December20—FourthSundayofAdvent
TheReadingsfortheHolyFamilyofJesus,MaryandJoseph:Sir3:2–6,12-14!Col3:12–21!Lk2:41–52
TheReadingsfortheEpiphanyoftheLord:Is60:1–6!Eph3:2–3a,5–6!Mt2:1–12
Pleaseprayfor
Sunday,December20
Sunday,December27
Saturday,January2
James Bowdring
8:00 a.m. Tom Devino
10:00 a.m. Helen Groden
4:00 p.m.
Peggy Selton
10:00 a.m. Ana Margaret Marchitelli
Ann McDonnell
12:00 p.m. and Maria Sabatini
5:30 p.m. Sunday,January3
James Bowdring
5:30 p.m. Ronald Cieciuch
8:00 a.m.
Tuesday,December29
Mary and Robert Willis
10:00 a.m.
Saturday,December26
James Bowdring
5:30 p.m. Edward P. Gannon
12:00 p.m.
Michael Mullowney
4:00 p.m. Donald P. Murphy
5:30 p.m.
Friday,January1
Joan Hallisey
10:00 a.m. !!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!
MerryChristmasfromtheSt.IgnatiusStaff
In Advent, our tradition exhorts us to stop and take inventory,
and look in the direction we are headed. The language of Advent
is of hopefulness, watchfulness, wakefulness, and preparedness.
It is one way to practice becoming aware of Christ’s presence
already in our lives — in those that we come in contact with, and
within the mundane day to day experiences, that we see the light.
When we live in watchfulness, looking for Jesus in all things, we
are filled with his Spirit and Light.
ChristmasandNewYearsMassSchedule:
ChristmasEve
no morning Mass
4:00 pm
6:00 pm – special children’s Mass and the Christmas Pageant
12:00 – Midnight Mass – best to come to church by 11:15 pm
(all in the Upper Church)
We hope you will join us for Christmas and the days that follow,
when we can joyously celebrate His Spirit and Light among us.
Our prayer is increased by your presence. May the coming of
“Emmanuel” — “God with us”— fill you with hope this season.
ChristmasDay
8:00 am
10:00 am
12:00 pm Bilingual
(all in the Upper Church)
All of us here at St. Ignatius wish you and your families a joyous
Christmas and a Happy New Year
AdventTaizePrayer
The last Advent Taize Prayer service will be held in the upper
church on Monday, December 21 at 7:15 pm.
These prayers gatherings, a favorite of our parish, provide a time
of quiet candlelit meditation, simple music, uplifting scripture
and peaceful silence. Please join us and bring a friend.
ChristmasLectorsandEucharisticMinistersNeeded
Help is needed for the Masses for Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day. Sign up sheets are on the bulletin board in the sacristy and
all Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers are encouraged to stop by
the sacristy to let us know if you can help at these liturgies.
BecomeanElfonChristmasEve!
All are welcome to come and help decorate the church for
Christmas on Thursday, December 24th starting at 9:00 a.m. All
ages and experiences can join in on this fun! Contact Catherine
Downing at 617-782-5812 , cfdesq@hotmail.com.
The special collection will be directed for the support of Jesuit
priests to provide for their sickness and retirement needs. Your
assistance is especially needed for those priest who are permanently retired or disabled.
SolemnityofHolyMary,MotherofGod
December 31 – 5:30 pm, Lannon Chapel (no 12:15 Mass)
January 1 – 10:00 am, Upper Church (no 5:30 pm Mass)
January2 – 4:00 pm, Upper Church (no 9:00 am Mass)
TheIgnatianWayintheYearofMercy,FromAdventto
Pentecost-AJourneywithSt.IgnatiusofLoyola
Advent4,Scripture
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
Reflection
The Fourth Sunday of Advent is an invitation to wait in joyful
hope for the consolation that comes from knowing that God
chooses you to be an instrument of his love and compassion, as
Mary and Elizabeth were chosen to bring to birth Jesus and John.
These two women symbolize perfectly what it means to “wait in
joyful hope”
TheLifeofIgnatius
When Ignatius decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he
decided to stop in Montserrat where the image of the Black Madonna was reverenced by many pilgrims. Ignatius spent the
knight in vigil before the statue and at the end he lay down the
symbols of his former life, his sword and the clothing of a
wealthy courtier. He pledged himself to the service of Our Lady.
QuestionforReflection
What does it mean for you to “wait in joyful hope”? Can you ask
for the grace to be with Mary and Elizabeth in this joy-filled
moment of surrender to God’s design for them? Can you imagine yourself in vigil with St Ignatius before Our Lady of Montserrat? Are you willing to divest something of yourself so that you
can love and serve God with more freedom? FortheGreaterGlory
As you reflect on this question, you are invited to view For The
Greater Glory, the dance/theater piece on the Spiritual Exercises, created by Fr. Bob, Review the first week. You can access the
video at www.blde.org or : http://americamedia.org/ignatiandance
JoyandMercyCards
Since Pope Francis has called for a Year of Mercy which began on
December 8th, we decided that Joy and Mercy would be the
themes for this Advent. Beginning December 5th, you received a
Mercy Card (Dec.5/6). Last weekend, you received a Joy Card
(Dec.12/13). You have been invited to take a card in the second
passing of the basket. In doing so you are making the promise to
perform an act of mercy or an act of joy for someone during the
week. This Sunday, you can choose either card. We hope that
this will make your Advent even more meaningful.
ElCaminoIgnacianoenelAñodelaMisericordia,Del
AdvientoaPentecostés-UnaJornadaconSanIgnaciode
Loyola
Adviento4,Escritura
“¡Bendita tú entre las mujeres y bendito el fruto de tu vientre!
¿Quién soy yo, para que la madre de mi Señor venga a verme?
Apenas llegó tu saludo a mis oídos, el niño saltó de gozo en mi
seno. Dichosa tú, que has creído, porque se cumplirá cuanto te
fue anunciado de parte del Señor”.
Reflexión
El cuarto domingo de adviento nos invita a esperar con esperanza y alegría para la consolación que viene al saber que Dios te
elige para que seas un instrumento de su compasión y su amor
como Dios eligió a María y Isabel quienes darían a luz a Jesús y
Juan. Estas dos mujeres simbolizan perfectamente lo que quiere
decir “esperar con esperanza y alegría”
LaVidaIgnaciana
Cuando Ignacio se decidió hacer un peregrinaje a Jerusalén, eligió pararse en Montserrat en donde había la imagen de la Madona Negra. Ignacio pasó toda la noche en vigilia ante la estatua
y al final depuso sus armas y se quitó la vestimenta de soldado y
cortesano. Se rindió al servicio de la Madona.
Preguntaparareflexión
¿Qué te quiere decir “esperar con esperanza y alegría”? ¿ Puedes
pedir la gracia a estar con María y Isabel en este momento cuando se rinden al designio que Dios tiene para ellas? ¿Puedes imaginarte en vigilia con Ignacio ante la Madona de Monserrat?
¿Estás dispuesto a desposeer de algo para que puedas amar y
servir a Dios con más libertad?
ParalaMayorGloriadeDios
Mientras meditas en estas preguntas, estás invitado a ver Para
La Mayor Gloria de Dios, un espectáculo de teatro y baile creado
por Padre Bob. Revise la primera semana. Se puede acceder en
blde.org o http://americamedia.org/ignatian-dance
RefugeeAwarenessDay,January17
Pope Francis has a special concern for refugees and has designated 1/17/2016 as World Day for Migrants and Refugees.
The St. Ignatius ARRUPE group (Assisting Refugee Resettlement
Using Parish Energies) will offer a Refugee Awareness Session at
11:00 am on January 17 and on January 24 at 6:30pm. Each session will be held in the Media Room in the lower church.
Find out what the Church does to help refugees: globally, nationally, in Massachusetts and here at St. Ignatius . A brief presentation will be accompanied by a screening of short films from the
UN High Commission on Refugees.
BookDiscussion
On Sunday, January 10, there will be a discussion of the book
How’s Your Faith? An Unlikely Spiritual Journey by David Gregory. In this book former newsman and Meet the Press moderator
David Gregory probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe? The author
approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication expected
of a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and presidents
accountable, but he also comes as a seeker who discovers why
spiritual journeys are always worthwhile. Please join the discussion of this book on January 10 at 11:15 in the Parish Office.
FaithFormationNews
ChristmasEveFamilyMassLiturgyandPageant
Sign ups are underway for our annual Christmas Eve Family
Mass Liturgy and Pageant! We are looking for performers for
our pageant to include: Mary, Stars, Angels, Shepherds, Sheep,
and Wise Men. We also need a speaker for the voice of the Angel
and several lectors. Parents can help by serving as Eucharistic
Ministers, Gift Bearers, and Pageant Helpers. Many hands are
needed for this joyous liturgy! Please be in touch with Susan at
langinst@bc.edu or 617-552-6105 or respond through the email
sent out earlier this month. Rehearsal for lead roles is 12/23 at
1pm in the Upper Church. For all other parts, the rehearsal is
12/23 at 4pm in the Upper Church.
GivingTreeItemsBackandDelivered
The Family Mass Giving Tree gifts are back and were delivered
this week! Nativity Preparatory School, Catholic Charities of
Greater Boston and Horizons for Homeless Children are extremely appreciative of all of the donations they received. Thank
you to all of the parish families who made donations, helped sort
gifts and delivered them to the agencies!
BakeSaleforCatholicCharitiesandProjectBread'sHolidaySpoonsProject
The Family Arts Based Middle School Program is having a Bake
Sale December 20th after the 10am masses in the Friary Room
and at the exits of the church to raise money for Catholic Charities in support of their refugee efforts. We have some great baked
goods, which include some featured items as a part of our
"Kindness Sale". If you buy one, you get an extra item to give
away as an act of Kindness. So, if you feel charitable, kind or just
hungry, please come by the bake sale. In addition, our Middle
School Program is raising funds for the hungry in Greater Boston through Project Bread's annual Holiday Spoons Project.
Come check out the spoons they have created for this fundraising effort. Please join us!
Fr.BobLegacyCampaign
Several weeks ago, members of the Finance Council and Fr. Bob
informed parishioners of the Legacy Campaign that has been
established to honor his 27 years as pastor and address the needs
and areas of greatest importance to him here at St. Ignatius: ! repair of the buttress on the Commonwealth Avenue side of
the church
! a fund that continues to support the arts in worship at St.
Ignatius
! a fund that supports the parish retreats at Eastern Point
! a fund that provides ongoing support for St. Anne’s Parish
in Kingston, Jamaica
Fr. Bob has touched the lives of thousands of people in his nearly
three decades here. We are grateful for his insightful, spiritual
leadership, and stewardship of our beloved parish and hope that
you will join this effort and consider a gift in honor of Fr. Bob.
To date, approximately $300,000 has been pledged toward our
$1,000,000 goal for the Legacy Fund. Fr. Bob has been so
touched by the outpouring of love and support shown to him.
Any amount is welcome, but we have established the Ignatius
($25,000), Xavier ($10,000) and Arrupe ($5,000) levels. Checks
should be made to St. Ignatius Church with Fr. Bob Legacy Campaign noted in the memo field. We want to get the word out as
much as possible to reach the goal.
More details will be forthcoming, but mark April 30, 2016 on
your calendar for the parish wide celebration to say our goodbyes.
OutreachMinistries
ShattuckFourthTuesday: We will NOT be serving dinner at
Pine Street Inn Shattuck Shelter on Tuesday, December 22nd. Thank you for your
support of our ministry this past year.
Stay tuned in January!
UpcomingCommissionMeetings
Liturgy Commission – Tuesday, January 5, 7:15 pm, Garden
Level
Seeking Housing for Westminster Choir
The world-renowned Westminster Choir of Princeton, New Jersey will be performing at St. Ignatius on January 8, 2016. The
varied program will be sung by the 40 voice touring choir, as
part of their winter tour. You will not want to miss it!
We are providing housing for the 44 members of the choir on
the night of January 7, 2016 (Thursday). If you are able and interested in hosting any of the students, or for more information,
please contact Timothy Zimmerman zimmerta@bc.edu, 617552-6114. Thank you, in advance, for your generous hospitality.
TheJubileeYearofMercyandtheDoorofMercy
The Holy Year of Mercy began on the
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2015, and will close
on November 20, 2016, the Solemnity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the
Universe. This Jubilee year is extraordinary in many ways. Unlike the Jubilees
that take place every twenty-five or fifty
years, or the Great Jubilee Year 2000,
Pope Francis has proclaimed a Jubilee
based on a theme – God’s Mercy. He
said that this Holy Year of Mercy is a journey, a “journey which
begins with spiritual conversion”. And we know that our conversion is always a response to God’s grace, his loving invitation to
follow Him more closely and more faithfully. This Holy Year of
Mercy is an invitation to us from God, who is mercy. It is an invitation for us to be “Merciful like the Father”, and to practice the
spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
During the Holy Year of Mercy doors are to be opened in the
Cathedrals of the world, doors of mercy. On December 8, the
first Holy Door was opened by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica
in Rome. On the following Sunday, December 13, doors of mercy were opened at Cathedrals throughout the world, including
our own Cathedral of the Holy Cross. This Door of Mercy will be
open throughout the Holy Year of Mercy for pilgrims to enter
the Cathedral, which is a house of mercy. God dwells here in His
Sacraments and in His Word. He can be found in His Body, the
Church, which exists to glorify Him and to lead others to a merciful encounter with God.
You may be asking, “What is a Door of Mercy for?” Each day we
pass through many doors: in our homes, our automobiles, our
places of work and recreation. Most of the time we are simply
passing through, in and out, without even thinking about the
door. A Holy Door is different. Rather than just simply passing
through this door, it exists to help us “pass-over”, to experience
the grace of conversion, a significant change in the direction of
our lives.
During this Holy Year of Mercy, God invites us not simply to
pass through a door, but to “pass-over” from sin to mercy, from
darkness to light, from isolation to communion with God and
His Church. When we “pass-over” this threshold, we encounter
Christ who is the merciful face of the Father. Just as when we
turn the door knob in order to enter the door of a house or a
room, when we enter the Holy Door it is Christ’s hand that leads
us. It is his voice we hear, inviting us to be Merciful like the Father.
CorporalWorksofMercy
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To shelter the homeless;
To visit the sick;
To visit the imprisoned;
To bury the dead.
SpiritualWorksofMercy
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the
dead.
St.IgnatiusPledgeProgram
Thank you to the many members of the parish who have responded to the pledge letter from Father Bob, either by signing
up or giving us changes in your information.
For those who haven’t yet had a chance to respond, you can still
send in the card or can call Kyle Crosby at 617-552-6119. We are
best able to plan for and use the resources you’ve entrusted to us,
through the Annual Support Program. The more people participate, the better we can plan and budget. As always, we are so
grateful for your support.
Don't miss it!
R e me m ber in g Yo u r L ov ed On e s at
Chr is tm a s T im e
For Christmas, we invite you to remember your loved ones by making a donation to purchase a poinsettia in their
name. These plants will be used to make
the Church shine for the season and an
acknowledgement of gratitude will appear in the bulletin.
If you would like to donate, please fill out
the form below and return to the Parish
Office by December 20th together with
your donation.
Yes, I would like to donate $_________
to remember:
________________________________________
(Name of person to be remembered)
Donor:
________________________________________
Address:________________________________
________________________________________
SaintIgnatiusofLoyola
28CommonwealthAvenue,ChestnutHillMA02467
Phone:617-552-6100!Fax:617-552-6101!Email:Ignatius@bc.edu!http://bc.edu/st-ignatius
TheParishStaff
Rev. Robert F. Ver Eecke, SJ, Pastor
frvereec@bc.edu
617-552-6100
Rev. John Allan Loftus, SJ, Associate
ja.loftus@bc.edu
617-552-6100
Paul Melley, Assistant to the Pastor, BC Liaison
melleypa@bc.edu
617-552-6113
Michael Burgo, Director of Music Ministry
Timothy Zimmerman, Organist, Associate Director of Music
Sr. Diane Vallerio, MFIC, Director of Outreach
Susan Stuart, Director of Faith Formation
Anabella Morabito, Associate Dir. of Faith Formation
Diana Gaillardetz, Adult Faith Formation, RCIA
burgo@bc.edu
zimmerta@bc.edu
vallerio@bc.edu
langinst@bc.edu
morabian@bc.edu
gailladi@bc.edu
617-552-6108
617-552-6114
617-552-6107
617-552-6105
617-552-6103
617-552-6103
Reenie Murphy, Parish Administrative Assistant
Kathy Maher, Spiritual Life Coordinator
Kyle Crosby, Database Manager
ignatius@bc.edu
katherine.maher@bc.edu
kyle.crosby@bc.edu
617-552-6102
617-552-6112
617-552-6119
Kathy Maher, CAP Team Member, Chair
Rev. John Allan Loftus, SJ, CAP Team Member
Marc Gervais, CAP Team Member
Mary Santapaula, CAP Team Member
katherine.maher@bc.edu
ja.loftus@bc.edu
mjg@gervaisdavenport.com
TheCelebrationoftheEucharist
TheSacraments
Sunday
Upper Church: 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 Noon, 5:30 p.m.
Lower Church: 8 a.m., 10 a.m. (Family Liturgy)
12 Noon Misa en Español en la Capilla Lannon
Baptism: Adults are baptized at the Easter Vigil as part of the Rites of
Christian Initiation for Adults. Infant and child baptisms are by arrangement.
Weekday
Lower Church: 12:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Lower Church: Fridays, 12:45 p.m. Adoration
Saturday
Lower Church: 9 a.m.
Upper Church: 4 p.m. (Vigil)
First Eucharist: Preparation begins in grade one and includes classes,
retreats and home instruction. Children receive First Eucharist in grade
two.
Confirmation: Our Confirmation program begins in grade nine. Students are confirmed in the spring of grade ten. Young adults who have
been catechized but are not yet confirmed should contact the parish office for an alternative program.
Matrimony: Must be registered as a parishioner six months prior to
beginning marriage arrangements.
Reconciliation: Saturdays, 3:15–3:45 p.m., Upper Church or by arrangement
Anointing of the Sick: By arrangement