January 28, 2020
Carissimi:
Thanks to the diligence of Len Heckwolf, I can share with you five takeaways from the findings produced by the Gallup Survey we completed before Christmas:

1.   St. Ignatius has a significantly higher level of engagement of 38% of members, 8% higher than average Catholic parishes.       
                                            
2.  Engagement at St. Ignatius is higher in areas related to the life of the parish than average Catholic members and somewhat lower related to spiritual commitment.        
                                   
3.  St. Ignatius members were somewhat higher than average Catholic members related to average giving, volunteer hours, care the parish shows them, and parish recognition. 
                       
4.  St. Ignatius members were somewhat lower than average Catholic members related to time devoted to worship, faith in every aspect of life, and willingness to take unpopular stands.      
           
5.   The demographics of the parish are significantly different in terms of education and income. 72% of St. Ignatius members completed postgraduate work or degrees, while 27% of average Catholic members completed postgraduate work or degrees. 49% of St. Ignatius members had incomes of $100,000 or more, while 34% of average Catholic members had incomes of $100,000 or more.

For more detail, click here [look for summary printed results in the narthex and gallery]. Either Len or I will be happy to field any questions you have.

The next step is for the Pastoral Council to closely examine the data and identify ways to make our parish community more and more a place where we walk with others and invite them to walk with us. More to come…
Jesuit Blog Post
Remembering Kobe Bryant: Formed and Saved by His Catholic Faith
How a priest changed Kobe Bryant’s life


by Philip Kosloski


This article was originally published in April of 2016. Sadly, Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the three others, passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. May they rest in eternal peace. 

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest athletes of all time, ended his 20-year basketball career with a bang, scoring 60 points in his last game.

While Bryant’s stats can be recited by many — five-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic champion, 18-time All-Star and the third leading scorer in NBA history — few know about the role his Catholic faith played in helping him through one of his darkest hours.
Born in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant was raised in a Catholic household and even spent some of his youth in Italy. Drafted into the NBA at the age of 17, he eventually married Vanessa Laine at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in Dana Point, California. Two years later they had their first child. Bryant was at the top of his game and everything seemed to be heading in the direction of his dreams.

Then he made a big mistake.

In 2003, Kobe Bryant was accused of raping a woman in his hotel room, while he was in Colorado for knee surgery. He admitted having sex with the woman but denied rape. A judge eventually dropped the charges, but the woman went on to file a civil lawsuit against Bryant that was settled outside of court. In the midst of it all, he issued a public apology, stating that he was sincerely ashamed of what he had done. READ MORE
The Passing of Leo Garrett D.Orazio
Editor's Note: To jog your memory about the D'Orazio's and Leo, read the following article from Parish: 'the thought' dated November, 28, 2017. Read Article
by Dan D'Orazio

Leo Garrett D’Orazio, born January 5, 2017, went home to the Lord peacefully, and pain free on January 8 th , 2020, with his parents by his side.
 
Leo was born with a random gene mutation that stunted his normal brain development. Initially, medical professionals believed that Leo could not sustain life on his own; thus care was removed on January 23, 2017. Through God’s grace, Leo’s will, the loving care of a fiercely dedicated mother, amazing medical professionals, sibling, family, and friend love, along with a bevy of other support, Leo lived three mostly healthy years—in the comfort of his home.
 
While his life was short in years, Leo ‘s impact will endu re—he embodied the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love—with Love absolutely being the greatest. He taught us new depths of pure, unconditional love—the type that Jesus offers to all of us.  
 
We miss Leo dearly, but we know Leo is at Peace. And so too are we. For he enriched our lives in so many ways — his spirit and enduring love will continue to bring us and many that he touched, peace and joy.

Funeral: On March, 14 th  at 2 PM at Saint Ignatius, we will have a Celebration of Life full of prayer and song, followed by a reception at the parish.  If you do plan to come, drop us a note at dgdorazio@gmail . The Italian in me would be beyond embarrassed to fall short of enough food!

Contributions: Many have asked how to contribute in Leo’s honor. We are picking three organizations near and dear to Leo and us. We have no preference whom you select if you decide to donate—they have all been instrumental in our journey, and each one continues to support families with the greatest of care and love. If one speaks to you, go with it!

  • Johns Hopkins Children’s Center: Leo began and ended his journey in the care of Hopkins. Three specific areas where funding will be directed: Child Life, the Chaplain, and Palliative Care. To contribute: https://support.hopkinschildrens.org/radiothon/leosgift
  • Kennedy Krieger: A world class institute that provide so much developmental support for Leo through specialized pediatric care. Lucky to have them in our back yard. On-line: kennedykrieger.org/tributes. Checks can be made to Kennedy Krieger Foundation with a note that it’s in memory of Leo D’Orazio and mailed to: Kennedy Krieger Office of Philanthropy, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205.
  • Gilchrist: Our home hospice team: nurses, docs, chaplains, social workers, child life etc. made it possible for us to care for Leo, 99% of his days, in the comfort of our home. On-line: gilchristcares.org/donation. Contributions can be mailed to: Gilchrist, 11311 McCormick Rd., Ste. 350, Hunt Valley, MD 21031.
Please remember to keep Leo, Dan and Brandi, and the entire family in your prayers during this difficult time.
May the Angels lead Leo into Paradise.
May the Saints of God welcome him at the 
Eternal Banquet Table of the Lord.
Respect for Life Update
Maryland 2020 Legislative Session
St. Ignatius Catholic Church Respect for Life Committee

As you are probably aware, the 2020 Maryland Legislative Session opened in early January. Among the bills expected to be considered this year, is a bill that would amend our Maryland constitution and effectively enshrine abortion as a so-called "constitutional right" in Maryland.

This effort is not new. Last year, the late Speaker of the House introduced the same bill with the support of many pro-abortion groups. However, he withdrew that bill after receiving pushback on several fronts, including from many Maryland Catholics.

Unfortunately, the new Speaker of the House has promised to reintroduce the bill in the 2020 session.   

Moving abortion rights from statutory law into the state constitution does nothing to protect women and only serves to further drive a political wedge between the citizens in our state. 

Maryland already has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the nation. Our abortion laws have not changed in more than 20 years, despite efforts to place common-sense regulations on the practice. The laws allow abortions to be performed in many cases up through 9 months of pregnancy. Were this abortion amendment to pass, it would make it even harder, if not impossible, to pass any future reasonable regulations on abortion in Maryland.

Many people in Maryland and in the Catholic Church are deeply concerned by this proposed abortion amendment. Our Catholic faith teaches that every life has value, both born and unborn. Pope Francis has said that “The right to life is the first among human rights.” That is why the Respect for Life Committee here at St. Ignatius Church and the Maryland Catholic Conference, together with pro-life partners across Maryland, are asking that you please join us in standing up for Life by speaking out against the proposed abortion amendment.
 
***After each Mass the weekend of February 8 and 9, volunteers will be at a table outside of Mass with bright pink postcards. The postcard will be mailed to our elected state representatives asking them to vote NO on a state constitutional amendment.  
 
We encourage you to take the time to sign a postcard (including your mailing address, with zip code). Signing a postcard might seem like a small action, but it can make a huge impact if many people join in the action. A mighty wave is composed of many individual drops of water.
 
We at St. Ignatius stand for human rights for all and encourage you to stand with us.
 
If you have questions or wish to help us in this effort, please contact Diane White at dwhite718@comcast.net or Cassie Black at cblack5939@verizon.net . 
Worship with Offerings, Liturgy, and Prayers for Others
POOR BOX 
This weekend's Poor Box support goes to help
support the
Ignatian Spirituality Project
MASS MUSIC   
Attached is the listing for the music selections at next Sunday's 10:30 Mass.
DAILY EXAMEN
Reflections for your
spiritual growth.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, February 11 (6:30 PM)
St. Ignatius Reading & Discussion Group
For complete information, click here .



Thursday, February 13 (6:30 PM)
Justice & Peace Committee
For complete information, click here .


Saturday, February 15 (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM)
LGBTQ+ Writing Workshop
For complete information, see listing in box below.


Sunday, February 16 (Noon)
Dying to Live: Stories from Refugees on the Road to Freedom
For complete information, see listing below.



Sunday, February 23 (6:45 AM)
Respect for Life
For complete information, click here .


Tuesday, February 25 (6:45 PM)
Women of the New Testament
For complete information, click here .
Growth Opportunities
In the Media
2020 MARCH FOR LIFE

Last Friday, March 24th, was the March for Life, the annual gathering of pro-life activists, clergy and civic leaders in Washington, D.C. America staff will be on the ground covering the march.
Follow their live updates:  
Twitter:  @iCabrera05   @jevinkackson  
Instagram:  @americamedia


Every single abortion represents a massive failure toward some particular woman.



There is something contradictory in a society that claims to be protective of the vulnerable but shows a callous indifference to the fate of human beings before the moment of birth.



The longer I live, the more I grow in awe of God’s creative activity and in reverence for God’s creation.

Tired of the rhetoric around abortion? The loudest voices don’t always tell the whole story. We talked to 7 millennial women—socialist, libertarian, Republican, independent—all of them pro-life, about their hopes for the pro-life movement. WATCH NOW.


“As we Jesuits survey our culture, we cannot help but see abortion as part of the massive injustices in our society.”