It was a rainy morning when, for the first time, a group from Nuestra Señora de San Juan de Los Lagos, Madre de la Iglesia Parish made a procession through the Encinos neighborhood, to raise citizens’ awareness on the value of human life.
 
Some 30 families of the small Church attended the days’ events, coordinated by Youth Minister Sandra Castillo Juárez, supported by Parochial Vicar Father Fernando Gámez, the parish’s Deacon, Manny Maldonado and the Diocese of Corpus Christi through Jaime Reyna, Director of the Offices of Multicultural and Social Ministry. The purpose of the event is to protect family values and raise awareness of young people regarding the sanctity of life.
 
“Corpus Christi needs these marches to defend the unborn, promote family values, and raise awareness of the abuse of children, immigrants and the elderly,” said Sandra Castillo Juarez, coordinator of the event. “We are a community formed by immigrant families from different Spanish-speaking countries united by the Catholic Faith, with different customs and traditions; every bit of our country we mix and make an infusion of the Holy Spirit in community.”
 
Deacon Manny Maldonado, who is also a professional counselor, gave an inspirational message on living a spiritual life, and he shared as a witness the gifts that God has given him.
 
“This march for life was initiated by the parish because we could not go to Austin and participate in the pro-life rally. Life is something so sacred, so precious that God has given us to help each other reach him,” Deacon Maldonado said. “Sometimes, we are so lost because we are concerned with money, material things, and more, but God always provides.”
 
Over the last 40 years, Deacon Maldonado has guided and helped many people with different needs. “Young women who need help and feel ashamed. I tell them all that shame becomes love when you see your newborn baby.”
 
In addition to the march, the event included presentations given by Reyna on the Church’s teachings based on the encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”) by Pope St. John Paul II published on March 25, 1995. Reyna explained that being pro-life means being against abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty and human trafficking.  Biblical quotes supported every aspect of his talk. In conclusion, he said, “every life is sacred beginning at the moment of conception and ends at natural death. Life is a gift from God and must be protected by laws.”
 
In the latter part of the day, the families separated, and the children went to two classrooms where, according to their age, they participated in recreational activities, games, and explanations about the sanctity of life. The adults heard emotional testimonies about the experiences of three mothers in high-risk pregnancies and a father arrested and detained by immigration officers.