Signs of Hope in Los Angeles

As we near the end of the abomination that is pride month, there are some signs that Christians are beginning to make a dent in the culture war. A crack in the metaphoric dam has already started and is cause for hope. By now, the Bud Light and Target boycotts are in full swing and serve as a welcome reminder to woke corporations that many people across all demographics are getting sick and tired of the constant onslaught of the LGBTQ lobby shoving their perversion down our collective throats. If that isn’t bad enough, these activists throw a full-fledged tantrum if anyone dissents from their warped ideology. Oh, how we all long for the days of “don’t ask; don’t tell” when people’s proclivities in the bedroom were kept exactly where they should be – private.

Last week we ushered in another sign of hope for the faithful. In GMC’s article, A Tale of Two Sisters, we previously presented the dastardly deeds of a Catholic hate group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgences. As Christians, it is our responsibility to be charitable to all. Recall the adage to love the sinner and hate the sin. However, we do not have to sit idly by when our faith, heritage, and, most importantly, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is mocked and blasphemed by those hell-bent on destroying any semblance of religious devotion. Thankfully, many loyal Christians, and a Jewish rabbi, had enough and took a stand against the LA Dodgers organization for singling out this hate group to receive a community award at a pride night game on June 16, which is coincidentally the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

It is estimated that 5,000 thousand assembled and processed to the stadium to peacefully pray and express their displeasure with the Dodger’s decision to invite – then disinvite – then re-invite the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgences. Among the notable organizations and people in attendance at the prayer rally were: Lifesite News (John-Henry Westen), Catholics for Catholics (John Yep), Church Militant (Michael Voris), Virgin Most Powerful Radio (Terry Barber & Jesse Romero), America Needs Fatima,  journalist Jack Posobiec, and America’s bishop, Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas. 

Notably absent were any dignitaries from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Archbishop Gomez of LA did issue a statement denouncing the group and offered a mass “for healing due to the harm caused by the Dodger’s decision to honor a group that intentionally denigrates and profanes the Christian faith.” But a few days before the prayer rally, the archdiocese of LA also put out a tepid memo distancing themselves from this event and calling for “dialogue with all relevant parties.”  While men who parade around in nuns’ habits and mock Jesus need immense spiritual help, there can be no discussion regarding their blatant disregard for the faith and public blasphemy.

Cardinal Robert Sarah sums this up best when he says, “The Church is not made to listen, she is made to teach: she is Mater and Magistra, “mother” and “educator.” While the mother listens to her child, she is first present to teach, guide, and direct because she knows better than her children the direction to take.”

In another act of supreme cowardice, the Dodgers organization presented an award to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgences one hour before the game counting on the fact there would be next to no one in the stadium. It was obvious that they were trying to thread the needle and save themselves from a PR disaster. Despite this, some boos could still be heard from the few fans already gathered in the stands. 

All in all, the organizers deemed the prayer rally to be a huge success. Five thousand prayer warriors came forth, and approximately 7,000 fans chose not to attend the game, which is unusual for a Friday night. The Dodgers also lost to the San Francisco Giants 7-5 in extra innings, and the following day also lost in a blowout. The Dodger’s record has taken a hit by losing 6 of their last 10 games and falling from first to third in the NL West. It appears pride does come before a fall. 

There has been a renewed interest in devotion to the Sacred Heart to prove God can turn any evil into something good. The USCCB advised all Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on the day of the game. Many of the faithful heeded this advice, and hopefully, an abundance of grace was poured out upon our land.  

There is a lesson here to be learned. As  St. Ignatius taught, “Work like everything depends on you and pray like everything depends on God.” With your protest sign in one hand and your rosary in another, we can defeat these demons within our midst. Now is the time to stand up with fellow Christians and shut down these deplorable organizations attempting to mock our faith.