Lent is a time for reflection, for prayer and fasting, in preparation for the great mystery of our Catholic faith. Many individuals spend more time looking inward, reflecting on where they are in their personal spiritual journey, and that is important, but moving outward is important too. This Lent the parish’s Laudato Si Circle will be offering a series of reflections on ways parishioners might respond to the teaching of the Catholic Church that concern for life and for all of God’s creation, an important part of our spiritual discipline. As Pope Francis put it in his landmark encyclical, Laudato Si, “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (Laudato si’, #217). This is especially important to us as a Jesuit parish, as “caring for our common home” is one of the four apostolic priorities of the Society of Jesus. In the coming weeks, six reflections will alternate between ways to “fast” that are more conscious of the impact we are having on our planet, and ways to add an outward focus to our prayer activity by turning the ordinary activities of daily life into prayerful choices. Hopefully, this Lent will become a time for strengthening your love of God by strengthening your love of God’s creation.

My name is Dan Sullivan, and I have been a member of the Mercy & Justice Commission the past three years. I have been a member of St. Ignatius Parish for a little over six years. When I decided to move back to the Bay Area in 2019, the first thing I decided was that no matter where I ended up living, St. Ignatius would be my parish. I deeply believe that Catholic social teaching must be a core component of a Catholic community, rather than some optional part. I was very familiar with Ignatian spirituality, and knew that Saint Ignatius would be a welcoming home for me.

I’d like to invite you to nominate a friend, family member, fellow parishioner or perhaps even yourself to the St. Ignatius Leadership Commission over the next few weeks. Meeting roughly four times a year, the Leadership Commission is a body of St. Ignatius parishioners who through discernment and community help inform the path that our church takes in matters of faith formation, worship, social justice, outreach, inclusiveness and more

Every ministry, committee, and event in the Parish falls under four Commissions: Faith Formation, Worship, Mercy & Justice and Community. Faith Formation works with lay leaders preparing children and families for First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation and instilling them with a spiritual tool-kit they can grow with, as well as adult Faith Formation through lectures and retreats. Worship works with lay leaders supporting and guiding the liturgical arts of music, liturgical environment and liturgical ministry to create welcoming and beautiful liturgies. Mercy & Justice works with lay leaders creating opportunities for parishioners to enact the corporal works of mercy and participate in Social. Justice work, and Community lay leaders to organize and host events such as Home4Dinner and post-Mass hospitality..

Pope Leo XIV announced a new series of weekly audience catecheses beginning in January 2026, focusing on a direct, "non-hearsay" reading of the Second Vatican Council documents. He called Vatican II a "guiding star" and "great grace," he aims to reaffirm its teachings on communion, the Church's role in the modern world, and the "universal call to holiness." He is encouraging Catholics to become directly familiar with these documents, and St. Ignatius Parish is heeding that call, bringing us back to our roots as a modern church, especially as related to our leadership model.

Earlier this week, after reading the New York Times front page stories about the murder of Alex Pretti and its aftermath, I pushed the paper away and dropped my head into my hands. The inaudible words that crossed my lips were simple and familiar: Jesus, what do you want me to do? Immediately, I heard a response, also inaudible, but clearly, in the way God sometimes speaks when we are listening: “You have a body, and you have a pulpit.” It was a voice I have known and trusted for decades. I understood it to mean that my faithfulness to Jesus now requires both presence and proclamation: that I must show up with my body, and that I must speak and write from the responsibility entrusted to me in my mission as pastor of St. Ignatius Parish. I share this with you because it matters that you know that what I write comes from prayer, from discernment, and from my understanding of what God is asking of me in this moment.

In the coming weeks, you may notice some construction activity in one of the chapel bays on the southwest side of the church. Something exciting is taking shape! As part of our ongoing gratitude to the nearly-800 households and organizations who participated in the Preservation & Promise campaign, we are installing an engraved listing of supporters' names along with a striking scale model of the church’s steel frame. The model will rest on a foundation of the same jadeite stone on which the church is built, offering a tangible connection between our building's history and its renewed future. We are delighted to be working with a talented team of Bay Area artisans, including Studio Manouche and Pure Black Inc., (pureblackinc.com) who bring thoughtful design and craftsmanship to this project. Please plan to join us! Mark your calendars for a campaign completion celebration and unveiling on Sunday, April 26, following the 10:00 am Mass. We look forward to gathering in gratitude and celebration as we formally dedicate this new installation.

It’s always fun to discover a new saint to contemplate and engage with them, and it was a joy when, sometime back, my fellow Anti-Racism Committee member Angie Vuong introduced the Parish to St. Andrew Dung-Lac, a Saint of whom I had not been aware. I now include him in my Litany rotation. (Far and away my favorite prayer is the Litany of the Saints. I love asking for the intercession of the Saints and the sweet rhythms of this prayer.) Recently, I’ve been meditating on important aspects of the lives of several ancient saints that de-centers their often pre-supposed “whiteness.”

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

Pope Leo has announced that the starting point for the catechesis of his papacy will be the documents of Vatican II, and he is encouraging Catholics to become directly familiar with these documents. Our parish has a wonderful set of presentations on four of the 16 documents, the four constitutions on our YouTube channel. Find the link to our video series from 2022 on YouTube: Vatican II: Living into the Council

Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors (OWLS) is a thriving ministry as seniors (50+) gather to enjoy each other’s company and participate in a variety of activities that reflect the interests of senior members of our parish. The group meets once a month, on the second Friday of the month, but during the Lenten Series will meet once a week.

This Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let us remember his radical advocacy of love as expressed in the Gospels. This love extends to everyone, even under the harshest structural injustices, which he sought to help us all change so we could be closer to God. And let us remember his heterodox Christian martyrdom and nonviolent civil disobedience. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Read a summary of the Catholic and interfaith commemoration of the person whose faith in action we honor this weekend.

When I was growing up in an evangelical denomination, there seemed to be a lot of rules about God. How is God manifest? Who could worship God? And what kinds of churches would lead you to God? My mother didn’t buy into that; she was more aligned with what Pope Francis said, “All religions lead to God”. That was a controversial point-of-view when my mother practiced it (especially after I and my three siblings all married Catholics) and when Pope Francis articulated it.

Merry Christmas! On behalf of the lay leadership and staff of St. Ignatius Parish, I wish each and all of you a joyous and warm celebration of the Nativity of the Lord! What a grace it is to gather again on this holy day, to hear the familiar carols, and to stand shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart before the Mystery that has changed the world.

Christmas Mass Schedule Christmas Eve 4:00 pm: Christmas Eve Family Mass and Pageant 6:30 pm: Christmas Eve Mass Mass During the Night 10:00 pm: Mass During the Night, carols begin at 9:30 pm Christmas Day 8:00 am: Christmas Morning Mass 10:00 am: Christmas Day Mass 12:00 pm (noon): Christmas Day Mass

If you’ve ever walked into Saint Ignatius Church through the Parker Avenue doors, look to your left—you’ll see her. The Virgen de Guadalupe, standing on the moon, wrapped in stars and golden rays. It’s not just a pretty image. For many, she’s a source of strength, comfort, and belonging.

In your mind's eye, picture an old stone church in a small barrio decorated with lights and parols (star-shaped lanterns). Now imagine the scent of steaming puto (rice cake) and baked bibingka filling the air as many gather to attend the first day of “Simbang Gabi”. Simbang gabi, which directly translates to “Night Mass”, is also called Misa de Gallo (meaning "Mass of the Rooster") or Misa de Aguinaldo (meaning "Mass of the Gifts”). It is a Filipino tradition, a nine-day series of masses leading up to Christmas where we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as she prepares to give birth to the baby Jesus. These Masses are usually held at dawn and after mass comes a delicious breakfast of Filipino delicacies with hot tsolokate (chocolate).

As I consider the story of my life and vocation in the Society of Jesus, I think they grew out of a deep desire to serve God with my whole life. From early on, I was drawn to prayer, community, and the mystery of how God works through ordinary people and moments. The Jesuits captured my heart because of their spirituality—their call to find God in all things—and their mission to bring faith and justice together in the service of others.

“Gratitude is the foundational virtue. It makes the heart open and generous, and a generous heart creates a generous world.” I could not find the author, but the insight strikes my heart as true and so apt for our time. In these uncertain and the-ground-is-shifting-beneath-us times, gratitude may be a starting place. Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

Every year on the first Sunday of Advent, which is next Sunday, our old friend Jesuit, Fr. Tom Lucas, pastor of St. Ignatius Sacramento, joins us for an appeal to help the Casa de los Pobres, the House of the Poor, operated by the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Peace in Tijuana. Over the past 26 years or so, our community has purchased thousands of blankets to help needy families who live just across the border. The large, heavy blankets are manufactured in Mexico and cost about $40 each. We are asking for your help again this year. Representatives will be at our doors this next weekend asking for your cash donations or a check made out to the Casa de Los Pobres. They will also have a flyer that includes the Casa’s US mailing address and the Casa de los Pobres website for online donations. You can also give today by going to our website or using the link in your email newsletter. Your support for this work of Christmas charity is something the sisters have depended on for years. They are grateful for your support, and they pray God’s blessing on your generous families.