We are not born whole cloth. The fabric of who we are, of who we aspire to be, and who we become is woven over the course of our lives. What may appear to be seamless is stitched together through relationships, most especially with the threads of love shared from birth between a sister and a brother – lifetime companions on a journey of exploration, from youthful whimsy to the challenges of aging. It is a bond that can never be broken. Whether in life or after the passing of one, the threads of mutual affection are so tightly stitched into who they have become that even death cannot unravel the tapestries of their individual lives.
On Thursday of this past week, I presided at the Funeral Mass of my sister, Betty Ann, in the same church where both she and I were baptized sixteen months apart. After three weeks in the hospital, knowing that her heart was irreparably failing and she was dying, she wanted to go home, to die in the house she had lived in most of her life, first with our parents, and then with her two daughters. My sister quite clearly and repeatedly told us that she wanted to leave the hospital and go home. A woman of extraordinary religious faith, given the circumstances of her life, I believe she was telling us that she wanted to go to the one place where she would be at peace. It was so fitting that her Funeral Mass was celebrated in the same church of her baptism where her faith life began. It was her spiritual home that foreshadowed the home she so longed for at the end of her life.
I acknowledge the fact that every brother can be effusive in his comments about his sister in significant moments, such as death. With all due respect to all siblings, my sister was the real thing. She loved her family, and she loved me more than I deserved. She regularly wrote to me about how proud she was of me because of my accomplishments and that she loved me as her brother. I regret now that I failed to return the sentiments on an equally regular basis. A woman who shied away from public speaking, she was eloquent beyond words in the way in which she lived her life, cared for her family and friends, and prayed with a devotion that was inspirational. On occasions too numerous to count, she would call or text me to request prayers for someone who she believed needed them. She had an elegantly beautiful heart that shone brightly in everything she said and did. Her heart was full of goodness for so many, family, friends, and strangers. In the end, she surrendered her heart to the one who she knew would greet her warmly at the moment of her death and welcome her home.
At my sister’s Funeral Mass, I chose the gospel passage about the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary—Martha, the hard worker, and Mary, the sister who sat at the foot of Jesus. Both were attentive to Jesus, but in different ways. My sister combined both these qualities. However, unlike the story in the gospel, my sister never complained about being a diligent worker, and for that matter, never, ever, said an unkind word about anyone.
As I write this essay, I am reminded of another gospel story of Martha and Mary. It is the account of the raising of their brother, Lazarus, from his death. When Jesus asked Martha whether she believed that that he was “the resurrection and the life” and that her brother lives, Martha answered, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” At the end of her life, my sister revealed how much she was like Martha. She believed that her death was the beginning of a new life. Her resurrection was assured because of her deep and abiding love for Jesus and his Blessed Mother. It is that reality that we celebrated at her funeral.
As we continue our Lenten journey, we are guided by our belief that Jesus lives. He truly is the resurrection and the life. And for those of us who have or have had a sibling, let us give thanks to God for the one person who assuredly walks as a companion with us, whether in life or in death, and who one day, and in God’s time, will accompany us home.
— Fr. Dennis J. Yesalonia, S.J., Pastor
March 1, 2026 Essay: An Issue We Cannot IgnoreAddressing our nation’s response to the immigrants among us, our Catholic Church has been clear in holding to two truths. A nation has the right to secure its borders in the furtherance of the common good. At the same time, every person who has entered this country has an inherent dignity that must be respected and protected. These are the twin truths that must guide our response to the current crisis of immigration enforcement.
Targeted apprehension of those who have violated the welcome they have received, through the commission of violent crimes, is necessary and appropriate. Affording them proper due process, such individuals are appropriate subjects for deportation. What is happening currently, however, is a policy of apprehension and detention of any and all persons who are not currently United States citizens. These apprehensions and detentions are being fueled by arbitrary quotas which, in turn, have led to aggressive tactics by federal agents whose use of force has been highly criticized. The aim is the mass deportation of millions of people without regard to the contribution they have made to our society. Pope Leo and the United States bishops have forcefully denounced efforts at indiscriminate mass deportations.
The detention of all who have been apprehended is part of this policy. In the past, individuals apprehended for being in the United States without status would often result in persons being released on bond while their case was adjudicated so long as there was no history of criminal activity. Detaining all those who have been apprehended is intended to force persons to choose self-deportation over the uncertainty of detention for an indeterminate period. The result has been the rapid opening of detention centers whose conditions have been routinely criticized for failing to provide adequate food, appropriate medical care, and failing to protect the safety of those detained. At least 30 people died in detention last year—the highest number in two decades. There have been at least four deaths so far in 2026. A Cuban immigrant’s death in an El Paso detention center in January was ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner.
We need to put a human face on what our government is doing in our name.
Alberto Castaneda Mondragon was pulled from a friend’s car in Minneapolis in January. He was a roofer without legal status in this country. He was taken to a local hospital after federal agents alleged that he “purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall.” He had suffered eight fractures in his skull that the medical team determined were not consistent with running into a brick wall. At least one ICE officer later told staff at the medical center that Mondragon “got his (expletive) rocked.” Released from custody, he continues to suffer the consequences of a traumatic brain injury.
An 18-month-old baby, Amalia, was held with her parents at a south Texas detention facility. Amalia became sick and her condition rapidly deteriorated. Taken to a San Antonio hospital, she was treated for pneumonia, COVID-19, RSV, and severe respiratory distress. Despite warnings from medical experts that the toddler remained medically vulnerable and at risk of reinfection, immigration officers returned Amalia and her mother to the detention center. There she was denied prescribed medication and nutrition supplements doctors provided. Aggressive efforts by Elora Mukherjee of Columbia Law School’s Immigrants Rights Clinic eventually secured the families’ release from detention.
“Solving our immigration problems will have to include controlling our borders and deporting undocumented individuals who have committed violent crimes. But solutions rooted in the order of grace cannot countenance the vilification of the undocumented or the indiscriminate deportation of millions of undocumented men and women…who have lived productively and peacefully in our land for decades and who contribute to our society so many of the values that we are desperately in need of.” Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, D.C.
— Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J., Associate Pastor
February 22, 2026 Essay: Hearing God’s Call[On this First Sunday of Lent, our parish celebrates two Rites for 31 adults: the Rite of Sending for our catechumens (preparing for baptism) and the Call to Continuing Conversion (for our already baptized candidates). This afternoon at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Archbishop Ronald Hicks welcomes the catechumens, accepting their desire to be baptized into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. This essay is written by Jennifer Gunsberger, who was baptized and received into the Church in 2025.]
Becoming Catholic was not a sudden decision but rather a fifty-year journey. God was always a presence in my life. My mother is Catholic, my father is Protestant. We all attended Catholic Church as I grew up. In our community, our friends were Catholic or Jewish, so these were the religions that most influenced me. I was born in California in the 1970s and my parents encouraged me to choose my own religious path if I felt drawn to one.
From a young age, I maintained a private relationship with God. After my mother put me to bed, I would kneel and pray, “Dear God, if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take, Amen.” Then I would speak with God about my troubles. I continued to feel God’s presence, though I knew little about Catholic faith. I remember feeling embarrassed attending church with my parents: I did not know the Our Father, though both my parents did. I longed to learn this prayer and be part of that experience.
As I matured, I explored other religions, including Buddhism and Judaism; none of these paths resonated deeply with me. Despite these explorations, I continued maintaining a quiet conversation with God.
It was not until after I married, and faced a challenging five-year fertility journey that my faith deepened. I entrusted God with my hope for a child, praying day and night. I chose Saint Elizabeth as my Baptismal Name because I identified with her story—struggling with infertility later in life. After suffering through seven miscarriages, our eighth pregnancy brought us our son Charlie. The pregnancy was difficult, and each day I prayed that God would safely bring our child into the world.
On December 31, 2018, our miracle baby was born. From the moment I met my son, I felt there was something special about him. Even as a young child, he showed deep empathy for others, comforting friends who were upset and bringing smiles to strangers. His kindness and warmth seemed to draw people in wherever we went.
My journey with faith continued; ultimately, it was our son who led me closer to God. My husband and I began exploring faith-based schools because we were concerned about the environment in public schools. Although my husband is Jewish and I did not identify with any particular faith, we looked into Catholic schools. In April 2024, our son was accepted into Saint Ignatius Loyola School for kindergarten. As we considered his acceptance and what would be best for our family, a Catholic friend pointed out that this was a clear sign of God calling me to the Catholic Church. I realized she was right—God had been calling me for a long time, but now, through my son, I was brought to His doorstep.
I joined the OCIA process, studied the Bible, attended church, and learned about Christ as my son began his own religious education. Since becoming Catholic, I’ve experienced many blessings. Now, as members of Saint Ignatius Loyola in NYC and St. Patrick’s in Bedford, we attend church together, pray, and support each other. When my son faces challenges, I encourage him to consider Jesus’s example. I trust God has an important plan for him, and I am grateful to raise him in the Catholic faith. After fifty years, I have finally made my choice.
Jennifer Gunsberger, St. Ignatius Loyola Parishioner
February 15, 2026 Essay: Living the Gospel Beyond the ClassroomFaith and Love in Action
Psalm 119:33-34 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your decrees, and I will follow it to the end. Give me understanding, and I will observe your law and obey it with all my heart.
Each week from September through May, the Interparish Religious Education Program, affectionately known as IREP, gathers to teach and guide approximately 225 students, ages 3 to 18, deeper into their faith lives and prepare them for the sacraments. Our dedicated catechists work to help young people grow in knowledge and love of Christ, building an understanding of our faith to help sustain them throughout their lives.
But our mission extends far beyond the classroom walls. We remind our students that a faithful Christian life requires both heartfelt participation in the sacramental life of the Church and active, compassionate service in the world around us. Christ’s incarnation, God’s profound participation in our humanness, serves as our springboard, inspiring us to see Christ in all people and to care especially for those who are struggling, marginalized, or in need.
Living Out Our Faith Through Service
Throughout the year, IREP students engage in numerous service projects that transform their growing faith into tangible acts of love and charity. Our Youth Group students, grades 8-12, join us monthly for both service and fellowship.
Fall and Winter: We partner with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVdP) for the Thanksgiving food drive, supporting Ascension Food Pantry. This past Thanksgiving, student donations combined with parish contributions helped feed 250 families a Thanksgiving dinner, a powerful testament to what we can accomplish together. Our students also collect gifts for the Christmas gift drive, which benefits another New York City parish, ensuring that children across our city experience the joy of Christmas morning. Our eighth graders write letters to veterans on Veterans Day, expressing gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
Year-Round Commitment: Students support the SVdP blood drive twice annually, learning that even a simple donation can save lives in our community. IREP students and our Youth Group write heartfelt Christmas cards for all residents at Vista on Fifth, bringing warmth, connection, and the reminder that they are remembered and loved during the holiday season. Our eighth-grade teachers sponsor the annual Pasta Bowl during Super Bowl season for the 8th grade classes, the students donate and personally delivering pasta to the New York Common Pantry, where they witness firsthand the impact of their generosity.
Lenten Season: Parish-wide, we’ve begun our Lenten food drive, with IREP students once again stepping up alongside the Saint Vincent de Paul Society to help feed our neighbors during this sacred season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Additionally, our Change for Change Lenten Change drive invites students and families to collect spare change throughout Lent, with all proceeds going towards making birthday boxes for Ascension Food Pantry, turning small sacrifices into celebrations of joy for families in need.
Coming in March: Our Youth Group will assemble birthday cake boxes for Ascension Food Pantry. These self-contained boxes include cake mix, Sprite (which mixes together without eggs or oil), a cake tin, frosting, and candles; everything needed to celebrate a birthday with dignity and joy. For families struggling to make ends meet, these boxes offer more than dessert; they offer the gift of celebration.
Confirmation Send Off: After our Confirmation ceremony, newly confirmed students will conclude their IREP journey by hearing from inspiring speakers who share how they continue to live lives of Christian service beyond their religious education years. During this final gathering, students will make sandwiches for the New York Common Pantry, reminding them that their newly received gifts of the Holy Spirit are now the inspiration and strength for their impact on the world around them.
A Heartfelt Thank You
None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our IREP parents. Throughout the school year, you have encouraged your children to participate, helped with service projects, and modeled what it means to live a life of faith in action. Thank you for walking this journey with your family and with us.
As Psalm 119 reminds us, understanding God’s law means living it with all our hearts. Through IREP, our young people are discovering that faith and love are inseparable, and that both call us to serve our neighbors with joy, compassion, and an open heart.
— Kate Noonan, Pastoral Associate/Director of IREP and Youth Group
February 8th Essay: Walking Together: An Eyewitness Account of Pope Francis’s Legacy of Synodality and the Renewal and Reform of the ChurchI am convinced that synodality is Pope Francis’s abiding gift to the church. His energetic mission to school the church in the art and practice of synodality in the final few years of his life fittingly defines his pontificate, even though the ensuing synodal process did not receive universal approval.
Synodality presents opportunities for the renewal and reform of the church, beginning with creating a shared space for listening, dialogue, and discernment. This synodal process is considered threatening by some critics and doubters, in part because of a fear of loss of authority by some priests and bishops. Synodality calls us to convert and reform a clericalist obsession with and exercise of power and authority in the church. The effort to heal this distorted form of authority in the church stands as a bold and enduring manifestation of Pope Francis’s synodal vision.
Synodality is Francis’s way to foster participation in mission by welcoming the gifts, talents, and wisdom that the Spirit generously bestows on the entire community, through the grace of baptism. In the synodal vision of Pope Francis, participation in mission is an expression of our faith in God.
Francis demonstrated by his words, deeds, and gestures that in a synodal church, people who disagree do not have to become enemies, because it isn’t a zero-sum game of winners and losers. Differences, disagreements, and competing visions of synodality exist and are part of the synodal tradition. As such, synodality isn’t easy. We make the way by walking in a transparent, inclusive, and sustained process of discernment in common. We do not determine the answers ahead of the process, nor exclude anyone from the ‘way’.
Discernment is a mark of the church that Pope Francis encouraged us to co-create, so that, as a church, we can build our capacity to listen with openness and honesty and to speak with courage and charity. This process calls for co-responsibility in governance and the inclusion of lay people in consequential decisions. In a synodal church, lay women and lay men have a right to be listened to and that right is warranted by our shared baptismal grace as equal members of the body of Christ. (See Final Document, no. 60).
Synodality is not a task to be completed but a spirit to be incarnated and lived, a habitual way of life. The process is as important as its outcome. As such, it offers a chance for ecclesial renewal and conversion. Beyond the diatribes, controversies, and divisions, the fundamental question remains how to synod (verb); how do we walk well together as the People of God?
The gift of synodality to the church can be further thought of as a catalyst for renewal and reform of the church, first, because it reconfigures the mission-framework of the church, so that every baptized Christian carries the duty and responsibility of mission and, second, it helps the church become constitutively synodal, that is, a church which makes a preferential option to continuously engage in inclusive listening, dialogue, and discernment, as expressions of its ordinary ways of living, working, teaching, and ministering.
Finally, as envisaged by Pope Francis, synodality invites us to recognize the equal dignity of women members of the People of God, their indispensable role and ministry, and the necessity of a continued discernment of women’s diaconate. Listening to women’s voices, honoring their talents, celebrating their competence, and learning from them about being a synodal church in mission ultimately make us a better Church.
Pope Francis’s prophetic vision of a synodal church aimed to promote an understanding and practice characterized by inclusive decision-making, participatory discernment, and co-responsibility in ministry, as habitual ways of fulfilling its mission. Continuing this rich legacy is the task of the church for the rest of the Third Millennium.
— Fr. A. E. Orobator, S.J., Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in California
February 1, 2026 Essay: Rejoice and Be Glad!Happy February! For the shortest month of the year, there sure is a lot happening—just check out this bulletin! For example, in 17 days, on February 18th, we will begin again our solemn fast, the Lenten journey from ashes to glory. In 19 days, the greatest phrase in our country—“Play Ball!”—will be uttered as Spring Training begins and, at last, all is right in the world with Major League Baseball returning to action! (So, if you’re looking for me then, you now know where to find me…)
Back here in wintry New York, in just 5 days, on February 6th, the Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks will be installed as the eleventh Archbishop of our Archdiocese. In these days leading up to the Mass of Installation, we pray in gratitude for the years of ministry and care from Cardinal Dolan. And we pray for Archbishop Hicks, that the Lord will give him the grace of the heart of a pastor, the very heart of the Good Shepherd.
Back to our February countdown: In just one day, tomorrow, Monday, February 2nd, the Church marks 40 days since the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In keeping with Jewish law, Mary and Joseph go to the Temple in Jerusalem to present their son to God in thanksgiving and joy. It is there that they encounter the prophets Simeon and Anna, who both had been eagerly awaiting the coming of the Messiah. The Lord Jesus is presented in the Temple as the light of the nations, and so we bless candles to remind ourselves that Jesus is the true light, and that we all are called to carry the light of Christ into the world.
For the last three decades the Church has also marked the 2nd of February as World Day for Consecrated Life, as we celebrate the light that comes from the vocations of women and men religious. Consecrated life is nothing new to our parish, as we Jesuits have been here since 1866! The parish school, too, was blessed to have the Sisters of Charity for a good number of years, and a Sister of Mercy for the last several years. In fact, last week we celebrated Catholic Schools Week, where we gave thanks for the gift of consecrated life in our parish school. I’m sure that many of you were also the recipients of the care, teaching, and support of religious women and men in your own upbringing.
At our core, we religious are called to be signs of hope and light, called to be joyful messengers of the Gospel. As Pope Francis said in a 2013 speech to religious-in-formation:
“Wherever there are consecrated people, seminarians, men and women religious, young people, there is joy, there is always joy! It is the joy of freshness, the joy of following Jesus; the joy that the Holy Spirit gives us, not the joy of the world. There is joy!”
This joy of following Jesus, the joy of the Gospel, shows itself in tender moments of deep encounter, when we truly see each other as God sees us. For indeed, as Pope Francis says, “joy, true joy is contagious; it is infectious… it impels one forward.” I hope, in some small way, we Jesuits have been joyful messengers of the Gospel in our encounters with you, impelling you forward to be the joyful presence of Jesus in the world.
Please pray for us—and for all religious women and men—that we may be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, the joy of following Jesus! And pray for vocations: that young people will be open to the call to serve the Church joyfully as consecrated women and men.
– Rev. Jonathan P. Pennacchia, S.J., Pastoral Year Priest
January 25, 2026: What’s Your Spiritual Resolution?Did you make any New Year’s resolutions at the start of this year? If so, how have you been doing thus far with seeing them through?
Whether it’s starting a new hobby, embarking on a new exercise routine, giving something up for a specific amount of time, or making certain promises, the start of another new year has traditionally allowed us to see the world with new eyes and a “fresh start,” so to speak. There is something beautiful about leaning into the hopefulness and possibility of a brand-new year, especially when the realities of pain and hardship are so jarringly present in the news and current events of our lives.
But as we set New Year’s resolutions for ourselves and make plans to see them to completion, how often do we also consider resolutions that impact our inner spiritual lives? Perhaps bettering our Mass attendance or resolving to go to confession more often are options that readily come to mind—but are there some other creative and nuanced ways that we can consider when it comes to enriching our spiritual lives in this new year?
In this Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus calls two sets of brothers, Peter & Andrew and James & John, to leave behind their fishing nets and their families to come and follow him:
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Not knowing what was to come, the first four Apostles dropped everything and followed Jesus. They left behind lives that held more assurance and perhaps, more security, and instead resolved to follow a Teacher whom they believed would change everything.
In a similar fashion, our own St. Ignatius of Loyola made a resolution. After a life-changing war injury confined him to a bed for many months, and having nothing else to read or ponder during his long convalescence other than The Life of Christ and a book about the lives of the Saints, Ignatius felt compelled to give his life to follow Jesus. When he was well enough to travel, he decided to give up a life of chivalry as a soldier and instead commit himself to a life of holiness and spiritual pilgrimage—a decision that would not only change the trajectory of his own life, but one that would have a reverberating impact for over 500 years and counting.
The best resolutions, if truly committed to, become transformative choices. In our spiritual lives, God is always inviting us into deeper relationship. The words spoken to the Apostles by Jesus, “come and follow me,” are endlessly echoed to us—it is only up to us to decide when and how to respond.
So, what if our own spiritual resolutions this year are only focused on answering one question: What can I resolve to do (or not do) this year to further deepen and strengthen my relationship with God?
Perhaps your answer is going to Mass more often or returning to the sacrament of reconciliation again after a long absence. Or perhaps you might be drawn towards a call to do something new: to join a new ministry group at the parish, to offer more of yourself in service to others, to share an area of abundance in your life with those who might not have that same privilege of abundance, to read that spirituality book that has been sitting on your bookshelf for a long time, or to seek out spiritual counseling for a challenge that you have only previously faced on your own. Maybe it’s participating in a spiritual retreat, either here at St. Ignatius or at a retreat house, or finally inquiring about finding a Spiritual Director with whom you can have ongoing spiritual conversations about your prayer life.
Let’s follow the call to be courageous, as the Apostles and St. Ignatius were in resolving to follow Christ. Whatever might be stirring your heart at this moment, don’t be afraid to make a new resolution. I promise you—it’s never too late to try.
+AMDG+
— Roxanne De La Torre, Pastoral Associate for Ignatian Spirituality & Faith Formation
January 18th Essay: More Prayer, More Intimacy
Meeting Christ in Prayer is famously practical—Jesuit practical. (There’s a familiar joke about a Franciscan, a Dominican, and a Jesuit when the church lights go out: the Franciscan praises simplicity, the Dominican preaches on divine light, and the Jesuit goes to the basement to fix the fuse.) That spirit of practicality shapes the entire program.
The eight-week series meets over Zoom on Wednesday evenings from 7 PM–8:30 PM. Each participant receives a workbook with a day-by-day guide. Even with a full life (including a toddler, two preschoolers, and a job), I found the program manageable and deeply enriching.
One of the highlights of Meeting Christ in Prayer is St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Examen, a daily prayer of awareness. The Examen unfolds in five steps: noticing where you are, recalling what you are grateful for, reviewing the day, asking for forgiveness, and preparing for tomorrow. Over time, something subtle yet profound begins to happen.
You start to recognize God’s steady presence in the ordinary moments of life—missed trains, bedtime meltdowns, successful meetings. St. Ignatius urged his companions to “find God in all things” by paying closer attention to everyday experience.
During our eight weekly meetings, we pray together, engage in guided meditation, and share honestly in a confidential setting. These faith-sharing moments foster genuine intimacy, with one another and with God.
After the final week, we attend Mass together. It was the first time I met my co-facilitator in person, and my one-year-old son gravitated toward him throughout the Mass—an unselfconscious openness that felt like a small parable. That openness stayed with me. At Christmas, while waiting to receive Communion, I recognized another participant I had known only through Zoom. We embraced immediately.
Ignatian spirituality invites us to be “contemplatives in action,” carrying what we receive in prayer outward into generosity, humility, and service. Since participating in Meeting Christ in Prayer, I’ve returned to Scripture through Lectio Divina, begun reading more deeply, and even started practicing the Examen with my children at bedtime. Together, we slow down to notice where God showed up during the day.
Jesuit theologian Walter Burghardt described this spirituality as “a long, loving look at the real.” That is what this program offers—not a retreat from everyday life, but a deeper awareness of God’s presence within it.
For me, Meeting Christ in Prayer has been a reminder that seeking intimacy with God and others through prayer—both privately and in community—is something I am capable of undertaking. In one of the last things he wrote before his death, Pope Francis said, “Believe in love, believe in God, and believe that you are capable of taking on the adventure of a love that lasts a lifetime.”
I hope you will consider joining us beginning February 4 at 7:00 p.m.
To register, click here.
— Julia King Pool
January 11, 2026 Essay: A People in PerilCould the world be witnessing the permanent dispersal of the Palestinian people? This question is prompted not simply by what is occurring in Gaza, but by what is occurring in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians are being displaced at a rapid pace as their communities are erased.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, between October 7, 2023 (when Hamas attacked Israel) and December 7, 2025, 1,039 Palestinians—at least 225 of them children—were killed in the occupied West Bank. These deaths coincided with a violent campaign by Israeli settlers to drive Palestinians off their lands. At the same time, the Israeli government has accelerated the approval of settlements in the West Bank. Three years after Israel took control of the West Bank, after the Arab-Israeli war in 1967, there were an estimated 1500 settlers. Today, there are at least 770,000. On December 21, 2025, the Israeli government approved 19 new settlements, raising the total number of approved settlements to 200, which is an increase from 140 just three years ago. When these settlements were approved, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, declared: “We will continue to develop, build, and settle the inherited land of our ancestors with faith in the righteousness of our path.”
On December 20, 2025, the New York Times offered detailed reporting on the systematic campaign of intimidation and violence being used by settlers to displace Palestinians. According to the reporting of the New York Times, and independently confirmed by Israeli human rights organizations, the Israeli Defense Force, which retains authority over the West Bank, frequently turns a blind eye to the violence being perpetrated by the settlers, while at the same time facilitating the displacement of the Palestinians in response to that violence. When official action is taken in response to unprovoked violence against Palestinians, that action is anemic at best.
An Israeli settler, who is an Israeli reserve soldier serving in a regional defense unit, was filmed running his all-terrain-vehicle over a 23-year-old-Palestinian man as he knelt in prayer on the roadside outside of Ramallah. Breaking the Silence, a group of Israeli military veterans critical of the Israeli occupation, has referred to the regional defense units—which have been responsible for many other attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank—as “no more than settler militias in uniform.” The IDF said that the soldier’s weapon has been confiscated and that he’s been suspended due to the “severity of the incident.” Israeli police released him from custody after a few days. He was placed under house arrest for five days, and ordered not to approach the village where the incident occurred. This same individual was involved in an earlier incident that day in a village north of Ramallah. In that incident, he opened fire on Palestinians injuring a young man.
In January 2025, the Israeli watchdog group Yesh Din reported that across more than 1,700 reports of religious or politically motivated hate crimes committed by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past two decades, nearly 94% of them were closed without any indictment and only 3% resulted in a conviction. At the same time, some 8,000 Palestinians are currently being held indefinitely in Israeli prisons without trial, many of them under “administrative detention orders” which prevent detainees, and their lawyers, from reviewing the evidence against them. Settlers may not be held under the same orders. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the goal was “to convey a clear message of strengthening and encouraging the settlements.”
As this systematic campaign of expulsions continues, the Israeli government, in late December, became the first country to recognize the break-away region of Somaliland. Earlier last year, it was reported that the United States and Israeli governments had asked whether Somaliland would accept displaced Palestinians. Somaliland denied that such conversations occurred.
— Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J., Associate Pastor
January 4th Essay: The Legacy of Pope Francis: 2026 Lecture SeriesAs the Holy Year of Hope comes to an end with the closing of the Holy Doors, it is time to announce our 2026 Lecture Series, which will have as its theme “The Legacy of Pope Francis.” The calendar of lectures can be found elsewhere in the E-Newsletters and Sunday Bulletins of recent weeks. As each lecture approaches, the speaker will offer an essay on his particular topic.
Francis’s papacy (2013-2025) was marked by a distinct focus on humility, social justice, interfaith dialogue, and environmental stewardship, contributing to his legacy as one of the most influential popes in modern history.
One of Pope Francis’s most significant legacies was his commitment to social justice and the plight of the marginalized. Throughout his papacy, he emphasized the Church’s role in advocating for the poor and marginalized, calling for a more equitable distribution of resources and a renewed focus on humanitarian issues. This commitment was evident in his outreach to those living in poverty, his strong stance against human trafficking, and his support for refugees and migrants. He encouraged Catholics to engage in acts of charity and social justice, mapping a path for the Church to follow in addressing systemic issues like inequality and discrimination.
Interfaith dialogue was another cornerstone of Pope Francis’s legacy. He consistently promoted understanding and cooperation among different religions. His historic visit to Egypt in 2017, where he met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, was particularly noteworthy, emphasizing the need for mutual respect among varying faith traditions. By fostering relationships between Christianity and other faiths, especially Islam, Pope Francis aimed to counteract religious extremism and promote peace in a world often divided by belief systems.
Environmental stewardship also played a pivotal role in Francis’s papacy, with the encyclical “Laudato Si’” being a critical document in this regard. Released in 2015, it calls for urgent action to combat climate change, emphasizing the moral imperative to protect the planet and care for creation. This document resonates with many outside the Church, as it aligns with global movements advocating for environmental sustainability. Pope Francis encouraged individuals, communities, and governments to prioritize the health of the Earth, framing environmental concerns as both a spiritual and social duty.
Pope Francis brought about a more inclusive Church, advocating for the integration of women in church leadership roles and a more compassionate approach to issues such as divorce and remarriage. His emphasis on mercy over judgment represented a shift in tone for the Church, appealing to many who have felt alienated from institutional religion. By embracing a more pastoral approach, he sought to make the Church more welcoming and reflective of the diverse realities faced by its followers today.
Moreover, Pope Francis’s approach to governance within the Vatican was marked by a call for transparency and accountability. He worked to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, addressing corruption and financial malpractice, aiming to lead the Church with integrity. His efforts to bolster financial transparency reflect a desire to restore trust in the Church’s governance and ensure that resources are directed towards charitable missions and community support.
Despite facing criticism, both from traditionalists who found his views too progressive and from reform advocates who felt he hadn’t gone far enough, Pope Francis continued to push the Church toward a more inclusive and socially aware identity. His papacy sparked conversations about the role of religion in modern society and the responsibilities of faith leaders to tackle pressing global issues.
Pope Francis’s legacy is characterized by his unwavering emphasis on social justice, interfaith dialogue, environmental stewardship, inclusivity, and reform within the Church. His efforts to transform the Church’s engagement with contemporary issues made a significant impact, resonating with believers and non-believers alike. In an era that often seems to be defined by division, his message of compassion, understanding, and action remains particularly relevant, shaping the future of the Catholic Church and its role in the world.
The first lecture will be on Monday, February 9, at 7:00 PM in Wallace Hall. Save the date!
— Fr. Michael Hilbert, S.J., Associate Pastor