In his homily, Bishop O'Connell recognized the vastness of this issue and said Catholics and people of all faiths must realize this and make a change.
"We must renew in our hearts, my brothers and sisters," he said.
"What's happened here is a challenge to all of us in our beautiful Catholic faith but all of us in our humanity to say we have this law…let us try to renew our lives again, our love for Jesus, our love for each other."
Bishop O'Connell said California has everything in regards to resources and opportunities. It is just missing one thing.
"If we stopped killing each other, we'd be in great shape."
The bishop also discussed the effects of this law would have on the poor.
"In our hospitals, it is the poor who are being advised and counseled more and more towards abortions," he said.
"Now it's going to happen also, I'm sorry to say, with the elderly, the most poor and most vulnerable."
This novena is just the start for Bishop O'Connell's mission against this issue: to put faith into practice.
"This novena is to change our hearts first of all, so that nobody will have to use this shameful option that we're offering those who are suffering and elderly."
Surrounded by religious sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Carmelite Sisters in Duarte (the order who run Santa Teresita), the bishop asked the sisters for their help in educating and informing young children, high school students and parishes.
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He hopes to build up teams of people all over Los Angeles to do everything they can to help the elderly and those who are ill.
"If all of you have the same mission, than you will be united," he said.
"We need to make sure nobody ever feels so lonely and unwanted that they feel this is their only option," he said.
St. John Paul II Novena Prayer Cards, created by the Archdiocese's Office of Life, Justice and Peace, have already been sent to parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Diocese of Orange. They are also available online at: archla.org/endoflife