LOS ANGELES --- More than half of the $45 million sought in Mount St. Mary's College's "Invest in the Mount" Campaign has been raised, officials said Feb. 25 at a Venetian carnival gala event that officially announced the college's second campaign in 80 years, and its largest ever.

At the event, held at the Mount's the downtown Doheny Campus, MSMC president Jacqueline Powers Doud said the college had already raised $29,520,000 toward its goal. The main goals of the campaign are to raise money to expand the Doheny Campus with new student housing, updated instructional facilities and technology; to revitalize the undergraduate college on the Chalon Campus in West Los Angeles with renovated residence halls, a new campus center, updated instructional facilities and technology (including an Internet café); and to support student scholarships.

Annual tuition at Mount St. Mary's for full-time undergraduates is $22,054. The college currently enrolls more than 2,400 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Founded in 1925 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, MSMC is the only Catholic women's college west of the Mississippi.

Mount Trustee Kathleen Duncan and her mother Kathleen McCarthy, daughter of the late Thomas and Dorothy Leavey and chair of The Thomas & Dorothy Leavey Foundation, were honored for their foundation's contribution of $8 million --- the largest award in the College's history --- to revitalize the Chalon Campus. Also honored were Elaine S. Ewen and Sister Kathleen Kelly, president and trustee, respectively, of the Bill Hannon Foundation, whose $5 million donation will support the full cost of building a new Doheny Campus residence hall.

Fr. Wempe convicted of child molestation
LOS ANGELES --- Father Michael Wempe, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was convicted Feb. 22 of one count of child molestation by a jury which could not reach a verdict on four other charges.

Wempe, who has been barred from ministry or presenting himself as a priest since 2002, agreed to waive sentencing until the district attorney can decide whether to seek a new trial on the other charges.

A statement from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles read:

"Father Michael Wempe's conviction cannot restore the trust and innocence stolen from his victims, but hopefully this verdict may provide them some measure of justice and comfort.

"To those he abused, we again apologize, and we assure them of our support and of our firm resolve to continue to employ effective means of preventing all forms of abuse in our church.

"We believed Father Wempe's treatment had been successful. Today, a priest credibly accused of abuse is permanently removed from ministry. At the same time, abuse prevention programs in all of our parishes and schools equip parents and guardians with the skills to spot behavior that can lead to abuse and to report such behavior before abuse can take place."

Cindy Sheehan prays for peace in Los Angeles
SANTA MONICA --- Peace activist Cindy Sheehan and actor Martin Sheen prayed the rosary on Santa Monica Beach Feb. 26 in front of hundreds of crosses honoring U.S. soldiers who have died in the war in Iraq. As Sheen prayed the rosary, Sheehan cited the name of one American soldier after each Hail Mary. The last name she read was her son's Casey.

"The tears that flowed from her eyes expressed the profound sadness that still lingers in her mother's heart," observed Jesuit Father Mike Kennedy, pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles, who was joined by a small group of parishioners.

A biblical reflection of the sorrowful mysteries connected how the particular sorrowful mystery is still taking place in Iraq. As of late February 2,296 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq and more than 16,600 have been wounded. The war will reach its three-year mark this March.

Pope says God loves humans in all stages of life,
embryo to old age

VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Pope Benedict XVI said God's love for humans does not differentiate between the stages of embryo, adult or old age.

That is one reason why the church proclaims the sacred and inviolable character of all human life, even in the form of a pre-implanted embryo, the pope told participants at a Vatican conference Feb. 27. The conference, sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, was examining the theme "The Human Embryo Before Implantation: Scientific Update and Bioethical Considerations."

The pope said the topic was fascinating but very difficult, one that science alone cannot fully fathom. From the church's point of view, neither Scripture nor ancient Christian tradition offers explicit treatment of the subject of embryos, he said.

But he said the Bible does reflect an awareness of and respect for human life at its earliest stages. He quoted God's words as recounted in the Book of Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I dedicated you."