Ministries and Roles within the Liturgical Assembly at Mass

When the Church comes together in the liturgical assembly to celebrate the Mass, or any other sacrament, her members do not gather simply as a crowd, as an amorphous, undifferentiated group of people. They gather in a variety of ministries and roles. If we are to understand the significance of these ministries and roles, we must begin with Baptism, for only one who through Baptism has been given a share in the priesthood of Christ is capable of participating in the public worship which is the liturgy of the Church. In fact, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council tells us that participation in the liturgy is the right and duty of all the baptized. READ MORE

Become and Liturgical Minister

If you would like to sign up for one of the liturgical ministry spots (as an Acolyte, Lector, Eucharistic minister, or usher), go to this form and let us know your interest or intentions. We will contact you, train you, and schedule you. Go to registration form

Gospel Reflection

Editor's Note: Next weekend's Gospel reading is Luke 18:9-14 where we encounter the Pharisee and the Tax Collector and learn about to different kinds of praying. Enjoy!

The Powerful Meaning Of Luke 18:9-14 

by Jeffery Curtis Poor

The problem is we often miss the shocking nature of this parable because it’s become so commonplace. We tend to immediately associate the Pharisees with self-righteous hypocrites and tax collectors as the model of righteous. 

But in Jesus’ day it was reversed. It was the Pharisees who were the models of righteous and the tax collectors who epitomized sinners. When Jesus told this parable it was a shock to his audience and surely made a lasting impact. 

Let’s take a fresh look at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and see how the Luke 18:9-14 meaning applies to our life today. 

The Parable Of The Pharisee And The Tax Collector

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a parable of two contrasting prayers from two very different people. 

Luke tells us up front: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable.” This parable is about pride and humility. 

Now, the audience is likely expecting the Pharisee to be the prime example of what we would look like. After all, no one expected the low-life tax collector who betrayed his own people for money to be the prime example to follow. 

But Jesus is about to shock his audience.  READ MORE

A Jesuit Rememberence

Last year, our team at the Jesuit Conference was invited by the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) to produce a video introducing folks to the legacy of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. These six Jesuit priests and two of their companions were brutally murdered by government forces in El Salvador on the campus of the University of Central America (UCA) in 1989, casualties of the Salvadoran Civil War. 

Now, our faith is full of martyrs, people who were killed for what they believe and for how they acted on those beliefs. There’s something unique to be learned about witnessing to our faith from each story, each life. What might we take from these martyrs of El Salvador? What do they say to us today? 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.

Parishioner Perspectives

(On behalf of the Women Who Stay Ministry)

By Karla Pahel

On Saturday September 24th, I drove my 20-year-old high functioning autistic daughter and my 12 year old son to St. Vincent de Paul’s on North Front Street to meet the co-founders of Discerning Deacons, Casey Stanton from North Carolina and Ellie Hidalgo from Miami. Ellie Hidalgo spoke of her recent visit to the Amazon to travel with her friend, a Catholic nun, appointed by her Bishop to serve the river communities working as a woman Deacon, baptizing, marrying, preaching, holding funerals.

Through St Vincent de Paul’s creaking wood floors and the light streaming in from the stained-glass windows of the Blessed Mother holding a toddler and other children gathered around the table, one climbing on Joseph’s back, angels wrapped around them, my children and I listened to these women’s stories. Hidalgo and Stanton shared in an opening prayer with the Old Testament midwives, the Pharaohs daughter who took in Moses and raised him, the mothers who nursed the boys that Pharaoh ordered to kill and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, God made the people prosper and abundant. READ MORE

St. Ignatius Reading & Discussion Group

Reading Proposals for 2023 Thus Far

Got a Suggestion?

Read a good book lately? Or in the past. Do you have a suggestion you'd like to submit to the Group for consideration? Please do so by contacting the Group via email at [email protected] and providing author /title information prior to the end of November. Proposals are open to all, however, be aware that you will be responsible for leading the discussion (or providing someone else willing to do so). Submissions will be voted upon in early December by members who have attended four meetings during the past year. No proposal, don't let that stop you from joining us. Have us put you on our email list.

Here's Something Worth Knowing

The heart ❤️ of the matter is that it's a matter of heart ❤️

This photo was taken in Damascus in 1899. The dwarf is Samir. He is a Christian and cannot walk. The one who carries him on his back is Muhammad. He is a Muslim and he is blind.

Mohamed relies on Samir to tell him where to go, and Samir uses his friend's back to navigate the city streets. They were both orphans and lived in the same room.

Samir was a hakawati, he had the gift of narration and told stories of a thousand and one nights to the customers of a cafe in Damascus, Mohamed sold bolbolas in front of the same cafe and liked to listen to his friend's stories.

One day, when he retired to his room, Muhammad found his companion dead. He wept and mourned his friend for seven days straight. When asked how they got along so well, being of different religions, he said only this: "Here we were the same", pointing with his hand to his heart.

The heart ❤️ of the matter is that it's a matter of heart ❤️

Upcoming Dates

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 Events

All Saints Day

Let’s pray together on All Saints Day, Tuesday, November 1 at 7:25 AM and 6 PM. All Saints Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually. It is a day dedicated to all those who have entered heaven, including those recognized saints and those yet to be recognized ones. This year it is a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States. All Saints Day is followed by All Souls Day on November 2. St. Ignatius Church will remember all deceased members of our families and parish on Sunday, November 6 at 10 am Mass with specially selected music.   

In the Area

Offerings & Prayers & Snapshots

In the Media

Introducing: A groundbreaking documentary on the changes to Catholic parish life

By Sebastian Gomes

How would you describe the state of Catholic parish life in the United States today? In many places, parishes are closing, there’s a shortage of priests, and many younger Catholics are leaving the faith. Is the Catholic Church as we know it dying? What are the major shifts and trends happening in Catholic parish life today?

Over the past year, I led America Media’s video team across the country in search of answers. We started by looking at the data: In what regions of the country do Catholics live? Are they more likely to live in urban centers, suburbs or remote areas? What are their racial and cultural backgrounds? Are they Republicans or Democrats? What pastoral programs do they prioritize in their parishes? How are they living their faith out in the world?  READ MORE

Pope Francis marks 60th anniversary of Vatican II by warning against worldly ‘progressivism’ and backward-looking ‘traditionalism’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Second Vatican Council was the universal Catholic Church’s response to God’s love and to Jesus’ command to feed his sheep, Pope Francis said, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the council’s opening.

The council reminded the church of what is “essential,” the pope said: “a church madly in love with its Lord and with all the men and women whom he loves,” one that “is rich in Jesus and poor in assets,” a church that “is free and freeing.”

Pope Francis presided over the Mass Oct. 11 in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the council sessions were held in four sessions from 1962 to 1964. The date is also the feast of St. John XXIII, who convoked and opened the council; the glass urn containing his body was moved to the center of the basilica for the liturgy. READ MORE