June 18, 2019
The Courage Required of Us


Carissimi:
This is from Brené Brown’s book, Braving the Wilderness. Her observations on the Jerry Sandusky scandal resonate with our experience as Church these days and speak of the courage required of us.

"Another example of straddling the tension of supporting a system we love and holding it accountable comes from one of the research participants, a former athlete from Penn State. He took a strong stand as an advocate for the abuse survivors who suffered due to the silence of the football program and Joe Paterno’s protection of Jerry Sandusky.

"He said he couldn’t believe how hateful some of his friends were, friends he’d known for thirty years. He said, 'When you love a place like we love Penn [State], you fight to make it better, to own our problems and fix them. You don’t pretend that everything’s okay. That’s not loyalty or love, that’s fear.'

"When the culture of any organization mandates that it is more important to protect the reputation of a system and those in power than it is to protect the basic human dignity of the individuals who serve that system or who are served by that system, you can be certain that the shame is systemic, the money is driving ethics, and the accountability is all but dead…

As we think about our journey from 'fitting in' to striding into the wilderness of true belonging, we will be well served by understanding and recognizing the boundaries of respecting everyone’s physical safety, and not participating in experiences or communities that utilize language and/or engage in behaviors that dehumanize people. I think calling the latter 'emotional safety' is inaccurate. We’re not talking about hurt feelings; we’re talking about the very foundation of physical danger and violence."
P.S. - This just in from Archbishop Lori...
June 16, 2019

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Dear Friends in Christ,
When the U.S. bishops gathered in the Archdiocese of Baltimore this week for our spring general assembly, we did so in order to enact real reforms that hold us accountable for our own actions and inactions regarding the sexual abuse crisis.

By overwhelming margins, the bishops voted to do just that. 

We upheld zero-tolerance for abuse and passed measures that bind bishops to all the same codes of conduct that apply to clergy within their dioceses.

We approved a protocol giving bishops the authority to enact restrictions in the life and ministry of those retired bishops accused of sexual abuse or who failed to take necessary measures to prevent abuse, however distant in the past it might have occurred.  READ MORE
Juneteenth is tomorrow...what's the significance of this remembrance?
Why celebrating Juneteenth is more important now than ever 
It’s time for America to truly grapple with its legacy of slavery.

As the Civil War came to a close in 1865, a number of people remained enslaved, especially in remote areas. Word of slavery’s end traveled slowly, and for those who were largely isolated from Union armies, life continued as if freedom did not exist. 

This was especially the case in Texas, where thousands of slaves were not made aware of freedom until June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and  issued an order  officially freeing them. Their celebration would serve as the basis of June 19 — or Juneteenth — a holiday celebrating emancipation in the US. 

Ironically, while Juneteenth has become  the most prominent Emancipation Day holiday  in the US, it commemorates a smaller moment that remains relatively obscure. It doesn’t mark the signing of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which technically freed slaves in the rebelling Confederate states, nor does it commemorate the December 1865 ratification of the 13th Amendment, which enshrined the end of slavery into the Constitution. Instead, it marks the moment when emancipation finally reached those in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy. READ MORE
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.   Dating back to 1865, it was on  June 19 th  that the Union soldiers, led by  Major General Gordon Granger , landed at  Galveston, Texas  with news that the war had ended and that the  enslaved were now free . Note that this was  two and a half years after  President Lincoln’s  Emancipation Proclamation  - which had  become official January 1, 1863 . The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new  Executive Order . However, with the  surrender of General Lee in April of 1865 , and the  arrival of General Granger’s regiment,  the  forces  were finally strong enough to  influence  and  overcome the resistance. 

Later attempts to explain this  two and a half year delay  in the receipt of this important news have yielded  several versions  that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was  murdered  on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was  deliberately withheld  by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of  one last cotton harvest  before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these version could be true. Certainly, for some,  President Lincoln's authority  over the rebellious states was in question  For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas  remained status quo  well beyond what was statutory. READ MORE
Coded Spirituals

Many of the well-known Negro Spirituals popular in the United States during the mid-1800s are much more complex than they first appear. Historians of the Underground Railroad refer to them as "Coded Spirituals". What that means is that the words actually have two meanings; one that is immediately apparent and one that's hidden just below the surface. To learn more about the use of "Coded Spirituals", click here .
Results of the "Environmental Opinion Survey"
A few weeks ago we offered you the opportunity to take our second survey, this one being the "Environmental Opinions Survey." We wanted to know your views on the condition of our environment, the threats of climate change, and what we can collectively do to improve our planet. The following link will let you see the results of the survey. Click here to view results.
In Remembrance of Richard "Dick" Burt
Funeral Mass and Visitation for Richard "Dick" Burt

A Funeral Mass will be held here at St. Ignatius at 10:30 AM on Saturday, June 22nd for Richard "Dick" Burt who passed away on Wednesday, June 12th at the age of 87 years. Dick and his wife Aurelia have been members of the St. Ignatius Parish for the past 15 years.

Viewing hours will be held on Friday, June 21st at Mitchell Wiedefeld (6500 York Road) from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM.
Events This Week...
For complete information... . click here .
For complete information... . click here .
Upcoming Events

Tuesday, June 18 - 6:45 PM
Women of the New Testament
Click here for complete information.

Thursday, June 20 - 7 PM
Spiritual Exercises Information Session
See box above for complete information.


Saturday, June 22 - 7:30 PM
Interfaith Prayer Service For Peace in the Middle East
See box above for complete information.




Sunday, June 23 - 9:45 AM
Respect for Life
Click here for complete information.
Thursday, June 27 - 5:30 PM
Bishop Madden's Prayer Walk for Peace in the City
Click here for complete information.

Worship with Offerings, Liturgy and Prayers for Others
POOR BOX 
This weekend's Poor Box support goes to support
Nawal Rajeh Peace Camp co-founded by Ralph Moore

MASS MUSIC   
Attached is the listing for the music selections at next Sunday's 10:30 Mass.
 
PRAYERS OF PETITION
Attached are the Prayers of
Petition for this week.

In the Media
The Catholic High School That Holds Funerals For Homeless Veterans
Students at Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, Mass., serve at the funeral service for U.S. Army Veteran Timothy Fowl in January 2019 (Photo provided by author)

by  Michael Kotsopoulos

I am greeted by a wooden casket hoisted on the shoulders of eight high school basketball players as I enter the lobby of Catholic Memorial School in early January. An American flag covers the casket. At 8 a.m., I expect a tired expression across the face of each young man and wonder how they will navigate the halls to the narrow chapel.

But, stoic and calm, the boys looked at ease. They walked tall, proud and sure-footed. Their composure surprised me as they made their way into the school chapel. Following the procession, I scanned the room to find an open seat. But the school’s theology classes packed every pew.

I stood in the back-left corner next to the tabernacle and watched the scene unfold. The mood felt different from most funerals. Every person in the room, faculty member and student alike, seemed to know their surroundings. If anything, it gave the school’s fifth funeral service for a homeless military veteran more of a welcoming mood than that of a somber “goodbye.” READ MORE
An Artist Finds His Calling in Painting a City’s Forgotten Faces
Joe Anastasi uses art to tell the stories of Columbus, Ohio’s most poor and vulnerable.

By Jean P. Kelly

A bespectacled man with a dreadlocked braid down the middle of his back picks up a lunch bag and a water bottle. Volunteer Joe Anastasi stops him, saying, “I have something to show you.” He goes to fetch a large, framed painting of a man with a confident stance and self-assured expression, head cocked and chin held high titled Street Smart.

“Wow,” exclaims the painting’s subject, Elvis McGowan, who has lived on the streets of Columbus, Ohio for 15 years. “You got that perfect. It’s beautiful.” 

McGowan’s recognition of his personality and spirit in the painting is the highest compliment Anastasi says he can receive. The 71-year-old, retired from a career in advertising and design, documents the beauty and dignity of those he works with at the St. Vincent de Paul Society. “I pray every day that God will inspire the work that I do,” Anastasi says. “So my paintings and talks will inspire others.” READ MORE
Listen to the L.G.B.T. person: a response to the Vatican’s gender theory document

by James Martin, S.J.

I n recent years the Vatican (including popes, congregations and dicasteries) have expressed concern over “gender theory” and “gender ideology.” The latest document from the Congregation for Catholic Education, titled “Male and Female He Created Them,” is the most comprehensive treatment of the topic yet. As America’s Vatican correspondent, Gerard O’Connell,  reports , the document comes from a Vatican Congregation and was not signed by Pope Francis, so it is not intended as the “final answer” on the topic.

Gender theory is a notoriously slippery term. Broadly, it refers to the study of gender and sexuality and how those two realities are determined naturally (that is, biologically) and/or socially (that is, culturally). Usually it includes the study of the experiences of gays and lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, and all those who identify as “queer,” another often-ambiguous term that can mean (but does not always mean) a decision to identify oneself outside of categories like male or female, or gay or straight. READ MORE