Heiner Wilmer of Hildesheim diocese says clerical abuse of power is destroying Catholicism. READ MORE

Germany's Heiner Wilmer, who is widely considered a "Francis bishop", says the pope wants to "turn the Church on its head" READ MORE

Editor's Note: Next Gospel reading is Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 where we find "The Baptism of Jesus." This Gospel reflection reminds us why he came to begin with.

by Thomas Gumbleton

This feast of the baptism of our Lord brings to a conclusion the Christmas season that we've been celebrating, and the readings that we have today, I think if we listen carefully, we will find kind of a recapitulation, a summary of all that this marvelous, almost unbelievable feast means for all of us. First of all, we're reminded again of the extraordinary truth that God, the God who is transcended above and beyond all of creation, this God who is the source of all being, has become one like us, fully human, in every way except sin. READ MORE

In celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., St. Ignatius Church is hosting a few memorable events, and participating in other city offerings that we wanted to point you towards. As usual the week is: "Keeping the Dream Alive – A Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr." Listed below are events we encourage you to put on your calendar and participate in.

Come join us as we celebrate the life, dreams and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King on Saturday January 15 of Dr. King weekend, The Pastorate of St. Ann, St. Francis Xavier and St. Wenceslaus, Racial Justice Circle and St. Ignatius Catholic Community will unify and present a program to celebrate his legacy. Please come to join us. Save the date and program details to follow. Check back for details

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Walk is scheduled for Monday, January 17, at St. Bernardine Catholic Church, beginning at noon. We will gather in the church. There will be a lite meal and fellowship after the walk in Harcum Hall. For complete details click here.

Bestselling author Michelle Alexander will speak at Loyola University Maryland’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at 6:30 p.m., in Reitz Arena. “The New Jim Crow: An Evening with Michelle Alexander” convocation will be moderated by Karsonya Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., founding director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice and associate professor of communication and African and African American Studies at Loyola. The lecture will also be livestreamed. For more information and to register click here.

Jan. 7, 2021, was a day for shock and facing hard truths about an event that, had it occurred overseas, would be described by American media as a failed putsch. Even while some continued in their cynical objections to ratifying the results of a fair and transparent election, there was bipartisan consensus in denouncing the lawless and violent assault on a space previously held to be sacrosanct. READ MORE

Parish: 'the thought' is a publication of St. Ignatius Catholic Community—Baltimore. Each edition contains articles and news feeds that are included for awareness of current topics in our world today. The positions expressed by outside authors and news feeds are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of St. Ignatius Catholic Community or its staff.