November 5, 2019
Carissimi:
This fall I have shared with you our parish strategic plan and invited you to deepen your commitment of time, treasure, and talent to our communal life and all our ministries.
 
These efforts arise from two on-going questions we must ask constantly to form and to guide the direction of the parish: Have we discerned what God has in mind for us? How can we best use the gifts and talents of the people who are a part of this parish?  
 
In the coming weeks, we will conduct a Member Engagement Survey.  Anyone who considers themselves a part of the parish and has reached the age of 18 will have the opportunity to share his or her opinions about some of the key aspects of our parish life together.
 
The purpose of the survey is to help us identify areas of strength in our parish and areas where we can improve.

It will be administered and tabulated by Gallup, an independent research company.   Your individual responses are anonymous.  The Pastoral Council will receive the aggregated results and use them to start a dialogue about how we can more effectively accomplish our mission.
 
Please watch for more information in the coming weeks in the bulletin and ezine.   A link to the survey will be on our website [ www.st-igntius.net ] from November 25th through December 17th. Paper copies will be available in church during this same period.
 
I encourage you to take a few minutes to share your thoughts and opinions with us. The higher our participation rate, the better our ongoing discernment together will be.
 
Thank you, in advance, for your willingness to take part in the upcoming Member Engagement Survey . 
It's That Time Of Year Again...
PASTORAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS                    
It's time to nominate candidates to serve in St. Ignatius' elected positions. You may nominate yourself or someone else. A nominee must be a registered parishioner, age 18 or older, who has been confirmed in the Catholic Church. Candidates must attend an orientation session in November (date to be determined.) To nominate yourself or someone else, send your candidate suggestion and contact information here . All nominations must be submitted by November 17.                   
National Jesuit Vocation Day
Today is National Jesuit Vocation Day!

When a man answers God’s call to join the Society of Jesus, he begins the process of Jesuit formation, an almost 500-year-old tradition — adapted to today’s needs

St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Society along with the First Companions in 1540, detailed the process of Jesuit formation in the Jesuit Constitutions. While a man is considered to be a Jesuit from his first day of novitiate, the total journey toward Jesuit priesthood or formed brotherhood can take from eight to 13 years.

If you are interested in learning more about this pathway for your life, or for someone you know, please click here .
The Passing of Odi Umunna
The Passing of Odi Umunna

Mr. Odi Umunna, the father of parishioners Nonso and Ebuka Ummuna, died suddenly in Nigeria on Thursday, October 31.

He was 78 and leaves behind his wife, two twin sons, two daughters, their husbands and several grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on November 22 in Nigeria. May he rest in Christ’s peace.
Worship with Offerings, Liturgy and Prayers for Others
POOR BOX 
This weekend's Poor Box support goes to the
Ignatian Spirituality Project .
MASS MUSIC   
Attached is the listing for the music selections at next Sunday's 10:30 Mass.
THE DAILY EXAMEN
Spiritual and Faith opportunities to deepen
your relationship with Christ.
Upcoming Events

Thursday, November 7 - 6:30 PM
Interfaith Committee
Click here for complete information.



Tuesday, November 12 - 6:30 PM
St. Ignatius Reading & Discussion Group
Click here for complete information.


Thursday, November 14 - 6:30 PM
Justice & Peace Committee
Click here for complete information.


Tuesday, November 19 - 6:45 PM
Women of the New Testament
Click here for complete information.


Thursday, November 21 - 7:30 PM
Hesburgh Lecture
Click here for complete information.


Sunday, November 24 - 9:30 AM - 1 PM
International Food, Crafts & Art Fair
Click here for complete information.
Sunday, November 24 - 9:45 AM
Respect for Life
Click here for complete information.
Spiritual Growth
Celebrating Advent with the Prophet Isaiah – A Quiet Retreat in the Ignatian Tradition. 

December 6-8, Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth, Wernersville, PA 

Join colleagues, alumni, friends and fellow parishioners for this quiet weekend of prayer and reflection in the Ignatian tradition. Our time will be spent with a series of guided reflections, periods of personal prayer, Mass and evening socializing – at a truly historic and beautiful Jesuit shrine. There will be opportunity for individual spiritual direction as well. As a special treat -- we’ll also participate in the Jesuit Center’s Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols. The retreat will be facilitated by Fr. Tim Brown, Sue Cesare and Fr. Steve Spahn. We’ll begin with dinner on Friday Dec. 6 and conclude with lunch on Sunday December 8. Cost is $180. For questions and reservations, contact  apodles@loyola.edu  
Environmental Health
Tree Planting: Village of 12 Trees
Sat, November 9 • 1:00 pm • 4:00 pm
Planting trees is good for the water, good for the air, and good for the soul. Come get your hands dirty for clean water and a greener community!

Join Blue Water Baltimore and Village of 12 Trees neighbors for a volunteer  tree planting . 

Our tree planting projects are rain or shine. Be sure to wear proper clothes and sturdy (closed-toe) shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty or wet. Remember to stay hydrated and bring a reusable water bottle with you. We will provide the trees, gloves, tools, training, and lots of fun! First timers, student groups and families welcome.
Project partners include Baltimore Gas and Electric and Twelve Trees Association, Inc. Funding provided by Baltimore County Environmental Protection and Sustainability and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
In the Media
Cardinal Dolan: I would not have denied Joe Biden Communion
November 01, 2019

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said that while he understands why a South Carolina priest chose to withhold Communion from former Vice President Joseph R. Biden over his stance on abortion, he would not have done so himself.

“I think that priest had a good point,” Cardinal Dolan told  Fox News  on Oct. 31. “You are publicly at odds with an issue of substance, critical substance. We’re talking about life and death in the church. You personally, out of integrity, should not approach Holy Communion, because that implies that you’re in union with all the church beliefs.”

Cardinal Dolan added that he has never denied anyone Communion, but he noted that he has held private conversations with public officials about their political stances.

The Director of ‘Harriet’ on Why Faith Was Vital to Harriet Tubman’s Story
Harriet Tubman is a figure who is well-known but poorly understood. She’s as heroic as American heroes come — an iconic abolitionist and activist who escaped slavery and dedicated her life to helping others escape it as well.

That much, many people know. 
But the rest her story is fascinating, as told in Harriet, the upcoming biopic starring Cynthia Erivo and featuring Janelle Monae and Leslie Odom Jr. And for many people, it will be the first time they learn the details of why Tubman is such a unique, vital figure in the history of American abolitionism.

RELEVANT sat down with director Kasi Lemmons to discuss the difficulties of getting Harriet off the ground and how vital it was to depict Tubman’s unique spiritual life onscreen. READ MORE
Don't Compare Impeachment with the Racial Terror of Lynching
Montgomery, Alabama/USA - June 14, 2018: National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Via Shutterstock 

By Melissa Florer-Bixler           

Donald Trump’s tweet , comparing the legal and constitutional process of impeachment with the racial terror of lynching, is one among the cascade of immoral, ahistorical, white supremacist comments made by the president.

This one struck a nerve.

Around 4,700 extra-judicial killings, often in concert with law enforcement and magistrates, took place in the United States from 1882 to 1968. The majority of these lynchings involved white people killing black people, although white Americans also used lynching as a tool of racial violence to control Latinx and Chinese communities.

This week, some politicians condemned the president’s lynching comment. Scholars spoke to the ignorance of Donald Trump. Pollsters pointed out the increasingly erratic and incendiary language as the President’s crimes come clearer into view. But what I found most fascinating was the number of times lynching has been utilized by politicians to describe the hot water in which they find themselves. READ MORE