http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/prs/stign/index.html
 | Rev. Robert F. VerEecke, S.J. Pastor |
|---|---|
 | Rev. Kenneth Loftus, S.J. Associate Pastor |
 | Rev. John Allan Loftus, S.J. Associate Pastor |
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Rev. Robert (Fr. Bob) Ver Eecke, S.J.
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Priest Advises a “Brokeback Lent”, Homily Encourages Propaganda Film
The latest example has Father John Allan Loftus, S.J. the Director of the Jesuit Urban Center at the Boston Church of the Immaculate Conception recommending a “Brokeback Lent.” In his homily for Ash Wednesday, March 1, Loftus urged congregants to watch the film. “I suspect many in this community have already seen Brokeback Mountain,” he said. “If not see it; if you have, see it again and reflect on the consequences of not being interiorly free, the consequences of not knowing who you really are and want to become, the tragic consequences and subsequent devastation that comes from only living in a ‘pretend’ world.”Rev. Loftus proposed, contrary to Catholic teaching, that sexual sin is not real sin, whereas not giving in to one’s desires is sin.“For too many of us, what we think of as ‘our sinfulness,’ our not yet even being the full human beings we are created to become, remains a paltry and cheap catalogue of peccadillos, usually having something to do with sex or not being ‘charitable’ toward each other. Those so-called ‘sins’ are hardly worth setting aside 40 days each year to ponder; those sins of yours or mine are hardly worth mentioning, really.” Loftus continued, “There is something much bigger at stake here than my petty sinfulness, my unkindness, my frustrated sex life, or my infuriating love life. The sin that is before us always is our refusal to grow into the freedom for which we were born.”
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Welcoming Gay Friendly Churches in Massachusetts - MA
St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish Chestnut Hill Roman Catholic
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Back in 1999, Boston Magazine celebrated creation spirituality in its Best of Boston contest, giving the Best Place to Meet a Gay Mate award to
The Jesuit Urban Center, South End. True, many happy couples found their love in the Ralph Lauren paint department of Homo Depot -- er, Home Depot. But Sunday morning Mass at the Jesuit Urban Center spawns more blessed pairings. The Urban Center's liturgy is both classic and contemporary; its mixed congregation is mostly gay; its AIDS and HIV support programs are some of the best in town; and its coffee hour is a great place to get phone numbers. 775 Harrison Avenue, Boston, 617-536-8440.
Today, alas, the Boston Globe brings the sad news that those blessed pairings will need to spawn elsewhere.
The Jesuit Urban Center, a predominantly gay Catholic congregation in Boston's South End, will close at the end of July, and the landmark church in which services are held will be put up for sale, the Jesuit religious order announced yesterday.
Congregants who can afford carfare will still be able to worship at the few remaining churches that don't conduct a Libidinal Orthopathy Screening at the door:
[The Jesuit Provincial superior] said that the Jesuits would continue to welcome gays and lesbians to worship at St. Ignatius of Loyola , the parish they oversee in Chestnut Hill, and that there are two other downtown congregations that have been reaching out to gay Catholics, the Paulist Center on Beacon Hill and St. Anthony Shrine, operated by the Franciscans, near Downtown Crossing. ...
[chop]
"I, and my friends, while not surprised, were saddened," said Dr. Juan Jaime de Zengotita, who has worshiped at the Jesuit Urban Center for four years. "This comes after a few years of rough times for gay Catholics, with Vatican and local Episcopal declarations that have not been so friendly. I don't know what will be the future of gay ministry."
I suppose there's always the Ralph Lauren paint department of Home Depot. After all, anyone interested in cleaving to the Church instead of changing her would walk into the nearest Catholic parish, whatever it happened to be.
Some folks, however, convince themselves they have special needs. For those that demand inscape in their outreach, only The Best will do. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the Jesuit Urban Center's Manhattan counterpart caught the admiring attention of the Village Voice(2001) for its non-judgmental ministry of reconciliation for Thinking Catholics:
Best Place to 'Fess Up -- ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH: No black box. A priest in a sweater and khakis sits you by a big open window and chats with you about your problems in a nonjudgmental way. Says things like "No matter what you choose, you are loved in the eyes of God." (This was in reference to me telling him I wanted to kiss a girl.) Here, sexuality is as fluid as the blood of Christ. Amen.
Comfort. Being comfortable with who I am. That's the message God became man to communicate to us.
Well, to those better dressed among us.
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Now closed Immaculate Conception Church, Jesuit Urban Center, Boston
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From the Easter Sunday 2008 Bulletin
SALTATE ET JUBILATE (SJ DANCE) - SUNDAYS - 3:00 – 4:00 PM BEGINNING MARCH 30
Using sacred music, the dancer is invited to find the connection between body, soul and spirit.
Capitalizing on his dance and teaching experience from the past 30 years, Fr. Bob VerEecke S.J. has developed a way of dance that helps those who love to dance and want to make a connection with their Spiritual journeys. SJ Dance is rooted in the Jesuit principle of Finding God in All Things. ($10.00 per class)
CATHOLIC GAY AND LESBIAN CONCERNS In
an effort to facilitate conversation for our Gay and
Lesbian parishioners, as well as parents and family
members of Gay and Lesbian Catholics, we are
providing an informal context in which people feel
free to talk about their questions and concerns. Please
call Fr. Bob at the rectory or email frvereec@bc.edu
RECONCILIATION
Saturdays 3:15 - 3:45 PM Upper Church or by arrangement
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From the December 4, 2005 Bulletin
TAIZE PRAYER IN ADVENT – Again, we will gather to pray together on Monday Evenings at 7:15 pm in the Upper Church, beginning November 28th. All are welcome to these candlelit evenings of sung prayer and quiet meditation. Help is needed to set up and clean up after Taize Prayer. Call Mary Santapaula at the rectory if you are able to help
Dear Parishioners,
December 3, the feast of St. Francis Xavier, marks the opening of the JESUIT JUBILEE YEAR, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the birth of Xavier on April 7, 1506, the 450th anniversary of the death of St. Ignatius on July 31st 1556 and the 500th anniversary of Peter Faber, one of the first Jesuits, on April 13th 1506. We Jesuits believe that this will be a time of grace for our Society and a time to draw many into the response of love that our God invites us to in Jesus Christ. We hope and pray that we will be graced with the generosity of many who desire to serve as Jesuits or share in our mission in other ways. Throughout this year there will be many special opportunities to celebrate this Jubilee Year. One that I would like to mention is the presentation of “For the Greater Glory of God” at the Church of the Immaculate Conception/Jesuit Urban Center on March 4th, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.. This dance/theater performance inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius will be presented on the first day of the Novena of Grace. There will be other opportunities for prayer during the nine day period which concludes on March 12th. Fr. Bob
GAY AND LESBIAN CONCERNS – Archbishop Sean O’Malley sent a letter to all parishioners “Concerning the Church and Homosexual Persons”. Copies of the Archbishop’s letter are available at the information table at the back of the church. The following is a “Thank You” from one of the members of our parish group:
“Heartfelt thanks to St. Ignatius Church for their wisdom, compassion and courage. I am referring to making it possible for parents, friends, gays and lesbians to gather together for support of one another. As a parent of gay children, it was a joyful day for me to see that first message in the bulletin. Our gatherings here at St. Ignatius have meant so much to me. I look forward to each and every meeting and am never disappointed. We have an amazing group of caring, thoughtful and positive thinking people. We have stories to tell, experiences to share and learn from, observations to make and most importantly, we are there for one another. Thank you so very much"
You are invited to attend a new centering prayer experience offered the Sundays of Advent from 4:30 –5:30 pm in the Lannon Chapel. (12-4, 12-11, 12-18). Dana Moore will offer us this prayer experience based on the guidelines of Fr. Basil Pennington. It begins by preparing our body and mind for prayer through simple yoga breathing exercises (done while seated in chairs). This will be followed by guided meditation, chanting and meditative walking (in the Lower Church) similar to the experience of walking a labyrinth. No registration is required. Please join us for this centering prayer experience.
CHRISTIAN YOGA, a way of wholeness and spiritual integration, will be offered by Dana Moore on Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 6:30 pm in the Friary Room. There will be a $5.00 donation per class. Please call the office for more information.
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT – If your child is interested in participating in this year’s Christmas Pageant, which will take place at the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass, we have some important dates for you (please note several changes from the calendar you received at the beginning of the year). The pageant is open to children in grades kindergarten through six.
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