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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
And Who is My Neighbor?
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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I continue to follow closely the words and actions of Pope Francis, especially in the town hall style interview just aired on ABC and in his declaring a Holy Year of Mercy.
His message is revolutionary without changing a thing. I want to share with you the following quotation from Abraham Heschel. It is really worth praying over:
 "It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion - its message becomes meaningless."
The faith Francis is handing on to us is the living fountain that bubbles up in us as we abide in the heart of Jesus. It changes no doctrines. It does not despise the splendors of the past. It issues no edicts.
Rather, living faith manifests itself in compassion and respect. It requires us to face the many ways that human dignity and interdependence are threatened by our indifference, greed, lust, envy - and exaggerated, toxic individualism.
When we teach about and take action to care for the environment, the unborn, for women who felt so alone that they chose abortion, the vulnerable elderly, immigrants, refugees, and victims of abuse, discrimination, trafficking, and gun violence, we are not playing partisan politics. We are being
Catholic.
By your side, in His Service, Pastor
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 SO YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REFUGEE CRISIS? HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO!The news is grim...horrific to be exact. Images of drowned children washed up on beaches; the bodies of 71 nameless refugees, asphyxiated in a modern-day boxcar; footage of others refusing to leave their train in fear of being once again duped by Hungarian police with promises of "freedom" - only to find themselves locked into a "reception" camp. This current European Refugee crisis has caught the attention of so many. And now we've heard the plea of Pope Francis: "May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe host a family, starting with my diocese of Rome." He also asked bishops throughout Europe to have their dioceses take up his call to "express the Gospel in concrete terms and take in a family of refugees." Here in our Central Maryland/Washington D.C. area, I have received numerous questions from friends, colleagues and fellow parishioners about how they, being so far away from the crisis, can become agents of change, help and hope. While not exhaustive by any means, I put together a quick list of ways in which people can quickly become involved, CLICK HERE.
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| Video: Racial Justice Form - and why we're developing it
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| THANKS FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES |
 From SS.James and John School
Words can not express our deep appreciation for the abundance of school supplies that St. Ignatius Parish provided for the SS. James and John School Family. We took pictures this year of some of the students receiving their supplies and the school is signing a BIG Thank you for all of you. You do not know how much this helps our families. With funds being limited for our families, having assistance with school supplies is a blessing from God!! Please tell everyone who contributed THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.
Dr. King-Cassell
Principal of SS. James and John School
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SPOTLIGHT ON MINISTRY: INTERFAITH/ECUMENICAL COMMITTEE
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This week we want to direct your attention towards a great ministry at St. Ignatius - our Interfaith/Ecumen-
ical Committee. This ministry is a vital part of our effort to build relationships with other churches and households of faith in Baltimore and the surrounding area. This ministry is responsible for planning and coordinating our city-wide annual interfaith prayer service on New Year's Eve (ya, that wonderfully beautiful event with the phenomenal music and prayers). Did you know that the Interfaith/Ecumenical Ministry also shares leadership for an ecumenical service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January and other interfaith and ecumenical
activities throughout the year?
The 2016 Christian Unity Prayer Service will be Friday, January 22 at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation. The area-wide monthly Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace is always held here at St. Ignatius on June 22.
We need new committee members to help in this ministry, so anyone interested is invited to attend the next meeting of the Interfaith/Ecumenical Ministry on October 8 at 7PM at the Parish Offices - 805 N. Calvert Street. For more information, contact the Committee Chair, Donna Price at dprice4270@gmail.com.
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WATCH THE
 Papal Mass in the Grass
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 AT 4:00PM
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
5200 N. Charles St | Baltimore, MD 21210
The 1:00 PM Ravens-Bengals game
will be shown prior to Mass.
Bring chairs and blankets and sit on the grass
and watch the Holy Father's Mass.
People are encouraged to bring their dinner and
stay for a large family picnic afterward.
Food trucks have also been invited
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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- 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 effectively 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 begin at 7 PM in Ignatian Hall. For more information contact Melody Gordon-Healy at mghealy@att.net.
 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. Sherwood Gardens Picnic Play-date - Saturday, September 19  The St. Ignatius Young Families Ministry will meet at Sherwood Gardens (close to Loyola University) on Saturday, September 19 at 10 AM for a casual family play-date picnic. As always, babies and toddlers are welcome, but newlywed couples without little ones yet, please also join us! Feel free to bring a blanket if you would like to relax, toys/bubbles for kiddos, snacks or lunch if you would like to eat, and cameras because it's such a lovely setting. We will pick a central location and have a few balloons so you can spot us. Please RSVP to annemattia@icloud.com so we can have an idea of who will be joining us. Sherwood Gardens is located one block east of the 4100 block of St. Paul Street. Turn east onto East Highfield Road to reach the gardens. The gardens are bounded by East Highfield Road, Underwood Road, Stratford Road and the Greenway. 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 position 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.
Climate Control Weekend - Send A Postcard Campaign
- Saturday & Sunday, September 26 & 27
 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!
LAUDATO SI' ENCYCLICAL SPEAKER SERIES
- Wednesday, September 30 (First Event)
For this series, St. Vincent de Paul Church 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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OTHER GROWTH AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
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Wills & Estates Seminar
- Wednesday, September 16
Lewyn Scott Garrett, Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court for Baltimore City, has asked that we share the following information about a seminar that addresses Wills and Estates. Discussing end of life issues may not be the easiest thing do. However, it is one of the greatest legacies we can leave for our families. This seminar will help individuals begin the dialogue that will help their families when the inevitable happens. For location, time and further information, click here.
Contemplative Outreach Workshop on Centering Prayer
- Saturday, September 19
Centering Prayer, as presented by Contemplative Outreach Ltd, is a
receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.
This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Christ. The Introductory Workshop consists of 4 conferences and two 20 minute periods of prayer over the course of a day. There are 2 follow-up meetings as part of the Introductory Workshop. For more information, click here.
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IN THE MEDIA
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A Growing Academy
 "When a parent finds out their son has been accepted here, many burst into tears of joy," says President of St. Ignatius Loyola Academy, John Ciccone. "They understand that this school can help their son transform his future." The school motto, Educating Boys - Transforming Lives, has become reality for the many middle school students who have called the Academy home over the last 22 years. Founded in 1993, the uniquely structured curriculum at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy has steadily increased the demand for this type of school serving boys of lower income families in Baltimore. The Academy occupied the building next to St. Ignatius Church on Calvert Street for 20 years. Fr. Bill Watters, SJ, who recently retired from his second tenure as pastor of St. Ignatius, saw the dramatic need for excellent education for boys from underserved areas in Baltimore and led the effort to establish the new middle school. In 2013, as a member of the school's Board of Directors, he helped facilitate its move to a recently renovated building on Gittings Street in the Federal Hill area of Baltimore. - READ MORE
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