Nearly 3,000 children in Orange County are in foster care. Many long for the stability of a loving family. Yet many foster families stop fostering because they feel alone and unsupported.

Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but everyone can do something.

Springs of Love is a national Catholic ministry working in partnership with the Diocese of Orange to build parish-based support for foster and adoptive families. Our focus is to:

• Identify foster and adoptive families who may need support
• Help families discern the call to foster or adopt
• Encourage parishioners to accompany them through prayer, practical help, and small groups

If you have been touched by fostering or adoption, or would like to offer support, please complete the brief survey. Your response will help shape Springs of Love in Orange County.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre

Join us for a one-day retreat of healing and hope for women whose lives have been touched by abortion.

Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange

For the confidential Hope & Healing After Abortion line, please call: 1-800-722-4356

Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life 

We are thrilled to be approved for a grant from the Catholic Marriage Initiatives Fund in support of our implementation of key aspects of the USCCB pastoral framework on marriage and family ministry Called to the Joy of Love.

The projects proposed in our grant application primarily focus on strengthening marriage formation in our Diocese with particular attention to the guidelines delineated in Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life by the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life in 2022.

Parishes interested in partnering with us to implement the catechumenate model of marriage preparation should complete and submit our online inquiry form.

The Church understands and cares

Hope and Healing After Abortion is a sensitive, private, confidential experience of accompaniment. Our volunteers aim to provide a caring, compassionate, and non-judgmental presence for anyone who is suffering from the affects of abortion and who is seeking reconciliation with God and their faith community.

We annually host one-day retreats for women impacted by abortion:

• English retreat on April 18, 2026 in Sierra Madre, CA: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/bPE8KUqE0M
• Retiro en español 22 de agosto, 2026 en Sierra Madre, CA: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/uZss7y5f6d

Catholic Marriage is unique among other marital relationships because it is a sacrament that makes Christ present in our world. The relationship between husband and wife mirrors the relationship of Jesus Christ for his people. In the Catholic tradition, the husband and wife accept a role in God’s plan for humanity. They are ambassadors of God’s love, and they collaborate with God to keep humanity alive.

The vows exchanged by the couple are a sacred pact through which the spouses embrace each other, and, together, embrace Jesus as their partner. Through their union with Christ, they participate in the unbreakable pact between God and humanity: the covenant that was sealed in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Pregnant? Need Help?

Local help is available: pregnancy clinics and centers, shelters and food distribution, mental health support, and resources for maternal and perinatal health.