Newsletter

St. Ignatius Parish News

 

Volume 14 Number 4                   December 2011

 

Welcoming Strangers, Entertaining Angels
By Suzanne St. Yves

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

Several years ago the Archdiocese did a survey, and when our Pastoral Parish Council tallied up our results before sending them in, the members were surprised to discover that St. Ignatius had received low marks in the category of welcoming.
Last month, I attended the Western Canadian Stewardship Conference here in Winnipeg and heard Archbishop Huculak's presentation on Genesis 18, where Abram and Sarai provide hospitality to three strangers. They provided their time, talent, and treasure to greet these three visitors. Because of God's many gifts to us, we can all be hospitable. Huculak spoke of a spiritual hospitality, inviting us to find room in our hearts for others as we come to the Table. He challenged us by suggesting that if we participate in the Eucharist and are not changed, then what is the point? We must connect the Eucharist to our life, work, family, and community.
"Common unity" is what brings us together to celebrate the Eucharist. If we remain strangers, then have we indeed missed the point? As we near Christmas, is it possible to make more "room at the inn" within our church walls? If each of us did a quick inventory, what would we find? Welcoming has many facets:
When was the last time I warmly greeted someone I did not know?
Have I ever invited people to share their gifts in one of our ministries?
Do I invite people to attend community events like the Lenten mission or a talk in the Educational Centre?
Do I respond to calls for help in the Bulletin?
The Welcoming Committee is once again looking for members to help welcome strangers and entertain angels. I cannot imagine a better season to do so. Contact the parish office if you are interested. If you are unable to join the committee, consider ways you can provide hospitality.

Bringing Home the Final Arrangement
The story and the why of Funeral Co-ops
By Andre Goessaert

From centuries past burying the dead has been considered a sacred duty. We read in the first chapter of book of Tobit how he endangered his life to bury his deceased countrymen. Over the ages and cultures, burial ceremonies and customs have evolved and taken many forms.

Until the last century in most American and European cultures, family and neighbours would pay their respect to a deceased by cleaning and clothing the body in the home before enclosing it in a coffin. Gradually this service was provided in funeral homes by an undertaker, usually helped by his family members. This service was performed for a fee. More and more new services were offered to the grieving families. The funeral business grew by leaps and bounds. Multinationals, realizing the lucrative possibilities, started buying funeral homes as their owners retired.

As more services were recommended and sold by the funeral home, the average cost of a funeral continued to increase. Strong reaction made people look for alternatives. A cooperative model was developed to bring control and operation of the services back to the local community. Seven communities on Prince Edward Island have formed their own funeral co-op and in the province of Quebec more than thirty are in existence. In Manitoba the Birchwood Funeral Co-op has been in operation for more than ten years. Members invest a small amount of money as equity, which remains in their name to be applied to the cost of their funeral.

During the past year a group of people in Winnipeg has been exploring the possibility of a funeral co-op. Under the auspices of Seed Winnipeg, they are inviting people to indicate their consent with an investment of $100 in trust at Seed Winnipeg. If enough interest is shown, a cooperative will be incorporated. The initial investment is kept as equity and becomes a prepayment for future funeral expenses.

If sufficient support comes forward, the members will incorporate as a co-op and elect from the volunteers a board of directors. Policies will be set democratically at the annual meetings. These policies will include providing service to the grieving families, ecological concerns, funeral arrangements with the faith communities, and an understanding of not taking advantage of the grieving situation to sell expensive add-ons and other services. For more information, contact Frank Atnikov at SEED Winnipeg, 927-9930.

 

Pastor’s Reflections
By Fr. Gerry McDougall, S.J.

As this edition of the Parish News goes to print, we are approaching the half-way point of Advent. The season of Advent can become crowded with our Christmas preparations. However there is still time to pause and consider the signs of Christ’s coming in our own time and place, so to greet the feast of the Nativity with great thanksgiving.
Just before the start of Advent, We Day was celebrated in Winnipeg, which gathered thousands of youth from the city at the MTS Centre, for a day of inspired reflection about commitment and service that builds a better world. The front page of The Free Press the following day was graced with a photo of the contingent from St. Ignatius School. There was participation from schools all over the city. From the feedback we have received, this was a great experience of unity and community truly a hopeful moment to begin the Advent season.
Our special collections each Sunday of Advent are opportunities for us to give thanks for our abundance, as well as witness to the coming of Christ. On the First Sunday of Advent we were invited to donate warm winter clothing to the Immaculate Conception Soup Kitchen. For ten months of the year, every Sunday, this labour of love feeds between 250 to 300 people, including whole families, a warm and substantial lunch. This serves more than physical needs, as it forms friendship and community between people of diverse social and economic backgrounds. It is a vital, hopeful sign of the coming of Christ in our world.

A series of presentations in the Ed Centre have shown that hope comes forth from the midst of tragedy. Fr. Fratern Masawe, S.J. has developed this message from the context of the tragic events in Rwanda in his three-part series "Africa a continent of hope and the land of a thousand hills." Fr. Masawe's message has been that God is at work in human hearts even in the most distressing situations, bringing healing, fostering forgiveness, and calling us to a more humane way of living. I was moved and inspired by these talks, and they have helped me along my Advent journey.
Advent can be a time of personal renewal for us as we await the coming of Christmas. The children and youth of St. Ignatius School have been among those who have come for the sacrament of Reconciliation over the past weeks. It is inspiring to see our parish members, at every step of life's journey, in the quiet prayer this season elicits.
On behalf of the priests and staff of St. Ignatius Parish, I wish you and all your loved ones a gentle Advent and a blessed Christmas.

 

Some Highlights of The Canadian Religious Conference
By Mary Jane Eason
St Ignatius Environmental Committee

Like the "imperceptible growth of light in the early morning dawn" the word "earth" began to creep into the community of the Religieuses de Notre Dame des Missions or RDNA, an international Catholic missionary congregation. The sisters began to realize the presence of the Holy Spirit in the stirrings and awakenings of earth's voice. It was also a call to action. This was the background of the Canadian Religious Conference that was held at St. Boniface Cathedral on October 19, 2011. The presenters were Linda Gregg, CSJ. D. Min., and Mary Rowell, CSJ, PhD.

The conference began with a prayer and an animated film "The Awakening" portraying the birth and death of stars and how these astronomical events led to life on earth. It was through an exquisitely fine balance that life on earth began—a moment of grace. The film set the tone for the conference.

The presenters reminded us of Pope John Paul's words that the ecological crisis is a moral issue, the responsibility of all and not an option. Theologian Evelyn Tucker cautions us to begin with humility because as Christians we are late comers. We must start with the problem itself, not with Christian social teaching. We are called to an earth centered philosophy.

Bringing the message of ecological justice to the pews is a challenge for church leaders. To create awareness of the ecological crisis and our moral and ethical responsibility to rectify imbalances, participants were encouraged to use examples from our own traditions. The Bible itself is a source of many eco-justice teachings. We were reminded that Noah was the first ecologist who according to the Covenant with God, was instructed to save two of each species of creatures. In bringing earth's voice to the pew, leaders can draw on the Sabbath, Celtic and the Mediaeval Traditions, as well as liberation theologians, feminist theologians, St. Francis of Assisi, Hildegard of Bingen, St Ignatius, and others from the Protestant traditions. We are called to "deepen our capacity to appreciate the wonders of nature as an act of faith and love."

The speakers linked social justice and ecological justice as two sides of the same coin. They emphasized moving away from wastefulness and opting for lifestyle choices and daily actions that respect ecological limits. We need to embrace the inconvenient, cruciform living, and adopt the philosophy of “less is more”.

Africa – A Continent of Hope?
By Richard Lebrun

Talks at St. Ignatius by the former moderator of the Africa-Madagascar Jesuits were challenging perceptions of recent history in the “horn of Africa.” Fr. Fratern Masawe, S.J., is a native of this part of Africa, and worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Rwanda during the horrific genocide in that country in 1994.
In his first talk on November 23 , Fr. Masawe described the history of this part of Africa from its colonization by Europeans in the 1880s. The colonial powers (first Germany and then Belgium) ruled indirectly through the minority Tutsis, who had traditionally governed the area. Rwanda gained independence from Belgium in 1962, but the 1959 introduction of democratic forms had enabled a “social revolution” that brought majority rule by the Hutus, and the flight of some 100,000 Tutsis to adjacent countries. In 1990, refugee Tutsis in Uganda organized a Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) that invaded Rwanda, and brought civil war. By April 1994, UN assisted negotiations had produced an accord between the Hutu government and the RPF. But on 6 April, the assassination of the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi was the signal for a genocidal attack by the Hutu government’s army and militias on all Tutsis in the country, an attack that killed 800,000 to 1,000,000 during the next four months.
In his second talk, on November 30 , Fr Masawe offered an in-depth explanation of how the genocide happened and one survivor’s story. The immediate origins of the genocide, he suggested, can be found in the situation in which Hutus, who controlled much of the government of Rwanda at that time (the army, the police, and local mayors in particular), felt “pushed to the wall” by the RPF invasion and by the continuing presence of a large Tutsis minority within country. This group’s solution was genocide, the extermination of all Tutsis and also of Hutus who supported and defended the Tutsis. In a well-planned and organized conspiracy these people used radio, TV, and print to spread their ideology of Hutu dominance and organized militias to carry out the actual mass killings.
Fr. Fratern then recounted the story of Marcel Uwineza, a Tutsi who was ten in 1994, survived the massacre of his family, and today lives in Tanzania. Using Marcel’s story, Fr Fratern brought home to his audience the reality of the events of 1994. This man, who as a boy had experienced discrimination by Hutu Catholic priests and had lost his family in the genocide, eventually recovered his budding vocation, became a priest himself, and came to forgive the authors of the genocide, is today a living symbol of the hope the Church can bring Africa.

Our New Bicycle Rack

Thanks to the initiative and funding of our parish Environment Committee, we have a new bicycle rack, which has been installed on the Jessie side of the church, adjacent to the main entrance to the church hall.
Parishioners who wish to bicycle to church and help reduce pollution in our environment now have a safe and secure place to lock up their machines. The rack will not get much use during the winter months, but come spring the Committee devoutly hopes that many will take advantage of this facility.

 

Recommended Reading
By Richard Lebrun

In the belief that "we are Church" and that all of us, lay people as well as clergy, are responsible for its health, I would like to recommend some books by lay Catholics that promote renewal and reform in the Church.
Wake up Lazarus! On Catholic Renewal by Pierre Hegy offers the perspective of a specialist in the sociology of religion. On the basis of an in-depth study of four large flourishing churches (three non-denominational congregations and one Catholic parish), Hegy describes a number of proven "wake up" strategies.
Matthew Kelley's Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose, in the belief that the key to reform lies with individual Catholics, seeks to inspire personal renewal and spiritual growth.
Why Stay Catholic? Unexpected Answers to a Life-Challenging Question by Michael Leach aims to remind us of all the wonderful spiritual riches embodied in the Church and the lives of ordinary believers.

 

Loving an Imperfect Church, Some Reflections by a Friend
By Richard Lebrun

On one of the internet discussion lists I follow, a friend of mine (a woman born in Austria and recently retired from teaching religious studies in a secular university in the U.S.), wrote this reply to a correspondent who was in despair over recent scandals in the Church:

Dear Erna,

Keep in mind what is attracting you to our church to begin with. Probably not papal pronouncements! Our church is so much more than doctrines, rules, and prohibitions. Our church is people loving people and in that love, loving God and bringing God’s love into the world. Catholics somehow know in their very bones that the world and everything in it is God’s gift, is, theologically speaking, sacrament. And this “knowledge” is not new. It goes back to the very root of our faith. It is the Good News of God’s unconditional love, a love that embraces a runaway kid who has blown all his money and ended up in a hog pen, a love that is ours simply because we are; a love that accepts us body and soul and wants us to laugh, not weep.
St. Francis knew that love when he kissed the leper’s hand and, crying, said to Jesus: “I love the sun, I love the stars, I love Clara and the Sisters, I love human hearts, I love all the beautiful things. Oh my Lord, I must excuse myself, for I should love you alone.” Smiling, the Lord responded to him thus: “I love the sun, I love the stars, I love Clara and the Sisters, I love human hearts, I love all the beautiful things. Oh my Francis, cry no more, for I love what you love.” It’s an Italian folk song which captures for me what being Catholic means.

That’s what we are about, or maybe I should say, that’s what we can be about. Now, the Catholic Church is a vast canopy, and there are Catholics of many different stripes. I bet you can find a community that’s right for you.

God Bless,

 

 

 

Volume 14 Number 2         October 2011

 

100th Anniversary Opening Mass

by Glen Palahicky, Principal

Students, staff, parents, and the many friends of St. Ignatius School celebrated our 100th Birthday with a beautifully planned Mass on the afternoon of September 21. It was the first of many special days of celebration planned for the school year. The presence of Archbishop Weisgerber, Father Gerry, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, former teachers and administrators, as well as the whole school body made it a powerful and special event. The choir was excellent and the honoring of our past with historical symbols and costume created a deeper sense of tradition and honor. That the sun broke forth as we left the church for our Meet & Greet BBQ was a further blessing to a wonderful day. Thanks to all who made this day special, especially to the 100th Committee members directing this event.

 

St. Ignatius School
Celebrating 100 years of faith in education

Did your child or you attend St. Ignatius? Are you a supporter of the school? Plan to celebrate with us at the St. Ignatius School 100th Birthday Dinner and Dance. At St. Mary's Academy 6:00 P.M. October 29, 2011 $50.00 For more information or to buy tickets online www.stignatius.mb.ca click on the 100th link or purchase at or call the parish 474-2351 or the school office at 475-1386.
Visit the website to see the latest memories of the school and to look back at the 75th video that is now posted online.

 

Pastor’s Reflections

By Fr Gerry McDougall, sj

The Mass⎯celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist as a community⎯is the very centre of our lives, of our church. Joyful community Masses, such as at the Festival of Friends, unite us as a family who follow Christ together. The Funeral Mass brings comfort and turns us toward the joy of the resurrection. The Eucharistic celebration feeds us, heals the wounds of sin and division, and makes us one.
The Festival of Friends, a highlight of our parish year that expresses the unity and the diversity of our community, always begins with Mass. We pray and sing together in English and Spanish, animated by joyful music in both languages. After we were fed by Christ at the Mass, we went downstairs (for the schoolyard was wet) to be fed by each other, as well as by the Knights of Columbus. Our gratitude to Thecla Athayde, the organizer of the festival, and the many hands and hearts and voices that made this such a great and welcoming event.
Later the same week, our school community gathered around the altar with Archbishop Weisgerber, and celebrated the beginning of St. Ignatius School’s 100th anniversary year. Students and staff reflected on a century of faith in education with period costumes and memorabilia of the school’s history. This time we picnicked outside in the warm weather. We are grateful to the St. Ignatius School staff who organized and animated a very celebratory afternoon for the parish-school community.
Because the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist is so central for our lives, and for our life together, our Church is undertaking a renewal of the Mass itself. Last month, Fr. Joe Newman wrote an excellent article for this newsletter about the new translation of the Missal, which will become the norm on the First Sunday of Advent. During the last week of September, the priests of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg spent three days studying the new Missal. I have to admit to feeling apprehensive about the changes, and I think it might take me a while to get used to them. But there are some things I am coming to realize. First, the changes to the mass are going to help us be attentive to the significance of this sacrament in a powerful way. We won’t be able to say the prayers in new words without thinking about them⎯at least for a while! Second, I can see how this will bring greater unity and harmony in the Church as a whole. Third, I believe that the Holy Spirit has been behind the whole process. I don’t believe we are going backwards, but rather, we are going forward⎯together. I hope that our parish Liturgy Committee will help us through this time of transition. May God’s peace and love
surround you this month and always.

 

Coming Home

By Nicola Schaefer

Growing up in a small village in wartime England, I was sent when I was five to a Catholic boarding school in nearby Oxford. It was described on its prospectus as being "for the education of Catholic young ladies." When I left at 16, I was neither well-educated nor a young lady. I was, however, well indoctrinated in pre-Vatican II Catholicism and very confused. My confusion arose because my mother, a nominal Catholic, had divorced my father soon after my birth and, when I was thirteen, had remarried and had a baby. Having prayed for years that my parents would reunite I now realized, finally, that my mother was utterly doomed. My confusion turned into anger (I really didn't think she deserved to go to hell!) and I pretty well gave up on Catholicism for the next 52 years.
In 1980 one of my closest friends died tragically. I was shattered. However, out of my misery came a wonderful spiritual experience. The details are irrelevant here; the important thing is that it gave me a real⎯as opposed to my original terror-induced⎯belief in God and I started tentatively to think about Catholicism. I had long talks with Fr. Eric Jensen, often went to Mass at St. Ignatius, and prayed fairly regularly. Eric wisely said he wouldn't try to "bring me back into the flock" but urged me not to deny the pull should I feel it. Eventually I did indeed feel the pull but didn't know how to deal with it. Then, about four years ago I saw an ad about a new program called Catholics Coming Home, and realized it could be just what I was seeking.
I was tentative at that first meeting but the warmth, friendliness, and, most importantly, the non-judgmental atmosphere was immensely reassuring and I soon felt able to talk about my decades of confusion and fear. The course leaders were knowledgeable about all aspects of Catholicism⎯I was amazed to learn about Vatican II!⎯and I began to feel I could become a Catholic almost for the first time. I took the program twice (just to make sure) and am now able to say with conviction, "I still have concerns about some of the Church's attitudes and its history, but I am immensely grateful to be a practicing Roman Catholic." I encourage others to explore Catholics Coming Home!
[For more information about the program, phone Richard Lebrun at 488-3835.]

 

A Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

By Richard Lebrun

I attended the lay-organized and lay-led American Catholic Council held in Detroit in June 2011. For me the highlight of the Council was the adoption of a Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, the result of two years of work by a theological committee, which received input from over 80 “listening sessions’ held across the U.S. and Canada (including one at St. Paul’s College). The document proclaims:
1. Primacy of Conscience. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to develop an informed conscience and to act in accord with it.
2. Community. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to participate in a Eucharistic community and the right to responsible pastoral care.
3. Universal Ministry. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and to respond to the community’s call to ministerial leadership.
4. Freedom of Expression. Every Catholic has the right to freedom of expression and the freedom to dissent.
5. Sacraments. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to participate in the fullness of the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church.
6. Reputation. Every Catholic has the right to a good name and to due process.
7. Governance. Every Catholic and every Catholic community has the right to a meaningful participation in decision making, including the selection of leaders.
8. Participation. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to share in the interpretation of the Gospel and Church tradition.
9. Councils. Every Catholic has the right to convene and speak in assemblies where diverse voices can be heard.
10. Social Justice. Every Catholic has the right and the responsibility to promote social justice in the world at large as well as within the structures of the Church.
More information about this document, its history, its preface, theological and canonical references, and its implications and applications, can be found at:
http://americancatholiccouncil.org/bill-of-rights/

 

 

St. Ignatius Parish News

Volume 14 Number 1         September 2011

Pastor's Reflections

By Fr Gerry McDougall, sj

So many things start up again in the parish after the summer, I am tempted to wish everyone a happy new year. Well, welcome back from your summer routines and travels. I do hope that during the season of sun and fun you had time for good rest and recreation.
The summer went by quickly for me, but it was never uneventful. During those first hot weeks of July Frs. Jack Doyle and Joe Newman took time off for their annual retreats. Several of our parishioners passed away during the summer months and, on behalf of the parish community, I extend our sincere condolences to their loved ones. We will fondly remember them and all they meant to our community. We grieved and prayed together at their funeral masses, and thanked God for consoling grace. Let us continue to keep our dear departed family members and friends in our prayers.
The annual summer camp was well-attended and wonderfully run during the week of July 18th to 22nd. It is a great blessing for our parish that we are able to host the summer camp each year, involving our children as participants and youth as leaders. Thanks go our youth minister Chris Phippard, to Julie Phippard, as well as to camp leader Stephanie Berthon, and all the volunteer camp counsellors.
During the last week of July, as every Jesuit in the Winnipeg community was called to our Province Congress in southern Ontario, parishioners welcomed some important guests as mass presiders: Archbishop James Weisgerber and Father Richard Arsenault. We are very grateful for their help and support. The Province Congress of the Jesuits in English Canada, the first in twenty years, was a memorable and defining moment in our apostolic history.
If you are wondering if I had a rest, I did take two weeks of vacation at the end of August. I was grateful to see my immediate family, as we all gathered together in Ottawa. There was also an opportunity for me to get to Cape Breton Island, where I visited with extended family. It was good for me to get away and recharge the batteries for another year. I will probably make my retreat in November.
So, let us welcome each other back home: home to Winnipeg, home to St. Ignatius Parish. The annual Festival of Friends, on Sunday, September 18th, is a great day for meeting friends, old and new. On behalf of Fr. Doyle, Fr. Newman and parish staff, I pray that our relationship with God grow ever deeper this year, so that we will know more profoundly Christ alive in our hearts, and be witnesses of God's love for the world.

 

Join us!

The 100th Birthday Opening School Mass is September 21, 2011 2:00 p.m. at St. Ignatius Church. Archbishop Weisgerber will be celebrating mass with our school and parish community.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
St. Ignatius School 100th Birthday Dinner and Dance
At St. Mary's Academy 6:00 pm, 29 October 2011 $50.00
For more information or to buy tickets online www.stignatius.mb.ca
or call the parish 474-2351 or the school office at 475-1386.

Share your Memories of St. Ignatius School

We want your help to build our online archive. Please visit the St. Ignatius School 100th Birthday website at www.stignatius.mb.ca click on the 100th button. We want to hear about your experiences and memories, and see your pictures of St. Ignatius community and school. How did St. Ignatius School contribute to your life? Tell us stories about your class, your teachers and your school life. What was it like when you went to school here? Why did your family choose St. Ignatius School?

Catholics Coming Home

Catholics Coming Home is a "journey of exploration" for Catholics who have been away from the Church for whatever reason or length of time. Inactive Catholics who may simply have drifted away from the practice of their faith, or who have been hurt, alienated, or left confused or angry by the Church, can come to a better understanding of the Church's teachings, and experience Christian community. Contact Richard Lebrun at lebrun@cc.umanitoba,ca or phone him at 488-3835 for more information. Please extend this invitation to anyone, family or friends, who won't see this Newsletter, but who you think might be interested.

Monday evenings, 7:00pm-9:00pm
November 7 through December 5, 2011
Classroom, Adult Education Centre, 925 Jessie

Behind Bars

By Suzanne St. Yves

When most people hear about the St. Ignatius Prison Ministry, they probably think of the small but faithful group of parishioners who make a monthly visit to Stony 
Mountain penitentiary. In reality, St. Ignatius provides more than just this opportunity to work with offenders. In the spring, those people ministering to both offenders and ex-offenders met to discuss how to coordinate our work better, how to recruit volunteers for the various ministries, and how to enhance understanding of the needs of this particular population better.

As one of the coordinators of the monthly visit, I know that asking people to come behind bars on a Saturday evening is usually met with an onslaught of witty remarks, followed by curiosity and fear. Yes, I probably do need to get a life—but there are some people serving life who need a compassionate person to listen to them and so giving up one Saturday a month is not a hardship. It is a vocation. You might also be called to such a ministry in some form. St. Ignatius Parish has a number of ways that you can plug in and some do not involve going behind bars. For example, Quixote House, a halfway house run by the Jesuits, could use some volunteers. However, if you are interested in discovering what happens in prison, you have some choices and over the next few months you can read about them in the Parish News so that you might consider participating in the ministry of Matthew 25 and visiting Jesus when he is in prison.

I began my visits via an annual retreat day ten years ago. I do not always make the monthly visit but I am a “regular” because I believe that the ministry is important. The “guys” appreciate the visit and there is a slight chance that I might somehow have an encounter with Christ that will change my own being. Yes, I do not go to evangelize so much as to be a light in a dark place and hope that in doing so I will also be transformed. The Prison Ministry will be hosting an information night, a training session and a retreat day in the coming months. All are invited to attend. Watch the bulletin for further details

Faithful Ministers

By Suzanne St. Yves

Discernment, the 9 p.m. mass music group, was recognized at the end of the June 26th mass for the ministry they have provided for over four decades. St. Ignatius Parish is renowned for many things, but the music at the Sunday evening Eucharistic celebration is known throughout Winnipeg’s various faith communities. A Muslim friend recently asked me on behalf of her husband if “that folk group” was still playing. As a young man, he had attended on occasion because he had enjoyed their music.

Discernment began at a time when folk music with drums and guitars was uncommon during a mass. In the early days, in the summer especially, standing room only was the norm. Even as other parishes established their own evening folk masses, St. Ignatius still draws in a good crowd, partially due to the faithful service of the music ministry. The faces of the group have changed over the decades but Rita Doerr has remained throughout. The current Discernment is composed of Rita and Jeff Doerr, Eileen Grant-McLeod, Darryl Torchia, and Keith Macpherson. Celeste Krochak, who has been teaching overseas, was present when they were recognized for their faithful ministry and outstanding contribution over the years.

Fr. Gerry McDougall, pastor, thanked them for their long service as the congregation applauded enthusiastically. Each of them will receive a gift of a chalice that was developed in Fr. Brian Massie’s memory. Fr. Brian was profoundly grateful for the faithful efforts of volunteers at St. Ignatius and wanted to recognize such dedication. It seemed fitting to bestow the chalice to Discernment members who have been such an integral part of the Eucharist celebration. Parishioner Remo Mamaril made the chalice itself. At the heart of all that is done here at St. Ignatius is the Eucharist. Discernment has been a historical and crucial part of the evening celebrations. Their weekly presence will be deeply missed. As they step down from full-time ministry, the community is grateful for their part in our spiritual growth and worship time. We look forward to hearing them on a part-time basis.

New Translation of the Missal

By Fr Joe Newman, sj

More than forty years ago, at the Second Vatican Council, it was agreed that the Mass could be celebrated in the vernacular. There would be no fundamental change in the prayers of the Mass, just the language being used. An English translation of the Missal (the collected prayers of the Mass, including special seasons, feasts and saints’ days) was made available in 1973, but it was intended to be temporary; a more considered translation was to be issued later.
The early work of translating the Missal was entrusted to the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). In those years, literary theory encouraged “dynamic equivalence”¾that is, translating the sense of the word or phrase, and reducing repetition. However in 2001 Pope John Paul II mandated a more literal, word-for-word translation for new translations of the Missal. In addition a 2007 decree, Ratio Translationis, gave specific rules for the English translation. The Congregation for Divine Worship convened Vox Clara, a special committee of bishops and consultants from English–speaking countries (including Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. of Ottawa) to assist with the English translation of the Missal.
From the Ratio Translationis comes this explanation: “The unique style of the Roman Rite should be maintained in translation.  By ‘style’ is meant here the distinctive way in which the prayers of the Roman Rite are expressed.  The principal elements of such a style include a certain conciseness in addressing, praising and entreating God, as well as distinctive syntactical patterns, a noble tone, a variety of less complex rhetorical devices, concreteness of images, repetition, parallelism and rhythm as measured through the ancient standards for stressing syllables of Latin words in prose or poetry.” (§112)

The texts of the revised translation of the Roman Missal are marked by a heightened style of English speech and a grammatical structure that closely follows the Latin text. In addition, many biblical and poetic images, such as “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof…” (Communion Rite) and “…from the rising of the sun to its setting” (Eucharistic Prayer III) have been restored.
The Canadian bishops have agreed that the starting date for using the new Missal will be the First Sunday of Advent, 26-27 November 2011. This gives us almost three months to learn about the changes, about how they will affect us, and why they have been made. Please pray that we will all make the most of this opportunity to learn more about the Mass and to deepen our relationship with Christ.

Jesuit Province Congress in Midland, Ontario

By Fr Gerry McDougall, sj

The Jesuit Community of Winnipeg is a smaller part of a Jesuit province, the Jesuits in English Canada. This past summer, 27-31 July, most members of our Jesuit province came together in a province congress, at Midland, ON. Gatherings of this type are not required regularly, but are called from time to time in order to celebrate a milestone in our history.  With most of the province’s members together in one place, these are also good opportunities for us to pray and vision the future. The last province congress was held in 1991, on the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Ignatius. This year, 2011, marks four hundred years since Jesuits arrived in our country, Canada. The gathering in Midland gave us an opportunity to look together at our past, and pray for a vision of Jesuit work in Canada in ten years time: seeking the grace of “2020 vision.” The Superior General of the Jesuit order, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, sj, came to be a part of our gathering, meet with Jesuits and co-workers, and deliver a keynote address.

What made this past summer’s province congress especially exciting was the presence of a representative group of our collaborators: people who work in cooperation with us.  This included Jesuits of the province we share some geographical boundaries with, les jesuites du Canada français. As well, thirty-eight co-workers from a variety of Jesuit works across the country represented the many, many people who make our work possible. Suzanne St. Yves and Michael Radcliffe were present from St. Ignatius Parish, as well as Tom Lussier, the principal of St. Paul’s High School.

Altogether, one hundred ninety delegates gathered over the four days of the congress.  Though the working language was English, all prayer and masses together were in both French and English. Highlights of the congress included: a day of reflection at Ste. Marie Among the Hurons (the historical park constructed on the original site of the Jesuit mission in Huronia); a pilgrimage from Martyrs’ Shrine to the site of the martyrdom of Sts. Jean de Brebeuf, sj and Gabriel Lallement, sj; a day of discernment together on the call of Christ to us today; and an outdoor mass at Martyr’s Shrine on the Feast of St. Ignatius.

A Justice That Restores

By Sr Carol Peloquin, snjm

What is Restorative Justice and what does it offer that our present system does not? Restorative Justice says that crime is much more than the breaking of a law, it is the breaking down of human relationships in a community where real people have harmed real people. Restorative Justice asks the question, “How can we make things better?” According to Rev. Pierre Allard, the former Director of Chaplaincy for Corrections Canada, it is a justice that restores by attempting to repair the harm done when a crime is committed, first by focusing on the relationships that have been broken, and listening to all parties. “The second thing is truth telling. There can be no restorative justice if there is not an expression of hurt by the victim and an acknowledgment by the perpetrator of what he/she has done!” Allard speaks from experience as his brother was murdered in 1980 and the killers were never found.  His first response was a desire for revenge and this almost drove him out of chaplaincy. After many tears and much reflection, he came to realize that the true meaning of justice must include both victim and offender. “That’s the trouble with Christianity. You don’t have the freedom to exclude anyone.”
 
        Traditional retributive justice that asks very different questions: “What laws were broken? Who did it? What does he/she deserve?” and then oversees the appropriate punishment. In our courtrooms victim and perpetrator are kept at a distance and have no active role to play. Lawyers present and negotiate. A judge or jury makes the final decision. Even the victim impact statement is made in formal isolation, rather than as an opening to a conversation that could provide opportunity for expressions of remorse that would provide relief and bring healing to both victim and offender. 

       Focus on punishment of offenders is a lose-lose situation. Ultimately, offenders return into our midst after punishment. Our communities are called to express disapproval of their behaviour, and demonstrate solidarity with those hurt. We are also called to make space for the offender to be restored, to support his/her journey back into community belonging. Many offenders long for just such a chance as they step back into the world, feeling alone, wondering if they have ex-con stamped on their foreheads for all to see. In Allard’s words: “as Christians, the message we are to give these offenders is clear: you did something awful and there is punishment, but we will not be at peace until you are restored to our community.”

 

St. Ignatius Parish News

Volume 13 Number 3         April 2011

Lord Teach Us to Pray

An Introduction to the Jesuit Prayer Tradition   

Six Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm, May 3rd – June 7th with a retreat day on Sat., May 7th

This six week introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius is a stand alone programme, but for those who might be interested in making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life retreat, this programme also fulfills the necessary pre-requisite for the Spiritual Exercises retreat. The focus of these six weeks will be God as experienced in one’s personal prayer. The participant is assisted to learn to listen to the “voice” of God speaking to them in their “heart”.  The retreatant (with the help of their Retreat Director) learns to discern God’s presence and will in their life.  During the course of this retreat, participants will learn the fundamentals of various methods of praying extant in the Jesuit Tradition. These include: meditation, contemplation, the consciousness examen and receive spiritual direction.
This retreat programme is a ‘user-friendly’ way to get a new sense of how God works in our lives, how to make spiritual wise choices, and how to find God in the people and experiences that fill our days. Enrollment will be limited. Please contact Valerie at 453-9243 or education.center@stignatiusparish.ca for further information.

Update from the Refugee Committee

The “Five Alive” program, mentioned in the September issue of Parish News, is being launched today. A suggested donation of $60 (the equivalent of $5 a month for a year but any amount will be accepted) will go to the Naomi Foundation to support the life of a child in their shelter. Cheques can be made out to the St. Ignatius Church and should be handed into the office by 15 May.

Message from the School Board

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1.  Every once in awhile, communities are fortunate enough to have someone like Danielle Kolton come into their lives. Many of us remember the fire at the school in February 2007. It was a season of sadness but also a season of renewal and hope. At that time in the life of our 100 year-old parish, the school board, together with our former pastor Fr. Brian Massie, s.j., while searching for a new principal, we were indeed blessed to find her. Although this was to be her first placement as a head principal, we felt we could place our trust in her and that there was something fearless about her—she didn’t even blink when she learned that there was only half a school building left and a long list of challenges ahead.
    Under her leadership, our school has celebrated many accomplishments, including enhancements to academic excellence and faith formation, collaborative partnerships within both the school and parish, the cultivation of a nurturing, safe environment based on discipline and structure, as well as sound financial management.  Danielle is both a caring community builder and a first-rate mentor, committed to the growth of students and staff.
    We wish Danielle the best in all her future endeavours, especially as she continues her work towards her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. While we are sad to see her go, we know it is the season for her to move on, as she has many more lives to touch and people to teach. As part of our parish community, we know she will always be just a phone call or e-mail away. 
    Nevertheless, we are going to miss you. God bless you, and we thank you for everything. You are certainly one of a kind. You came to us as a new and courageous servant leader and you now leave us a greater and wiser one.  — With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand labour’d it to grow: And this was all the Harvest that I reap’d  —  “I came like Water, and like Wind I go.” Omar Kayyám
    St. Ignatius School Board of Directors

Social Justice Sunday

By the Refugee Committee

The refugee committee has a long, productive history amongst the social justice ministries at St. Ignatius. It is now embarking on a new venture of assisting internally displaced people (IDP) in dire need in their own countries with three new projects in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): one assists women in Goma who have survived the atrocities of war by providing micro-loans to begin businesses, a second does the same for a group of deaf women in Uvira, and the third is for Naomi Foundation, which houses abandoned children of rape. All of these projects are overseen by Change Agents for Peace International (CAPI) funded by the Quakers.
    Parishioner Suzanne St. Yves met the staff of these projects while working with CAPI in 2009. While in DRC, Suzanne was able to see firsthand the trauma that the Congolese people were experiencing. She spoke with people who had undergone horrific hardships. After praying about what she could do, she decided to contact Leslie Slaney, the chair of the Refugee Committee, and see if a partnership with CAPI could be formed.
    Eastern DRC is a hotbed of violence, particularly against women and children. Over 8,000 females were violated in 2009 alone (MediaGlobal). These victims also experienced unwanted pregnancies, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and the fear of HIV/AIDS. The ongoing violence has left nearly two million people displaced and a further 145,000 as refugees in neighbouring countries, which is the fourth largest internal displacement in the world (Human Rights Watch).
    Suzanne visited one of the seven IDP camps in Goma and was appalled by what she saw. Embarrassed by the visits of high-profile foreigners like Michaelle Jean and Hilary Clinton, the government quickly dismantled five of the camps in the fall of 2009. Sixty thousand people were then forced to find temporary, alternative shelter in places such as the forest.
    At the next Social Justice Sunday weekend on May 14-15, the Refugee Committee will present a short message about Naomi Foundation, a volunteer organization that runs four safe houses for women and children in DRC who are victims of sexual violence. Please stand in solidarity with these survivors by supporting the Naomi Foundation. Spare a life by sparing your change.

 

Development and Peace Launches Graphic Novel

that Tells Story of Hope in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

From the Development and Peace Press Room

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), violence has become a way of life. Violence against women is particularly rampant and rape has become a weapon of war in the country. In many instances, armed men will overrun a village, attack the inhabitants, rape the women, destroy crops and leave in their wake a path of terror and destruction.
    For those who manage to escape, they must return to their villages in the aftermath and try to heal the wounds left behind and re-build their communities with a culture of peace.
    This is the story told in the new graphic novel: Roza or the Courage to Choose Life, written and illustrated by Congolese artist Séraphin Kajibwami and published by the international development organization Development and Peace in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The graphic novel includes an overview of the issues affecting this resource-rich country.
    The graphic novel will be launched on Tuesday, April 5th in the presence of Sister Marie-Bernard Alima, the secretary general of the Justice and Peace Episcopal Commission of the DRC and Most Rev. Nicolas Djomo, President of the Conference of Bishops of the DRC, both of whom are working to bring peace to their country.
    Development and Peace supports several projects in the DRC aimed at strengthening democracy, empowering women, ensuring fair control of natural resources and establishing peace in the country.

The story of Edouard and Mariam

    From the Development and Peace Press Room

The member organizations of Caritas Internationalis have mobilized to help migrants caught in the civil war unfolding in Libya and who are trying to flee the country. According to the International Migration Association, more than 328,000 people have fled Libya. Most have left the country by crossing over into Egypt or Tunisia.
    Caritas has sent two emergency intervention teams to the Egyptian border and the Tunisian border to provide food, medical care, psychosocial assistance and other emergency aid to the thousands of migrants and Libyans fleeing the country.
    Development and Peace colleague Danielle Leblanc is coordinating the emergency team that is present along the Libyan and Tunisian border. She sent us this text:
    Edouard is from Cameroon. His wife, Mariam, is Malian. They both came to Libya in search of a good job for him, hoping for a better life. When Edouard’s wife became pregnant, they decided she would stay in Tunis and he would provide for her to get proper medical attention. Mariam was illegal in Tunisia. She was eight (8) months pregnant when the conflict started and Edouard, who flew from the country at war to join her, was now a refugee in Shousha camp, not allowed to move freely in Tunisia.
    When he saw Caritas tent’s banner, Edouard came to its staff, trying his luck, looking for advice and a solution. Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, Caritas decided to call on Caritas Tunisia to support the wife in getting medical attention and protection, despite her illegal status; at the same time, the institution advocated for the stranded family with the Tunisian administration. Thanks to the generosity of sisters, Mariam has been seen by a doctor and hosted in a maternity ward, under Caritas’ protection. A special permit was obtained, and Edouard has got a seven-days permission to visit his wife, make sure she was safe and well-taken care of, before being repatriated top Cameroon.
    Edouard and Mariam’s case is only one of many where Caritas, equipped only with its empathy and generosity, could make a difference. In the waiting hall of Djerba Airport, on his way home, Edouard had only good words for the small team of people who had taken the time to listen to his story and help him find a solution. This is what Caritas’ work at the Tunisian-Libyan border is about.

 

Turning the Tides: Movie Night
 “Water Makes Money” and the “Show us the Deal” Campaign

By Mary Jane Eason, Chair, Environment Committee

In 2000, the people of Cochabamba Bolivia succeeded in throwing out the California multinational company Bechtel. This ‘water war’ is the beginning of a turning point in privatization. In 2010 Bolivia succeeded in pushing through a UN resolution supporting water as a human right. This year, Paris -overturned water privatization and re-established its water utility.
    While the privatization of water continues through private- public partnerships (P 3’s) changes are coming. The European Union is now sequestering funds for the non-profit sector and investing in public- public partnerships for water services instead. Contrary to the negative experiences of other municipalities and countries with public-private partnerships, our Mayor and City Hall voted in 2010 to contract its waste water treatment to Veolia, one of the world’s largest multi-national corporations, a corporation with a very poor performance record. The contract is a 30-year private- public partnership favoured by conservative agendas. This is about all the public seems to know about the proposed deal. To date formal written requests for information through the “freedom of information act” have been denied to protect the interest of the private partnership. This should be a warning of things to come and raise a red flag. Who is protecting the interests of the public in this contract? A “Show us the Deal” campaign launched by the Council of Canadians is underway to put pressure on City Hall to reveal the terms of the thirty- year contract they are about to sign with Veolia.
    A representative from the Council of Canadians will be showing a film “Water Makes Money” at 7 pm on April 20 at the St. Ignatius Education Centre. This film casts light on explosive new developments and shows what Paris and other French communities have learned from the rule of Veolia & Co. and how they have taken back their water. Using examples from Europe and America, this film is a teaching example for the world and will provide encouragement for the people in Winnipeg who oppose City Hall’s secret deal with Veolia. The Winnipeg contract is not yet signed. There is still hope. Come and join us on April 13 to see the film "Water Makes Money” and learn all about the “Show Us the Deal Campaign.”

 

Catholicism and Climate Change

By William Hrynkow

While a large body of information exists from secular sources on climate change and its implications, there has been little discussion from the Catholic point of view. On Thursday evening, May 12, 7:00 pm, in the Ed Centre classroom, Christopher Hrynkow will explore “Catholicism and Climate Change,” discussing some of the tensions, possibilities, and promises associated with this topic. The talk is being sponsored by the Environment Committee.
    Christopher is a PhD candidate at the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, University of Manitoba. His areas of study include Ethics, Catholic Social Teaching and Restorative Justice, Ecojustice, and Integrated Biodiversity Management. Christopher has been a lecturer at the University of Manitoba in the Catholic Studies and Education departments since 2006. He has also acted as a guest lecturer in several departments, including Graduate Studies, at the University of Manitoba and the University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto. Chris’ publications include several articles in academic journals. He has also given a large number public addresses, lectures, and workshops, including the November 2010 presentations at St. Ignatius on “The Contemporary Challenge of the Ecological Crisis” and “Rerum Novarum and Catholic Social Teaching.”
   
  

Knights to Host Divine Mercy Sunday

On April 30, 200, Pope John Paul II canonized the Polish visionary Sister Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938), and dedicated the Sunday following Easter as Mercy Sunday. This year, on Sunday, May 1, the Knights of Columbus at St. Ignatius will be hosting a Divine Mercy Hour, beginning at 2 pm. For more information on this devotion, based on private revelations to Sister Faustina, please contact Jim Miln at 253-0137 or by email at jimmiln@shaw.ca.

 

Celebrating the Society of Jesus in North America
Celebrating the Spiritual Exercises in Winnipeg

By Ruth Chipman, St. Ignatius Parish-Spiritual Directors Community

This July, the Society of Jesus celebrates four hundred years in Canada and looks to the future with an historic congress in Midland, Ontario. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, now offered across Canada, arrived in Canada with members of the Society of Jesus in 1611. With purpose and passion, without counting the cost, Jean Brebeuf, sj, and others planted the precious seeds of Ignatius Spirituality in a fierce new world.
    In the fall of 1998 in Winnipeg, at St. Ignatius Parish, Fr John English, sj, began offering the Spiritual Exercises to small groups of retreatants. Since that time, thirteen Spiritual Directors have been trained and 250 individuals have participated in the Spiritual Exercises-Annotation 19 at the parish Education Centre. Retreatants have come from all walks of life and have included Protestant and Mennonite ministers, Anglican priests, professors, doctors, principals, deacons, teachers, lawyers, nurses, students, housewives, and CEOs. Since 2004, Fr Richard Soo, sj, has been supervising the Spiritual Exercises Apostolate.
    The Spiritual Exercises have been adapted and offered in a variety of ways such as through films using the popular book, Finding God in the Dark, written by Frs John Pungente, sj, and Monty Williams, sj. An abbreviated version of the Spiritual Exercises-Annotation 19 has been offered several times to support faith renewal in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. Spiritual Directors coordinating an inner city soup kitchen use elements of the Spiritual Exercises with the isolated and marginalized community they serve. From Winnipeg’s suburbs to the inner-city soup kitchen, “the Spiritual Exercises represent a particularly precious method to seek and find God in us, around us and in everything, to know his will and put into practice.” (Address of his Holiness Benedict XVI to the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, 21 February 2008).

 

 

Volume 13 Number 2         March 2011

Development and Peace, 2011

By the St. Ignatius Development and Peace Team

Through the Canadian Catholic Organization For Development and Peace, St. Ignatius Parish participates in CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS, a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations working on behalf of the poor and oppressed in 198 countries and territories.
The money and time we contribute go to local, grassroots organizations to provide development and relief in Haiti, Cambodia, Pakistan, Peru, Indonesia, Zambia and Burundi, and many other countries. These organizations give widows access to land, defend human rights,
provide mediation services, and provide food, housing, and essential medicines to people displaced by violence or extreme weather conditions. And the funds are handled with amazing efficiency, with only 9% of revenues being used for administration, the rest being used to serve the needs of the intended recipients!
This year our focus is on Timor-Leste (formerly known by the English name of East Timor). That development work is a long and arduous task can be shown by the fact that back in the 1980s, Caritas, through Australian Catholic Relief Services, was advocating for the people of
East Timor as they endured Portuguese colonization, Indonesian occupation, and human rights abuses. Finally gaining independence in 2002, Timor-Leste is now working, with our help, to build a compassionate democracy.
Our tax-deductible donations go to Timor-Leste or other areas of significant need in the world, where we always work with partner organizations to achieve the needs their people have determined.
Please give generously. If you cannot give a substantial amount now, you are invited you to give a smaller amount on a monthly basis. Watch for the contribution forms that will be distributed throughout Lent

 

On God Talk

From Elizabeth Johnson, Quest for the Living God

The first and most basic precept is this: the reality of the living God is an ineffable mystery beyond all telling. The infinitely creating, redeeming, and indwelling Holy One is so far beyond the world and so deeply within the world as to be literally incomprehensible.
No expression for God can be taken literally. Our language is a like a finger pointing to the moon, not the moon itself.

 

Pastor’s Reflections

Fr Gerry McDougall, s.j.

Lent has begun. Our liturgy and common prayer this season open our hearts to the desire for repentance, conversion, and spiritual renewal. It is a good time to make a retreat, a sojourn into the wilderness, if one has the time and resources. But for the vast majority of Catholic Christians, we must undertake the discipline of this forty days in the midst of our work life or school life. Yet even with our busy schedules, there are many creative ways for us do a little extra in order to open ourselves up to the graces of the season: parish missions, stations of the cross, and reconciliation services are opportunities to pray together for spiritual renewal; living with a bit more simplicity and giving alms, perhaps to the causes of Development and Peace, is an outward expression of repentance; giving some time to a work which assists the disadvantaged of society, such as ministry to the homeless, fosters the conversion of heart.
Our own parish mission came early in Lent this year. Fr. Bill Ryan, SJ, made a return visit to us last weekend. As you might remember, Fr. Bill was in Winnipeg last autumn, when he gave several presentations around town on the letter of Pope Benedict XVI: On Integral Human
Development in Charity (Love) and Truth. Fr. Bill continued to explore this powerful work of Catholic Social Teaching, a topic he is very passionate about, at our Sunday masses, the First Sunday of Lent, and on Monday and Tuesday evening, last week. The evening sessions were comprised of a formal homily in the church, followed by an informal dialogue in the church hall.
In a personal way, the season of Lent reminds me of my own conversion to faith in God, in Jesus Christ. I realize that conversion is the ongoing process of my life and all our lives. Yet Lent brings me back to a time when I was not really sure about God, let alone God’s faithful love, and the year when that changed. My memory is never clear about the “conversion timeline” that year, only that significant events, which seemed to be tragedies at the time, were somehow catalysts that prompted my change of heart. By the end of that year I had become acquainted, or reacquainted, with a loving, saving, personal, but ever mysterious God. What started to become more clear to me was that God had a plan for us, all of us, and that each and all have a special part in God’s plan, no matter the situation we find our lives to be in, or however long we abide in this world. The ultimate outcome of God’s plan is what we celebrate at Easter: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the concrete sign of God’s love that conquers sin, and even death. So we embark together in a hopeful season, a joyful season, holding each other in community, with our wonderful diversity, joys, sorrows, victories and struggles until, once again, we celebrate our future joy at Easter.

L(local)I(investment)T(towards)E(employment)

By Andre Groussaert

Every year before Christmas our city wanted to make sure that all would have the means to celebrate with at least one festive meal for their families on Christmas day. Many volunteers gathered food, clothing, and toys to make up hampers for the families in need. This was done by the Winnipeg Cheer Board. Substantial amounts of money were gathered to buy food items. The community of St.Ignatius participated generously from the beginning and a collection was held on the second Sunday of Advent.
In the early nineties a group of people witnessing the poverty in the down-town of our city originated the idea of Christmas LITE (Local Investment Towards Employment). Christmas LITE took the Cheer Board’s campaign a step further by collecting funds and buying the goods to be provided to the Cheer Board from small down-town businesses that would create jobs for people in need. Food items are purchased from catering projects such as the Andrews Street Family Centre and the Native Women’s Transition Centre, who in turn buy all their supplies from Neechi Foods, a worker-owned co-operative. Neechi re-invests all surpluses in employment and skill development. In this way LITE is working towards self-reinforcing local economies.
From 1994 on, St. Ignatius community sponsored and got involved with Christmas LITE and became one of the major contributors. Over the last Christmas season the sum of $2,041.72 was collected at the church. In addition, several parishioners contributed directly to LITE, which last year provided nine grants to small organizations with innovative employment initiatives. The LITE committee and LITE’s beneficiaries want to say thank you for your support of long term solutions to poverty reduction in the inner city.

 

Our School Celebrates 100 Years of Educating Children

1911-2012

Many events are being planned to celebrate this significant milestone in the life of St. Ignatius School. We want your memories and memorabilia to showcase during these events. Photographs, newspaper clippings, school clothing, and sports jerseys are just some of the items we are trying to find. If you have class photos or pictures from school related events we would appreciate a scan or a copy, not the original. Clothing and sports jerseys must be clearly labeled with name and contact information to ensure a safe return. Memorabilia can be emailed to 100birthday@stignatius.mb.ca or dropped off at the St. Ignatius School office during regular school hours 8:30 – 4:00.
Please visit the St. Ignatius School website, www.stignatius.mb.ca, for more information on the terms and agreement regarding photos.

 

An Invitation to Bible Study

By Bruce Ward

This is an invitation to join a group of fellow parishioners who meet every Wednesday to study and discuss the upcoming Sunday Gospel
using The Way Bible Study. A group of about a dozen people meets from 9:00 to 10:50 am in the Library at the Parish Education Centre
(925 Jessie). The sessions end early enough for those who wish to attend the 11:00 am Mass. Participants find that this is a good way to improve their knowledge of the Bible and to increase their appreciation of each Sundays’ readings. Please consider joining us. You will be most welcome. For more information, phone Bruce at 292-3449.

A Message for Committees of St. Ignatius Parish

By Mary Jane Eason

Would your committee like to plan an event that minimizes waste and pollution? Compostable plates, cups and/or cutlery can be obtained at cost from the St Ignatius Environment Committee.
Contact Bill Hyrnkow for supplies. Email: bhrynkow@hotmail.com.

 

 

Volume 13 Number 1                          February 2011

   
Bat Kol: A Reponse to Nostra Aetate

        by Pat Dodd and Winn Leslie

    For several years a group of ten to twelve people has been meeting in the Education Centre every second Friday to study a weekly portion of the Torah, using Jewish sources and commentaries. In the  Jewish tradition the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, are read on a yearly cycle similar to our Christian cycle of Sunday readings. Why do we do this? For most of us, it began with a workshop in 2003 at St. Paul’s College by the late Brother Jack Driscoll, director of the Bat Kol Institute in Jerusalem, whose teaching on how to study Hebrew scripture by “excavating” the texts using Jewish sources opened up for us the richness of the Old Testament. As Br. Jack explained: If we want to know Jesus, we need to know what he learned and how he learned. Jesus after all was born a Jew and remained a Jew.
    The Bat Kol Institute was born out of the call of the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate to address the relationship of the Church to the Jewish people. And as a later Vatican document on this same topic puts it: “Without the Old Testament, the New Testament would be an incomprehensible book, a plant deprived of its roots and destined to dry up and wither.” Founded in Toronto in 1983 by Srs Maureena Fritz and Anne Anderson, Bat Kol has been based in Jerusalem since 1992. Today, it is an international association of Christian women and men committed to studying the Word of God within its Jewish context. It brings Christians to Jerusalem every year for a month-long course on one of the five books of the Torah. Instructors are rabbis and Hebrew University professors, and participants receive an immersion in the People, the Land and the Book such that when they return home they bring with them the vision of Bat Kol. Every member of our local group who has responded to this call to study in Jerusalem has returned vitalized to pass on what they have received.

    Our group is planning an information evening on Wednesday, March 23rd  at 7 p.m. in the Education Centre. In addition to a description of Bat Kol, the evening will feature the  award-winning 2003 documentary, “I Am Joseph Your Brother,” which provides historical perspective on the relationship between Jews and the Catholic Church, and includes as well  highlights of the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Israel in 2000. All are warmly invited to attend. For more information, please access  http://www.batkol.info/

 

Pastor’s Reflections

    Fr Gerry McDougall, s.j.

    Since the last Parish News we have celebrated Christmas together and are now again in Ordinary Time. I am thankful for our Christmas celebrations and for you, our parishioners, who contributed in special ways to making these celebrations truly beautiful, truly prayerful. They were celebrations of our faith, hope, and love. Though Christmas is but one season of the year, I think that our exuberance in this season is a reflection of the zeal this parish community experiences throughout the year. Let us give thanks to God for these blessings!
    Ordinary Time in the church is still packed with joy and meaning. Over the past two Sundays and in the next few weeks we are being treated to our Lord’s great teaching on discipleship, known as the Sermon of the Mount, from the gospel of St. Matthew. Last Sunday’s gospel encouraged us to live out our Christian vocation, to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” The gospel brings to mind those special people who make the world a better place for us all, these “salt of the earth – light of the world” people. We all know them. Some do the many acts of commitment and kindness we often take for granted, not making their labour known, seeking no reward. Some are people who encourage us when we need our spirits lifted. In a parish the size of St. Ignatius, their number is many, and we could not praise, honour, and serve the Lord as well as we do without them. I am grateful for them, for they help me to reflect on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and where I am on my journey of discipleship.
    Sacramental preparation is a year-round work in our parish. We prepare parents for the baptism of their children. Engaged couples are given a rigorous weekend of self-discovery. Faith seekers are guided through the process of the Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). But this time of year, sacramental preparation of our young members ramps up, as they are trained in the sacraments of initiation and healing, which will serve their journey of discipleship throughout their lives. At St. Ignatius School and Sunday School, children of grades two and three are preparing for the sacraments of Holy Communion and Reconciliation. Grade eight students are preparing for Confirmation. I am very grateful for the teachers and teacher’s assistants in our school, our Sunday School, our RCIA team, our WED team, and Sr. Elaine who prepares parents for baptism.
     As the parish community of St. Ignatius tThere are many ways in which we live as disciples of Jesus. In a few weeks, Ordinary Time will give way again to the season of Lent.  Let us be open this year to the grace of God who calls us to holiness. May we be, for each other, “salt of the earth” and “light of the world,” so that what we say and do inspires each and every one with the love of the Holy Spirit.

A Volunteer’s Experience

    Members of the Ignatian Lay Volunteer group in our parish have been participating in the Sunday lunch ministry in the parish hall of Immaculate Conception Church in Point Douglas for a number of years. Every Sunday, for ten months of the year, parish and community groups from all over the city as well as members of the Point Douglas community taking turns being present to and providing a noon meal for as many as 275 of our city’s poor. One such volunteer from St. Ignatius,  Liz Polakoff, reflects on her experience in this ministry:

    I began to serve at Immaculate Conception drop-in a year and half ago. It is with gratitude that I am reminded weekly of Christ’s simple imperative – feed the hungry – nothing more. All those who come to serve create a welcome and a gracious space wherein to greet the stranger.
        There is an amazing fidelity of the community of people who gather there, from all over the city, coming to serve, week after week and year after year! It is that sense of purpose and call that is so compelling. Gradually, I have come to understand that I too am called to be a member of that community at this time – and I believe that the call is not to change the face or experience or lives of the poor in this service, but that somehow, by my presence there, I will be changed.

    The goals of this ministry include dignifying the service offered, integrating the Centre into the local community and connecting it with other neighborhood services, “growing” a social justice relationship with young people, moving volunteers along in social justice from “doing to” to “being with,” and integrating diverse volunteers in team kitchen meetings containing a reflective Ignatian component. For more information about the Ignatian Lay Volunteer program, please contact Valerie Forrest at the Education Centre (204 453-9243).

What are we eating?

What should we know about the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) that we are all eating? Fr John Perry, sj, who has published a book on the topic of GMOs (Food for Thought: Catholic Insights into the Modified Food Debate, 2002) will provide some answers in a talk sponsored by the Environment Committee. Fr Perry will speak at 7:00 pm on Thursday evening, 24 February 24, in the classroom in the Education Centre.
    Fr Perry, who in Associate Professor at St Paul’s College and the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, is a specialist in religious ethics with a long list of articles and books to his credit, including most recently Torture: Religion and National Security (2005) and Catholics and Slavery (2008). He has been a participant in a host of academic and ecumenical conferences dealing with contemporary ethical issues. Before joining the staff at St. Paul’s in 1998, Fr Perry had taught at a number of educational institutions in Canada and India. He also served for many years as the editor of the journal Ultimate Reality and Meaning. Interdisciplinary Studies in the Philosophy of Human Understanding.

An Invitation to come Home for Easter

Thursday evenings, 7:00pm-9:00pm
March 3 through April 7, 2011
Classroom, St. Ignatius Parish Adult Education Centre, 925 Jessie

Catholics Coming Home will be offered again this Lent. The series is designed as a “journey of exploration” for Catholics who have been away from the Church for whatever reason or length of time. This “welcoming” ministry, modelled on a program initiated in Minneapolis about twenty years ago, was introduced here in Winnipeg in 2007 as a response to a perceived need. Well received, it has been offered a number of times since.
●  Facilitated by a team of lay people, the series offers six informal evening sessions with brief presentations and opportunities for sharing stories and discussion in a safe caring environment.
● Inactive Catholics who have been hurt, alienated, or left confused or angry by the Church or some “Catholic experience” can share together their goodness and pain, come to a better understanding of the Church’s teaching, and experience Christian community.
●  The presentations offer a review of some of the fundamentals of Catholic teaching.
● Open to all who seek to review or reconsider their relationship with the Church.
● Please, pass along this invitation to relatives and friends who might be interested. It’s unlikely the people the series hopes to reach will be reading the Parish News.
●  Anyone interested is asked to contact Richard Lebrun at lebrun@cc.umanitoba,ca or phone him at 488-3835.

Volume 12 Number 4   December 2010

 
Pastor’s Reflections,  by Fr Gerry McDougall, s.j.

We celebrate Christmas with more joy, perhaps, than any other feast of the year. The joy is genuine, and the peaceful spirit of Christmas has its effect on each person, and every relationship. This will be my fourth Christmas with you. I know our liturgies together will be beautiful and splendid, because this community puts great love and care into the celebration of this joyful event. Perhaps, this is because of the many things Christmas means for us, as a community and as members of a community. Our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is Emmanuel, God-with-us, is also a thanksgiving for the gift of faith we are given, and the presence of Christ still with us. A parishioner remarked recently on the blessing of this faith community in this city. There are so many ways by which people express their faith from the locus of this parish. It seems effortless to say that there is a place for everyone at St. Ignatius. So as we celebrate Christmas here, it is in gratitude for the ways that Jesus Christ is born to us today, giving us the gifts of faith, hope and love. We thank God for helping us share our gifts in so many different ways.

During the Fall, many parishioners were able to attend the Wednesday evening series of lectures in the Ed Centre, The Catholic Church: Continuity and Change.  The series was presented by Fr. David Creamer, s.j., Michael Caligiuri and Chris Hrynkow, all who teach at St. Paul’s College of the U of M. I was not able to attend many of the lectures, but when I was able I was very grateful for the hope that was expressed about the future of the Church.  Change is necessary and inevitable, but we need the voice of the Church, which is spoken in each other, and the world needs our voice.

It is difficult to approach Christmas with the anticipation of joy, when one has recently gone through the death of a loved one. For me, the Christmas after my own father’s death is an important memory, a time of sorrow, but also of gratitude for a life well lived. Over the past three years I have been attending the Circle of Light Service put on by our Bereavement Committee. This year it is on December 22nd at 7:00 p.m. I expect to be present again, to remember those who have died, and to place my hope and trust in God, who dries the tears of our sorrow and heals us through our grieving.

On behalf of Fr. Joe Newman, Fr. Jack Doyle and the staff of St. Ignatius Parish, I would like to express our gratitude this Christmas for the wisdom of elders, the zeal and energy of youth, the love and care of parents, the wonder and joy of children, the dedication and attention of teachers, the dedication and love of those who care for the sick and the needy, and the generosity and hard work of volunteers. Blessed Christmas!

 

Recommended Reading

By Richard Lebrun

Here are two books by Catholic Canadian authors that deal with the current crisis in the Church, in Canada and world-wide. Not everyone will agree with the analysis and interpretation of these authors, but both books deal with topics about which we are all concerned.   

Toronto-based Novalis press has just released Suffer the Children Unto Me by Canadian journalists Michael W. Higgins and Peter Kavanagh. The book examines the sexual abuse crisis in the Canadian Catholic Church and puts it in the context of the problems occurring in the global Church. It also examines media overage of the Church and tries to determine if it has been fair and balanced.   

Both the authors are practicing Catholics and Novalis is a Catholic publishing house. Michael Higgins said that as a Catholic writing about the sins of the Church was a “painful experience.” Peter Kavanagh noted that his personal faith was not an impediment to writing the book. Neither man felt their faith hindered their objectivity.

The author of Above the Rest: Power, Sex and Sexuality in the Catholic Church (Winnipeg: Benedecido Books) is Merv Michalyshen, a Winnipeg author. He is a graduate of St. Paul’s College who spent thirty-five years as a high school teacher and school administrator before serving for three years (with his wife Sonya) as a Scarborough lay volunteer in Malawi in Africa. That three-year mission became an enlightening experience that was the stimulus for the book, which presents a provocative lay perspective on an anxious Church bureaucracy, clericalism, and apparent regression from the vision of Vatican II.

 

Ever Hear of Christian Life Community (CLC)?

By Mariette Ternowski

Christian Life Community, commonly called “CLC,” is an official lay association of the Catholic Church.  CLC has a rich, 500-year history, reaching back to St. Ignatius of Loyola, of forming adults in prayer, community, service and mission. Although its origins are in the Roman Catholic tradition, CLC’s way of life is also open to members of other Christian traditions.

The spirituality of CLC is rooted in the gospel and the life of the church. It is also inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which is the specific source of its charism. As members, we form small communities of 6-8 people, and meet regularly—weekly or bi-weekly—in order to share our lives of prayer and apostolic mission. In Canada, there are over 60 communities in five “regions”:  the Atlantic, Quebec (where it is called Communauté de vie chrétienne, or CVX), Central, Prairie, and Rockies/B.C. regions. Here in the Prairies region, there are five communities: four in Winnipeg, and one in Thunder Bay. Formation in the CLC way of life takes place within these small communities, with the leadership of trained guides, and with the counsel of an Ecclesial Assistant, often a Jesuit priest, providing an umbrella of support that enables communities to stay true to their Ignatian roots and charism.

Although we meet in small local communities, we are connected to all CLC groups—currently in 66 countries around the world—by our common charism and our shared desire to live our lives as companions of Jesus, called to be one apostolic body continuing his mission in the world. Our specific areas of service in this mission are as diverse as we are.  Some of us work directly with the marginalized of our own cities; some work for social justice for aboriginal Canadians; some support refugees and other new Canadians; some champion environmental causes.  Recently some have been called to support the suffering people of Haiti.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Christian Life Community, please contact Mariette Ternowski, CLC Prairie Region Representative, at marietteternowski@mts.net or 897-0701, or visit the CLC website at www.jesuits.ca/clc .     

 

People Are Often Unreasonable

    By Kent Keith

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may just never be enough;
Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it’s all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

From Do It Anyway: The Handbook for Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness in a Crazy World. According to the author, Mother Teresa was so moved by these commandments that she hung them on a wall in her orphanage in Calcutta.