As a follow-up to the discussion "Reporting from Rome: Pope Francis' Synod of Bishops," an Adult Faith Formation Fall Lecture with Joshua McElwee of NCR, Fr. Greg promised three things: an article by Tom Reese, SJ; videos of the "Synod Retreat Talks" by Tmithy Radcliff; and The Vatican Briefing, a new podcast by Josh McElwee and Chris White, Vatican correspondent for NCR.
The In All Things Bookstore, located within the nave of St. Ignatius Church, has a new and special relationship with a renowned photographer. Ryan Fitzsimmons has taken the most amazing images of this Church and its beautiful surroundings, including the famous fog we all know and love. Come to the Bookstore to see these images for yourself! This gallery quality art is ready for your home or anywhere you'd like to inspire yourself and others with images of our beautiful church and environs as they have never seen before.
As you know well by now, when my family tells stories of my Sicilian grandmother, they usually involve food. Whether it was her pizza (which some focaccia breads come very close to in their taste!) she brought to family gatherings, her custard-filled at-Christmas-only cannoli, or her Bolognese sauce, it was always more than food she gave us. It was herself. The chopping and dicing, the sauteing and frying, even the shopping and washing the dishes – all of it was more than the discrete actions of preparing great food she knew we would savor and enjoy. Rather, she stirred herself into the mixtures and baked her love for us into her meals. I know that’s true for those of you who gather around your family tables, who feed those you love.
Perhaps we all come to the notion of “Christ the King” with a bit of a disadvantage over earlier ages. After all, the whole idea of royalty in our culture is colored either by the Romantic heroes found in stories like the Lord of the Rings or the legends of King Arthur, or by the jet-set antics of the British royal family.
Simbáng Gabí [pronounced “Sim-BONG gah-BEE”] is a nine-day celebration in which Filipinos prepare for Christmas. December 15 to 23, all are invited to join as a spiritual offering in preparation for celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus.
In this November month of remembrance, I reflect on my own lived experiences as the daughter of Vietnamese-American refugees and the integrated elements of my Catholic faith and Vietnamese culture. The story of St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc, a revered Vietnamese saint, was well known amongst my family and community.
So it’s Veterans Day weekend. There will be parades. And speeches by politicians. And news articles. A plethora of references that captures our collective attention once a year. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2022 there were 16.2 million veterans in the U.S., and while that may feel like a large number, it represents 6.2% of the adult population, so the chances of you knowing a veteran, especially a female identifying one, are slim.
We are very excited about a brand new program. Our new Youth Ministry Program serves youth, ages 8 to 18, and their need for connection in the context of faith, service and community.