The remarks by Keyes, a former ambassador to the United Nations and former presidential candidate, and other speakers drew enthusiastic support from the crowd, which marched through the darkening streets of Annapolis to the Statehouse to hear from a number of pro-life lawmakers. The annual Run for Vocations, part of the 16th Los Angeles Marathon March 4, aims to promote religious life.
Participants raise awareness for vocations through a prayer drive.
This year the run, which was started 14 years ago, drew 77 priests, nuns, brothers, seminarians and parishioners as participants. Ebiner and the rest followed the 26.2-mile marathon trail that took them through the heart of downtown Los Angeles, up to Hollywood, and back. Father Justin Reis, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Lancaster, and seven others from his church visited the Diocese of Sonsonate, which was badly hit by a Jan. 13 earthquake, the first of three powerful temblors that left about 1,300 dead and more than 1 million people homeless. The Columbus group, led by parishioner Dr. Fernando Valdez, went to help a sister parish, San Juan Bautista in the city of Nahuizalco, which is about 60 miles south of San Salvador and has a population of 40,000. South Africa's medicines legislation came under the spotlight in the Pretoria High Court March 6 as about 40 pharmaceutical companies challenged the court to uphold drug patents and ban the use of cheaper alternatives by the government.