Editor's Note: This last week (October 3) was the 796 anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. In memory of him Shane Clayborne wrote a brief article about notable remembrances of his life. We thought we'd share it with you in 'The Thought' this week.

Remembering Francis

by Shane Clayborne

Today (October 4), Christians around the world remember one of the great heroes of our faith, and the Pope’s namesake – Francis of Assisi. But Francesco Bernadone (Francis of Assisi), who died on October 3, 1226 must be laughing at the irony of it all.

He was one of the first critics of capitalism, one of the earliest Christian environmentalists, a sassy reformer of the church, and one of the classic conscientious objectors to war. Even though it’s hard to imagine a saint whose life is more relevant to the world we live in today, Francis was not always so popular. READ MORE

Gospel Reflection

Editor's Note: Next Sunday's Gospel reading is Luke 18: 1-8 where we meet the thankful The Persistent Widow. Enjoy!

"The Persistent Widow"

Always Pray and Don’t Give Up (Luke 18:1)

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (18:1)

Verse 1 starts with “Then.” Notice that this teaching on prayer follows directly on Jesus’ teaching on the coming of the Son of Man. Indeed, verse 8 ends with that theme. So we should think of verse 1 as an exhortation to disciples who may be undergoing a struggle just prior to the coming of the Son of Man not to give up hope, but to pray, expecting a speedy answer.

Characteristically, Jesus instructs his disciples with a parable, a story to make a spiritual point. Luke reveals the point of the parable in advance: “that they should always pray and not give up” (18:1b). The word translated “always” is Greek pantote, “always, at all times.” The word “prayer” is the common Greek word proscheuomai, “to petition deity, pray.” Jesus is teaching continual prayer, again and again, rather than continuous, non-stop prayer. To “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:13; 5:17; 2 Timothy 1:3) is to pray repeatedly, time and again.

I’ve heard Bible teachers say that once you’ve asked God for something that it displays lack of faith to ask for it again, since you ought to believe you already have received it (Mark 11:24). But Jesus teaches clearly that we are to continue to pray until we receive the answer. That continued prayer is not a sign of little faith, but of persistent faith. 

The danger is that we get discouraged and quit praying. The word translated “give up” (NIV) or “faint” (KJV) in 18:1 is Greek enkakeō, “to lose one’s motivation in continuing a desirable pattern of conduct or activity, lose enthusiasm, be discouraged,” from en, “into, entering into” + kakos, “base, wrong, wicked.” READ MORE

Remembering Our Beloved Dead

Place Their Names Now!

On Sunday, November 6, at the 10 AM Mass we will honor our beloved dead. Prayers will be offered for all those whose Funeral or Memorial Mass has been celebrated at St. Ignatius since November 6, 2022. St. Ignatius will inscribe the names of immediate family members who have died since November 2, 2021. We will commemorate them on a Memorial Board in the Narthex. Members who died before that will be inscribed in a Book of Remembrance. There will be wonderful special music in this our Mass for our Beloved Dead.

There are three ways in which you may register your deceased family member's information for this tribute:

1. The easiest is to complete the online form by clicking here.
2. Mail the information to the parish office or
3. Drop the information in the collection. Please be sure to LEGIBLY PRINT the deceased’s name and date/year of death.

From the Archdiocese

Dear Parishioners:

The Archdiocese of Baltimore unveils a social analysis and planning endeavor Seek the City to Come for the urban vicariate. St. Ignatius Catholic Community is in the Harbor East Region of the Urban Vicariate; therefore, we participate in this social analysis, reflection, and discernment process with the many parishes throughout this Archdiocese. Seek the City has a two-to-three-year program to assess the needs of the Catholic Church in Baltimore. As details come my way, I will share them with you. Rest assured of the Society of Jesus’ commitment to St. Ignatius Church and to you. For more information, please click the buttons below.

Upcoming Dates

October 11 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

St. Ignatius Reading and Discussion Group

Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, 17-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease.

At first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie's vision be bulwark enough?



Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around.  Click here for more information.

October 23 @ 10 am Mass

Alumni Sunday

St. Ignatius Church will host the East Province Jesuit Friends and Alumni Sunday Mass on Sunday, October 23, 2022 in conjunction with the Feast Day of the North American Martyrs. The parish, like every Sunday, will serve light refreshments after the 10 am Mass. This allows sharing experiences and networking. All Jesuit alumni from our Jesuit high schools and universities are invited to participate. The East Province of the Society of Jesus directs guests to register on the Jesuits East website. If you or family members graduated from one of the Jesuit institutions, please register to let the Province know you plan to attend and will represent your alma mater. For more information, contact Mary Ann Lynch at [email protected].

Upcoming Event

In the Area

Offerings & Prayers & Snapshots

Other Announcements

St. Ignatius Altar Acolytes: Several slots have still wait to be filled to complete our October schedule. If you have not signed up yet, please sign up as soon as possible. If interested in assisting at the altar as an acolyte, please contact Fr. Brian Frain at [email protected].

The Mt. Vernon Neighborhood Association announces that Enoch Pratt Library (Main Branch) offers free Social Worker assistance on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays. Should you need or meet anyone who needs social worker assistance for employment training, immigration assistance, 12-step recovery, housing, or government services, please contact [email protected].

Employment: Looking for someone to care for elderly lady in her home. 

• Monday – Wednesday 
• Location in Pasadena, MD (Waterfront Home) 
• For more information, call Thea 410-274-6171.

In the Media

Pope Francis makes dramatic appeal to Putin: Stop the war in Ukraine

By Gerard O’Connell 

In an extraordinary move, reflecting his profound concern at the danger of an escalation of the seven-month-old war in Ukraine and the potential use of nuclear arms, Pope Francis called today for “an immediate ceasefire” to that war.

He called on the president of the Russian Federation “to stop this spiral of violence and death, also for the sake of his own people.” It was the first time that he has publicly appealed to the Russian president, even though observing protocol he did not call Vladimir Putin by name but rather by his official role as head of state. READ MORE

Papal infallibility is often misunderstood. Here’s what it means—and what it doesn’t.

By Thomas P. Rausch

Papal infallibility, solemnly defined by the First Vatican Council in its 1870 dogmatic constitution “Pastor Aeternus,” has long been controversial and frequently misunderstood inside and outside the church. Some Catholics after the Council argued that with an infallible pope, there was no need for future church councils. Protestants generally find the teaching unbiblical and contrary to the teachings of the early church, though Catholics point to Christ’s promise to remain always with his church and to send the Spirit to “teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (Jn 14:26). 

But theologians continue to disagree about how declarations of the papal magisterium should be interpreted, as recently became evident when the Pontifical Academy for Life tweeted the suggestion that “Humanae Vitae,” Pope Paul VI’s encyclical condemning artificial contraception, was not covered by papal infallibility. READ MORE