Numerous annual events take place at the start of the calendar year in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Additional information on many of these events will be included in The Tidings as the dates draw near.

Spirit and Law Convention: Jan. 9-17
The sixth annual Spirit and Law Convention sponsored by the archdiocese and the International Institute of Tribunal and Theological Studies takes place Jan. 9-17, starting at 8:30 a.m., at the Immaculate Heart Retreat House in Los Angeles. Experts will be speaking on topics including ethics, bias, substance abuse, marriage nullity, restorative justice, elder law, marriage preparation, psychological issues to marriage preparation, and building community in religious life.

To download this year's PDF brochure listing fees and workshops, visit: http://www.laarchdiocese.org/news/pdf/
news_1141_2010SpiritandLawbrochure.pdf. Engaged couples and parish ministers interested in taking the six-day marriage preparation course (Jan. 11-16) may contact Sr. Rita Stuckey, (213) 637-7275. Information on housing at the retreat center is available by calling Ian Hagan, (213) 637-7213. The IHM retreat center is located at 3431 Waverly Dr., Los Angeles.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast and Mass: Jan. 18
Trinitarian Father Bryan Massingale, a professor of theology at Marquette University, will speak at the 16th annual archdiocesan Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast Jan. 18 in Inglewood. A noted expert on Catholic moral theology and social ethics, Father Massingale is president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and convener of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, and is a regular presenter at the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim.

The annual breakfast, sponsored by the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization (AACCFE), begins at 8 a.m. at St. Mary's Academy, 701 Grace Ave., Inglewood. For information, contact the AACCFE at (323) 777-2106, or email: ashaw4aaccfe@sbcglobal.net. For information on AACCFE, visit: www.aaccfe.com.

At 5 p.m. on Jan. 18, a Memorial Mass sponsored by the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. Our Lady of the Angels Region Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark will preside. All are invited to participate.

Requiem Mass for abortion victims: Jan. 23
The archdiocese's annual Respect Life Mass commemorating lives lost to abortion will take place Jan. 23, 6 p.m., at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Cardinal Roger Mahony will preside at the concelebrated liturgy with auxiliary bishops and archdiocesan priests.

As Cardinal Mahony stated in a recent letter to campus ministers encouraging student participation in the event, "The Shantigarh Requiem for the Unborn is a very effective way to help our people come together in prayer and in mutual support for protecting all human life from the moment of conception."

A candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of lives lost to abortion daily in the County of Los Angeles will take place again this year. "Honoring these brief lives," said the cardinal, "is a most poignant and inspiring moment, the memory of which will remain long after all have returned home."

Prayer for Christian Unity: Jan. 24
An ecumenical prayer service celebrating the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be held Jan. 24, 4 p.m., at Greater Community Missionary Baptist Church in Pacoima. Father Alexei Smith, director of the archdiocesan Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, is assisting in the coordination of the event which is sponsored by the Southern California Ecumenical Council and the hosting church.

Reverend Alexia Salvatierra, executive director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, will be the keynote speaker. During the program, the recipient of this year's Gene Boutilier award for distinguished ecumenical service will be announced. The annual event, open to the public, draws participants from several denominations, including Baptist, Community of Christ Christians, Disciples, Episcopal, Greek and Armenian Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and United Church of Christ.

The service's international texts are prepared by representatives of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and representatives of the World Council of Churches. This year's liturgy has been modified to include a focus on the Gospel call to care for the newly arrived neighbors in the Southland community. For further information, contact Rev. Albert Cohen, (626) 578-6371 or scec1@scec1.org.

Celebration of Religious Jubilarians: Jan. 24
The annual archdiocesan Celebration of Religious Jubilarians will be held Jan. 24, 3:30 p.m., at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. More than 100 religious order priests, sisters and brothers celebrating jubilees --- 25 to 75 years of religious profession or ordination --- will be honored at the event. Cardinal Mahony will preside, joined by several auxiliary bishops.

The jubilee celebration is open to the public. "It's a way the people of the local church can thank religious for their years of service," said Notre Dame Sister Anncarla Costello, vicar of the archdiocesan Office for Women Religious.

Cardinal's Awards Dinner: Feb. 6
The 21st annual Cardinal's Awards Dinner will take place Feb. 6 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood. The event annually raises funds benefiting archdiocesan schools, parishes, charities or relief efforts. Proceeds from the 2010 Dinner will benefit ongoing renovation at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood.

This year's honorees, selected for their extensive and distinguished records of Christian service, include: Louis Carnevale of St. Euphrasia Church, Granada Hills; Noel Diaz of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Northridge; Dr. Jacqueline Doud of Incarnation Church, Glendale; Elizabeth Fan of St. Denis Church, Diamond Bar; and John McGuire of Holy Angels Church, Arcadia. For information and reservations on the 2010 Cardinal's Awards Dinner, call (213) 637-7636.

World Marriage Day: Feb. 14
World Marriage Day will be celebrated locally at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in special Masses on Feb. 14. Cardinal Roger Mahony will preside at two concelebrated Masses, 10 a.m. (English) and 12:30 p.m. (Spanish), which will include the renewal of sacramental vows. Pre-registered couples celebrating significant anniversaries (25, 50, 60 or more) will be presented with a commemorative certificate of their Sacramental Marriage anniversary from the cardinal.

World Marriage Day is held each year on the second Sunday in February to celebrate the lifelong commitment of husband and wife. Couples will have an opportunity to have a photo taken with Cardinal Mahony following the Mass.

To register for the event, visit the Cathedral website homepage, www.olacathedral.org where WMD registration information is available for download. Mail the registration form to: World Marriage Day Coordinator, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, or contact Deacon Manny Martinez at (213) 680-5203.

Justice Symposium 2010: Feb. 27
Justice Symposium 2010, cosponsored by several religious congregations and the archdiocesan Office of Justice & Peace, will present a conference on "Human Trafficking" Feb. 27 at Mount St. Mary's College's Doheny Campus in Los Angeles.

Beginning with registration/coffee at 8:30 a.m., the event will open with a keynote address by E. Benjamin Skinner, author of "A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face with Modern Day Slavery."

Following the keynote, participants may attend two workshops on modern day slavery and its human and economic costs. Round table and panel discussions will take place in the afternoon ending with a screening of the film "Trade" at 3:30 p.m. Registration fees are $10 (before Feb. 5), $15 after the deadline. To request a registration form, contact Sister Mary or Zonia at (323) 887-8821 ext. 220.

Religious Education Congress: March 18-21
The 2010 Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, will open with its annual Youth Day celebration March 18 at the Anaheim Convention Center. More than 40,000 people are expected during the four-day weekend event, offering a slate of 315 workshops, daily liturgies, concerts and art exhibits.

Keynote speakers include Mitch Albom, the bestselling author of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," on Saturday and author/lecturer Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Barbara Fiand on Sunday. Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chávez will give the Spanish keynote talk on March 21.

Centered on the theme of God's "Incredible Abundance," this year's Congress features an integrative "green" approach to its workshops on spirituality, health and the environment. Registration information is available at www.RECongress.org. Congress' registration fee of $60 (due by Feb. 5 deadline; $70 after Feb. 5) covers admission to all events, workshops (tickets required), concerts liturgies and exhibits (name badges required) throughout the three days. For additional information, call the Religious Education Congress info line, (213) 637-7348.