January 15, 2019
Editor's Note: We have heard from some of you that you are not able to read the entirety of the Parish: 'the thought' issues and that at the bottom of the emails you see: "This message has been truncated due to size limitations.  Show entire message. "  It is in very small print, so you may have missed it. All you have to do to view the rest of the edition is to click the link and you will be able to view the entire issue.
Carissimi,

As Martin Luther King Day approaches, this is the 3rd of three excerpts from the Bishops' recent pastoral letter against racism. It calls all of us to personal conversion and public advocacy. 

"To do justice requires an honest acknowledgment of our failures and the restoring of right relationships between us…For a nation to be just, it must be a society that recognizes and respects the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples. These rights precede any society because they flow from the dignity granted to each person as created by God.

"Many of our institutions still harbor, and too many of our laws still sanction, practices that deny justice and equal access to certain groups of people. God demands more from us. We cannot, therefore, look upon the progress against racism in recent decades and conclude that our current situation meets the standard of justice.

"Consistently, African Americans have been branded, by individuals, society, and even, at times, by members of the Church, with the message that they are inferior. Likewise, this message has been imprinted into the U.S. social subconscious. African Americans continue to struggle against perceptions that they do not fully bear the image of God, that they embody less intelligence, beauty, and goodness. This reality represents more than a few isolated stories; it was the lived experience of the vast majority of African Americans for most of our national history.

"Concrete action should include advocating for equality in how laws are implemented and advocating for moral budgets that reduce barriers to economic well-being, appropriate healthcare, education, and training.

"Organizations that are built on racist ideology (for instance, neo-Nazi movements and the Ku Klux Klan) are also sinful—they corrupt individuals and corrode communities. None of these organizations have a place in a just society.

"With renewed vigor, we call on the members of the Body of Christ to join others in advocating and promoting policies at all levels that will combat racism and its effects in our civic and social institutions."
A COUPLE OF OTHER NOTES...
  • An update and background on child safety and accountability - click here
  • An immigration policy worthy of our nation and a leader worthy of our respect - view video below.
Video: Ronald Reagan’s Final Speech as President Was a Love Letter to Immigrants
MLK Commemoration Events
Beginning Friday night, St. Ignatius Catholic Community is hosting some memorable events, and participating in other city offerings that we wanted to direct you towards. We are calling the observations: "Honoring the Dream - MLK Commemoration 2019." 
Friday, January 18 - 7:30 PM
Film Showing: "Rosewood"
Click here for complete information



Saturday, January 19 - (9 PM - 1 PM)
Film Showing & Discussion: "Healing Justice"
Click here for complete information




Sunday, January 20 - 10:30 AM
Special MLK Commemorative Mass at St. Ignatius





Monday, January 21 - Noon
Bishop Madden's Prayer Walk for Peace
Click here for complete information
Tuesday, January 22 - 7 PM
Roxane Gay Lecture & Book Signing at Loyola
Click Here for complete information


Put It On Your Calendar...
Other St. Ignatius January Events


Tuesday, January 15 - 6:45 PM
Women of the New Testament
Click here for complete information
Sunday, January 27 - 9:45 AM
Respect for Life
Click here for complete information
Outstanding Ministry Opportunity
If you are troubled over the violence in Baltimore City and looking for a way to help, please consider joining a new initiative sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, in partnership with city agencies and other nonprofits throughout the City. Through a network of volunteers from churches, schools, universities and other organizations, the Archdiocese is organizing a Grief Ministry to accompany families who have lost a loved one to violence. The ministry has a two-fold focus: first and foremost to support the families who are suffering such a tragic loss of life, and secondly to demonstrate as a community our care and concern by creating online memorials of the lives of their loved ones through written stories, videos, podcasts and other media. 

Poor Box
View Thread video above
Our Poor Box Collection This Week: Thread

Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week, keeping with the theme "Honoring the Dream", we are going to designate the Poor Box Collection for Thread , an organization which enrolls 9th grade students in Baltimore who rank in the lowest  25%  of their class and face an abundance of challenges outside of the classroom. Students remain in Thread for  10  years, surrounded by a group of up to 5 volunteers—a Thread Family–that provides the student with continuous support and increased access to community resources while deeply enriching the lives of committed volunteers. Once enrolled, Thread commits to never giving up on a single student - we've retained 100% of students for 14 years - and our students consistently defy the odds.

87%  have graduated from high school within six years. And for those who have been in Thread for a decade, 83%  have received a college degree or completed a certificate program. To get a sense of how extraordinary these achievements are, Baltimore freshmen students with GPAs below 1.0 have a four-year high school graduation rate of only 6% .

Here's how you can learn more about this excellent organization.

To contribute, the Poor Boxes are located in the Chapel of Grace and in the narthex of the church at the bottom of the choir loft stairs. – Thank you for your kind generosity.
Liturgy and Prayers for Others
MASS MUSIC   
Attached is the listing for the music selections at next S unday's 
10:30 Mass. 
 
PRAYERS OF PETITION
Attached are the Prayers of
Petition for next Sunday's
10:30 Mass

When you come to church...
New Parking Information

We are no longer allowed to park in the lot behind the State Highway Administration’s 707 Building when going to Mass or at any other time. The construction that is going on there is expected to last for two years. In the interim, the SHA has given us permission to park in their Lot A under the JFX (but not in Lot B and not in the lot connected to the building) when coming to St. Ignatius for Sunday Mass only. The entrance to Lot A is on the north side of Madison Street between Fallsway and Guilford Avenue.
In the Media
Father James Martin: Why I Am Pro-Life

Whenever I say that I am pro-life, it always surprises some people—which always surprises me.

Last summer I attended a conference on polarization in the Catholic Church, held at Georgetown University. One evening, when I mentioned my pro-life convictions to one participant, her face registered shock. “I’m so relieved to hear that,” she said.

Maybe because I also advocate for refugees and migrants, L.G.B.T. people and the environment—causes usually championed by those who identify as politically progressive—some people tell me that they wonder about the sincerity of my public comments in support of unborn children. By the same token, others with whom I share common ground on a variety of social justice issues often express discomfort, disappointment and even anger when I use the phrase “pro-life.” READ MORE
8 Ways to Actually Deepen Your Faith

Have you been moving forward in your Christian walk? Or do you struggle to enjoy a real relationship with God?

Too often Christians consider the act of salvation to be an intellectual decision and not a transformational one. But it is the same power of God that brings about your newfound faith and enables you to grow and mature.

You can have consistent fellowship with your Creator. Use His Word to move beyond spiritual stagnation and lead you. Be intentional and aim for maturity in your journey.

Let’s look at eight actions that will deepen your faith in the God.