Rachel’s Promise has grand opening
SAN DIEGO — The grand opening of Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children, located on Eighth Avenue in downtown San Diego, was held Aug. 12.
Developed by Catholic Charities in partnership with the City of San Diego and the San Diego Housing Commission, Rachel’s Promise is a transformational 210-bed shelter and resource center dedicated to serving women and children experiencing homelessness, crisis and instability.
Women and children will be referred to Rachel’s Promise through the City of San Diego’s and the San Diego Housing Commission’s Coordinated Shelter Intake Program, which is the centralized, single point of contact that matches individuals and families experiencing homelessness with available beds across the city’s emergency shelter network.
“Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children is more than a shelter,” said Appaswamy “Vino” Pajanor, CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego. “It is a place of hope, healing and new beginnings where women and children can find safety, stability and a path forward. Through safe housing, compassionate care and comprehensive wraparound services, the center will provide women and children with a pathway toward stability, self-sufficiency and a brighter future.”
Upcoming retreat offers healing from abortion
ESCONDIDO — Rachel’s Hope will hold a healing retreat for Catholic (or Catholic-friendly) women experiencing suffering and regret after an abortion.
The professionally led retreat will be held from Friday, Sept. 11, to Sunday, Sept. 13, at St. Mary Parish in Escondido. Group size is limited. Confidentiality will be maintained.
The cost to attend is $120 per person. Partial scholarships are available.
For information, visit RachelsHope.org. To learn more or to register, call (619) 244-5021.
Diocese to celebrate Filipino saint
SAN DIEGO — The Feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first canonized Filipino saint and martyr, will be celebrated on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala.
The rosary will be recited at 9:15 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido.
Born in Manila in 1594, St. Lorenzo Ruiz became a missionary and sailed to Okinawa in 1636, along with three priests. In Japan, at age 42, he refused to renounce his faith and died after two days of torture.
“I am a Christian. This I profess until the hour of my death. And, if I had a thousand lives, I would give them all to the Lord,” he is said to have declared before dying.
For more information, call (858) 490-8306 or email adiaz@sdcatholic.org.
Training on ‘Caring for the Whole Person’
SAN DIEGO — A two-day “Caring for the Whole Person” training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on two Saturdays, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, at the diocesan Pastoral Center.
Participants will learn how to support and accompany those facing healthcare decisions, serious illness and end-of-life care.
There is no cost to attend, and lunch is included. Register at sdcatholic.org/cwp-2daytraining-2026.
For more information, email igonzalez@sdcatholic.org.
‘40 Days for Life’ to begin fall campaign
SAN DIEGO — The fall campaign of 40 Days for Life will run from Wednesday, Sept. 23, to Sunday, Nov. 1.
With 40 Days for Life taking place on the same dates in communities across the globe, Catholics in the Diocese of San Diego will join millions of people worldwide in prayer and fasting during the campaign.
The centerpiece is a continuous, peaceful prayer vigil for 40 days on the public sidewalk in front of abortion clinics, with the aim of providing resources to women in crisis pregnancies and saving babies from abortion. Locally, such vigils will be taking place at nine locations in San Diego and Imperial counties, including Chula Vista, Clairemont, College Avenue, downtown San Diego, El Cajon, El Centro, Escondido, Mira Mesa and Vista.
A special 40 Days for Life commissioning Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 4, at St. Mary Parish in Escondido.
For more information, visit sdcatholic.org/40-days-for-life-locations.
Retrouvaille weekend to heal struggling marriages
SAN DIEGO — Many couples continue to struggle in their marriages, but are not willing to give up on each other. There is hope.
Retrouvaille is a program designed to help struggling marriages regain their health. It helps a husband and a wife re-awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them together.
The next Retrouvaille weekend will be from Friday, Sept. 25, to Sunday, Sept. 27. English and Spanish weekends will be held in separate locations. The cost is $700.
For more information, visit helpourmarriage-sandiego.org or email joseandmary@helpourmarriage.org.
Weekend helps divorced, widowed move past grief
OCEANSIDE — Divorced, widowed and separated men and women can register for a healing Beginning Experience Weekend.
Held Oct. 9 to 11 at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, the weekend will focus on healing and moving beyond grief in a supportive and caring environment with others that are going through and have gone through the same experiences.
For information, email beginningexperiencesd@gmail.com or call (858) 748-2273.
Women’s organization celebrating 90 years
CHULA VISTA — The South Bay Deanery of Catholic Women invites you to join them in celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
A luncheon will be held on Monday, Oct. 12, at St. Charles Parish Hall in Imperial Beach, in honor of the 90th anniversary. There will be a Mass at 9:30 a.m., followed by program and luncheon.
Over the past 90 years, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women has provided support for St. Francis Center for Priestly Formation.
RSVP by Monday, Sept. 21, to Karen Koehler at (619) 428-8397 or Vinnie Thoms at (619) 840-2040.
A check for $25, made payable to “South Bay Deanery,” along with the attendee’s name, phone number and parish, can be mailed to: Pat Gojuangco, Treasurer, 1457 Autumn Hills Drive, Chula Vista, CA 91913.
All invited to ‘Awaken the Spirit’
LA MESA — The Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) will hold its annual “Awaken the Spirit: The Power of Spirituality in Healing and Recovery” event, from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Oct. 24, at United Methodist Church in La Mesa.
It will be a special morning of storytelling, connection and hope, featuring keynotes from Deacon John Roberts of Father Joe’s Villages and Anna Marie Piconi Snyder, founder of the East County-based homeless ministry You Did It For Me, Inc.; inspiring stories of transformation from local leaders; and time to reflect and imagine a future shaped by belonging and possibility.
ISP invites people recovering from homelessness and addiction to encounter God’s love, hope and healing through spiritual companionship that transforms lives. The practice is based on the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the 12-Step Program.
Young adults can network at YCP events
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego chapter of Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) hosts regular events for young Catholics in their 20s and 30s.
Among the organization’s recurring events is its Executive Speaker Series, where a Catholic speaker is invited to reflect on his or her faith and career. There is no cost for admission, and attendees can enjoy free beer, wine and appetizers, as well as time for networking.
YCP San Diego also holds networking happy hours, half-day retreats and other events.
For more information, visit youngcatholicprofessionals.org/chapter/san-diego.
Online men’s group helps fight lust
SAN DIEGO — All Catholics are called to live the virtue of chastity, according to their state in life.
Are you a man frustrated by your inability to break harmful habits, leading to sadness or feelings of shame? Are you struggling to see and treat your body or those of others as a temple of the Holy Spirit?
You are not alone. Many men struggle in this way, but there is a way out of this cycle.
A Men’s Purity Support Group meets online every Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
For more information, visit sites.google.com/view/dragonslayers-sd. Your name and contact information will be kept confidential.
Women invited to discern vocation
SAN DIEGO — Women ages 18 to 35 are invited to a discernment session to explore religious life.
The weekly meetings are held at 6:30 p.m., Mondays, at Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá.
Women are invited to come and share their experience and walk with other women in discernment.
For more information, contact Sister Katia Chavez, SJS, at (760) 562-2727.
Retreats aid recovery from homelessness, addiction
SAN DIEGO — The Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) invites those recovering from homelessness and addiction to experience God’s unconditional love.
The organization’s programs are designed for men and women in substance-abuse recovery who desire to deepen their spirituality and are open to sharing their story and listening to others.
Though founded in the Jesuit tradition, ISP does not proselytize, and people of all (or no) faith traditions are welcome.
Guided by the wisdom of Ignatian spirituality and interwoven with traditional 12-Step approaches, ISP retreat programs offer individuals recovering from homelessness and addiction a chance to take time away to reflect on and deepen their relationship with God, to identify the places inside that need healing, and to bond with others on the journey.
Every year, ISP welcomes over 1,250 individuals on overnight retreats and provides over 10,000 experiences of hope and healing through ongoing reflection programs in the community.
For more information, visit ispretreats.org.
Men invited to join ‘Rosary Crusade’
SAN DIEGO — The Men’s Rosary Crusade gathers at 9 a.m., every first Saturday of the month, at the corner of 6th and Laurel in Balboa Park. All men are welcome.
The rosary intentions are for reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the conversion of America, for families and for the unborn.
For more information, email draguez@sbcglobal.net or call (619) 920-8363.
