ESCONDIDO: Culture of Life opens new office in Escondido
By Gary Warth - Staff Writer | ∞
Catholic Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, center, leads a prayer at a dedication ceremony Friday at the Culture of Life Family Services center in Escondido. (Photo by Don Boomer - Staff Photographer) ESCONDIDO ---- Years of waiting are set to come to an end Monday when a family health clinic that emphasizes pro-life values opens in Escondido.
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Culture of Life Family Services will see its first clients that morning at its new office at 211 S. Grape St., said Ed Maucere, vice president of the nonprofit group.
The clinic will offer medical care from pediatrics to geriatrics and charge patients based on their ability to pay, Maucere said. It also will accept more medical insurance, he said.
While most of the medical services are similar to other clinics, Culture of Life also offers spiritual counseling, with a focus on women in crisis or with an unexpected pregnancy.
The group's founders include Deacon Ken Finn, who also started North County's first pro-life group 30 years ago.
"The battle is raging," he said to cheering supporters at a dedication ceremony for the clinic Friday morning. "We need warriors. Are you on?"
The clinic has no official ties to the Catholic diocese, but Maucere said the organization is based on Catholic principles, and Friday's ceremony began with a Mass celebrating the Feast of the Assumption at St. Mary's Church in Escondido. Bishop Salvatore Cordileone led the Mass and blessed the clinic after a reading about Jesus' healing power from the Gospel of Matthew.
Also at the dedication, Kent Peters, director of social ministries for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, talked about the importance of sidewalk counselors, or people who meet women outside of abortion clinics.
Those talks sometimes result in women visiting Culture of Life Family Services in Hillcrest, where its first clinic has operated at 550 Washington St. since 2005. Staff at the clinic try to talk women out of having abortions by discussing pregnancy, offering medical services and discussing other options.
An Escondido branch of Culture of Life came close to opening about two years ago. Dr. Nicholas Jaurequi, who started the Hillcrest clinic, bought the former site of Interfaith Community Center on Rose Street in 2004 with a plan of starting an Escondido branch, and by 2006 the clinic was equipped to see patients.
The clinic never opened, however, and Jaurequi now runs a pro-life service in Los Angeles, Maucere said.
Catholic churches had raised money for Culture of Life, and Jaurequi's departure led to a disagreement between him and the group's board of directors, Maucere said. That disagreement was settled in a confidential agreement in January, he said.
Meanwhile, the board focused on obtaining a new building in Escondido. They found one in the South Grape Street clinic that had been owned by Dr. Arthur Stehly, a pro-life obstetrician and gynecologist who in 2001 had opened part of his office for Jaurequi to lead classes in natural family planning, a family-planning method approved by the Roman Catholic Church.
Stehly sold his building just two months before his death last November, and the building's new owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated the clinic to Culture of Life, Maucere said.
Dr. George Delgado will work in the clinic one day a week but will work more hours in the future, Maucere said.
Maucere said the group would like to open a third clinic somewhere in the county but has no timeline.
In introducing guest speakers Friday, Culture of Life Executive Director Steve Hicks made only an oblique reference to the earlier attempt at opening an Escondido clinic.
"For those of you who have been waiting for this day ---- there's life, there's death, and there's resurrection," he said.
Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.
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Way to Go wrote on Aug 16, 2008 12:28 AM:That is so awesome there is a Christian based clinic opening!
Culture of Life, you ROCK!
It's refreshing to know there is something else out there for lower income people than the horrid Planned Parenthood.
Check out the Pregnancy Resource Center in O'side. It's Christian based, too.
thanks God for this cliniic wrote on Aug 16, 2008 4:01 AM:it's time for Christians to stand and protect the lives of the ones that can't protect themselves!
Jaque wrote on Aug 16, 2008 8:05 AM:Another service catering to the immigrant latino community?
Lee wrote on Aug 16, 2008 8:07 AM:Of course, what you see in this picture is all men dedicating an Anti-Choice clinic.
Doesn't it just figure?!
War is Hell wrote on Aug 16, 2008 9:18 AM:"The battle is raging," he said to cheering supporters at a dedication ceremony for the clinic Friday morning. "We need warriors. Are you on?"
Is this a clinic, or a command center for a religious war against birth control, abortion, free choice? Pity the poor young woman who goes there thinking she'll get good care and unbiased advice.
Memo wrote on Aug 16, 2008 11:30 AM:To War is Hell: Yeah, like Planned Parenthood offers "unbiased advice"! NOT!
Frida wrote on Aug 16, 2008 12:26 PM:This is not good. Options will not be given to the woman to make a choice. How come pro-lifers only care about life before birth and not after birth? Many "Christians" and "Catholics" are pro-war and don't do much to help single mothers.
Frida wrote on Aug 16, 2008 12:27 PM:Jaque? And what if it is? Latino immigrants are just as human being as you are. Are you jealous?
escoman wrote on Aug 16, 2008 12:34 PM:Catholics acting as experts about sex and reproduction? What a laugh. This from the folks that ban all effective forms of birth control, causing unwanted pregnancy, STD transmission, and overpopulation worldwide. And don't forget the horrible global sexual abuse of children by the clergy!
Behind their frocks and silly rituals these people are nothing but frauds, and give spirituality a bad name.
taxpayer wrote on Aug 16, 2008 12:50 PM:I would rather pay for birth control pills.Almost 40 years later and we still have unwanted pregnancy.We are the "City of Choice" how ironic.
Women need choice and education.
I AM WOMAN wrote on Aug 16, 2008 2:39 PM:and God Bless Dr. Delgado, the COLFS mission and all the young women who are in desparate need of this very valuable service. I am proud to live here and will support this clinic.
Location wrote on Aug 16, 2008 6:55 PM:I think that the Culture of Life should open a clinic in each of our local high schools... there is a culture of "reproduction" in our public schools.
To Memo wrote on Aug 18, 2008 12:06 AM:Yes Planned Parenthood does give unbiased advice. For myself, I didn't need advice as to how to make my decision on termination of my pregnancy years ago. I already knew what I wanted and didn't need anyone not involved putting pressure on me. For those who are unsure, they are unbiased. They don't pressure anyone to do anything against personal wishes. I am forever thankful for Planned Parenthood of New York City. They saved my life. I owe them. This clinic on the other hand, I would never set foot in as I know what they are all about. They could care less about me as a woman. I will donate my money as well as my time to help other women who don't need to be pressured who just need someone to listen to them non judgmentally. THANK YOU Planned Parenthood!!
Sarah wrote on Oct 8, 2008 4:26 PM:I am going there for fertility problems and they are so kind and understanding. I do not want to do IVF, so they are helping me find the underlying problems of my infertility, which is so much better than the other doctors who just want to do IVF (and charge 100K). Their Naprotechnology is much more comprehensive for treating fertility issues than anything I have found in other fertility clinics. I am sad that people are so against this clinic just because they don't affirm their personal points of views. Try to look at all of the positive things they achieve and direct your anger elsewhere. If you actually set foot in there and talked to the families they help, you would change your mind about it.
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