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ST. IGNATIUS WEBPAGE
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You can view or read last Sunday's Homily
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TRUTH SERUM
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This week's
Truth Serum is entitled Here's What's Really Holding You Back From Your Calling.
click here
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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's support is for Vulnerable Families
in Need.
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MASS MUSIC
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Attached is the listing for the music selections at next Sunday's 10:30 Mass. click here
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WORLD WATCH
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Weekly updates on Christian persecution around the globe. Keep a prayerful watch on what is happening with your brothers and sisters! - click here.
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ST. IGNATIUS CALENDAR
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JOIN OUR LIST
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From Passion to Compassion
This week I came across a quotation of Camus that really got your Medicare card-toting pastor thinking:
"To grow old is to pass from passion to compassion."
Passion - being fully engaged-a passion for justice, for knowledge, for creativity, is a great gift. Yet, even when it is offered selflessly and without conscious condescension, it is not yet compassion.
People of passion tend to be analytic problem solvers, who apply their commitment and expertise to assist those who are inferior-weaker, uneducated, unskilled, impaired-patients, clients, students. Some of them - considering themselves "prophetic" - are abrasive and intolerant toward those who "don't get it."
Com-passion is always a relationship between and among equals. Only when I know my own sins, weaknesses, blind spots, only when I have allowed whatever I have suffered to soften my heart, can I be a comforting presence to others. Compassion requires accepting and having affection for our common, unadorned humanity that runs deeper than credentials, education, social class, or race.
Last week I wrote about welcoming children among us. This week I want to lift up how the elders among us enrich our community with their wisdom and compassion.
By your side, in His Service, Pastor
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Fall Lectures
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 LAUDATO SI' ENCYCLICAL SPEAKER SERIES
For this series, St. Vincent de Paul Chuch is sponsoring and partnering with St.Ignatius in developing a three-part speaker series to delve more deeply into Pope Francis's encyclical,Laudato Si'. We have lined up three speakers, all of whom are distinguished professors who have written about faith and the environment. Those speakers are:
- September 30 - Stephen Scharper of the University of Toronto who will help us look at the science of the encyclical.
- October 14 - Jack Haught of Georgetown University who will lead us through the theology of the encyclical.
- October 28 - Mary Evelyn Tucker of Yale University who will speak on the actions we must take as a global and local community.
The design of Laudato Si' Encyclical Speaker Series is to spread the message that Pope Francis so eloquently put forth in his encyclical. These lectures will be held at: St. Vincent de Paul Church
120 North Front Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone: 410-962-5078
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 MINISTRY OF PRESENCE: STORY OF ASYLEE WOMEN'S MINISTRY - Sunday, September 13
On Sunday, September 13th after the 10:30 Mass, the Justice Issues Especially Pertaining To Women Sub-Committee will host a talk and discussion called Ministry of Presence: The Story of Asylee Women's Ministry.
Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE) helps women seeking asylum in Baltimore to rebuild their lives and their spirits by providing transitional housing, the companionship of a safe and nurturing home, and opportunities to connect with women in the larger community and each other.
The need is both great - Baltimore is one of the largest holding areas of women seeking asylum in the U.S. - and long lasting - the asylum process sometimes takes three years or more - during which time women seeking a life here are not allowed to work, are far from families and struggling with learning a different culture. AWE is a collaboration of Catholic Sisters from eight Catholic women's religious communities in Baltimore working together to form a secular organization open to all women.
Molly Corbett, Director of AWE tells the story of its creation and the connecting of giving communities. Molly will share the journey of a deeper kind of volunteering: from giving a cold hand a pair of gloves, to sitting down, holding that cold hand and hearing the story of what it takes to be warm. This meeting will be in the Chapel of Grace following the 10:30 Mass. To view a TedTalk on the AWE, click here.  CONCRETE ROSE: PUSHING PAST THE HOPELESSNESS OF A BROKEN CITY
- Monday, Nov 2
On Monday, November 2 at 7:30 PM the Racial Justice Subcommittee of the Justice & Peace Committee will present Joshua Smith and a fascinating lecture entitled Concrete Rose: Pushing Past the Hopelessness of a Broken City. Both a Bible savvy and street smart social change advocate Joshua will give a fresh grassroots perspective on issues affecting black Baltimore inner city youth, where the problems originated and practical solutions in which the church can play an integral part.
Joshua has served as a youth mentor for the Indiana department of corrections, a street outreach worker focusing on anti-sex trafficking and recovery, and as the pastor of 'intentional living' for the Gallery Church in Baltimore. As a community activist, grassroots organizer, and youth advocate, Joshua is very passionate about the non-profit organization he has founded called "Concrete Rose" which focuses on mentoring, spiritual formation and workforce development for young black men in Baltimore City. Joshua and his wife Laurie live intentionally in the south-west inner-city of Baltimore. Location: The Chapel of Grace. There is no cost for this event. To download a flyer for this event, click here.  LECTURE: FATHER JOHN DONAHUE, S.J. ON "THE YEAR OF MERCY"
- Monday, December 7
Pope Francis declared that this next year (beginning December 8) will be a Holy Year of Mercy:
"I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its center the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"
He then goes on to lay out all of the details of what that means...and it is pure good news Gospel! On Monday, December 7, Fr. John Donahue, S.J. will once again join us for a lecture on The Holy Year of Mercy. For more information, click here.
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| CLIMATE CONTROL WEEKEND: SEND A POSTCARD CAMPAIGN |
 Every time we say the Lord's Prayer, we are reminded of our duty to strive for a reality "on Earth as it is in Heaven." This imperative was echoed in Pope Francis' recently published encyclical, one of the highest forms of teaching in the Roman Catholic Church. The Central Maryland Ecumenical Council's Ecumenical Leaders Group, representing the six Christian denominations in Maryland, will work to answer the Pope's call to action here in Maryland. One of the ways our Parish has determined to be involved is by participating in Climate Control Weekend. On the weekend of 26-27 September we are inviting our parishioners to sign a postcard that asks our legislators to renew the Greenhouse Gas Reductions Act of 2009 that already exists as an Act of Maryland Law but will die as an Act of the Maryland Legislature if it is not renewed in the next legislative session of 2016 which opens this January. We are also asking, by way of the same postcard, that our legislators expand "Clear Air Standards" for our state.
How can you participate? Stick around for a few moments after the Mass you attend on Saturday September 26th or Sunday September 27th and fill out a postcard!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
- Tuesday, September 1
Like their Orthodox brothers and sisters, Catholics formally will mark Tuesday, September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis has decided. The day of prayer, the pope said, will give individuals and communities an opportunity to implore God's help in protecting creation and an opportunity to ask God's forgiveness "for sins committed against the world in which we live." For more information, click here.
Iņigo Book Group
- Tuesday, September 8
 Iņigo Book Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 PM and is followed by the discussion from 7:00-8:30. All are welcome. This month we will discuss The Language of God by Francis Collins. Please contact Catherine Young at pianocate2@gmail.com
with any questions.
The Justice & Peace Committee  - Thursday, September 10 The Justice & Peace Committee is dedicated to the service of faith and the promotion of justice. We are organized through subcommittees that identify particular programs to more effectually: serve the poor and our focus on hunger and homelessness in Baltimore City; support Immigration advocacy and projects - at risk children and families; Economic Justice (legislatively advocate a paid sick leave initiative); support justice issues especially impacting women; and advocate for and develop diversity in our community. We remain committed to organizations working for domestic and international peace and justice. This committee meets on the second Thursday of each month in Ignatian Hall, beginning at 6:30 PM. For more detailed information click here.
 Young Adults Wine Tasting
- Thursday, September 10
Join the young adults for a wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting at Gonzaga Hall on Thursday, September 10th at 7:30 PM. We will taste local wines-come join us to find out which is your favorite! Suggested $5 donation to offset the cost of the event. Email alliclayton@st-ignatius.net
with any questions.
Volunteer Training for Immigrant Detention Visitation - Saturday, September 12  A volunteer training event for those interested in participating in Immigrant Detention Visitation at the Howard County Detention Center will take place Saturday, September 12th from 10 AM to noon in Ignatian Hall. Two long-term volunteer leaders from the DC Detention Visitation Network (DCDVN) will host the training to prepare volunteers for detention visitation. St. Ignatius parishioners who toured the Howard County facility in June will be on hand as well to share their impressions and learnings from that visit. Attendees should have an active interest in committing to visit one detained migrant at least once per month. There are various times available for visitors that include weekends. This structured training will walk volunteers through their limitations and discuss issues commonly dealt with in conversation with detainees. The Immigration Subcommittee of the St. Ignatius Justice and Peace Committee invites all interested community members to attend as this training is a required first step to becoming a visitation volunteer. For more information, email Matthew Dolamore at mdola1@gmail.com.
Ministry of Presence: The Story of Asylee Women's Ministry
- Sunday, September 13
On Sunday, September 13th after the 10:30 Mass, the Justice Issues Especially Pertaining To Women Subcommittee of the Justice and Peace Committee will host a talk and discussion called Ministry of Presence: The Story of Asylee Women's Ministry. Please see further details by clicking here.
Prayer Walk With Bishop Madden For Peace in the City - Tuesday, September 15  Please join Bishop Madden for his next prayer walk on Tuesday, September 15th at 5:30 PM at St. Edward's Parish (901 Poplar Grove). The evening will begin with a light meal and end before 7:30 PM.
West Baltimore continues to be an area of great concern, with a significant increase in violence since the April uprising. Recent shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of the parish. This continues to be a critical time to pray for our city. For more details, click here.
 Women of the New Testament
- Tuesday, September 15
The Women of the New Testament group meets on the third Tuesday of each month, and is currently discussing Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories by Tikva Frymer-Kensky. This book addresses two of the most significant intellectual and religious issues of our day: the experiences of women in a patriarchal society and the relevance of the Bible to modern life. Both men and women are invited to participate in these fascinating discussions. The meeting will be at 7 PM in Ignatian Hall.
 St. Ignatius Movie Night: A Bridge Apart - Friday, September 18 On Friday, September 18th the Immigration Subcommittee of the Justice & Peace Committee of St. Ignatius Catholic Community will present A Bridge Apart, a heartbreaking documentary about the border crisis between the U.S. and Mexico. Learn further details by clicking here.
Spirit@Work Young Adult Retreat - Saturday, September 19  Are you at a crossroads in your life, looking for the next step to take? Are you worried about so many little things, losing sight of what drives you? Maybe you're just ready for something new, and excited to find out what that might be. No matter where you are, you're invited to a day-long retreat to learn about how the Spirit is at work in you! The Spirit@Work retreat is designed for young adults in their twenties and thirties who are looking for guidance in discernment. Whether you are discerning a new vocation, relationship or trajectory, or you're feeling stuck and looking for the Spirit's wisdom, this will be an opportunity to learn about Ignatian discernment and reflect on your own life. Hosted by St. Ignatius Parish and sponsored by Charis Ministries and the Sisters of Bon Secours. For more information, click here.
Panel Discussion: Guns, Freedom and Human Dignity - Monday, September 21  St. Ignatius Church will host a panel discussion, open to the public, entitled Guns, Freedom and Human Dignity on Monday, September 21st, at 7:00 PM. This panel will take up the intensely debated issue of gun rights and gun control in light of Catholic social teaching and the positions of the USCCB. There are more than 300 million privately owned guns in America. The nation is quickly approaching an armed society, and the gun lobby is enjoying immense success loosening regulations, and passing expansive gun rights laws. This is seen in the emergence of guns into the public sphere across much of the nation, and the immense bloodshed that we have seen for a long time in our cities. How does easy access to guns impact human dignity? What does their increasingly prominent place in public mean for freedom? What does the agenda of the gun rights movement portend for democracy, and civil society? What should we as Catholics, and Baltimoreans, think about our nation's expansive gun laws, the many problems they create, and future solutions? What is the impact of our armed society on the plight of the poor and the vulnerable? For more details, click here.
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IN THE MEDIA
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How A Once-White Church Broke Down Racial Barriers
August 30, 2015
by Rachel Martin
 Fifteen years ago, People's Church in Cincinnati was the First Christian Assembly of God and was 98 percent white. After the riots in 2001, Pastor Chris Beard drafted a new mission statement and said the church would focus on racial reconciliation.
Renae Denbow/Peoples Church
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