This week I'd like to report on the 2016 Annual Appeal-and let you know how the parish will be spending your money!
We brought in about $111,000 and will receive back about $44,000. The money we don't get back will help to fund, among other worthy things, Catholic Charities and tuition aid for inner-city children. The Archbishop is working closely with other faiths to bring hope and systemic change to West Baltimore.
The $44,000 will be used to fund:
The Justice and Peace Committee
Membership in the Murphy Initiative
The Reeves Gallery
Movie Nights
Coffee hours and other parish receptions
Retreats for the homeless
Our lecture series
Young Adult Ministry
Advent and Lent prayer books
The annual summer book
New Year' s Eve and other interfaith services
A new environmental ministry
You are such generous people-and not just when it comes to money. The community you continue to build with one another and the welcome you continue to extend to all enriches all of us and makes us all more committed and joyful disciples of the Lord.
God Bless us.
Every one.
If You Weren't There
Video: Syria Panel Discussion
On Sunday, April 10 the Immigration Subcommittee hosted a panel discussion entitled "Syria - A Faith and Justice Response." It was an opportunity to learn about the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Following some authentic Syrian cuisine, participants gathered in the Chapel of Grace for the event that focused on three main points: "Learn - Act - Advocate." Facilitating the panel were Vonnetta Edwards and Madeline Lacovara. Participating in the presentation were Fr. Tom Smolich, SJ who is the International Director of Jesuit Refugee Service; Kevin Meadowcroft, Senior Program Manager for International Rescue Committee (IRC); fellow parishioner Dr. Issam Cheikh, former President of the Arab-American Club of Maryland; and Dr. Martin Ford.
A Mother's Day Reflection
When Mother's Day Is Hard
By Jenell Williams Paris
Mother's Day is hard for many women, myself included. Several of my friends long for marriage and children. Several are infertile or have lost new lives to miscarriage or stillbirth. One friend hardly speaks to her estranged mother, and several have mothers who have died. Another struggles with how her marital problems challenge her parenting. As for me, my triplet baby sons died last September. Each was lovely like every mother's son, but their lives and my mothering were cut short. Like my friends, I face Mother's Day with ambivalence-glad for all the good mothering in the world, but sad about my losses.
In the first weeks after their deaths, I couldn't bear to look at a calendar because it showed only days and days of sadness ahead. Even a clock seemed too much, displaying minutes and hours ahead in which I would have to bear the absolute goneness of my children. This sharp bitterness has mostly passed, but this month the calendar shows Mother's Day coming. Holidays are frequently hard for bereaved people, especially the holidays that celebrate the very someone you've lost. And the hype of Mother's Day is just so hyped, salting the wound of childlessness, bereavement, or estrangement. Read More
Worship with Offerings, Liturgy, and Prayer for Others
POOR BOX
Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week's support goes to
Catholic Relief Services for relief for the victims of the earthquake in Ecuador
St. Ignatius offers religious education to the children of the Parish from Kindergarten through the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation. The Parish Religious Education Program ("PREP") is provided from September through April and meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:20. We need catechists for the program beginning in September.
Note: If you are interested in participating in this critically important ministry... please contact the PREP Director, Trudy Bartel, at TrudyBartel@st-ignatius.net or call her at 410-235-1177.
A New Exhibit in The Reeves Gallery
Charlie Reeves on pilgrimage in Lourdes
We are thrilled to have put together a new exhibit in The Reeves Gallery. Father Bill Watters S.J. and Charles Banes Reeves Jr. formed a relationship in 2003 to create a venue for art in the downstairs. Charlie passed away last June and leaves behind a legacy of support and love for the arts at Saint Ignatius Catholic Community.
Charlie and our arts curator, David Cunningham, went to Lourdes in 2012. During this time David made drawings and shared a great week with The Knights of Malta as a volunteer and assisted Charlie on his pilgrimage.
Many of the artworks on display were purchased over the years from 2003 until the last few years. Nancy Kiehne's work was the last work purchased and Gus Muller's was the first. The Laughing Christ had a special place in Charlie's heart. He enjoyed life with great generosity, understanding, and love.
Please stop by after the 10:30 Mass on the 15th and share stories from his life. His birthday would have been on the 13th of this month.
An additional week has been added to registration deadline.
Year of Mercy Pilgrimage to Italy with Father Bill Watters
Here's a trip of a lifetime waiting for you. Our own Father Bill Watters is leading a pilgrimage to Italy during this Year of Mercy. The trip dates are October 13-25, 2016. It will start in Rome and end in Naples. The total cost of the package is $4,580 in double room occupancy (single supplement $575); Deposit of $500. Please note this is the last week to register.
Thursday, May 12, at 7:00 PM, or Friday, May 13, at 9:30 AM
ICJS will screen Ismaël Ferroukhi's film Le Grand Voyage "The Great Journey," (2004, 108 minutes, rated NR) as the fourth installment of the Religion & Film Series at the ICJS. Homayra Ziad will introduce the film and lead the discussion following.
About the movie (from Film Movement): "A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Reda (Nicolas Cazale), a young man who lives in the south of France, finds himself obligated to drive his father to Mecca. From the start, the journey looks to be difficult: Reda and his father (Mohamed Majd) have nothing in common. The wide cultural and generational gap between the two is worsened by the lack of communication between the two. Reda finds it hard to accommodate his father, who demands respect for himself and his pilgrimage. From France, through Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan to Saudi Arabia, the two will embark on a road trip to Mecca that will change their lives."
This event will be held in the ICJS Study Center (956 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204).
Upcoming Events
Saturday, May 7 - 8:45 AM
Morning of Ingatian Reflections - On the first Saturday of the month Mornings of Ignatian Reflection are held. These mornings are excellent opportunities to pull away from the hustle and bustle of daily life in order to "dial down" and quiet our hearts before God. This month's focus is
"My sisters and brothers, behold your mother" (John 19:26) and "Mary, the mother of Jesus, gathered with his brothers and sisters in the upper room." (Acts 1:14). The meeting runs from 8:45 AM - Noon and is presented by Fr. Bob Hamm S.J. and Toni Moore- Duggan. All are welcome.
Saturday, May 7 - 8 PM
Concert: If Music Be the Food... - "If Music Be the Food..." is an exciting new benefit concert series featuring Peabody Conservatory faculty and students with the mission of raising food donations and increasing awareness for the hungry in the Baltimore community. This inaugural concert will celebrate the beauty and joy of trio music-making. For more information, click here.
Tuesday, May 10 - 6:30 PM
The Inigo Book Group - will meet on Tuesday, May 10 at the parish offices on 110 E. Madison Street to discuss "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 PM which is followed by the discussion from 7:00 until 8:30. All are welcome. On June 14 the book group will be discussing "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell. Any questions? Please contact Catherine Young at pianocate2@gmail.com.
Tuesday, May 10th - 7:00 PM
Young Adult Movie Night - The Young Adult Ministry is kicking of its Summer Movie Series with the film Of Gods and Men, a drama about Trappist monks in Algeria facing life-threatening conditions, who must decide whether to stay or leave. Showing begins at 7:00 PM in Ignatian Hall. For the schedule of other young adult ministry movie showings, click here.
Thursday, May 12 - 6:30 PM
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 focus on hunger and homelessness in Baltimore City; support Immigration advocacy and projects; advocate for economic justice and legislative initiatives, e.g. paid sick leave and affordable housing; and provide an environment that supports and advocates for racial justice, and develops diversity in our community. Read More
Sunday, May 15 - 4 PM
An Afternoon of Poetry - The Cultural Arts Committee off St. Ignatius Catholic Community will present an afternoon of poetry featuring Nina Carey Tassi. The day's event is called "Spirit Ascending."
Nina Tassi's poems speak eloquently to men and women who seek deeper meaning in life on this Earth - even though perfection eludes us. As the poet ranges over time and space, she speaks through the voices of towering yet flawed Old Testament figures such as Moses, Sarah and Naomi, revealing their spiritual gains and losses. Read More
Monday, May 16 - 7:30 PM
A Readers Theater Evening: "Human Life and Human Love' - Join Rev. John J. Conley, SJ, for an evening of Readers Theater on Monday, May 16th in Ignatian Hall. The event begins at 7:30, is free, and is open to the public. For more information, click here.
Tuesday, May 17 - 6:45 PM
The Women of the New Testament group, which meets on the third Tuesday of the month, 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. For more information,click here.
Thursday, May 19 - 7 PM
Young Adults Paint Night - The young adults are invited to a Paint Night on Thursday, May 19th at 7 PM! Join us for snacks, drinks, and art, where you get to create your own canvas painting. Cost is $10 to attend, to cover art supplies. Please RSVP to Alli Clayton, alliclayton@st-ignatius.net. Location: Ignatian Hall.
Sunday, May 22 - 3 PM
Concerto Pastorale: Music of Springtime - On the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Charm City Baroque presents an uplifting program of 18th-century music redolent of the feast day and the delights of Spring. Sacred cantatas by Bach and Telemann commemorate the mystery of the Trinity while instrumental sonatas by Tartini, Pergolesi, Boyce, and Scarlatti evoke the rustic and pastoral life. Join Charm City Baroque for this delightful musical celebration in our church! Concert is free of charge but donations will be gratefully accepted.
Tuesday, May 10th - 7 PM
Young Adult Movie Night - The Young Adult Ministry is holding it's second film showing in its Young Adult Summer Movie Series . This month's film is Sin Nombre. Sin Nombre is a 2009 Mexican-American adventurethriller film written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, about a Honduran girl trying to immigrate to the U.S.A., and a boy caught up in the violence of gang life who also needs to escape. Filmed in Spanish (with subtitles), the film's title means "Nameless". It won several awards, including the prizes for directing and cinematography at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. To learn more, click here. Showing begins at 7:00 PM in Ignatian Hall. For the schedule of other young adult ministry movie showings,click here.
Tuesday, May 24 - 7 PM
Embracing God's Gifts - You are invited to join members of our gay and lesbian community in the Parish Offices at 110 E. Madison Street at 7:00 PM on the 4th Tuesday of each month. This group is open to anyone interested in fostering support, maintaining communications, and encouraging social activities among diverse members of our parish. For more information, click here.
In the Media
Jesuit Campaign Aims to Bring Education to the World's Margins
Jesuit Refugee Service has a very specific answer to Pope Francis' call to put mercy on the leading edge of a church reaching out to the peripheries. The answer is education.
With a campaign called "Mercy in Motion," J.R.S. is trying to raise $35 million this year so that by 2020 it can educate an additional 100,000 refugees per year.
Just 36 percent of the world's refugee children go to some form of secondary school. Fewer than 1 percent get anything beyond secondary school. In the world's largest refugee crisis, more than 2.6 million Syrian children are out of school.
Jesuit Refugee Service has more than 150,000 students in its educational programs around the world, but that is not much in a world with 60 million people living as refugees or at risk of becoming refugees. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says 51 percent of the refugees are under the age of 18. Read More
Daniel J. Berrigan, Defiant Priest Who Preached Pacifism, Dies at 94
Rev. Daniel J. Berrigan gave an anti-war sermon at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, 1972.
Credit William E. Sauro/The New York Times
By DANIEL LEWIS
The Rev. Daniel J. Berrigan, a Jesuit priest and poet whose defiant protests helped shape the tactics of opposition to the Vietnam War and landed him in prison, died on Saturday in the Bronx. He was 94.
His death, at Murray-Weigel Hall, the Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University, was confirmed by the Rev. James Martin, editor at large at America magazine, a national Catholic magazine published by the Jesuits.
The United States was tearing itself apart over civil rights and the war in Southeast Asia when Father Berrigan emerged in the 1960s as an intellectual star of the Roman Catholic "new left," articulating a view that racism and poverty, militarism and capitalist greed were interconnected pieces of the same big problem: an unjust society. Read More
Crux
Thought Easter Was Last Month? You're Only Half-Right -
It may be surprising to many Westerners to learn that Easter, which they thought happened more than a month ago, on March 27, is being celebrated only this Sunday by more than 250 million Orthodox Christians around the world.
Silence is Key to Nuns' Singing Success - Tucked away just off a rocky road is a small community of women who have chosen to retreat from the world and spend their days working in silence - except for when they are singing sacred music.Read More
On Benedict XVI anniversary, why he'll go down as 'Great Reformer' - By consensus, while emeritus Pope Benedict XVI was a great teaching pontiff, ecclesiastical governance on his watch often left something to be desired. Space does not permit a full listing of meltdowns and crises, but here are a few highlights:Read More
America Magazine:
My Jesuit Formation:
How the Society transformed my life
- In high school, I did not even know what a Jesuit was. One thing I did know: a fancy and expensive Jesuit school like Loyola Marymount University in California surely could not be for students like me. Read More
Worth a Fig: Harvesting My Children's Faith - These days, when my family arrives at 9:30 AM Sunday Mass (usually fast-walking in just as our celebrant starts up the aisle), my husband and I can be relatively secure in the knowledge that we will make it through the service without incident Read More
National Catholic Reporter
Whole Story of Luther's Life on Trial Onstage - Feeling like he'd rather have dental surgery than go to an off-off-Broadway play about Emily Dickinson, Max McLean went for the sole reason that he wanted to be supportive of an actor friend in the cast. As it turned out, the performance that most impressed him was that of the playwright, Chris Cragin-Day. McLean, a producer, writer and actor, was so wowed, in fact, that he thought Cragin-Day should be the one to write the play he had been envisioning, one about the life of Martin Luther, a man McLean considers "a huge Shakespearean personality." Read More
Sojourners Magazine
The Seeker's Journey
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Morgan Freeman used to strut across my TV screen, beaded leather vest swaying, dancing and singing as he put words together to make a sentence as the character "Easy Reader" on the iconic children's television show, The Electric Company. He was kind, fun, and strong. I felt safer when Morgan was on the screen, as if his presence assured me it's all gonna be alright. Read More
One Year After Freddie Gray, Baltimore Looks for Way Forward in Mayoral Race
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One year after the uprising in Baltimore sparked by Freddie Gray's death in police custody, the citizens of Baltimore chose the woman who is likely to become their new mayor,
Pope Laments Recent Violence in Syria, Renews Call For Dialogue
- Pope Francis on Sunday decried the resurgence of violence in Syria in recent days, especially in Aleppo, and renewed the call to bring about peace through dialogue.
Univ. of San Francisco President Congratulates Lesbian Coach - Earlier this month, Bondings 2.0 posted about the University of San Francisco's (USF) acceptance of two women's athletics staff who had come out and announced their marriage to one another. The president of this Jesuit university has now added his own welcome. Read More
Relevant Magazine
Bono: Jesus Was a Refugee - Activist and U2 frontman Bono recently recorded a video message for the congregation of Willow Creek Church, encouraging them in their projects caring and advocating for refugees. He used the Gospel to show why it is so important.
More Joy - Washing Dishes and Witnessing Resurrection - My grandparents would speak in Polish when they didn't want us to understand what they were saying, mostly when they were fighting about something. When my grandmother, Babci, wanted to get under my grandfather's skin she would translate for us: "Dziadzi doesn't think I should be over-feeding you." He'd grumble something in Polish and then she'd smile at us and deliver the final punch: "And now he's upset with me." Read More
Making Giving Easy...
As Fr. Casciotti mentioned in The Main Thing (see top box), we are so grateful for the generosity of the St. Ignatius Catholic Community. The giving of your time, energy and finances allows us to participate in the extension of God's Kingdom here in our parish, our surrounding community, and around the world. The things the Lord allows us to be part of on behalf of his life and love are simply astounding.
If St. Ignatius is the church you call home, we ask you to prayerfully consider committing to a regular financial contribution in order to support the ministries of this church. If you're already familiar with the benefits of electronic giving, you know how Faith Direct provides a steady means of budgeting for the ongoing ministries here in our church. Following is a short video that will tell you how it all works.
"Parish: the thought"is a publication of St. Ignatius Catholic Community, Baltimore. Each edition contains articles and news feeds that are included for awareness of current topics in our world today. The positions expressed by outside authors and news feeds are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of St. Ignatius Catholic Community or its staff.