| THE IMMIGRATION CRISIS |
Bishops Call for Compassion in Addressing Needs of Vulnerable Immigrant Children
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| ST. IGNATIUS CALENDAR | 
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| POOR BOX COLLECTION | 
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Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week we are supporting Catholic Charities and their efforts in sheltering the refugee children that have crossed the border from Mexico.
To learn more
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| WORLD WATCH | 
Weekly updates on Christian persecution around the globe. Keep a prayerful watch on what is happening with your brothers and sisters!
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My Dear Sisters and Brothers:
We are all aware from reports in the press and the media that there is an urgent humanitarian crisis facing our nation and our Catholic Church in the wake of an ever-increasing number of unaccompanied children crossing into our country from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. This year alone some 57,000 young people have entered our country seeking refuge and assistance in the face of the poverty, violence and death squads in their native lands. Between 2004 and 2011 the average number of children arriving in the USA from south of the border averaged about 6,800. In 2012, that number almost doubled to more than 13,000. Last year (2013) it nearly doubled again to 24,000. This year (2014) the number has more than doubled.
How can our nation and our parish respond to this immense challenge with which we are confronted? How can we care for these children, many of whom are asylees? Recently, our Maryland Catholic bishops (Archbishop Lori of Baltimore, Bishop Malooly of Wilmington, and Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, DC) wrote a public letter appealing to the good will of all Catholics in our state in light of the familiar words of Matthew's Gospel: "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers/sisters of mine, you did for me." They went on to say in their July 23rd letter: "We cannot turn our back on these children. They are fleeing to us because they know there are warm hearts and helping hands in America and, for so many immigrants, a home in the Catholic Church, no matter where their journey takes them. We must not prove them wrong."
At the national level, we can become advocates for just, humane and compassionate policies and legislation that address both the legal and financial issues involved in the reform of our present outdated immigration laws. On July 16, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Richard Jones, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) deputy regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said that the number of unaccompanied youth fleeing Central America doubled yearly since 2011. To read Jones' compelling testimonial in its entirety, click here.
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At the state level, we can support the humanitarian ways in which our Governor and other elected officials of Maryland have expressed a readiness to welcome to our state those undocumented children who need our assistance. This step can readily transform into supporting morally and financially the actions already being undertaken by the director of Catholic Charities, Bill McCarthy. He is moving forward converting some facilities at Stella Maris in Baltimore County in order to welcome and shelter refugee children. (We are going to dedicate our Poor Box donations this week, August 9-15, to this cause - click here to view flyer.)
 Finally, and very importantly, we can strengthen our own Justice and Peace Committee (J&P) whose top priority is immigration, by joining the committee which meets on the second Thursday of every month at 7:30 PM in Ignatian Hall. The next meeting is August 14th. The committee is engaged in educating, advocating and becoming involved at the "hands on" level not only regarding the immigration crisis, but also several other critical social justice issues. Parishioners can register or obtain more information about the committee by going to our parish website ( www.st-ignatius.net) or directly emailing the chair of J&P, Ms. Candra Healy, at chealy@loyola.edu.
Gratefully in the Lord,
 A final P.S. ...This past Sunday, Dan Rodricks gave his Sunday column in the Baltimore Sun to the Esperanza Center in Baltimore which is 'feeling the surge of children coming across border.' (read article). |
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School Supplies for SS. James and John...
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For a number of years, our parish has generously supported SS. James & John, the Queen of Peace Cluster School on Somerset Street which educates approximately 230 students from pre-K to eighth grade.
The children who attend this school are from families of limited means, and after they pay tuition and purchase uniforms, there is little left to buy the necessary school supplies. Hopefully we can help.
We have provided a shopping list of the desired school supplies each student needs. If you are able to assist, please fill a bag with the items and return it to the church by Sunday, August 24. To download a list of the desired items, click here.
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Upcoming Events
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Young Adult Backyard Barbecue
- Saturday, August 9
Join the Young Adult ministry on Saturday, August 9 from 4 - 8PM for an afternoon of food, drinks, games, and fellowship. We will be hosting our first backyard barbecue and games social in the garden of the St. Francis Xavier House (across the street from the church at 108 East Madison)! This is a great opportunity to meet the young adults of our parish. All are welcome and encouraged to bring a friend, especially if you are new to the area and/or new to the parish. We will be grilling burgers and hotdogs, as well as some vegetarian options, but please bring a favorite snack or appetizer to share.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, August 6 by calling Duarte at 410.727.3848 or by e-mailing him at DuarteAguiar@st-ignatius.net.
Young Adult Bible Study
- Monday, August 11
Meetings are held on the second and the last Mondays of the month. If you are between the ages of 20 and 40, join us in Ignatian Hall at 8:00 PM. For more information, contact Gabrielle Finck: gabefinck@yahoo.com.
Iņigo Book Group
- Tuesday, August 12
The Inigo Book Group will meet on Tuesday, August 12 in Ignatian Hall to discuss "Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 and is followed by the discussion until 8:30. All are welcome. Any questions? Please contact Catherine Young at pianocate2@gmail.com.
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In the Media
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HEY EVERYBODY....THE DRAGON RACE IS COMING. Be sure to save the date of Saturday, September 6 for the Catholic Charities' Annual Dragon Race. St. Ignatius is participating with the other cluster churches in this fun event. It will be great if lots of parishioners came out to rally our team to the finishing line. We'll keep you updated as it approaches, but this is such an important event because it not only creates a 'team spirit' with some of the other Parishes around us, it supports the vitally important ministries of Catholic Charities. You do know that the type of things that Catholic Charities is involved with is the heartbeat of the ministry at St. Ignatius, right? Ya, we knew you knew that. - Anyway...here is an article that Catholic Charities just published about the Dragon Boat Races. We can't stress how important this fundraiser is!
 City Parishes Use Dragon Boat Races to Forge Bonds, Help Charities. July 30, 2014 by Maria Wiering  | |
Harkins Builders bridge competition and charity with Dragon Boat racing
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On Saturdays at 9 a.m., a group of Baltimore City Catholics climbs into a Chinese-style Dragon Boat that eases into the harbor. They're among 34 teams practicing weekly for Catholic Charities' Dragon Boat Races, a biennial event which will take place Sept. 6 at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. This particular group, the Downtown Catholic Cluster team, is the first parish-based team to compete since the races' 1998 inception. The Dragon Boat races support a good cause (in 2012, the races yielded $700,000 for Catholic Charities), but for Baltimore parish leaders, the races are also an opportunity to draw more Catholics into parish life and gain visibility, said Chris McCullough, pastoral associate of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Baltimore City. - READ MORE
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