al contemplar el mural “Sea of Hope” (“Mar de Esperanza”) cuya develación se realizó el 18 de agosto en El Arca, Centro de Evaluación y Refugio de Emergencia para la Juventud. La pintura de 76 pies de ancho y 14 pies de altura revela la vida submarina, incluyendo varias plantas, corales, caracoles, cangrejos, pulpos y una colorida gama de peces que parecían salir de una película de Walt Disney, al estilo de “Finding Nemo.” El mural incluye un pez globo, estrellas de mar, una ballena, delfines, una tortuga, caballitos de mar, mantarrayas y hasta un camarón saludando al espectador en lo alto de un submarino amarillo.

Una falta de respeto por la vida humana, es la razón fundamental de nuestros problemas sociales y culturales de hoy en día. Nuestra propia Iglesia no queda inmune a ello. Los recientes escándalos nos recuerdan penosamente, cómo los continuos abusos cometidos por el personal de la iglesia han denigrado la dignidad humana de aquellos a quienes se confió su cuidado maternal.

Kristofer and Mara Morgan, parishioners of St. Theresa Church in Corpus Christi, were teenagers when they married in 2011. The couple, secure in their love for each other, and devout in their faith, always knew they wanted to have children and were guided by a family member to consider a natural, spiritually-led, method for planning their future family.

A disrespect for human life is at the heart of our social and cultural problems today. Our own Church is not immune. The recent scandals painfully remind us of how the continuing abuses by Church personnel have denigrated the human dignity of those entrusted to her maternal care. 

Prayer, discernment, service and being open to doing God’s will are what led Kevin Branson, new executive director of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc. and Mother Teresa Day Shelter to Corpus Christi.