September 25, 2018
Carissimi,
As you know, Fr. James Martin, SJ will give a lecture here on the evening of 30 September. Here are a few quotes from his article, “Why I wrote about the Catholic Church and the LGBT community.” 

"My aim is to urge the church to treat the LGBT community with “respect, compassion, and sensitivity” (a phrase from the Catechism of the Catholic Church) and encourage the LGBT community to reciprocate, reflecting those virtues in its own relationship with the institutional church.

"I understand the difficulties that many LGBT people have faced in the church. They have shared stories with me about being insulted, slandered, excluded, rejected and even fired. I don’t want to minimize that pain.

"Still, I believe it’s important for the LGBT community — for everyone, in fact — to treat others with respect, even when their own church at times feels like an enemy. That is part of being a Christian, hard as it is. This does not mean that one cannot critique and challenge the church when it needs to be critiqued and challenged.

"Not too long ago, in the larger world, opposing factions would often interact with one another politely and work together for the common good. Certainly, there were tensions, but a kind of quiet courtesy and tacit respect prevailed. Now all one seems to find is contempt. As a result, many people feel powerless to prevent the continued fraying of the social fabric as well as the name-­calling, personal attacks and violence that such division gives rise to.

"For me, the “echo chambers” created by social media in which one’s worldview is barely challenged, news channels specializing in simplistic and sometimes false analyses of complicated political situations and civic leaders seemingly unconcerned about the division that their words and actions might cause are all developments that contribute to this disunity, as well as to the feelings of hopelessness that arise in the face of this disunity.

"In these times, the church should be a sign of unity. Yet many people see the church as contributing to division, as some Christian leaders and their congregations mark off boundaries of “us” and “them.” But the church works best when it embodies the virtues of respect, compassion and sensitivity. Because, in the end, for Jesus there is no us and them. For Jesus there is only an us."
Church Sexual Abuse Resource List
As we come to publish, I have just received a list of resources on the issue of Church Sexual Abuse . I am especially pleased to see articles on talking with children and teens. I hope these materials are helpful as we all cope with what has happened and grapple with how to make the future better. - J.C. Click here to view list.
One of the more recent challenges for Catholic parishes is how to welcome LGBT parishioners, as well as families with LGBT members. But that challenge is also where grace abounds because LGBT Catholics have felt excluded from the church for so long that any experience of welcome can be life-changing—a healing moment that can inspire them to go to Mass again, return them to the faith and even help them to believe in God again.

On Sunday, September 30, St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Baltimore will present a lecture by Fr. James Martin, SJ entitled Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Resect, Compassion and Sensitivity , based on his book by the same title. The lecture will be held in the Church.

How can the institutional Catholic church reach out to its LGBT members? How can LGBT Catholics reach out to the institutional church? Father Martin uses the virtues of ‘respect, compassion and sensitivity’ to build a bridge between these two important groups in our church. 

Fr. James Martin, SJ is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America and consultor to the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communication. He is the author of many books including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage and The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.

  • There is no charge for this event. 
  • An opportunity to purchase and have Fr. Martin sign his book Building A Bridge will be available following the lecture.
It's about the weather...
Editor's Note: Fall started last Friday, and it seems like it's been gray and drippy ever since. That got me thinking about how frequently I hear people talk about the effect of weather upon their emotional mood. There is a very real condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). So for those who feel like they are 'sad in Seattle,' here's an article on Symptoms and Diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder . Then, for your spiritual growth and edification I'm putting in a Bible study about rain - and when it's seen to be a sign of God's blessing...as well as the negative mentions of it in scripture. Hope you enjoy!
Director of Communications
Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms and Diagnosis  

  By Nancy Schimelpfening


Have you ever noticed how a gray, rainy day makes you feel gloomy and tired, but a sunny day can leave you feeling cheerful and energized? Well, there's a scientific reason for this. Insufficient exposure to sunlight has been associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin, carbohydrate craving, weight gain, and sleep disturbance.

Some of you may have also noticed that you find a seasonal fluctuation in your moods, feeling depressed only in the winter months. Take a look at your calendar and you'll soon see why. Each year on June 21 we experience the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. With our longest hours of sunlight in the middle of summer, it's no wonder we're happier this time of year. After this date, however, the days progressively get shorter until the winter solstice on December 21, the shortest day. Is it any accident then that so many of us run for the hills when the holidays roll around? With our serotonin in such short supply, the added stresses of living up to our images of the picture-perfect holiday are just too much. The medical term for the season-long malaise that we fall into is seasonal affective disorder or SAD. READ MORE
Old Testament: The main Hebrew words for rain are matar and geshem . There were two parts to the rainy season, so the early rain (autumn) gets its own name, yoreh , as does the late (spring) rain, called malqosh . Less frequently used terms describe varieties of rain, such as gentle showers versus heavy rains.

New Testament: The words for rain are broche (pronounced broh-khey) and huetos .

Positive References

The primary positive references to rain point to one of the chief blessings God promised to bestow, first, as a conditional blessing for obedience, but also as part of God’s “common grace.” But there are numerous other references to rain.
  • In Leviticus 26:4, God promises if Israel will obey Him: “Then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”
  • Exodus 16:4 says how God “rains” manna from heaven to provide for Israel in the wilderness, using the same word is the one that describes regular rain.
  • Moses’ teaching, as given to him by God, is compared to life-giving rain in Deuteronomy 32:2: “Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew.”
  • In Proverbs 16:15, the favor of a human ruler, a king, is compared to rain.
  • In Psalm 147:8, rain demonstrates the creative and sustaining power of God.
  • Isaiah 45:8 compares salvation and righteousness to rain. READ MORE
Tickets go on sale this weekend...and they are going to go fast!
A Cabaret Evening of Light Opera and Standards will be presented by the Saint Ignatius Musicians on Saturday, October 20, starting at 7:30 PM in Ignatian Hall. The musicians of St. Ignatius Church will treat us to a night of light opera, Italian tunes, and some greats from Broadway.

  • Jim Li will treat us to a duet with Rebecca and romantic ballads by the Neapolitan composer Francesco Paulo Tosti, and Leonard Bernstein.

  • Rebecca Rossello will render a lovely aria from Puccini’s Rondine, a treat from Once Upon a Mattress, as well as a duet with Kyle.

  • You will enjoy the song stylings of Julie Kurzava in amusing tunes by Styne, Comden & Green, Rogers & Hammerstein and Jake Heggie.

  • Paul Teie will offer the jazz tune Devil May Care by Bob Dorough of Schoolhouse Rock fame and, with Jim, will sing O Mimi tu piu non torni, the opening duet of La Boheme’s fourth act.

  • Kyle Engler will deliver everything from the beloved Mexican bolero Besame Mucho and a Verdi aria to a quirky duet with Paul, originally sung by Tom Waits and Bette Midler.

  • And the entire company of singers will swing a capella jazz arrangements of standards by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern.

  • Ably providing piano artistry will be Mathew Lane and Tim Murphy.

  • The evening will conclude with Nella Fantasia by the great film composer Ennio Morricone, a song that has become a popular part of the Saint Ignatius New Year's Eve Interfaith Service.

We hope you will join us for this delightful evening of song.
While you're enjoying the concert, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy some wine, cheese, crackers and dessert. Tickets are $25.00, and will be on sale at all Masses beginning the weekend of September 29th and 30th. For those who would like to purchase tickets outside of Mass times contact:

Simone Thompson 443-629-8343
Renee Coshin Coolbaugh 215-205-0858
PREP
Thank you, children, for making beautiful Pinwheels for Peace at our opening day of PREP! And now we continue to celebrate International Peace Day (which was on September 21st) all through September, by sharing kind words with someone you don't usually talk to. Peace be with you!
PREP and Children's Liturgy Coordinator

Rally at City Hall for Affordable Housing
When:   This Thursday, September 27th at 10 AM 
Where:  City Hall, 100 Holliday Street
What:   After years of consistent organizing, struggle and sacrifice, we have reached a historic agreement for Baltimore, committing $20 million dollars every year to create, preserve, and provide affordable housing for low-income city residents! Join the Baltimore Housing Roundtable to pressure the City Council to do what’s right: redevelop our communities without pricing us out.  
Main Events over the Next Month
Saturday, September 29, 9 AM - 7 PM
Thursday, October 4, 7:30 PM
Angry disputes between anti-evolutionary creationists and neo-Darwinian atheists persist, but this year’s Hesburgh Lecture will show how Catholicism avoids the pitfalls of both by exploring Catholic teaching about God and creation in relationship to the natural sciences’ investigation of the natural world.
This year’s lecture will be given by Dr. Brad S. Gregory who is Professor of History and Director, Institute for Advanced Study, University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Gregory joined the University of Notre Dame Department of History in 2003 after seven years at Stanford University, where he received early tenure in 2001. He has received teaching awards at both Stanford and Notre Dame, and both of his books,  Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe and  The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society , received book prizes. A former junior fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows, Gregory teaches courses on early modern Europe. In 2013 he was named the Director of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. He is also a Fellow of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at Notre Dame.

  • Lecture will be held in the Chapel of Grace
  • A reception will follow the lecture
  • There is no cost for this event 
Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7
YOU’RE INVITED!
‘SOUL FOOD’ RECEPTION
Faith, Food and Fellowship

Want to get to know your St. Ignatius Justice & Peace Committee? What better way than by sharing an evening of Faith, Food and Fellowship – prayer followed with food and fellowship about justice and peace issues.

RSVP a must…you need to choose your date before September 30

Click here to reserve your spot
Sunday, October 7, 1:30 PM
Presented by Voices From the Holy Land and
St. Ignatius Catholic Community

About The Film

Film director Leila Sansour returns to Bethlehem to make a film about her home town, soon to be encircled by a wall. She left the city as a teenager thinking that Bethlehem was too small and provincial. She never wanted to return but this time she is making an exception. She intends her film to be a tribute to her late father, founder of Bethlehem University, and a man regarded as a hero by his town’s folk. As Bethlehem approaches, her decision to flee this sleepy town, taken much to her father’s regret, comes to haunt her.

Armed with her camera and a dilapidated family car that keeps breaking down, Leila plans to make an epic film about a legendary town in crisis but just a few months into filming, her life and the film take an unexpected turn when cousin Carol, Leila’s last relative in town, persuades her to stay to start a campaign to save the city.

As the pair launch OPEN BETHLEHEM, Leila finds herself trapped behind a wall in the very place she so much wanted to leave. The face of Bethlehem is changing rapidly with potentially detrimental consequences. Reports predict that if trends continue the Christian community of Bethlehem, a city that provides a model for a multi-faith Middle East, may be unsustainable within one generation. Leila’s plan to stay a year stretches to seven, and is only resolved when she realizes that, sometimes, the biggest dreams take flight from the smallest places.

OPEN BETHLEHEM is a story of a homecoming to the world’s most famous little town. The film spans seven momentous years in the life of Bethlehem, revealing a city of astonishing beauty and political strife under occupation. The film draws from 700 hours of original footage and some rare archive material. In fact the making of this film has led to the creation of the largest visual archive of Bethlehem in the world and plans are currently being discussed with University College London (UCL) to turn the collection into a museum.

While telling a personal story, the film charts the creation of a campaign to compel international action to bring peace to the Middle East. As the credits roll, there is snow over Bethlehem. Leila has stayed long enough to realize that she is home for good and her battered little family car takes to the sky. Sometimes, if you want to fight for a better world, you may have to work miracles!

There is no charge for this event - To be shown in church.

  • To learn more about Voices From the Holy Land, visit their website by clicking here.
  • To download the flyer for Voices From the Holy Land 2018 series, click here.
Upcoming Events and Meetings

Embracing God's Gifts
Tuesday, September 25 - 7 PM
Click here for complete information
Interfaith/Ecumenical Committee
Thursday, September 27 - 6:30 PM
Click here for complete information
Young Adult Day Retreat
Saturday, September 29 - 9 AM - 7 PM
See box above for complete information
Young Family Ministry: Coffee & Conversation
at R House
Saturday, September 29 - 10:30 AM
Click here for complete information
Respect for Life Committee
Sunday, September 30 - 9:30 AM
In Gonzaga Hall
A Lecture by James Martin, S.J.
Sunday, September 30 - 7:30 PM
See box above for complete information

Hesburgh Lecture: "Science vs. Religion"
Thursday, October 4 - 7:30 PM
See box above for complete information

First Saturdays Retreat in Ignatian Spirituality
Saturday, October 6 - 9 AM
Click here for complete information
"Soul Food" Reception
Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7
See box above for complete information

Film Showing: "Open Bethlehem"
Sunday, October 7 - 1:30 PM
See box above for complete information
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 support 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! 


In the Media
In this Sept. 4, 2018, file photo, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is sworn-in before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, file)

Brett Kavanaugh and the True Meaning of Brotherhood

In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius implores us to bring to light things that are in the shadows. It is in the shadows, he notes, that sin, secrecy and shame find fertile ground. The news cycle of 2018 has brought the pain of countless people out of the shadows thanks to the truth-telling by brave survivors of sexual abuse.

The most recent revelations come from women accusing Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford accused Mr. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party while he was a student at the all-boys Jesuit high school, Georgetown Prep, my alma mater. On Sunday,  a second woman came forward  with an allegation of sexual misconduct by Mr. Kavanaugh that occured when he was a freshman at Yale.

I do not know if Mr. Kavanaugh is guilty, but his comment, made in a speech in 2015, that “what happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep,” even if made in jest, evidences a toxic understanding of what brotherhood entails. READ MORE