June 26, 2018 Edition
Carissimi, t he following poem by poet, Brian Bilston , speaks for itself:

They have no need of our help
So do not tell me
These haggard faces could belong to you and me
Should life have dealt a different hand
We need to see them for who they really are
Chancers and scroungers
Layabouts and loungers
With bombs up their sleeves
Cut-throats and thieves
They are not
Welcome here
We should make them
Go back where they came from
They cannot
Share our food
Share our homes
Share our countries
Instead let us
Build a wall to keep them out
It’s not okay to say
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way

[Now read from the bottom to the top]

Video: Sunday Homily - June 24, 2018 - "May we rehear the Gospel in such a way that our present life is altered or put off-center."
Text of Homily (June 24—Birth of the Baptist)
Fr. Lawrence Cunningham said:

"The very quasi-religious comfort we possess from being a member of a comfortable parish, hearing our friend the pastor saying words made comfortable by their repetition...is one way in which there is erected…a barrier against the word of God...

The prophetic ministry of the Church is exercised by those who pierce those comfortable barriers and make us uncomfortable enough to once again rehear the Gospel in such a way that our present life is altered or put off-center." [1]

John the Baptist is the icon of God reaching out to pierce comfortable barriers and make us uncomfortable.

So many have followed him: Luther. Gandhi. Bonhoeffer. Dorothy Day. MLK, Merton. Pope Francis. True and faithful friends. Spiritual guides. Journalists .

They are always calling us to the future, to learning from our past sins, to new insights, new behaviors, deeper compassion and serenity , to naming and opposing injustice with determination.
All of them take us to the task. They remind us of our dignity and our mission to prepare the way of the Lord and sow the seeds of the Kingdom of God , a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.

Which leads us to this Sunday morning. It’s not a matter of Republicans or Democrats, but of common decency.

The President and his enablers manufactured the crisis and held little children hostage to get their border wall. Public outrage has made the bully back down.
Must we not name what we see daily, the playbook of national socialism? You choose a powerless minority. You call them vermin and animals. You exaggerate their threat to decent white people.

You say the whole system is rigged, broken, and cannot be trusted. You claim that only you can fix it, that the emergency requires ruthless measures, and that you are only enforcing the law.

Must we not name the constant stream of blatant lies and false accusations; the smug, smirking arrogance; the stoking of fear, resentment, and enmity; the bluster; the bullying; the admiration for dictators?

Must we not name those responsible—the President, Attorney General, Chief of Staff, Sec. of Homeland Security, the Press Secretary, White House Advisors, and a host of cowardly, silent legislators—of both parties?

But we must also look within. Who are we as a Church, a society, a nation? Who do we want to be? A city on a hill? A light to the nations?

Who am I? As a Catholic . As a citizen . As a human being . What am I , what are we going to do about it?

Of course, it is easy for me to stand up here and point the finger. But I have to look myself , at Jim . Jim has always worked hard and mostly stayed in the background. He is a detail and organizing guy. He stays in in office and writes homilies like this one.

Jim has very rarely stuck his head above the foxhole. Jim likes to be liked. Jim doesn’t like confrontation. Jim is a little afraid that, if he confronts people, they will throw his sins, his faults, hypocrisies, and weaknesses right in his face. Has Jim heard the Gospel?

We have seen the strength of people who unite to defend the vulnerable.

In the ezine and on the website, we will be sharing ways to join with others to do what is right, what is humane , what is worthy of our Church and our nation.

May we rehear the Gospel in such a way that our present life is altered or put off-center. Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.

[1] The Catholic Faith: An Introduction. NY:Paulist Press, 1987. p.102.

Followup to the "Refugee Camp Simulation"
To view Event Gallery for more pictures, click on image above
Speechless. Devastated. Moved. These were just some of the feelings parishioners had after leaving Camp Peace, the Refugee Camp Simulation hosted by the Immigration Subcommittee on Sunday, June 24. About 60 individuals and families participated in this simulation, which included stations emulating various aspects of life in a refugee camp: entry, shelter, water, food, health services and education. There was also a Detention Center Station, to which parishioners were diverted with little explanation as many refugees are when they arrive to a new country. 

One parishioner offered the following insight after completing the simulation, “I think the conception is that refugees come to the United States to pursue the American Dream, maybe like many of our ancestors did. But refugees do not come as a choice. That is the difference. They have to leave their countries then they encounter conditions such as these in the camps. It is just horrible.”

Indeed, over 65 million people in the world are currently displaced, and 22.5 million of these are refugees in other countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. While some are relocated to new countries such as the United States, many must wait long periods of time, expanding over years (sometimes decades), in the refugee camps. As parishioners learned on Sunday, there are often not enough resources to sustain all those people properly and with dignity.
Instead of the recommended 37sq. ft. of space per person when camps become crowed families of 4 sometimes live in spaces as cramped as 80 sq. ft. total. This means that they generally sleep sitting up, as there is not enough space for all family members to lie down on the blankets that are provided. Most camps are unable to provide the necessary 20 liters (5 gallons) of water per individual per day and refugees must carry this water themselves from the source to their dwellings in large buckets. These 5 gallons are used for consumption, cooking, cleaning and hygiene. By comparison the average American uses approximately 300 gallons of water per day. When water is available, it may not be cleaned properly resulting in waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis. Most Americans consume nutritious, diverse meals over the course of a day. Refugees however are usually consume the same meals daily, like the rice and beans on display at the simulation. This leads to malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. As demonstrated by the health services station, medical care is extremely limited in the camps, so when diseases spread, the effects are devastating. Educational resources are also extremely limited with not only limited supplies but also limited training of teachers to deal with children who have gone through such trauma. An additional obstacle to education is the language barrier. Many refugees do not speak the language of their host nations and thus children are placed in grades below where they were in their home countries and struggle to follow instructions given in a language that they are now trying to master. To mimic this, the education station presented a 3-minute lecture in Spanish with a few English words included and provided a single Spanish-English dictionary for participants to use as they tried to understand what was being said.

“It was fun to see how they lived, but weird. They have to walk miles with this heavy water,” one young boy reflected after completing the simulation. Afterwards, while visiting the Advocacy Station, he felt compelled to donate his entire allowance to the collection for the Jesuit Relief Services and the International Rescue Committee, both organizations which serve refugees worldwide. At the Advocacy Station, participants also had the opportunity to sign petitions to both President Trump requesting that he maintains US funding support to humanitarian agencies that assist in operating these refugee camps and to Senators Cardin and VanHollen to ensure US funding dedicated to education in these camps. Both of these petitions originated with JRS and the focus on education is there not only because of the Jesuits overall belief in the need for education but also because it has been shown that when children are not in school, they are more likely to be recruited by militias to fight in the same wars that they are fleeing because they are promised a better life. Attendees also graciously did a free will donation of almost $180 that will be donated to JRS and IRC. If you would like to contribute, please mail a check to the parish office and in the memo section demarcate it for JRS/IRC.

Overall, as one parishioner put it, it was a sobering day, grounding us in the reality of those most marginalized. 
Question: "What can we do to help?"
Parishioner in Focus
We'd like to introduce you to parishioner Joe Spielberger and some of the work he is involved with. Joe is a Project Assistant at the Mayor's Office of Human Services, supporting The Journey Home , Baltimore's plan to end homelessness. He works to expand existing partnerships and build a systems-level collaborative effort to increase access to employment and economic opportunity for people experiencing homelessness, particularly for people of color and those interacting with the criminal justice system.

Joe recently co-authored the Journey to Jobs report , which provides recommendations for adopting a racial equity agenda and increasing capacity-building, data-driven planning, and collaboration between workforce, criminal justice, and homeless services systems to provide better outcomes for homeless jobseekers. You can download the final Journey to Jobs report by clicking here .

Thanks Joe - we appreciate all you do on behalf of those in need!

Update: International Parental Child Abduction
Senate Passes Resolution Supporting Efforts to End International Parental Child Abduction


In April we shared an article with you about the "Ongoing Tragedy of International Parental Child Abduction" ( click here ). Our own parishioner, Augusto Frisancho, has taken a lead in seeing legislation established that fights this issue. Each year, between 600 and 800 American children are taken from the United States by one parent without the consent of the other. 

The parent left behind can only wonder if the children are safe, warm, well-fed, and loved, and what – if anything – their precious children are being told about them. Many children are intentionally misled by the taking parent to hate and distrust the left-behind parent. 

Abducted children also suffer tremendously from the abduction and the subsequent loss of contact with the left-behind parent. Research shows that abducted children who are recovered often experience a range of serious short- and long-term emotional and psychological problems, including anxiety, eating disorders, nightmares, mood swings, sleep disturbances, aggressive behavior, resentment, guilt, and fearfulness.   

We've had some good news! And that is that the U.S. Senate has passed a resolution that supports the efforts to end international Parental Child Abduction. If you'd like to view the press release about it, 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 and 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
Bishop Madden's Prayer Walk for Peace in the City
Wednesday, June 27 - 5:30 PM
Click here for complete information
Justice & Peace Subcommittee Meeting
Thursday, July 12 - 6:30 PM
Click here for complete information
Women of the New Testament
Tuesday, July 17 - 6:45 PM
Click here for complete information
Mary Magdalene & the 7 Marys of the New Testament - Why Are They Important?
Saturday, July 21 - 9 AM
See box below for complete information
Save the Date
Mary Magdalene and the Seven Marys in the New Testament - Why Are They Important?
Saturday, July 21, 9 - 11:50 AM
To explore answers to this question, the Women of the New Testament Ministry of St. Ignatius Catholic Community will present a Morning of Reflection in Observance of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles, on Saturday, July 21, in Ignatian Hall.

After a period of readings and discussions, our guest speaker, Dr. Pat Fosarelli, will focus on St. Mary Magdalene: her importance and role in the early church; her being misidentified and maligned through its history; and her honoring by Pope Francis, who in 2016 announced the elevation of her memorial celebrated on July 22 to the status of feast day of the same importance as those of the 12 apostles.

Dr. Fosarelli, a physician and theologian, is the Associate Dean of St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute, where she teaches in the areas of Spirituality and Practical Theology; she was also named a Permanent Distinguished Dunning Lecturer at the school. The author of twelve books, she is a strong advocate for developing women for leadership roles in the church.

Continental breakfast will be served from 9:00-9:30 AM. The program will end at 11:50 AM. Mass of the Solemnity of St. Mary Magdalene in the Chapel of Grace will follow at 12:10 p.m.

The program is free and open to all.
In the Media
Autumn Pilgrimage to France
September 23 - October 4, 2018
Would you like to join Father Bill Watters and a group of our parishioners on a 12-day pilgrimage to France in late September and early October? We will travel to the Loire Valley, Avignon Provence, Taize’, Lyon, Paris and places in between. On our tour we will learn about French history, art, culture and spirituality and visit Jesuit sites. Our experiences will include from ancient Roman ruins to important artistic and historical places as well as time for spiritual refreshment and daily Mass. Comfortable walking shoes will be needed. 17 people have already signed up for 30 spaces. 13 more persons will be welcome. Deposit of 330€, refundable till August 15 th , is due by June 30 th . The remaining 1400€ ( approximately $2042. per person based on double occupancy) is due by August 15 th . Airfare is not included. However, a separate group airfare rate may be available by June 30 th . The cost includes each night’s four-star hotel, six dinners, tour travel in France and most entry fees for scheduled galleries and museums. For full itinerary and related information, please contact  Michelevelazquez3@gmail.com

In the Media
Following the signing of the  Reclaiming Jesus declaration , multiracial elders from across traditions — including evangelical, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and African-American churches — yesterday  spoke out about the horrific border crisis  . We spoke out because the Trump administration is abusing Scripture to justify abusing migrant children and their families. We said the separation of immigrant children from their parents is not biblical.
Because of enormous public outrage to the Trump administration’s family separation policy, the president issued an executive order late yesterday — after insisting day after day that an executive order wasn’t possible to end family separations — that he claims has “solved the problem” of family separations. But it hasn’t.


Let’s be clear: All Trump did was decide to detain families together in prison camps going forward, and there is no clear plan yet to re-unify the more than 2,300 children who have already been orphaned and sent away from their parents under his administration’s cruel policy. Those separations could be forever if the enormous task of reunification is not carefully undertaken. So far, the Trump administration has not taken responsibility for doing that. The press has still not been given access to the detention facilities where young children, including infants and toddlers, are being held and still won’t answer the question of where the girls are. The new proposed plan moves from the detaining children separately to imprisoning families together. READ MORE
Catholic bishops are quick to attack Trump but slow to advise their voters

(RNS) — President Trump had no sooner returned home from his historic photo op with Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Singapore when he faced condemnation from a host of religious leaders, from Southern Baptists to African Methodists to Catholics, for his policy of separating children and parents who attempt to enter the United States without permission.

The outcry was led by the American Catholic bishops, who were gathered at their spring meeting in Florida. On Wednesday of last week (June 13), the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opened the meeting by expressing his concern in no uncertain terms, saying “asylum is an instrument to preserve the right to life.”

Lest anyone miss the point, on Saturday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York went on CNN   to say that there were no biblical grounds for separating children from parents and that it was unjust and un-American. READ MORE
Jesuit Network Institutions Sign Catholic Climate Declaration: "We are Still In" on Paris Climate Agreement.

Jesuit institutions and organizations, including the Ignatian Solidarity Network, and other Ignatian network members, have joined nearly 600 U.S. Catholic institutions in signing the  Catholic Climate Declaration , affirming the Paris Agreement and supporting actions to meet its goals. Signatories include dioceses, communities of men and women religious, health care systems, universities, parishes, and schools. 

The Declaration responds to President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Agreement, is in solidarity with the  U.S. bishops’ position , and is consistent with the calls for climate action from Pope Francis and his predecessors, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II. The Declaration was organized by Catholic Climate Covenant (CCC), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that partners with seventeen national Catholic institutions including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Declaration also joins the wider "We Are Still In" campaign organized a year ago. READ MORE