Category : IPS

Life in the Full: A Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Lent from Dr. Peter Jones

 

Reading 1EZ 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial PsalmPS 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Reading 2ROM 8:8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Verse Before The GospelJN 11:25A, 26

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will never die.

GospelJN 11:1-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany,
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil
and dried his feet with her hair;
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying,
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
hen Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death,
but is for the glory of God,
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill,
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples,
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him,
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you,
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble,
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles,
because the light is not in him.”
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death,
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe.
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples,
“Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this,
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying,
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village,
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her,
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him,
she fell at his feet and said to him,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping,
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said,
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said,
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench;
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me;
but because of the crowd here I have said this,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands,
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.


Stazioni Quaresimali: A Reflection on the Roman Lenten Tradition of Station Churches from Dr. Michael Canaris

https://youtu.be/sVe-cVo4VGw

Click on the map of Rome below, to learn more about this Roman tradition.


Stazioni Quaresimali: A Reflection on the Roman Lenten Tradition of Station Churches from Dr. Michael Canaris

https://youtu.be/sVe-cVo4VGw

Click on the map of Rome below, to learn more about this Roman tradition.


How Will You Lent?

imagesToday is Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the Lenten season which ends on Holy Saturday. Lent lasts for forty days (excluding Sundays) representing the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan, as he prepared to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of preparation, fasting, and repentance in anticipation of Easter. Christians participate in Lent as a way to deepen and focus on their relationship with God. It is the Catholic tradition to participate in Lent in three ways: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These practices are meant to clear away what stands in between one and God, and to make a clear and intentional effort to love one’s neighbor and God and decenter from oneself. So, it could be interesting to think of the word “Lent” as a verb, as an action rather than something static and unchanging. How will you participate and prepare? How will you Lent?

https://youtu.be/o5BB0oCYo4w

https://youtu.be/tRDeHxUTZPg


Book Announcement: Collaborative Parish Leadership

51SonxkS7DL._SX312_BO1,204,203,200_Collaborative Parish Leadership: Contexts, Models, Theology is a recently released book of essays exploring team-based parish leadership across a variety of cultures. This book of essays is a culmination of learning and experiences drawn from the long-term pastoral and academic partnerships through “Project INSPIRE”, sponsored by the Lily Endowment, Loyola University Chicago and the Archdiocese of Chicago, and the academic exchange partnership entitled “Crossing Over”, a collaborative exchange program between Ruhr Universität in Bochum, Germany along with Catholic dioceses in Northwest Germany and The Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago.

Collaborative Parish Leadership is a comprehensive discussion exploring pastoral and theological implications of parish growth and change in the modern church. The essays offer practical and reflective ways to engage in the emerging life of the global church. Dean of the Institute of Pastoral Studies, Dr. Brian Schmisek, offers a foreword for the essays, and adjunct professor, Dr. Mary Froehle coauthors an essay entitled “Build Collaboration, Build Church?”. The book also contains contributions by former IPS faculty members Dr. William Clark, SJ, founding director of the INSPIRE Project, Daniel Gast, and professor emeritus Dr. Peter Gilmour.

 

Reviews
James Martin

“How can a Catholic parish flourish? How can parishes withstand the prevailing forces of secularization and apathy? How can Catholics best respond to parish closings, clusterings and reconfigurations? What parish model works best to build real community among its members? How can a multicultural parish effectively incorporate all its members? How can pastors and pastoral associates successfully lead the contemporary parish? All of these critical questions are thoughtfully considered and carefully answered in this deeply researched book based on grassroots experience and the most up-to-date scholarship. Collaborative Parish Leadership is an invaluable tool for understanding, supporting, and leading the place that most Catholics think about when they think about church.”

Barbara Fleischer

“In the spirit of practical theology, this collection of essays blends excellent social research on parish life with theological reflections that include the perspectives of parishioners themselves. Based on explorations of parish life from the INSPIRE project in Chicago and CrossingOver in Germany, this work exemplifies true collaboration and yields rich harvests of insights that emerge from dialogue that moves across national, diocesan, and university boundaries.”


IPS Faculty Member Dr. Michael Canaris Awarded STL

 

canaris photo 3In January 2017, Michael Canaris was awarded a postdoctoral Licentiate in Sacred Theology specializing in Ecumenism from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, more commonly referred to as the Angelicum.  His tesina (a lengthy required research project) was focused on ecumenical responses to human trafficking and contemporary slavery.  The research drew in elements from many of the dynamic communities around Rome (the Centro Pro Unione, the Anglican Centre, the Comunità di Sant’Egidio) who have longstanding associations with the Lay Centre, where he lived as he worked on the degree.  His writing strove to uncover the collaborative initiatives these and many other institutions support in combating the “scourge and open wound” of human trafficking across denominational boundaries, to cite Pope Francis’s diagnosis of the problem.  The tesina offered practical recommendations for how theologies of reception, hospitality, and the Argentinian teologia del pueblo could inform the groundbreaking work already underway in addressing a “globalization of indifference,” and recognized the unique role that women (lay and religious) play in serving on the front lines of prevention, protection, and prosecution regarding these issues.

 

canaris photo 4In general, the canonical licentiate is a historic pontifical degree accredited by the Holy See which enables one to serve the church and academy in a variety of specialized functions, including teaching in a major seminary, representing Catholic positions in official ecumenical dialogues, and serving as a theological resource for a number of diocesan roles and offices. It presupposes a substantial background (usually at least ten undergraduate courses) in ancient, scholastic, and contemporary philosophy, as well as a “first cycle” degree in theology or religious studies.

 

canaris photo 2Canaris photo 1Michael previously holds degrees from the University of Scranton (PA), Boston College and Fordham University in New York City, and currently teaches systematic theology and ecclesiology at Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral Studies.  He is the author of Francis A. Sullivan, S.J. and Ecclesiological Hermeneutics: An Exercise in Faithful Creativity (Brill: 2016), and is currently working on two new book projects: the first exploring Christian notions of joy with Prof. Donna Orsuto, and the second on the intersection of ecclesiology with global migration issues.  He chairs the IPS’s Global Engagement Committee and helps coordinate their summer programs in Rome, always making a point to immerse his graduate students in the unique, transnational community of the Lay Centre when visiting the Eternal City.

written by Dr. Michael Canaris


Statement of AJCU Presidents on Undocumented Students

November 30, 2016

As Presidents of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities we feel spiritually and morally compelled to raise a collective voice confirming our values and commitments as Americans and educators. We represent colleges and universities from across our nation with more than 215,000 students and 21,000 faculty, and over 2 million living alumni.

Grounded in our Catholic and Jesuit mission, we are guided by our commitment to uphold the dignity of every person, to work for the common good of our nation, and to promote a living faith that works for justice. We see our work of teaching, scholarship and the formation of minds and spirits as a sacred trust.

That trust prompts us to labor for solidarity among all people, and especially with and for the poor and marginalized of our society. That trust calls us to embrace the entire human family, regardless of their immigration status (1) or religious allegiance. And experience has shown us that our communities are immeasurably enriched by the presence, intelligence, and committed contributions of undocumented students, as well as of faculty and staff of every color and from every faith tradition.

Therefore, we will continue working:

•    To protect to the fullest extent of the law undocumented students on our campuses;
•    To promote retention of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA);
•    To support and stand with our students, faculty and staff regardless of their faith traditions;
•    To preserve the religious freedoms on which our nation was founded.

As we conclude this Year of Mercy, we make our own the aims enunciated by Pope Francis:

“Every human being is a child of God! He or she bears the image of Christ! We ourselves need to see, and then to enable others to see, that migrants and refugees do not only represent a problem to be solved, but are brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected and loved.” (2)

We hope that this statement will inspire members of our University communities, as well as the larger national community, to promote efforts at welcome, dialogue, and reconciliation among all that share our land.  We welcome further conversation and commit ourselves to modeling the kind of discourse and debate that are at the heart of our nation’s ideals. And we promise to bring the best resources of our institutions – of intellect, reflection, and service – to bear in the task of fostering understanding in the United States at this particular time in our history.

Signed,

John J. Hurley
Canisius CollegeDaniel S. Hendrickson, S.J.
Creighton UniversityJoseph M. McShane, S.J.
Fordham UniversityThayne M. McCulloh
Gonzaga University

Linda M. LeMura
Le Moyne College

Jo Ann Rooney
Loyola University Chicago

Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J.
Loyola University New Orleans

John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J.
Regis University

Mark C. Reed
Saint Joseph’s University

Eugene J. Cornacchia
Saint Peter’s University

Stephen Sundborg, S.J.
Seattle University

Antoine M. Garibaldi
University of Detroit Mercy

Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.
University of Scranton

Michael J. Graham, S.J.
Xavier University

 

Philip L. Boroughs, S.J.
College of the Holy CrossJeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.
Fairfield UniversityJohn J. DeGioia
Georgetown UniversityRobert L. Niehoff, S.J.
John Carroll University

Timothy Law Snyder
Loyola Marymount University

Brian F. Linnane, S.J.
Loyola University Maryland

Michael Lovell
Marquette University

Thomas Curran, S.J.
Rockhurst University

Fred P. Pestello
Saint Louis University

Michael E. Engh, S.J.
Santa Clara University

Christopher P. Puto
Spring Hill College

Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J.
University of San Francisco

James Fleming, S.J.
Wheeling Jesuit University

Michael J. Sheeran, S.J.
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

 

(1) AJCU Presidents Statement in Support of Undocumented Individuals, January 2013 (http://bit.ly/2fNj9V6
(2) Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for The World Day Of Migrants And Refugees (5 August 2014).

Click here to view this press release online: http://www.ajcunet.edu/press-releases-blog/2016/11/30/statement-of-ajcu-presidents-november-2016


An Advent Reflection

Advent is the liturgical period leading up to the feast of Christmas.

A driving dynamic of Advent is hope.  If we had nothing to hope for,
there would be no point to this season.  The original hope was for a
child to be born who would bring justice and peace to the world and
who would heal the rift between humanity and God.  But that larger
hope is filled with smaller ones—daily hopes that can shape us as people.

Some hopes will shape our relationships.  The Christ Child grew to be a
man who embodied forgiveness and generosity.  A life of hope sees
the good in others, is patient with their shortcomings, and tenaciously
envisions them at their best.

Some hopes will shape our work.  The promised Messiah proclaimed
God’s realm of justice and mercy.  No matter what jobs we do or work
positions we hold, as hopeful people we maintain fairness and integrity
as short-term and long-term goals.  We make our work matter for the
common good.

Some hopes will shape our character.  Jesus exemplified hope that cultivates
true freedom.  A hopeful person cannot continue in anxiety, grasping,
need for control, and habitual anger.

How is hope visible in your life?
Where has it failed?

 

– Vinita Hampton Wright, IPS Student, Loyola Press Blogs


An Advent Reflection

Advent is the liturgical period leading up to the feast of Christmas.

A driving dynamic of Advent is hope.  If we had nothing to hope for,
there would be no point to this season.  The original hope was for a
child to be born who would bring justice and peace to the world and
who would heal the rift between humanity and God.  But that larger
hope is filled with smaller ones—daily hopes that can shape us as people.

Some hopes will shape our relationships.  The Christ Child grew to be a
man who embodied forgiveness and generosity.  A life of hope sees
the good in others, is patient with their shortcomings, and tenaciously
envisions them at their best.

Some hopes will shape our work.  The promised Messiah proclaimed
God’s realm of justice and mercy.  No matter what jobs we do or work
positions we hold, as hopeful people we maintain fairness and integrity
as short-term and long-term goals.  We make our work matter for the
common good.

Some hopes will shape our character.  Jesus exemplified hope that cultivates
true freedom.  A hopeful person cannot continue in anxiety, grasping,
need for control, and habitual anger.

How is hope visible in your life?
Where has it failed?

 

– Vinita Hampton Wright, IPS Student, Loyola Press Blogs


IPS Damen Award nominations

Dear IPS Alumni,

It is our sincere hope that this letter finds you well.  We are contacting you as fellow Loyola University Chicago alumni and members of the Development Committee of the Institute of Pastoral Studies Advisory Council.  In brief, we are seeking your assistance in identifying outstanding IPS alumni as candidates for the Damen Award.

The Damen Award is an annual award, named for Arnold J. Damen, S.J., one of the founders of Loyola University Chicago.  It is bestowed on alumni from every school and college at LUC to recognize their exemplary leadership and service to others.  The most recent Institute of Pastoral Studies honoree for 2016 was Sr. Norma S. Pimentel (MA’95), a sister with the Missionaries of Jesus and executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.  Sr. Pimentel’s ministry has been devoted to serving people in need and advocating for justice in social structures.  Pope Francis has praised her ministry to immigrants and refugees on the U.S. southern border.  Click here or see below to learn more about past nominees.

Loyola’s IPS has been educating students for ministry for more than 50 years and alumni are geographically scattered near and far.  As a result, many IPS alumni, along with their ministry and accomplishments, are unknown to us or current faculty and staff.  We need you to raise our awareness of inspiring alumni whose commitment and service deserve recognition and honor.  A likely candidate is someone who graduated from an IPS program more than a few years ago and has shown outstanding ministerial leadership and service to Church and beyond.

We invite you to nominate IPS alumni for the 2017 Damen Award by completing this short form online with the name, a description of their work and accomplishments, and why you think they deserve this award.  Deadline is November 29, 2016.

Thank you, in advance, for participating in this search and nomination process.  Through the Damen Award, IPS’ outstanding alumni will be recognized for their leadership and service, and the honor they bring to their alma mater.  We look forward to learning from you and celebrating the extraordinary lives and service of our fellow alumni.

Peace and Blessings,

 

The Development Committee of the Institute of Pastoral Studies Advisory Council

Nancy Braund Boruch (MBA ’79, MPS ’02)
Donna Gawlas (BS ’75, MPS ’88)
Laura Howard (MPS ’01, MDiv ’07)
Meredith Onion (MSIR ’87, MDiv ’13)
Beth Reece (MDiv ’10)

 

Institute of Pastoral Studies Damen Awardees

2008 – Dr. Terrance P. McGuire, MPS ‘02
2009 – Rich F. Clark, MRE ’78
2010 – Ms. Shirley A. Giacomi, MPS ’98, MDiv ‘ 02
2011 – Sr. Maura Twohig, MA ’95
2011 – Sr. Mary M. Daly, MA ’95
2012 – Joseph Paprocki, BA ’81, MPS ’85
2013 – Rev. Jimmie L. Flewellen, MPS ‘83
2014 – Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson, MPS ‘82
2015 – Pam Coster, MRE ’02
2016 – Sr. Norma Pimentel, MAPC ’95