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A few weeks ago, I was at a dinner party with a large close-knit group of friends. There were two new people who joined us, and they had just moved to San Francisco. Throughout the evening, I watched as every member of our usual crowd made it a point to engage with these newcomers, make them feel welcome, and do what was possible to help them connect with the fabric of the community we had formed. Telephone numbers were exchanged, advice about local restaurants was offered, and future meetings dates were scheduled.

This year’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults cohort is up and running. We need parishioners to support one of them in their journey, by serving as a sponsor. As these new members of our community prepare to receive the Sacraments at Easter, would you consider walking with them on their journey and sharing this experience of faith? You would attend classes (11:15 am-12:30 pm) each Sunday after the 10 am Mass as you are able, and accompany them in the specially scheduled rituals. There is an orientation session on Sunday, October 19, at noon.

Will you help? Or do you know a parishioner who needs some help? The St. Ignatius Parish Neighbor to Neighbor ministry is available for St. Ignatius parishioners, helping by other parishioners. One great way you can help right now is by providing a home-cooked meal when someone is sick or hospitalized. Contact [email protected] to volunteer or if you need help.

The St. Ignatius Parish Finance Committee is pleased to share its financial summary for fiscal year 2025, which ended June 30, 2025, and the approved budget for fiscal year 2026. Your generosity continues to make St. Ignatius a vibrant Jesuit Catholic community for San Francisco and beyond.

Every day when we watch the news, we see stories of war, famine, civil unrest, and global climate change forcing people to leave their homes and seek refuge in other lands. Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. On Sunday, October 5, the Church observes the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, an opportunity to reflect on the connections between hope, migration and mission. It began in 1914 to support the high numbers of people from the rural portion of southern Italy and the island of Sicily who were departing because of economic hardship with little hope of ever improving their lives.

Each morning I walk a short distance to take a yoga class in my neighborhood. In the fall/winter the street is still dark: delivery trucks unload fruits and vegetables for a local grocery store, the owner of the coffee shop is just unlocking the door, and city employees are dragging recycling bins across the sidewalk. I also pass by several people within alcoves they use as shelter to sleep during the night. Often they have containers of left-overs from the nearby restaurants that have been opened and picked through: french fries, half a chicken breast, a pizza crust. I call to mind the meal my husband has made for us the night before. I wonder how such hunger can exist in our beautiful city; I know that Jesus calls me to feed the spiritually and physically hungry. ‘Feed my lambs, tend my sheep , feed my sheep’ I hear Jesus say.

Since returning from my extended summer break, many have asked if I’m happy to be back. I very much am! In fact, last week, I surprised myself when I answered, “I am exceedingly happy to be back.” My gratitude to God for being a member of our wonderful faith community has never been deeper.

It is with great concern for the ongoing crisis in Gaza that we share this appeal for urgent relief for survival in Gaza and recovery across the Holy Land. Our Church mourns the terrible suffering of innocent victims of violence in Gaza and surrounding areas. The Holy Father notes with great sorrow that “Gaza is starving.” He continues to call for a cease fire and for aid to enter the territory. Thousands are struggling to survive, protect their children, and live with dignity in dire conditions.

Mary Jo "MJ" McConnell: "For three years I have been honored to be a music minister here at St. Ignatius. We have experienced change, but what keeps us resilient is our love for music and each other. This NYC transplant is truly grateful for the warm embrace of this community, and for the opportunity to grow as a musician. If you are called to make a joyful noise, join us. There are many levels of participation: Sunday worship, Easter week and Christmas celebrations with more challenging repertoire, and our signature annual requiem, which is the most demanding. Come as you are, stay for the joy." Thank you, Mary Jo!

Please join me and my brother Jesuits as we pray in gratitude for the life and ministry of Father Al Grosskopf, S.J., who, at age 94, died peacefully on August 25 at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Most of us came to know and love Father Al through his ministry as Associate Pastor of St. Ignatius Parish from 1997-2008.

New this year! We’ll have monthly gatherings after the 5:00 PM Mass for discussion, games, and PIZZA. Our first gathering will be Sunday, September 14th—don’t miss it! Here are some upcoming opportunities for youth to get involved:

Stephen St. Marie "I joined the St Ignatius Parish choir nearly 30 years ago, and I have found it to be a profoundly satisfying way for me to be part of our parish. It was partly for the opportunity to sing aloud and to participate in a musical group, and partly for the companionship with my fellow choristers. But much more for the benefit of a deeper feeling of participation in the Mass and in prayer.

From September 1 (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) through October 4 (Feast of St. Francis of Assisi), Christians worldwide celebrate the Season of Creation. For us in the Ignatian tradition, this sacred time is an invitation to “find God in all things” by noticing God’s presence in the beauty of creation and in the cries of the earth and the poor. Rooted in Laudato Si’ and the Jesuit Universal Apostolic Preference of “Caring for Our Common Home,” this season calls us to conversion of heart and to daily choices that embody cura personalis—care for one another and for our common home. Like the Examen, it is a time to pause, give thanks, and discern how God is inviting us to live in deeper harmony with creation. This year, we invite each parishioner to choose one simple practice for one month.

“Our response to the arrival of migrating persons can be summarized by four words: welcome, protect, promote and integrate.” - Pope Francis. Today, this response to a migrating person – welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating them into the United States – also needs to include migrants who may have been here for years or even decades. One way to offer protection is to share information about certain rights and protections that all people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have under the Constitution. That's where red cards come in. Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s (ILRC) red cards give examples of how people can exercise these rights, for instance when interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law enforcement agencies.

What a game! Fr. Jerry suggested we all pray a few rosaries before heading out—and it worked. Baseball, like sports in general, can feel like an act of faith: we show up, we hope, and we trust that something good will unfold. This past Sunday, that faith was rewarded with sunshine, great pitching, timely hitting, and even a once-in-a-decade catch.

Teri Stanul "I joined the choir about eight months ago after much prayer, asking God if this is where He wanted me. It was a decision I am very comfortable with, as I’ve always loved worshiping God in Song. Patrick Hagen, our amazing leader, and director is a man of God, and he is very talented in leading us in songs of praise. He is welcoming and very encouraging, as he teaches us with much patience to sing to our Savior. We are a family of believers, who through singing, glorify and praise. Please join us as we pray through song to our adoring God!" Thank you, Teri!

For thousands of years, the Catholic Church and organizations associated with it have met the needs of families and the vulnerable. It is part of who we are. This parish helps people, parishioners as well as those in need who might not be associated with the parish, through "corporal works of mercy." Here are a few examples.

Students are coming back to school, those fortunate enough to have summer vacations are returning to a more traditional schedule . . . For a variety of reasons, the "fall of the leaves" presents a time of renewal for our community. Whether it is being together again in meaningful ways, continuing to live God's love as expressed in the Gospels through Mercy & Justice, or a renewal of responsibility of being the primary catechist for your children, the time is always ripe, but especially so in fall.

For the last 16 years, together with Dr. Mary Romo, I have had the privilege of accompanying hundreds of adults on their journeys to become Catholic through St. Ignatius’ Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, (previously known as RCIA). My faith has emerged to be the central axis of my life. It has shaped me, guided me, inspired me, and comforted me. My faith is a treasure that has come to touch each facet of my life. Throughout my time with the this community, I have seen the enrichment of so many people who have let faith become their beacon too. At the heart of any Christian endeavor is coming to the understanding that Jesus’ teachings about love can be applied to any situation or circumstance. And as we introduce folks to the Catholic tradition, we do so with this notion in mind. The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) program is ultimately a pathway to discovery and serving as a catechist means we get to participate in the spiritual growth of people who continue to search for God’s presence. As a lifelong Catholic, sharing our faith this way is truly inspiring because we get to see the fruits of our tradition take form.

My first exposure to the slave trade outside of something I read in a textbook was a visceral experience I had when I visited the Slavery Memorial at the Christiansted National Historic site when I lived on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. St. Croix was a Danish territory from 1733 to 1917 and one of the centers of slave trading in the Caribbean. There are records of more than 100,000 slaves that were brought, confined, auctioned and sold in St. Croix from 1734 to 1803. The Danish West India Company kept meticulous records of the origin, family composition and disposition of each slave which were mostly sourced from what is now modern Ghana in West Africa which was also a Danish colony.