May 1, 2018 Edition
Carissimi:

This Sunday at the 10:30 Mass, seven of our young parishioners, Anna Brown, Audrey Coscia, Stella D'Orazio, Jurian Holtz, Moses Kim, Ellika Olewnik, and Benjamin Rone will receive Holy Communion for the first time.

Their parents and one of our wonderful catechists, Faith Ward, have lovingly prepared them for this step in their journey of faith, this step in their pilgrimage of life.

I’m especially grateful to Faith for her advice and counsel on how we might strengthen our program and better support parents in passing on the Catholic faith to their children.

Children are a blessing for our parish because they bring out the best in us. Children engage us in handing on faith and protecting and nourishing life and all that is humane.

I see this in the way we welcome young parents and their toddlers, even with the occasional melt-down. I see our elders funding education for disadvantaged kids of all kinds. I see heaps of school supplies collected. I see people who advocate for the end of child hunger, for immigration reform that protects children. I see Fr. Watters, aided by the expertise and generosity of so many parishioners, able to establish an early learning center here at St. Ignatius.

Let us continue to deepen our own love for the Eucharist. Let us commit ourselves to be examples of faith and compassion to inspire the children of our parish and all those given into our care.
Why It's Important
As Catholics, we know that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith: it is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pope Francis has called it the “Sacrament of Love”: 

“The Eucharist is at the heart of ‘Christian initiation’, together with Baptism and Confirmation, and it constitutes the source of the Church’s life itself. From this Sacrament of love, in fact, flows every authentic journey of faith, of communion, and of witness.” 

For children who are preparing to receive their First Holy Communion, this is a big deal. And for all of us, no matter how many times we have received Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, it should always be a big deal.  READ MORE

For Our Upcoming Angel Mom Baby
Bring Items to Church When You Come to Mass on May 12th or 13th

The Parish Gabriel Network Angel Friend team has a new Mom! Grace is a young woman from Burkina Faso in West Africa expecting her first child, a little boy, in July. She lives in South Baltimore with the baby’s father who is also from the West African nation. The family is poor and somewhat isolated. The Angel Friend team has been providing her with maternity clothes, food, referrals for immigrant and social services and help in connecting with others in the community.
 
The Respect For Life Ministry is again appealing to the generosity of the parish in helping her with baby items. For list of requested items and drop-off instructions, click here .
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 our
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! 


Upcoming Events and Meetings
Morning of Ignatian Reflection
Saturday, May 5, 9 AM
Click here for complete information


Young Family Ministry: Playtime at the Loyola Early Learning Center
Sunday, May 6, 9:20 AM
Click here for complete information


Iñigo Book Group
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 PM
Click here for complete information


Justice & Peace Committee
Thursday, May 10, 6:30 PM
Click here for complete information


Interfaith/Ecumenical Committee
Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 PM
Click here for complete information


Women of the New Testament
Tuesday, May 15, 6:45 PM
Click here for complete information


Embracing God's Gifts
Tuesday, May 22, 7 PM
Click here for complete information


Green Team
Thursday, May 24, 7 PM
Click here for complete information


Respect for Life
Sunday, May 27, 9:45 AM
Click here for complete information
In the Media
Pope Francis Brings a New Lens to Poverty, Peace and the Planet
Pope Francis greets an elderly woman as he meets with people in a poor neighborhood in Asuncion, Paraguay, in this July 12, 2015, file photo. Pastoral care of the poor and those in need has been emphasis of the pontificate of Pope Francis. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

by Robert W. McElroy April 28, 2018

Five years ago, Jorge Bergoglio became  Francis , choosing at the moment of his election in March 2013 a name that no pope had taken before. His choice of the name served as a signpost for the direction in which he would lead the global church. In his embrace of the poor, his pursuit of nonviolence and his care for all of God’s creation, Pope Francis has brought the legacy of the great saint of Assisi to the very heart of the church’s proclamation to the modern world.

It is especially fruitful, then, in assessing the  first five years  of the Francis pontificate, to examine how the pope’s contributions to  Catholic social teaching  have reflected the three Franciscan priorities of poverty, peace and the planet. In what way has the leadership of the first pope from the New World enriched or altered the body of Catholic social teaching? What is it about his papacy or perspective that has generated such substantial opposition to Pope Francis, particularly within the United States? How should we characterize the mission that the pope has taken on behalf of economic justice, building peace and caring for our common home? READ MORE
Do reactions to the firing of Jesuit House chaplain show anti-Catholic bias?

One of the Republican lawmakers tasked with finding a replacement for House chaplain Patrick Conroy, S.J., said that he believes the next chaplain should be a married person with children since she or he can provide better pastoral care, a comment some are saying smacks of anti-Catholic bias.

Representative Mark Walker of North Carolina, a Southern Baptist minister, said he wanted Father Conroy’s successor to be somebody with children, which would preclude nearly all Catholic priests and nuns. READ MORE
Bank CEO, Archbishop discuss needs, successes of urban education

The head of one of the largest retail banking companies in the world sat down with Baltimore’s archbishop for a wide-ranging discussion on urban education April 26 at the Center Club in downtown Baltimore.

About 150 business and civic leaders attended the event, hosted by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which brought together Archbishop William E. Lori and Brian T. Moynihan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Bank of America, to talk about the challenges in public and private education today, especially in urban areas. READ MORE