Last week, St. Ignatius Loyola Social Justice Ministry held an Interfaith Prayer Service in the church with St. Francis of Assisi, Park Avenue Synagogue, St. Mark’s on the Bowery, and Peace Island Institute.
Our Pastor, Rev. Dennis Yesalonia, S.J. welcomed everyone to our Interfaith Migrant Prayer Service and Bobby Reuter, Associate Director of Music played beautiful, improvised piano interludes between each speaker, and Wendy Baker was the cantor for the opening and closing hymns. The following are snippets of each reflection given by the speakers.
Jean Santopatre opened the service with these remarks: “Many of our ministries here at St. Ignatius are engaged in the corporal works of Mercy: Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit those in prison, Comfort the sick and Bury the dead. Collectively, as communities of faith, we are called to practice the corporal works of Mercy.
We are mindful of the unjust actions that target people who seek refuge from the danger they faced from their government or because of climate change in their homelands.
Recently, Rev. William J Barber II posed this moral message to our nation: ‘From Moses to Jesus, the Bible tells us that those who fought for justice—those who spoke truth to power, those who refused to accept that injustice and inequality had to exist and that there was no better way—always found themselves hated, hounded, and heaped upon with false accusations simply because they believed in the necessity of speaking and working for the cause of righteousness and building a more just community.
This lack of majority support is why the just must live by faith and must know exactly who we are.’
All of us gathered here tonight are members of a faith community and together our collective faith in God compels us to act with justice and mercy. We heed the call to accompany those in need, to look and not turn away, because we know who we are.”
Fr. Julian from St. Francis of Assisi shared a story about a Jewish man praying at the wailing wall for peace who felt like he was just talking to a wall. Fr. Julian reflected: “Faith can unify us as a community of believers to go out and serve with love, compassion, and empathy. Together, we can harness this synergy to weave a tapestry of hope, justice, and peace in our beautiful common home.”
When our efforts to work for peace and justice feel like talking to the wall because no one seems to listen, don’t be silenced. Our voices must not be stifled.
When our work to protect the rights of our migrant sisters and brothers feels like talking to the wall because we’re being dismissed, don’t be intimidated. If we allow fear to overcome us, then those who seek to silence us have already won.
When our efforts to end racism feel like talking to the wall because there seems to be no hope in sight, don’t give up. The minute we quit, evil triumphs.”
Rabbi Shayna Golkow Zauzmer reflected on the Talmud writings. “There’s an argument in the Talmud, Judaism’s central post-Biblical text, about how the Bible teaches us not to oppress the stranger living among us, the migrant. The argument is whether the Bible gives us this warning 36 times or 46 times! Whichever side of the debate you come down on, it is absolutely indisputable that our shared Biblical text tells us loud and clear that we must not mistreat the migrant living among us.
As Jews, we learn about our own Biblical history as slaves in Egypt, our more recent history as oppressed people in so many different societies and countries, and our current reality knowing all too well how it feels to encounter antisemitism. And it is precisely because of those experiences that we are commanded not to oppress the strangers and the migrants among us.
It’s very powerful that it is our shared religious text that teaches us over and over again – 36 or 46 times! – how we must treat migrants. It makes me proud to be a person of faith, and I am proud to be with you this evening to join our voices in prayer for the migrants who share this beautiful city with us.”
Dolores Troy Quinn shared the story about the Valverde-Bermeo family, which reflects the corporal work of mercy: bury the dead.
“I would like to focus on one family, the Valverde-Bermeo family. Their journey really exemplifies the courage and resilience we have come to know with the families we have accompanied these past few years and the power we have as a parish to effect change and improve people’s lives.
Geronimo Valverde, a migrant from Ecuador, made the arduous trip from Ecuador to NYC last year thanks to the assistance of the Jesuit Relief Services. Unfortunately, Geronimo spent the last few months of his life fighting valiantly against the cancer that ultimately took his life. Geronimo would have had a tragic end buried in Potter’s Field, but thanks to the coordinated and generous outreach of several St. Ignatius ministries, Geronimo instead had a dignified burial.
First, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul sprang into action. Geronimo’s remains were taken to Redden’s Funeral Home where his cremains were then given to Geronimo’s daughter Britney. St. Vincent de Paul members, Pattie Hughes and Liz Martucci, were able to arrange for this service free of charge.
My husband Terry and his siblings offered a place in the grave of their parents, James and Kathleen Quinn, in Calvary Cemetery, Queens. James and Kathleen were themselves immigrants from Ireland. Through the generosity of the Social Justice Ministry and funds raised by generous parishioners, we were able to open the grave and Geronimo was laid to rest with Terry’s parents.”
A beautiful funeral Mass was said by Michael Hilbert, S. J. in Spanish and members of Ignatian Social Justice Ministry were lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and led the mourners in song with Amazing Grace. “In his death, Geronimo Valverde has also taught us another important lesson – that whether we are from a small farm in Ireland, the mountains of Ecuador, or an apartment on the Upper East Side, we all share a common humanity.”
Selim Kilik from Peace Islands Institute expressed these words from his Muslim faith: “For migrants and asylum seekers, who face immense difficulties, our help becomes an act of profound spiritual significance.
Consider the historical precedent set by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself.
When his early followers faced severe persecution in Mecca, they sought refuge elsewhere.
The Prophet, in an act of profound foresight and compassion, advised them to migrate to (modern-day Ethiopia), a Christian kingdom ruled by King (Najashi).
He described King Najashi as a “just king” in whose land no one was wronged. This historical event is a powerful example of interfaith solidarity and the imperative to offer protection to those fleeing oppression, regardless of their faith.
The Prophet understood that justice and compassion go beyond religious boundaries, and he sought refuge for his people in a place where these values were upheld. In conclusion, the importance of helping the less fortunate, including migrants, asylum seekers, and those seeking protection, is not merely a social obligation but a profound spiritual imperative deeply rooted in our traditions.”
Rev. Anne Marie Witchger, Priest-in-Charge at St. Mark’s in-the-Bowery, remarked: We’ve heard harrowing stories of the journeys people have made to get to this country. Unlike my grandmother who came directly by boat, migrants arriving in the United States today have often crossed many borders–by plane, by boat, by car, and on foot. By the time they get to New York, they are broke, exhausted, confused–and depending on what they’ve experienced, traumatized by violence or near-death experiences.
At our church, St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, we run a Welcome Center which serves about one hundred new New Yorkers each week, mostly from West Africa. We’re kind of a scrappy program. We don’t have much funding. We depend on the incredible gifts and energy of our amazing and deeply devoted volunteers–some of whom are here tonight. We offer food, haircuts, clothing, English tutoring, health resources, legal support, mentorship, and one-on-one services as needed.
But the most important thing we do is we try to create an environment where people can relax and be themselves. We don’t ask for any personal information; we don’t have any requirements to participate. We encourage people to sit and stay; to talk, to laugh, to play games, to share their stories. We set out prayer mats so folks can pray when they need to. We try to convey that we care–that St. Mark’s is a safe place where everyone is welcome and where we strive to understand each other–with the same spirit of a God who believes in and understands all people.
As the climate in our country grows increasingly hostile, inhumane, and unjust we know who we are called to be–we know how we are called to be. We are committed to remaining a place of safety and care for all people; we are committed to expanding our welcome; and we are committed to preserving the dignity of our neighbors because all children–all people–deserve to know that they belong.”
The final reflection was offered by Rev. Zack Nyein from St. Bartholomew’s on Park Avenue.
“Indeed, I owe my faith largely to my dad. Although he was nominally Buddhist, he felt it was important for me to have a spiritual community and growing up in small town Tennessee I often joke that the closest thing to Buddhism there was the relatively free-spirited Episcopal Church. It was in that tradition that I learned about a Jesus of compassion, welcome, reconciliation and breaking down walls and barriers — one who has been in so many ways hijacked by those who would have such a distorted gospel of Christ as to suggest that empathy is a sin. It has been said the greatest act of identity theft of our time has been committed against Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I am committed to reclaiming Jesus — to taking him back for the sake of love, liberation, and life.
Today I stand in solidarity with all immigrants and refugees of goodwill echoing Episcopal Bishop Marianne Budde’s call for mercy and compassion towards all our neighbors — documented and undocumented, of every age race and gender, nation, station and orientation. I wish to close with a new version of the classic hymn Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus that I wrote as an offering, a prayer and a charge to my fellow Christians and all friends of Jesus of every faith and none.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus
From hate reclaim his name
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus
God’s kingdom now proclaim
With mercy ever flowing,
His movement leads the way—
In liberating action,
We serve and hope and pray.
Stand up, stand up for Justice
All you who wear the cross
Stand up, stand up for Justice
For all the least and lost.
Still countless crucifixions
Stain earth with grief and pain;
The Lamb who bore our violence
Now calls us to love’s reign.
Stand up, stand up for mercy,
Towards all humanity
Stand up, stand up for mercy,
In solidarity
With immigrants and strangers
— and foreigners in our midst
Remember, our dear Jesus
Was once denied, dismissed.
Stand up, stand up for kindness,
Compassion, peace, and joy
Stand up, stand up for kindness,
The Spirit’s gifts deploy.
From those who would misuse it
His name we will retrieve
The loving name of Jesus
In whom true saints believe.”
Each speaker offered a powerful story that lingered with the beautiful music accompaniment. The thread of the corporal works of mercy by the power of the Holy Spirit were woven into each reflection, as each of us did not know the content of each reflection.
As Rev. Mark Hallinan, S.J. closed with his prayer, silence was palpable:
“O God most holy,
pour forth your mercy and compassion
on all who are present in our country seeking
refuge; seeking hope for a better future for
themselves and for those whom they love.
Too many of your sons and daughters now
live in fear – fear that the lives they have
created here will be taken from them,
fear that their loved ones will be imprisoned,
fear that their children will be separated from them,
fear that they will be returned to places where their
safety and their future are at risk.
Give them strength, O God, and let us be for them
your consoling presence.
Have mercy on us, O God, for the fear of your
children has been visited upon them by a government
acting in our name.
May our shame at what is being done in
our name move us, by your grace, to be fearless
advocates for all migrants, refugees, and asylum
seekers. Give us the wisdom to serve them well.
As we go forth into this night, let your light, O God,
shine forth through us to cast out the darkness that
overshadows too many of your precious sons and daughters.
In your most holy and precious name, we pray, Amen.”
— Jean Santopatre, Pastoral Associate
June 22, 2025 Essay: Food For The Work to Which We Are Called
Celebrating the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we remember that this gift of inestimable value was given to us as food to strengthen us for the work to which we are called as his disciples.
At the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples, all the gospels, except for the gospel of John, portrayed Jesus as offering bread to them that he declared to be his body, and wine that he declared to be his blood. In that moment, they could not have understood what it was that Jesus was offering them. Despite the best efforts of Jesus to prepare them for his imminent suffering and death, the disciples were unable to grasp what Jesus was saying to them. This is why they failed Jesus so miserably at the time of his arrest. They panicked in the face of Jesus’ arrest by armed agents of the Jewish leadership. It was only after his resurrection from the dead that the disciples could begin to comprehend what it was that Jesus left them in his final meal with them.
Through the lens of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples could see that Jesus had offered the sacrifice of his body and blood on the cross to liberate us from our slavery to sin so as to live in the freedom of God’s sons and daughters. His sacrifice was the result of human sinfulness, but offered in complete freedom by Jesus in conformity to the will of God for him. Having been faithful to the Father even unto death, God raised Jesus from the dead. His victory destroyed the power of sin and death once and for all. In his resurrection, life and love are now, and forever will be, victorious. Recalling their last supper with Jesus, the disciples understood that when they gathered again to remember Jesus, to remember his life and teaching, he would be present to them once more in that gathering, and in a very powerful way in the bread they would break together and in the cup they would share. In the bread that was broken and in the cup that was shared, Jesus was giving them the perpetual food of his body and blood so that they could properly remember him. And the only proper remembrance of Jesus was to make Jesus present in the world through the witness of their lives. In this way, their gathering in remembrance of Jesus would not be a static event, but a dynamic event. It would propel them outward to give courageous witness in the world to all that Jesus lived and taught.
When we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, it is not a private prayer. It is the communal prayer of the Body of Christ of which all the baptized are members. Jesus is present in all who are gathered. He is present in the Word that is proclaimed because Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. He is present in the priest who presides over our gathering and acts in the person of Jesus Christ to unite our prayer in Christ. Jesus then becomes present, through the power of God’s Spirit, in the bread and wine that are offered by all who are gathered to remember him. Fed by Jesus, we are sent forth to be Jesus in the world.
On this day when there are often Eucharistic processions, we should remember that after every celebration of the Eucharist there is a procession in the world. That procession is us! We leave the Church to reveal Jesus, not as a host enshrined in a monstrance, but as a living presence within us who becomes manifest to others by the way we incarnate in our lives his all-inclusive love and mercy, his abiding compassion for all who are in need or suffering.
— Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J., Associate Pastor
June 15, 2025: The Sweater and the Sword: Two Visions of ManhoodMen must choose how they will live out the fatherly roles they will inevitably be called to fulfill. While some of us are parents to children, we all have vocations that include the call to serve, mentor, nurture, and care for others. As the dad of two sons, I have learned that fulfilling my call to fatherhood involves equal parts creative improvisation and emulating role models. Among the men who have inspired me in my vocation as “father”—a role I also fulfill in my vocations of teacher, mentor, and friend—are Fred Rogers and his colleague “Officer” Francois Clemmons, Oscar Romero, Henri Nouwen, Jackie Robinson, and Thomas Merton. Some were parents, all are father figures. They were prophetic yet gentle; servant leaders who were courageous, embracive, wise, and open to ever-evolving growth. They were loving and compassionate and believed in the power of truth.
In our Catholic tradition, the archetype of fatherhood is St. Joseph. When I became a first-time dad with the birth of my Michael in 2008, a colleague gave me a wooden statue of St. Joseph, with a note—“he’s a good saint for dads.” Synchronistically, around that time, I was asked to give a presentation on Joseph from biblical and spiritual perspectives. As I review the reflections I prepared, I see that the Spirit gave me that opportunity to articulate for myself and others the kind of dad and man I wanted to be. “Joseph was the first teacher of Jesus; in addition to carpentry, Joseph taught his son patience, good judgment, truthfulness, faith, hope, and love; he’s the one who answered Jesus’ questions about religion, and did all this with quiet humility. He must have been solid, steady, always there. For Joseph, it was never about him.”
Joseph’s and Mr. Roger’s fatherliness, their expression of masculinity, is in competition with a more aggressive, crude expression that seems to currently have a perverse appeal to many men, especially the young. Journalist and commentator David Brooks likens it to a form of neo-paganism—“This ethos encourages egotists to puff themselves up and boast in a way they find urgently satisfying; self-love is the only form of love they know… Think of Achilles slaughtering his enemies before the walls of Troy. For a certain sort of perpetual boy, what could be cooler than that? But there is little compassion in this worldview, no concept that humility might be a virtue. There is a callous tolerance of cruelty.” Contrast the violence and pride of Achilles with the patience and gentleness of St. Joseph, or with the other fatherly role models I have mentioned above.
I don’t think I need to call out the morally diminutive men on our public stage who embody this paganism—their name is legion and their negative example is clear. I find hope, however, in the many examples of authentic fatherliness and healthy masculinity that serve as a counter-witness to this toxicity. Recently, Pope Leo XIV has been especially inspiring. His Urbi et Orbi remarks on the day of his election were replete with prayers for peace and stressed the importance of dialogue and bridge-building, of solidarity and care for the vulnerable. What the pope has been modeling for us thus far is not only a style of leadership, but a way of being a man that is characterized by gentleness, decency, humility, and being with and for others. He is acting like a father and a gentleman, and I’m personally delighted to see an American on the world stage exemplifying these traits. We all—especially we men—can learn something from him!
On this Fathers Day I invite you to contemplate your patron saints of fatherhood. I pray that they will bless and inspire you as you work, in your own way, to bring love, patience, dignity, compassion and heartfelt expressions of care to others.
— Brian Pinter, Pastoral Associate
June 8, 2025 Essay: O, Holy Spirit Come!Have you ever heard that small, but mighty voice that gently guides you to act on something? Many times, in my life, I have heard and responded to that voice. I refer to it as the Holy Spirit— the ruah—which is called “breath,” “wind,” or “spirit”—the third person of the Holy Trinity. It’s often used in Hebrew Scriptures to refer to the Holy Spirit of God, or the breath of God that animates all living things.
On Pentecost, we are reminded of the way the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ Apostles as a flame of light. This ignited their spirit to speak in tongues—other languages — so that people would understand the words as they preached the good news of Jesus Christ. In this gospel story, everyone understood the words in their respective languages and understood what the Apostles preached. This was a miracle and a testimony to their Faith. Faith in the message that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah—the human and divine being—not an earthly “king” that was to save the Jewish people by power and glory. Jesus came to save humankind by his teachings, suffering, and death on a cross.
Jesus was the suffering servant who came to save souls. Jesus taught humankind to go out in love and compassion, and to have faith and trust that God will lead each of us to exactly where we are meant to be with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, God communicates with each of us in a very personal way. Take time to rest and notice when and where God sends the Holy Spirit to convey God’s loving message to you.
Reverend Thomas Troeger was a professor of Homiletics at Yale Divinity School, a widely recognized hymn writer, and Presbyterian preacher who wrote this poem: The Wind that Stirs the Sea to Sing. As you read it, discern what grace you need the Holy Spirit to impart on you.
The wind that stirs the sea to sing,
to surge and roar and drum,
is echoed in the prayer we bring:
O Holy Spirit, Come!
Arise and blow from God’s deep core,
a steady, driving gale,
and fill this church forevermore
with faith that will not fail.
Breathe as the breath of life that lifts
our hearts to sing your praise
for all the rich and varied gifts
that bless our nights and days.
Then with your flame and wind ignite
the hope we sing and pray:
that we will follow Christ the light,
the truth, the life, the way.
Till we, like Peter, find the strength
to live each day this creed:
your love, its breadth and depth and length.,
encircles every need.
And then the song within our heart
Will sound in harmony
With that great hymn that you impart
To wind and shore and sea.
Ponder how this poem speaks to you. How might your gifts and graces received from the Holy Spirit propel you into action, give you rest, or renewal, and restore your faith and compassion in this messy world? Allow the song in your heart, along with the wind and shore and sea, to light the way of Christ as you journey onward.
Pray for the grace of the flame and wind to ignite the Holy Spirit into your life and into the world for peace in these challenging and complicated days.
Every Blessing —
Jean Santopatre, Pastoral Associate
June 1, 2025 Essay: Open Letter to Parish FamiliesWe are members of the LGBT Catholics and Friends ministry at the parish, and we are writing to urge you to talk with your children and grandchildren in hopes of bringing greater awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth.
The month of June is Pride Month, and the Pope’s prayer intention for this month is for Compassion: “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his Heart, learn to have compassion on the world.” It seems like a providential time, as the Church mourns the passing of Pope Francis and celebrates the election of Pope Leo XIV, to express respect, compassion, and sensitivity.
Our ministry focuses on faith, prayer, and service to our community. It provides opportunities for spiritual enrichment, builds community through fellowship, sharing and support, and strives to serve our community through volunteer opportunities focusing on LGBT people, their needs, and concerns.
You may or may not know that LGBT youths—children, really—comprise a large percentage of the overall population of homeless youths in the US. Through our interactions with people that offer care and counseling to this group of homeless children, we must distressingly acknowledge that many come from Christian families who have thrown them out because of their sexual orientation. Many people have the idea that their Catholic faith deems their children to be sinful because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a consequence, instead of listening to their child, the family ostracizes the child or worse, rejects them and throws them out of their homes. Rather than supporting their child or sibling or grandchild, they abandon them. Now more alone than ever, it is not uncommon for LGBT young people to run away from a Christian home or to be pushed out, through verbally harsh and sometimes, physical abuse, by family members.
With nowhere to turn, many kids wind up on the streets without a place to sleep. The streets are not a place for kids, many of whom are prostituted, drawn into substance abuse, and/or suffer mental health challenges. And many kids, feeling abandoned, commit suicide. Kids deserve better from all of us. They deserve the love, care, and the comfort of a home, all of which are instrumental in a child’s development—emotionally, physically, mentally and in the building of their faith. They need family and parental support and understanding.
While lay organizations assist homeless youths, and ministries such as ours reach out where we are able, we want to try to reduce runaways by changing the way their families react to LGBT kids. Parents and families need to hear from their Church that LGBT children should be loved, cherished, and respected, that their LGBT kids are beloved children of God. This topic is not an easy one and is likely the reason why rarely, if ever, this message of God’s love is specifically addressed to this population of his children,
In an interview on this subject, Pope Francis encouraged parents to love their LGBT children: “God is Father, and he does not disown any of his children.” He continued by saying, “The church is a mother and calls together all her children…. Take for example the parable of those invited to the feast: ‘the just, the sinners, the rich and the poor, etc.’ [Matthew 22:1-15; Luke 14:15-24]. A ‘selective’ church, one of ‘pure blood,’ is not Holy Mother Church, but rather a sect.”
Our hope is that this message will be shared among the members of the parish. Our intent is to foster greater awareness to this issue, and to urge you to help facilitate change by sharing a different narrative—our God loves LGBT kids.
We hope you will consider speaking out and making our Church’s welcome of all persons clear, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Sincerely yours,
LGBT Catholics and Friends Ministry
May 25, 2025 Essay: A Reason to DanceIn two weeks, the Church will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. In some respects, Pentecost is like Christmas. At Christmas we celebrate the coming among us of God the Son in Jesus. On Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of God the Holy Spirit to the apostles to be with the Church as long as the world lasts. The physical Jesus has left our world, but the Holy Spirit is here to stay. So Pentecost gives us much to rejoice and be glad about.
I am reminded of the beginning of a poem that speaks of the excitement of Pentecost.
Start with my toes
you old Ghost
Spirit the soles of my shoes
and teach me a Pentecostal
Boogaloo
Sprain my ankles with dancing
Sandal around my feet,
to roam with me in the rain
and feel at home in my footprints.
What the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost did for the apostles – roaming around with them and at home in their footsteps—is what the Spirit does for the Church in every age. The clearest description of the work of the Spirit was given by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Any Christian community is at its strongest when these gifts shine forth.
I am sure we all know people who typify for us one or more of these marvelous qualities. Take, for example, this obituary notice in The New York Times of the death of a Jesuit priest: Hart, Daniel J., S.J. Your Christianity has been a source of inspiration to countless retreatants. You never judged. You only loved. Thank you for having touched our lives.
He never judged. He only loved. Surely this was God shining forth in him.
There is a special prayer that is part of the liturgy of Pentecost. Normally, this comes just after the second scripture reading. It is known as the Sequence. Let me share with you an original translation of the Pentecost Sequence – the work of a modern classics scholar.
Come Holy Spirit and send out a ray of your uplifting light.
Come, Father of the poor, Giver of gifts,
Source of enthusiasm,
Best Comforter, gentle of hearts,
In time of activity – calm
In time of confusion – peace
In time of sorrow – comfort.
Blessed light of awareness, renew the hearts of your faithful.
Without your guidance we have nothing, nothing is undeserved.
Clarify what is unclear for me, heal what is hurt.
Make what is inflexible in me elastic, what is frightened in me fearless,
What is inconsistent in me, constant.
Grant your gifts of peace to all who trust in you.
Give a reward of courage, perseverance and eternal joy.
As we prepare for the great Feast of Pentecost, may you experience deep within you the peace of God’s Holy Spirit.
— William J. Bergen, S.J.
May 18, 2025 Essay: Notes from Our New CatholicsTwenty-six adults were received into the Catholic Church at the April 19 Easter Vigil. Here are a few highlights of their journeys to the Catholic faith.
“Have you ever considered becoming Catholic?” asked my dear friend two years ago. Perhaps the seed was planted then, or maybe it was earlier in 2018 when I first visited Rome and felt an inexplicably strong emotional reaction when first entering the Colonnade of Saints at St. Peter’s Basilica, or even earlier still when I met my Catholic partner in the late 1990s. What was clear to me was that the Holy Spirit was trying to awaken me for many years. The OCIA program at St. Ignatius Loyola finally allowed me to open the ear of my heart and begin the formal journey of becoming Catholic, teaching me along the way that my core values align with the Church. I will be ever grateful for this opportunity—and to our devoted OCIA team! – Mitch Howell
Throughout my life, I have had various interactions with different faiths. My husband is Jewish, and before I met him, I explored Buddhism. However, it was during my struggle with infertility that I developed a deep connection with God. Over a five-year period, I prayed daily for the blessing of a child. After experiencing seven miscarriages, my husband and I were finally blessed with our son on the eighth attempt. Although I believed God’s hand played a part in this miracle, it was the acceptance of my son into Saint Ignatius Loyola Elementary School, which initiated my decision to join the Catholic Church. I felt compelled to live as a devoted servant to God, grateful for the blessings and miracles in my life, and to share my faith with my son as he embarks on his Catholic upbringing. – Jennifer G.
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I was drawn to the Catholic faith for many reasons, but perhaps the most formative was my experience providing tech support for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange during 2020. I had the honor of assisting with Zoom meetings throughout the formation process for more than 100 sisters around the world. Their example moved me deeply and set me firmly on the path to becoming Catholic. – Alex Marcus
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At first in OCIA, we met as strangers in a room at the Parish. Then, in these moments of meeting, a flame was awakened within me and we became friends in Jesus. These little moments of being together, like snapshots, were given to me, to carry with me. Jesus had friends. Now I have a community to share and connect with. I love receiving the Eucharist and asking the saints to pray for me. I am letting this flame within guide me. – Xavier Mejia
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The “call of God” manifested itself not as a voice in my head or a mystical vision, but in a continual drive to learn more and improve myself through my relationship with Christ. As I learned more about Catholicism and the Jesuits, often through the books of Father James Martin, S.J., but more often through the examples of my wonderful wife, I found myself wanting to learn more. I’ve come to understand this continued interest as my call from God. The Jesuit concept of finding God in all things led me to believe you can find God in yourself, too. This belief continually drives me to know myself better, implicitly leading me to getting to know God better. It is immensely comforting to know that the process of discovering your true self, the self God wants you to be, can be the same process of developing your relationship to God. – Alex Blake
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Raising my child Catholic, studying, and learning with him made me understand that I wanted to be on this journey of growing in faith together with him. My Christian faith was always important to me, but now I had come to the realization that I was ready to embrace the Catholic faith and its teachings, and to become Catholic. Joining the OCIA group was such a blessing. Each meeting was really special, and our catechists were outstanding. I am also grateful for Father Yesalonia’s visits to our group. I am happy that now together with my child we can pray, receive the Eucharist, and be part of the community of Saint Ignatius Loyola. – Anonymous
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Becoming Catholic feels like becoming who I’ve been all along. Both of my parents were from large Catholic families, but we were almost completely removed from the church while I was growing up. Nor did I have any interest throughout many years of adulthood. Catholicism suddenly spoke to me about a year ago, and it was like discovering something that had been present in me, quietly, my whole life. Still, I was surprised and doubtful: isn’t Catholicism restrictive and regressive? Won’t it be a hassle to have to get to Mass every Sunday? What I have found, instead, is a community bursting with warmth, the depth and richness of Mass, and a sense of inner vitality, inspiration, and ideals. I’m happy to be at St Ignatius Loyola! Anonymous
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My spiritual quest to become Catholic started with my fiancé, who is a St. Ignatius parishioner. It was important for him to raise our future family in the Catholic faith, so naturally it became important to me. I felt called to pursue this process of inquiring into Catholic faith, and it has brought me closer to my fiancé. Sunday Mass is a time for us to reconnect with our faith and each other. Thank you to the OCIA team for making me feel at home, in helping me grow in Catholic faith and values, and for their dedication in making this process so life changing. – Abbey Roberts
May 11, 2025 Essay: The Message of Laudato SiPope Francis was clearly one of the most popular religious leaders of our time. With his love for the poor, his embrace of the outcaste, and his genuine humility, he captured the hearts of millions—Christian and non-Christian alike. He inspired many by his willingness to address difficult issues such as ecology, economy, and equity, which he saw as inextricably linked. Indeed, these three interwoven issues are at the heart of his Papal encyclical, Laudato Si, which is the first encyclical on the environment in the history of the Church.
First, the encyclical addresses ecology. Pope Francis, following in the tradition of Francis of Assisi, celebrates the natural world as a sacred gift. He does this with his reference to St. Francis’ “Canticle of Brother Sun, Sister Moon” in the title of the encyclical “Praised Be”. The kinship with all creation that St Francis intuited we now understand as complex ecological relationships that have evolved over billions of years. For Pope Francis, these relationships have a natural order or “grammar” that needs to be understood, respected, and valued.
Second, the encyclical speaks about the economy. Within this valuing of nature, the Pope encourages us to see the human economy as a subsystem of nature’s economy, namely the dynamic interaction of life in ecosystems. Without a healthy natural ecology, there is not a sustainable economy and vice versa. They are inevitably interdependent. Moreover, we cannot ignore pollution or greenhouse gases as externalities that are not factored into full cost accounting. This is because, for Pope Francis, profit over people or at the expense of the planet is not genuine profit. This is what has happened with fossil fuels, causing a climate emergency with droughts, fire, flooding, and rising seas.
Third, the encyclical highlights equity. From this perspective, working within the limits of nature’s economy can lead to thriving human societies. In contrast, exploiting the Earth and using fossil fuels without limits has led to increased human inequities. Ecosystems are being undermined by climate disruption, and the poor are the most likely to suffer. The Pope recognizes that such a distorted economic system results in impoverished and unjust social systems. Thus he speaks of the interlinked “cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”
The encyclical is not anti-modernity but hopes to reconfigure the idea of progress. “Not blind opposition to progress but opposition to blind progress” as the environmentalist, John Muir, said. The Pope critiques a throwaway economy where humans are saturated in materialism. He calls for genuine progress where the health of both people and the planet are fostered. As the former head of the Pontifical Academy of Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Turkson, said, “We need to learn to work together in a framework that links economic prosperity with both social inclusion and protection of the natural world.” This linkage of ecology, economy, and equity is what is being called an “integral ecology” and is central to the encyclical.
Such an integral ecology clearly requires interdisciplinary cooperation as we find our path forward on a planet of more than 8 billion people. We need to understand more fully the challenges the world is facing in terms of economic development and environmental protection. These are not easy to reconcile. Indeed, the international community has been seeking answers since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 set forth a framework for sustainable development. The world is ever more in need of an integral ecology that brings together a fresh understanding that people and the planet are part of one interdependent life community. Such an integral ecology affirms the cooperation of science and values, knowing that our problems will not be solved without both. Climate change is requiring moral change. Laudato Si will continue to be an inspiration for worldwide efforts that are bringing together ecology and ethics for the flourishing of the Earth community.
— Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
May 4, 2025 Essay: The Shame of Our NationThere is a genuine moral crisis in our nation today. In our name, migrant residents in this country have been sent to a foreign prison without a proper process for vetting who they are and the threat they pose. This not only violates fundamental principles that have long defined us as a nation, but also fundamental moral principles that define us as Christians.
Writing to the bishops of the United States, Pope Francis reminded them, and us, that “the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person” is the foundation stone upon which we build a just social order. When we speak of “infinite and transcendent dignity,” Pope Francis tells us, “we want to emphasize that the most decisive value possessed by the human person surpasses and sustains every other juridical consideration that can be made to regulate life in society. Thus, all the Christian faithful and people of good will are called upon to consider the legitimacy of norms and public policies in the light of the dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental rights.”
Using this standard, it is clear that the policy of mass deportations is a gross violation of human rights. Invoking the Alien Enemies Act provided the current administration a pretext for the swift removal of Venezuelans and El Salvadorans to a prison in El Salvador. The administration argued that those who were deported were members of either the El Salvadoran gang, MS-13, or the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, whose presence in the United States represented a “predatory incursion” that threatened national security. What we have now discovered is that the designation of individuals as members of either gang was done in a way that was deeply flawed and provided no opportunity for individuals to dispute the charges made against them.
A case that currently dominates the news is that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is a 29-year-old El Salvadoran who has been living in this country since 2019 under “a withholding from removal order” intended to prevent his deportation to his homeland. With that order, Garcia obtained a work permit from the Department of Homeland Security under the first Trump administration that allowed him to become a union sheet-metal worker. Designating Garcia a member of MS-13, he was sent to the terrorist confinement center in El Salvador. The failure of the administration to take action to return him to the United States led to a stinging rebuke by federal appellate justice J. Harvie Wilkinson, a Reagan appointee: “It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter. But in this case, it is not hard at all. The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear.”
Rendition of persons to a foreign prison without fair adjudication of facts is not only a shocking breach of the constitutional principles that are the foundation of our democracy, but, more importantly, a shocking breach of our obligation to protect “the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person.” How can we live with ourselves knowing that there are persons unjustly deprived of their liberty, languishing in inhumane conditions, and that they suffer this fate due to actions of our government taken in our name?
I suspect there will come a day when persons will look back to this time and ask, “Why didn’t they act?” I know with certainty that if we don’t act, God will one day ask us, “Why didn’t you?”
— Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J., Associate Pastor
April 27, 2025 Essay: Doctor, Will You Pray for Me?: Medicine, Chaplains and Healing the Whole PersonAs a medical intern, I once treated a young woman with metastatic breast cancer. Every morning, her sparkling blue eyes looked up at me with hope. I did as much as possible for her medically, but unfortunately, her cancer spread further. She developed ongoing fevers and nausea, and soon rarely glanced at me when I entered her room. Most days, she lay on her side, fatigued, her face turned to the wall.
She was Catholic, and one day, I noticed that a priest had started visiting her. A week later, when I entered the room, she looked up at me again and smiled. I sensed that she felt a renewed connection to something beyond her.
Sadly, she died a month later, but had seemed far less despondent. Her priest had offered her something that I could not.
Patients with serious disease and their families commonly feel fear and despair and come to value spiritual and religious beliefs. Seventy-two percent of Americans believe in the power of prayer. Attendance at religious services has also been associated with lower risk of death, suicide, and substance abuse, and less depression.
Yet hospitalized patients and their families often are unable to attend their houses of worship or don’t have one. Chaplains thus fill crucial gaps. As the religious makeup of the U.S. has changed in recent years, their profession has begun to do so, too. Board-certified chaplains are now increasingly trained to help patients of diverse beliefs. To learn what they do, I recently conducted an in-depth study, speaking with 50 chaplains from across the country and from different faiths, and wrote a book, Doctor, Will You Pray for Me?: Medicine, Chaplains and Healing the Whole Person, presenting the extraordinary inspiration and insights I found.
One chaplain, for instance, told me about a despondent patient who was dying and felt that his life was not worth living and that he was a burden to others. The chaplain picked up a piece of bread from the patient’s meal tray and said,
“Bread is really amazing, isn’t it? Just to enjoy the taste of a piece of bread! Maybe life is not meant to be lived according to external accomplishments. What if it’s okay just to enjoy the days you have?” The patient brightened and felt a renewed sense of meaning.
Often, chaplains are the only staff with time to talk to patients, whom they can therefore get to know well. Every night at 2 a.m., one patient phoned the on-call nurse, complaining of pain. The staff tried altering his medicine without success. Finally, a chaplain spoke to the patient, who turned out to be carrying significant guilt from his mother’s suicide when he was 18. When the chaplain arranged for the man’s elder siblings to talk about it, they were “aghast,” the chaplain told me. “They reminded him that their mother had mental health issues: ‘Don’t you remember?’ It was like a 50-pound weight had been lifted. After that, he never again called the nurses at night.”
Chaplains also serve as critical mediators in conflicts among patients, families and physicians. At another hospital, a teenager who was dying wanted to donate his organs. Soon he was brain dead and on life support, which surgeons planned to remove in the operating room. The boy’s family wanted to be present when he died, but the surgeons refused for fear that they’d disrupt the procedure.
Presented with an impasse, a chaplain negotiated a solution: The family would dress in sterile gowns and stay in the theater for three minutes. The family and physicians sang “Amazing Grace,” the boy’s favorite song. When he died, the mother said to the chaplain: “Thank you for that gift. . .. We got to sing my son into heaven.”
To countless families and patients, chaplains, I saw, offer invaluable gifts.
– Robert Klitzman, MD