When planning the Portolá 250, we were cautioned early on we might meet widespread apathy in California. Of course, we already knew there is a great falling away in California which leads the nation in many things we ‘do not’ want to lead in that are expressions of rebellion against God and cultural norms in direct opposition to our faith. Laboring months with Thomas McKenna and Anthony DeBellis about this dilemma to take on such a challenge, Thomas advised, “because California is a hotbed of various consensuses and movements against our Church and ‘As California Goes, So Goes the Nation’, it is not only the place to reintroduce ourselves to the public square, it is the place where we are mandated to draw a line in the sand right away.”
I live in and am raising my family in California, so I know too well we have a culture that disregards the eternal rules of order which Heaven itself hath ordained. We see a society that has removed God from the government, the culture, the schools and the public square; one that increasingly profanes the sacred and sanctifies the profane. We know this state has helped to kill the most innocent among us, millions of the unborn and on and on.
That said, we set out on the pilgrimage to beseech Our Lord by visiting 21 missions in 21 days by daily invoking the intercession of St. St. Junípero Serra and asking Our Lady of Fatima to shower our state and all of us with her graces. Then, interesting and providential things started to happen!
Doors and windows of opportunity for good will toward our efforts and more importantly toward our Church and faith began to flood in. I event shared with KUSI News in San Diego of our goal to remind Californians and the world that Catholics brought Christianity to California and we intend to make this new again. Can you imagine secular media answering my pitch to come on with that agenda saying yes? That’s right, only the grace of Our Lady combined with your support and prayers could achieve this type of reception and good will from the interviewer in the public square of today, the television set. Watch the interview here.
I’m happy to report we are making real progress in the real world and making a serious impact as we are seeing thanks be to God and Our Lady of Fatima eyes opened, hearts opened and lives changed!
At every stop, we are having one and as many as 4 rosaries said as we place everyone’s petitions along the missions’ trail. I need to get back on the road now to our next stops but please remember to submit your petitions here so our team in the office can feed them real-time to us on the pilgrimage.
Blessings,
James Aitchison
“Always go forward and never turn back.”
~ St. Junípero Serra