Carmelite Sisters offer desert Lenten retreat
The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart are hosting a March 15 journey to their desert retreat center for those who wish to deepen their spiritual reflections on the Lenten season.

This one-day prayer pilgrimage takes place at the Mt. Carmel in the Desert Retreat Center in Palmdale, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Participants will board a bus at 7:30 a.m. the St. Joseph Center in Alhambra and travel 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

Father Mike Ohante will be retreat leader for the day, which will also feature time for prayer at the natural grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, opportunities to climb the hill of the cross and a chance to walk the Stations of the Cross in a spirit of repentance. Return time is 7 p.m.

Costs for the retreat are $55 for those coming by bus from the St. Joseph Center and $35 for those driving themselves. Fees include a continental breakfast, lunch and a stipend for the retreat leader.

For reservations and more information, contact Carmelite Sister Timothy Marie at (626) 289-1353 ext. 263

Alhambra Knights raise $10,000 for St. Therese Wheelchair Foundation
Members of the Alhambra Knights of Columbus have been extremely busy lately. When Council #2431 recently hosted a "Wheelchair Weekend" at St. Therese Church in Alhambra, the group raised at least $10,000 for the Wheelchair Foundation --- and checks are still arriving for the international charity.

The Wheelchair Foundation supplies wheelchairs throughout the world to those in need. Every $75 donated to the Wheelchair Foundation results in the delivery of a brand new wheelchair to a child, teen or adult. To date, more than 650,000 wheelchairs have been distributed worldwide.

The Knights of Columbus became a charitable partner of the Wheelchair Foundation several years ago; the Alhambra Council has been one of the driving forces of the success of this partnership in the San Gabriel Valley. To date, the council has raised more than $16,500.

Much of the success of the fundraising comes from Carmelite Father Jan Lundberg, pastor at St. Therese. As a member of the Alhambra Council and a Knight himself, Father Lundberg made personal appeals to congregations at each weekend Mass.

Contributions were also not limited to the adult parishioners. In the weeks leading up to Wheelchair Weekend, St. Therese School Principal Christina Buckowski challenged her students to bring in their pennies, nickels and dimes for the cause. Overall, the students raised $750 - enough money to buy 10 wheelchairs.

For more information about the Wheelchair Foundation, visit http://kofc2431.googlepages.com/alhambra and click on the link to the Wheelchair Foundation.

To donate to the Wheelchair Foundation, send checks made payable to "The Wheelchair Foundation" to the Knights of Columbus, Alhambra Council #2431, P.O. Box 1027, Alhambra, CA 91802.

Catholic Men's Movement in San Gabriel
Men who want to deepen not only their spiritual life, but also who are looking to become better husbands and fathers are invited to join in new monthly gatherings of the Catholic Men's Movement.

Starting March 8, the group will meet for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. at Danny's Kosher Pickle in West Covina followed by 8 a.m. Mass at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Covina.

Every third Saturday of the month there will be a guest speaker event where fathers can bring their sons.

The group is open to all Catholic men in the community. For more information, call (626) 374-7308.

Damien senior recognized for volunteer service
Chad Heimann, a 17-year-old senior of Damien High School, was recently honored for exemplary volunteer service with a President's Volunteer Service Award.

Presented by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, the award recognizes Americans who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

Heimann was singled out for his participation in Damien's Tijuana Mission Outreach program. Along with other students, Heimann traveled down to Mexico multiple times during the year and worked at a local mission in the outskirts of Tijuana distributing food and clothing. During the summer, the group brought 90 fathers and sons to help build homes and a church.

"The motivation for doing this work is the people themselves," says Heimann. "After every food run, work trip and the summer trip, in the school van on the way home I think about how I was able to help make someone's life a little bit easier. I might have not taken away many of the burdens in their life, but I tried to put a smile on their faces whether it's making them laugh or giving them a loaf of bread."