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Contents © 2004
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LITTLE NOTES
June 2004

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"THIS EARTH FAIR OUTREACH was without a doubt the best we have ever witnessed," wrote Phil Magnan, director of Biblical Family Advocates, about the largest-ever Christian presence at Balboa Park's annual environmental festival on Sunday, April 25. Approximately 40 Christians from throughout San Diego County witnessed to fair-goers over a nine-hour period.

Christians manned a cluster of five booths, each offering a different Christian ministry theme, on the frontage road alongside the organ pavilion. Thousands of Earth Fair attendees passed by the booths as they ambled between the Prado and President's Way. Lake Arrowhead-based Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust manned a sixth booth, displaying graphic photos of aborted babies and color medical diagrams of abortion procedures, at the east end of the Prado near the fountain.

As in previous years, Earth Fair organizers were displeased by the Christian groups' presence and attempted to enlist San Diego police to evict them from the event. However, attorneys with the Christian group showed the officers that the groups were legally stationed in a public area of the park.

"It was astounding to watch as the Lord in His providence secured a great place for us to engage thousands," said Magnan. "God secured a 'T-bone steak' of a location through the diligent efforts of our attorneys Michael Kumeta and Bill Trask."

Earth Fair organizers later posted signs next to the Christian displays that said, "[These] individuals are exercising their rights of free speech. They are not part of EarthFair. We cannot require them to adhere to EarthFair's standards of decency. If you are annoyed or offended by their presence, we apologize."

Calvary Chapel of San Diego sponsored three of the booths, offering discussion and literature on the topics of children's evangelization, creationism, and the scourge of pornography. "Our 'God Hates Porn' sign drew the ire of San Diegans who wanted to make a defense for lust," said Magnan.

A woman spat on one of the graphic abortion posters, and another man stole one of the anti-pornography signs from the booth. The woman was apprehended by San Diego police officers, and Christians were able to wrest the anti-porn sign back from the man.

Arabic Christians United discussed the dangers of Islam with fair goers while Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays manned a nearby booth. Their San Diego director, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Ramona parishioner, Theresa Ellis, assisted by Theresa Malley, sat at a table displaying a poster that said "Jesus Loves You." They offered brochures by the Diocese of San Diego's Courage ministry for individuals suffering from unwanted same-sex attraction, and a pamphlet from Stephen Bennett Ministries titled "I Was Gay."

"Most of the people who approached my table took brochures, and many people said 'Thank you,'" recalled Ellis. "Theresa and I talked with several people at length about separating the homosexual inclination from homosexual acts, the former being a usually unchosen disorder, and the latter a sinful choice. The people who agreed with us thanked us for the information. Those who disagreed walked away in a huff. The majority of young women left that way, especially when they approached the table as a 'couple'.

Ellis continued, "It did not upset me when two girls came up and grabbed the 'I Was Gay' pamphlet, ripped it in half, and threw it on the ground."

The 2004 EarthFair was the first experience of its kind for The Survivors. "I thought the event would be a good one as soon as I heard about it," 16-year-old Kelli MacLeod of Crestline, California told News Notes. "Confronting a group of people who are generally known as liberals is always a good idea. Many of the people visiting our booth were actually for our message which was not only surprising, but very encouraging."

PRIESTS MOVE BACK TO SANTA SOPHIA. Two years ago, former Santa Sophia pastor Michael Ratajczak announced he was moving eight miles away from his parish into a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home in the West Village of Singing Hills purchased for $325,000, plus an additional $35,000 in refurbishing costs. A two-bedroom apartment was also rented for the then-associate pastor for a monthly fee of $1,030.

The decision to live off-campus, wrote Fr. Ratajczak in his July 7, 2002 Pastor's Column, "is not a unique situation to Santa Sophia. This is a growing trend. In our area alone, the priests of St. John of the Cross Parish in Lemon Grove, Holy Trinity Parish in El Cajon, and St. Luke Parish in Rancho San Diego all live off campus. A number of priests across the Diocese have such arrangements."

Now, Santa Sophia's priests have moved back to church. Fr. Peter Escalante, who succeeded Fr. Ratajczak as pastor last July, announced in an April 26, 2004 letter to parishioners that he hopes next spring to begin construction of a new multi-purpose building/youth activities center.

The funding for the project, wrote Fr. Escalante, comes in part from "The sale of the home that was purchased in El Cajon that served as the Pastor's residence, which realized a net profit of approximately $50,000" and "A decrease in parish expenses since Fr. Devdas and I both reside on the Parish property."

Hopefully, Fr. Escalante's decision to live on parish grounds reflects a "growing trend."

"NEW JERSEY'S STATE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER," Agapepress.org reports, "has decided to leave the Roman Catholic church after 57 years rather than vote in accordance with Catholic doctrine. Democratic Senator Bernard Kenny, who supports permissive abortion laws and research on human embryos, says he was given a last warning by church officials to repent or stop seeking communion. Kenny says he told his pastor Saturday that he is quitting the church. Last week, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey took the rare step of saying that he will not receive communion at public services. McGreevey's announcement came after Newark Archbishop John Myers declared that supporters of legal abortion should not receive communion, and Nicohlas DiMarzio, bishop of Camdem, said he would refuse communion to the Democratic governor."

MARK SALO, PRESIDENT of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties, unexpectedly ran into some old friends April 24 during the pro-abortion march weekend festivities in Washington D.C.: Troy Newman and Cheryl and Brenna Sullenger of Operation Rescue West.

Former Southern California pro-lifers now living in Wichita, Newman and the mother-daughter Sullenger team traveled to the nation's capital to witness against the unjust slaughter of the innocent unborn. They ran into Salo at a Planned Parenthood bash at the Renaissance Hotel, where they sternly rebuked him for enabling abortion. Sullenger recounted the confrontation on Operation Rescue West's website: "Troy, Brenna and I walked in and immediately found members of the San Diego delegation, including CEO Mark Salo. Troy walked up to Salo and shook his hand then began to shame him for his participation in child-killing. When he was done, he left the room, then I walked up to Salo and extended my hand. I had planned to do the same thing [Newman had done], but [Salo] recognized me immediately, threw his hands in the air, and headed for the nearest security guard. I followed him out the door rebuking him the entire way. We praised God for the opportunity to confront this man who is the head of the second largest Planned Parenthood organization in the world."

HOMOSEXUAL USD RELIGIOUS STUDIES PROFESSOR, Evelyn Kirkley, was among "ten local lesbian, bisexual and transgender women" honored at the inaugural Women's Night Awards held Saturday, May 1, at the El Cortez in downtown San Diego. The event, titled "Cherchez les Femmes: Havana Nights," was sponsored by the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center in Hillcrest. The May 2004 issue of Centerpiece, the center's newsletter, confirmed that Kirkley, who received the education award, was among eight women awarded at the event.

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