LOS ANGELES — Mother's Day in Los Angeles County Sunday will include a healing service outside the Men's Central Jail for mothers of sons who died in custody and Archbishop José H. Gomez blessing all mothers in attendance during two Masses at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
"Stand With Mothers" began with a rally at 3 p.m. Saturday outside the jail. The mothers then camped overnight in tents on the lawn in front of the jail leading up to the healing service planned for 10:30 a.m. Sunday, according to a statement from the group to the Los Angeles Times.
"As we approach the second annual Mother's Day Action Weekend — a time that holds both deep sorrow and a powerful sense of solidarity — we were looking forward to honoring our children's memories together," the statement said.
"The symbolism of sleeping on the ground — within eyesight of the same buildings where our children took their last breaths yet under the same sky our children were denied access to see — is not just a gesture without impact. It is an act of remembrance, resistance, and love that matters deeply to us.
"As mothers, this gathering is for our children. For our healing. And for the truth."
The service will also include a call to permanently close the Men's Central Jail, remarks from spiritual leaders, a memorial tribute led by mourning mothers, and live music.
Mothers set to participate in the service include Pulane Lucas, president and CEO of Policy Pathways Inc., a Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit organization that bills itself as training and educating individuals seeking to become leaders in public policy and the public sector.
Lucas is the mother of Stanley Wilson Jr., who died on Feb. 1, 2023, at age 40 after collapsing at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk where he had been transferred that morning. He had been in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility after entering a home in the Hollywood Hills during a psychotic break, according to The Times.
Wilson was raised in Carson, was a star running back and cornerback at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance and an honorable mention All-Pac- 10 cornerback as a Stanford senior in 2004.
Wilson was chosen in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, the 72nd overall selection, played three seasons with the team, before his career ended when he tore an Achilles tendon during an preseason game in 2008.
Wilson is a son of Stanley Wilson Sr., a star running back at Banning High School, Oklahoma and the Cincinnati Bengals, best known for being banned for life from the NFL after he committed his third drug offense on the eve of Super Bowl XXIII in 1989.
Wilson's parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department, the Department of State Hospitals and Los Angeles County in September, seeking $45 million, according to The Times. They amended their complaint in April, refiling it in Los Angeles Superior Court after a federal judge ruled the case is a California state matter, The Times reported.
Gomez will celebrate Mass in English at 10 a.m. and in Spanish at 12:30 p.m.
The mothers in attendance will be presented with carnations.
The Masses will be livestreamed on facebook.com/lacatholics and youtube.com/olacathedral.
Written prayer intentions, which will be blessed by Gomez and hand- delivered to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City during the annual pilgrimage Mass celebrated by Gomez at the Basilica on July 5, can be dropped off at the Chapel of the Relic of the Tilma of St. Juan Diego at the cathedral beginning Sunday through Father's Day, June 15.
Members of the faithful may also offer prayer intentions digitally at lacatholics.org/pilgrimage which will also be presented at the Basilica.
"Mothers especially are our first teachers about prayer, charity and the practices of our Christian faith," Gomez said in a statement. "As Christians, we are blessed to have two mothers. We have our natural mothers who brought us into this world. And we have our spiritual mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"The Virgin of Guadalupe is our mother. She reminds us of who we are, the dearest sons and daughters of God Our Lord. And it is with her that we want to be, because she leads us to Jesus, she leads us to God."
The annual Mother's Day Remembrance Service at Hillside Memorial Park & Mortuary in Culver City will begin at 10 a.m. and "be filled with music, song and prayer, offering a space for reflection, gratitude and community support," organizers said.
The service will be led by Rabbi Cantor Alison Wissot of Temple Judea in Tarzana and streamed at www.hillsidememorial.org.
Following the service, attendees are invited to share their stories and memories of their mothers.
In his Mother's Day proclamation, President Donald Trump wrote, "America's mothers are the heart of our families, the light in our homes, and the stewards of our nation's future. From infancy to adulthood, our mothers shape our characters and form our consciences — and play a crucial role in raising the next generation of proud Americans.
"This Mother's Day, we celebrate every extraordinary mother whose unconditional love, warmth, support, and devotion have enriched our lives, influenced our culture, and upheld the promise of our great nation.
"From our earliest moments on Earth, mothers have nurtured their children with patience, wisdom, caring, and kindness. They teach us to love and help us to navigate the triumphs and challenges of life. Our mothers are also always in our corner, serving as a lasting source of comfort, reassurance, and inspiration. Their love transcends time, generations, and circumstances.
"Mothers serve as our protectors, shielding the youth and guarding them from harm. They instill the values that shape our character, and their time, talents, and unwavering dedication continually uplift the lives of those in their care."
Mother's Day was initially proposed in 1870 by activist-poet Julia Ward Howe as a call for peace and disarmament. It was celebrated in 18 cities in 1873, continued for another 10 years or so in Boston under Howe's backing, then died out.
The second attempt to establish Mother's Day began on May 9, 1907, the second anniversary of the death of Anna Jarvis' mother Ann.
Jarvis invited several friends to her home in Philadelphia in commemoration of her mother's life, which included providing nursing care and promoting better sanitation during the Civil War, helping save lives on both sides.
Jarvis announced to her friends her idea of a day of national celebration in honor of mothers, which was first celebrated on May 10, 1908, at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Ann Jarvis worshipped.
The church is now known as the International Mother's Day Shrine.
West Virginia Gov. William E. Glasscock issued the first Mother's Day proclamation in 1910.
By 1911, it was celebrated in nearly every state. President Woodrow Wilson signed a congressional joint resolution in 1914 designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day nationally.
