News - February 2025

We invite you to follow in the traditional Stations of the Cross accompanied by multi-cultural imagery, a rich diversity of cultures and artistic expressions. The program was developed by the St. Ignatius Parish Anti-Racism Committee.

It has been an honor and a pleasure for me to serve for the past three years on the St. Ignatius Worship Commission. What exactly (you may ask) is the Worship Commission and what does it do? Well, the Worship Commission has a fairly broad mandate. We are asked to faithfully follow the Liturgical Calendar and to guide the cyclical celebration of each season through both the environment of the church itself and the Liturgy of the Word. During our time together we review the year past and seek ways to further the joy for each season in the new year. Our commission is asked to help give each liturgical season a deeper and more spiritual formation throughout the year and to invite everyone to participate in our faith more fully.

Searching for a way to reflect more deeply during Lent? Lent arrives soon with Ash Wednesday on March 5. Does it inspire thoughts about fasting or memories of giving up chocolate? This year you might want to consider another choice as you keep the season. Lectio Divina is a prayer practice which in a small group setting includes meditation on Scripture and sharing responses. In my childhood Lent was a time of penance and being told to quit fighting with my sister.

As you know, the Preservation & Promise Campaign is behind us, and it was an over-the-top success. Through the generosity of 791 households and foundations, we raised more than $27.4 million! (It’s important to note that about $800,000 of that total are earnings on the pledge payments. The members of our Finance Committee carefully invested those monies until we needed to pay our construction bills. Remarkable!) The lion’s share of the donations was for the restoration of St. Ignatius Church, which is now complete. In addition, nearly $1.7 million was pledged for the Social Ministries Endowment, the earnings of which will help pay the salary for a part-time Coordinator of Social Ministries. (We’re just a couple of weeks away from posting the job description.) I am very proud of what we accomplished, and I hope that you are, too. (Note: The donor wall to recognize those who participated in the campaign is in progress. We will have a celebration after its installation and formally end the campaign.)

This year, Ramadan is being celebrated within the Islamic community beginning the evening of Friday, February 28 and lasting until March 29. Join us in wishing our Muslim friends a “Ramadan Mubarak”, meaning “have a blessed and generous Ramadan.” On behalf of the Anti-Racism Committee, parishioner Rick Fain offers this description so we may better understand the faith of our Muslim neighbors in San Francisco and around the world.

My husband and I joined St. Ignatius Parish in 2003, drawn by the Jesuit approach and community. Throughout this time, we were able to create a spiritual foundation through the significant rites and sacraments tied to building our family, from marriage preparation to the baptism, first communion, and confirmation for each of our four daughters. As much as I felt part of the church community, it wasn’t until Covid hit that I realized how deep our connections with St. Ignatius ran. Not being able to gather in person and discuss spiritual life regularly felt like a huge loss. Ironically, right as we began to celebrate mass in person safely, our whole family contracted Covid and we were not able to participate in the first Christmas pageant. It was another blow, underlining the highlight of our faith: sharing and living God’s message with others.

Need a little help at home, or know a parishioner who does? We’re re-booting the Neighbor to Neighbor ministry at St. Ignatius, and although the “official” re-boot will be at Masses on the weekend of March 8/9, we are reaching out now to parishioners who can use a helping hand from time to time. This ministry is available for only St. Ignatius parishioners, who will be helped by other parishioners.

Pope Francis this week wrote an open letter to the Bishops in the United States directly addressing, in Pope Francis’s words, “the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations.” You may find the letter here.

Three Mercy & Justice ministries — Solidarity with Immigrants, Laudato Si' Circle, and the Anti-Racism Committee — are working together through a new collaboration committee, SOLAR. The committee is excited to announce a special project that will highlight St. Ignatius as a beacon on a hill through the strength of our union as a holy community. We're creating a parish cookbook that will embody our shared values of inclusivity, creation care, and solidarity. This cookbook will showcase our diverse cultural backgrounds, honor our family traditions, and reflect on the deeper connections between food, faith, and social justice.

Having raised three children in the St. Ignatius Parish, I feel profoundly grateful for the blessings this community has given our family—faith, friendship, and a true sense of belonging. St. Ignatius has been a part of our lives for so many years, shaping not only my children’s upbringing but also my own spiritual journey. We have had the opportunity to celebrate First Holy Communions and Confirmations. We have experienced sadness, joy, and hope with and for our community within the walls of our treasured St. Ignatius.

For family counseling referrals, St. Ignatius Parish recommends a confidential consultation with a Licenced Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)