January 30, 2018 Edition
Click above for video on "The Archbishop's Annual Appeal"
Carissimi,

The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal starts next week. Many of you have already received an initial mailing.

Of course, it takes money to do ministry, but this campaign, all the second collections, and other fund-raising we do, isn’t just about that. It’s about being Catholic . We are part of a Church “spread throughout the world.”

We always start with family, but we are always calling one another to expand the bonds of family to our parish, to our city, to all the poor, the vulnerable, the oppressed. It doesn’t matter if they are Catholic. They are in the family because we are Catholic.

Last year we raised just over $125,000 and received back $51,000. Last year 259 of our 900 households made some donation.

Folks, this number needs to be higher. Being with us means showing up for church, having a prayer life, participating in parish life and parish ministry, and supporting us financially.

  • The Annual Appeal provides funds to help struggling parishes in east and west Baltimore provide religious education and youth ministry.

  • A large portion funds programs of Catholic Charities serving the poor and vulnerable of all races and religions. Funds also assist low-income families to send their children to Catholic schools.

  • The funds the parish receives support lectures, movie nights, The Reeves Gallery, the Hospitality Committee, the parish picnic, publications we give out during the year, religious formation for our kids, the Justice and Peace Committee, New Year’s Eve, the Green Team, and ministry to young adults and young families.

Over the next two weekends we will have the opportunity to make a single contribution or sign a pledge over eight months.

Just as my job is to call out the best in you, your constant partnership and generosity is a support and a very helpful challenge for me . You bring out the best in me. Just sayin’.

God bless.
Ignatian Spirituality
Ignatian Spirituality as presented by a Stuffed Olive
From the sign that adorns our building, to our bulletin, letterhead, banners and probably more items than I can think of, you will see the identifying phrase: "St. Ignatius Church – the Jesuit Church of Baltimore since 1856." We thought it might be fun this week to give you a couple of snapshots on St. Ignatius, who he was, what he did, and, as "the Jesuit Church of Baltimore," the values that are foundational to our existence.

The first snapshot is a video animation called "The Olive." It is based on the life of the St. Ignatius of Loyola, who is the founder of the Jesuit order. It is produced and narrated by Jason Kapell of the Fairfield University Media Center and presented by Jim Manney, who is the author of highly praised popular books on Ignatian spirituality including   A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer   (about the Daily Examen) and   God Finds Us   (about the Spiritual Exercises),   An Ignatian Book of Days , and Ignatian Spirituality A to Z . – I list them in case you want to dig deeper into the practices of your faith than the "olive" takes us.

The second snapshot is an article by blogger Jenny Uebbing on Ignatian Spirituality for Moms . Trust me, it's for more than just moms – I thought her pathway into the "Spiritual Exercises" might be relatable and helpful for many.

Enjoy!
Director of Communications
Ignatian Spirituality For Moms

by Jenny Uebbing

My spiritual director (who is probably off somewhere directing an 8 day Ignatian retreat right now) will probably cringe at this attempt to condense the richness of Ignatian spirituality to a blog post, but then again, he probably isn’t reading. St. Ignatius is a household favorite thanks to CCC’s “Francis Xavier and the Black Pearl” featuring a heavy supporting role by the original SJC himself, so it’s not uncommon in our house to see a kid running by holding up a giant plastic crucifix from the dress up box yelling “let this be our weapon!” READ MORE

Opportunities For Spiritual Growth
Loyola University
Mission Integration

announces a retreat

"Praying Together with the Icons of Lent"
March 3-4, 2018

F lintstone Retreat House
13210 Green Ridge Road NE,
 Flintstone, Md. 21530

$50 includes lodging and 3 meals

Ignatian Weekend Retreat

This year's Ignatian Weekend Retreat, “Come, Follow Me!,” will once again be at Faulkner (Loyola-on-the-Potomac), Maryland, April 20-22. This retreat will invite us to hear Jesus’ call to us now, and respond to it. Conducted in silence, it includes generous amounts of time for personal prayer and reflection. Open to those who want to grow in friendship with God through prayer. Fee is $245. Fee for first-time retreatants and those under 30 is $195. 

  • To register online click here, or call 301-392-0819. You may also email the reservation desk with your questions by clicking here. 

  • Our parish contact is Frank Fox, whom you can email at foxfrank@aol.com, or by phone at
443-414-5202.
Refugee Family Mentoring Followup
Five St. Ignatius Families Complete Training to Become Mentors

by Shari Shea

Five St Ignatius families met with a representative from the International Rescue Committee after the 10:30 AM Mass on January 21 st  to complete our training to become mentors for refugee families re-settled in the Baltimore area. In early February, we will meet a couple from Afghanistan and their 5 children. Our focus will be to assist them in improving their English language and job readiness skills, teach them to navigate public transportation, shopping and generally adjust to life in America. We are excited that our own children will be part of this ministry, helping the Afghan children through play, arts and crafts, and conversation. As part of our own spiritual journeys and our efforts to live a life for others, we look forward to helping our new neighbors. 
This Week's Main Event
L ast year, Broadway celebrated the arrival of a beautiful new musical called  The Band’s Visit.  Critics and audiences have been seduced by the touching and often very funny story. This February, our First Friday Cinema series presents the wonderful film that inspired this show. This movie exudes both wit and charm as it transports its audiences to a little-known corner of the Middle East. For complete information and trailer, click here .

Events in January
Respect for Life
Sunday January 28, 9:45 AM
Click here for complete information.
Young Adult Game Night
Wednesday, January 31, 7 PM
Click here for complete information.
1st Friday Cinema: "The Band's Visit"
Friday, February 2, 7:30 PM
Click here for complete information.

Justice & Peace Committee
Thursday, February 8, 6:30 PM
Click here for complete information.

Ignatian Morning of Reflection
Saturday, February 10, 9 AM
Click here for complete information.

Mardi Gras Potluck
Sunday, February 11, 7 PM
Click here for complete information.

Ash Wednesday Masses
Wednesday, February 14
Click here for Mass schedule.
The Green Team
Thursday, February 15, 7 PM
Click here for complete information.
Mark Your Calendar
St. Elizabeth Resident Council Presents
SAINT IGNATIUS CONCERT ARTISTS
On Harp, Violins, & Piano

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 - 7:30 PM

Performing: Debussy, Bach, Cole Porter,Fritz Kreisler, Vivaldi,
Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Scriabin   , and Victor Young

Performers: Julia Martin Frazier, Nick Currie, Carter Richardson, Tim Murphy

Mercy Auditorium at Stella Maris
2300 Dulaney Valley Rd. 21093

All Welcome. Refreshments. $2.00 Donation

Worship with Offerings, Liturgy and Prayers for Others
POOR BOX 
Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week's
support goes to the
Loaves & Fishes Ministry.

MASS MUSIC   
Attached is the listing for the music selections at next Sunday's 10:30 Mass. 
 
PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN REPORT
Weekly updates on Christian persecution around the globe. Keep a prayerful watch on what is
happening with your
brothers and sisters! 

From the Parish Office
2017 Donation Statements
This week a letter will be mailed to all  registered  parishioners who contributed $250 or more to the Church and/or Historic Trust Fund during 2017, confirming the total amount donated during the year. (Contributions through Faith Direct will be acknowledged separately by that organization.)  If you would like to have such a letter for tax purposes but you donated less than $250 or are not a registered member, please contact the parish office at parish@st-ignatius.net .
You Are Not Forgotten

If you or someone you know are unable to get to Mass and would like a pastoral visit with or without Communion, please call the parish office, 410 727 3838, and make arrangements with Deacon Weber for such a visit. God does not want anyone to feel left out of the His community, especially if they cannot physically join in every week. Peace.
In the Media
Organizers behind the Jan. 20 "Grappling With the Sin of Racism" workshop at the Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville, Virginia, from left: Zachary Johnson, executive director of Call to Action; Crystal King, director of administration of Call to Action; and Steve and Laura Brown of Casa Alma, the Catholic Worker community in Charlottesville (James C. Webster)

Charlottesville Catholics Challenged to Confront Sin of Racism

by James C. Webster | Jan 26, 2018

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Committed lay Catholics here, stung by the worldwide attention given their city by hundreds of white supremacists and armed neo-Nazis last August, are "grappling with the sin of racism" within the church and their community.

A daylong "exploration of racism and Catholicism" convened by the  Casa Alma Catholic Worker community  Jan. 20 drew nearly 100 to the   Church of the Incarnation  to pray, reflect and hear speakers challenge them to confront racism and white supremacy.

Following the Aug. 11-12, 2017, "Unite the Right" rally that left one person dead and 30 wounded, "a lot of people asked Casa Alma what was the Catholic Church response" to the overt demonstration of racism, said Catholic Worker leader Laura Brown. READ MORE
Francis' Comments on Allegations Against Bishop Barros Make Little Sense


Reading Pope Francis' comments at the press conference on the flight back to Rome, regarding clergy sex abuse and the allegations against Bishop Juan Barros Madrid, and rereading them again and again, I confess I cannot make heads or tails out of them.

Pope Francis said at one point: "The word 'proof' was not the best, I would rather say 'evidence.' In Barros' case, I have studied and restudied, there is no evidence to condemn him. And if I condemned without evidence or moral certainty, I would commit a crime of bad judgment."  READ MORE
God is Invisible

by Billy Critchley-Menor, SJ

A few months ago, I made an eight-day silent retreat. Following St. Ignatius’s advice, I began my prayer trying to “see myself standing before God our Lord.” Sitting in silence with closed eyes, I tried to concentrate and see God before me. Image after image slid through my imagination like an old picture show: the old father, the wise mother, the waterfall, the sun, anything. Each one, however, was insufficient, and I was left unsatisfied. To the blank darkness of my eyelids I prayed, “God, just let me see YOU.”

Nothing appeared. There was no vision, no way to see myself standing before God. The image in my mind was no different from the image before my naked eye: air and objects, none of which supplied the full essence of God. With a knot in my stomach I began to wonder, “have I been praying to nothing my entire life?”  READ MORE