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Published: March 3, 2008
“I’m paying for a Catholic education and that’s what I expect to get”
Parental complaint, phone calls from press result in cancellation of Dolores Huerta speech at Catholic school in Bakersfield
After parent complaints and press inquiries, a Catholic school in Bakersfield has cancelled a planned speech by labor activist and pro-abortion feminist Dolores Huerta.
Our Lady of Guadalupe School had sent children home with permission slips to attend a scheduled March 6 speech on campus by Huerta, a well-known activist who made her name with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union. She was scheduled to speak on “100 Women Who Have Shaped America.”
 This is the same Dolores Huerta who is the head of the far-left Dolores Huerta Foundation, the same Dolores Huerta who regularly marches in “gay pride” parades, the same Dolores Huerta who is a board member of the Feminist Majority Foundation, the same Dolores Huerta who told the Fresno Bee in 2004 that abortion “is the proper choice of every woman,” the same Dolores Huerta who received the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood of America last March for helping to torpedo Proposition 85, the parental notification initiative in California, and the same Dolores Huerta who, more recently, was dis-invited as a speaker at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, when university president Robert Ivany found out about her anti-Catholic activism.
Huerta evidently had the approval of the nuns who teach at Our Lady of Guadalupe -- the Sister Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. She did not, however, have the approval of all the parents. Last December, parent Steve Loftus’ son told him about an assignment to write a report on Huerta after the teacher had praised her. On Dec. 6, Loftus wrote the principal, Sister Eva Lujano, to complain about the inappropriateness of the assignment. He concluded his letter saying, “I have supported Catholic education at OLG and in the Diocese of Fresno in the past, but this situation makes me seriously question continuing my children’s education in the diocesan school.” Loftus said he received no response.
Loftus told California Catholic Daily he was serious about pulling his children out of Catholic schools if this kind of scandal persisted. “I’m paying for a Catholic education and that’s what I expect to get,” he said. “They should be teaching our children to be members of the Church Militant.”
Sister Eva Lujano, contacted by California Catholic Daily, said she was unaware of Huerta’s anti-Catholic politics. When asked if she would cancel Huerta’s appearance after researching her if she found Huerta’s record as described, she said, “I’ll keep it in mind. I’ll check before she comes.”
California Catholic Daily: “So you wouldn’t dis-invite her if you knew that she took these positions?”
Sister Lujano: “Let me check on that and see what I can do.”
California Catholic Daily: “If you found out that she took all these positions that are so militantly against the Catholic Church, you can’t tell me unequivocally that you would dis-invite her?”
Lujano: “I’m gonna check on that. I’m gonna investigate it.”
California Catholic Daily: ”So you can’t tell me that you would not permit a speaker who supported homosexual and abortion rights to speak at your school?”
Lujano: “What do you want? What is this about?”
California Catholic Daily: “It’s about Catholic schools scandalizing young people by sending the wrong message by inviting people who support abortion rights and homosexuality.”
Lujano: “Yeah. I’m gonna look into that. Thank you.”
When contacted by California Catholic Daily, Richard Sexton, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Fresno, sounded surprised about the event and said he had not heard about it. When asked if he would go over Sister Lujano’s head and dis-invite Huerta, he said no. “I wouldn’t do that. This is a parish school decision. This is something between her and her pastor and the bishop.”
California Catholic Daily: “So you’re saying that the diocesan school system would abdicate its responsibility to protect the innocence of the children?”
Sexton: “I’m sorry. I did not say that. I would make sure that it was handled the way that it should be handled, which is through the pastor and through the bishop. This is a parish school decision. I am very happy that you told me about it, because I’m going to be doing my homework. But I never abdicated anything.”
Thirty minutes after the interview with Sexton, Sister Lujano’s secretary called to report that the event had been cancelled.
Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 12:23 AM By Lisa T.
Thanks to California Catholic Daily this event was cancelled. Unfortunately the the parent's concerns (Mr. Loftus) was not enough to do the job. Sounds like the Diocese was afraid of bad publicity. I hope Mr. Loftus or his son won't take the heat for the event cancellation or the fact it was posted on this website.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 2:48 AM By Pro Loza
Prime example of the so called "prominent" members of the Mexican-American community who contribute their false wisdom of relativism to the rest of my sadly ignorant hispanic brothers and sisters. Dolores Huerta and virtually every hispanic politician in California are doing nothing but betraying the faith of their youth. The worse tragedy is that they remain in the Church, and defiantly present themselves for communion while maintaining an unnacceptable position in favor of abortion. Let us all, particularly those readers of CalCatholic of hispanic descent, pray and offer our sufferings for the conversion of these poor and misguided souls.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 3:42 AM By Maria C
Praise Be Jesus Christ! The parent's concerns did not go in vein, because he was a doer of the word and involved other needs to get this exposed, that really helped. Praise God. Parents need to speak up. I think that we need to now send a thank you letter to this school for cancelling this event. Let them know with a roaring voice that we will not tolerate these sort of speakers any longer.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 6:11 AM By E.Mae
If parents want a Catholic education for their children, the only 2 alternatives nowadays are homeschooling or an independent (non-diocesan) Catholic school. Diocesan schools will teach a VERY watered down Faith and not practice what they preach. Public schools don't teach religion but teach your kids how to put on a condom, gay marriage is okay, etc. Parents, don't fool yourselves into thinking that a diocesan school is the answer. Form your own group and open an independent Catholic school with solid Catholic books provided by TAN books or other Catholic homeschooling publishers. Your child's soul is at risk where they are right now. Parents, you are the primary educators of your children.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 6:15 AM By John Andersen
Amen for pressure and activism from parents and laity.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 7:01 AM By RayC55
Our catholic leaders have been and are cowards when it comes to demanding politicians to uphold their Catholic beliefs. There wouldn't be so many problems in this country if they had stood up for the rights of all Christians rather than caving in to the Huretas, Pelosi's and so on. "First they came after the Jews...."
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 8:02 AM By Laurette Elsberry
Just another point here to keep in mind: Although the school is run by an order of sisters, the bishop is the final authority on matters of faith and morals in his diocese. Just in case the bishop has not heard about his situation (or is trying to duck any responsibility) Fresno Diocese Cathoics should contact him and let him know that such events will not be tolerated by Catholic parents. The bishop is John T. Steinbock, 1550 N. Fresno St., Fresno 93703-3788, phone 559-488-7400, fax 559-488-7464.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 8:49 AM By Maryanne Leonard
Good work! Keep it up. This is what we need to help our Catholic educational system remain Catholic. Now we should take on the universities!
God bless you. Stay strong. I'm going to have to excuse myself now, as I am about to burst into song . . . "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war . . . "
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 8:50 AM By Fr. M.P.
The good vigilance of the parents has won this battle. Keep fighting for God. That's why we are called the Church Militant (along with the Church Triumphant and Church Suffering).
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 8:54 AM By Innocent III
If Mr. Loftus does take the heat, I don't think it will bother him. Sounds like he's a stalwart defender of the faith. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good Catholics to keep their mouths shut.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 1:50 PM By Maria Rosa
With all due respect to those nuns mentioned in this article I don't think Our Lady of Guadalupe would seriously appreciate someone that supports abortion and even played a major role in torpedoing Proposition 85 the parent notification initiative in California to speak at a school or institution that is named after her. Something has been lost in translation because Our Lady of Guadalupe would never consider or support abortion as a proper choice for any woman.
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 3:08 PM By Elizabeth
It looks like no matter where we turn, we have to be on our toes...
We must speak up!!!
Thank you California Catholic Daily for everything you do!!!!
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 5:08 PM By Dan
Catholic action at its best .... how ironic that Vatican II's call for "active participation by the laity"-- by this layperson and by this website -- has annoyed those sisters and probably not a few bishops who originally pushed hard for this participation. Three (thousand) cheers!
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 8:48 PM By Dolores
E.Mae, do you know of any Catholic home schooling groups in San Diego?
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Posted Monday, March 03, 2008 11:32 PM By Pax Christi
Hopefully it indeed was the case of the sisters at the school in my hometown being ignorant about Huerta's anti-Catholic views on issues for which no argument can be brooked, and not one of them being caught off guard and murmuring among themselves: "Oh heavens, sisters, looks like someone knew too much about Dolores and we're gonna have to back and find someone else. Would Sr. Joan Chittister be on the objectors' radar?"
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 6:57 AM By Angelo
If our Bishops were really concerned for us Hispanics as they claim. They would excommunicate all hispanic politicians who support what is contrary to our Catholic faith.
And warn them, "What does it profit a man, to gain the
whole world and in the process lose his soul." This website
does more for our diocese of Fresno, than the leaders of this Diocese.
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 10:51 AM By Jose Garcia
In my opinion, I support women to do to their body as they wish. If they want to abort or not, that is their problem and not the church, not the goverment should tell them what to do. Because at last, not any of those agencies will take care of the babies or will provide an education to them. I have heard so many times from the some people, who representing some church saying that, it is against Gods Law to abort, but they don't go and feed the orphans or take them to their church and educate them. So, women should have the only one to decide what they want to do becaues they are who are going to benefit,suffer or lament for their consecuences and not those who speaks on their behalf.
Jose Garcia
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:58 AM By Pax Christi
Jose Garcia, with all due respect, what proof have you to back up your claim? Does not the Catholic Church teach that we must be concerned for life from the womb to the tomb? Then why are ye of little faith that God's will can be done? Reading your comments, I can't help but think of Peter when he was rebuked by Christ, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" when Peter tried to discourage him from dying on the cross as he prophesied. And why was that? Because, as Jesus said, Peter was thinking in the ways of man and not of God. Something for you to seriously ruminate on. Lastly, let's not forget Christ's words that whatever so we do to the least among us, we do to him. Who more the least among us that the unborn in the womb?
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 2:02 PM By Pax Christi
By the way, here's the link to the story about the flap over Huerta that ran in my hometown paper: http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/380010.html
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 3:04 PM By Margie
Holy Shades of Loretto HS, we won one!
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 3:31 PM By 350stock
I am the parent of two children at this school and did not know about this situation until it came out in the paper! Granted, my kids are in the lower primary grades, but I feel that something should have been said to us parents before this situation came up in the paper. I have had many co-workers ask me about this and some of the questions were quite uncomfortable.
As for the transcript of the conversation with the principal of the school, this is pretty par for the course, unfortunately. Sr. seems to be distracted or always concentrating on something else. I have had to try to talk to her about problems that my daughter was having and that I was having with a staff member, but all I got were the same evasive answers and defensiveness. Maybe now that the diocese and the superintendent know that there is a communication problem things will get better.
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 5:38 PM By Oremus
Of interesting note is during morning prayers at OLG, there is a special prayer for the end of abortion. Why teach the children abortion is wrong and then invite a pro-abortion advocate to speak at the school? The staff of OLG attend the anual Mahoney dissent fest in Los Angeles. The Cardinal never misses a photo op with Ms. Huerta when she is in town. How confusing for the students at a "catholic" school. If they are looking for a hispanic femle to speak couldn't the find a pro-life Catholic woman? The principal and the diocese should not punish the children for not dioing their homework when those in charge of the protection of innocent children do not do theirs.
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 6:43 PM By Pat
Dolores Huerta is not the image of a practicing Catholic that should be a model for our children ... nor for our young women ... She has 11 children not all from the benefit of blessed marriages ... she put her 'cause' before her family and I cannot believe it was for the good of the people but instead for the fame and glory she expected to receive ... The Church is pandering to her in order to gain Hispanic members for the Church. There are better models for young and mature Hispanics to follow ... women who are dedicated to their families, the sanctity of marriage and who are not out for the glory and fame.
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:29 PM By Pat
I know dolores and have told her that she is wrong, wrong , wrong on abortion. Yet, if I may, she is a person of great faith and has helped Latinos more than any other living person. She's wrong, and I'm glad the event was cancelled,
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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:41 PM By John L. Sillasen
Yeah, right, Pat, abortion advocates have great faith ... now, if only they placed their faith in God instead of the "world, the flesh, and the devil".
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Posted Wednesday, March 05, 2008 7:44 AM By E. Mae
Dolores, I would check the calendar section on the left column of this site and look for the ad about Latin for homeschoolers. They can help you. Also, if you attend the Tridentine mass at Holy Cross chapel there in San Diego, you'll probably find a lot of them. Once you've found one, you'll be able to connect with the group. God bless you. I reiterate, homeschooling or an independent Catholic school is the way to go for the True faith. God bless you and your family.
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