May 2018 E-Newsletter
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Letter from the Executive Director
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LIS Seeks New Executive Director
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Upcoming Events
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Hearts on Fire 2018​
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Praying with Pope Francis
Table of Contents
Dear Friends,
Pentecost is upon us. I imagine that fearful group of disciples huddled in the Upper Room as being on a community retreat. There they were with Mary in the midst of them, sharing their experiences of Jesus and his horrifying death, as well as the great surprise of Christ risen in their midst. Joy unbounded. So why were they still so fearful?
Never mind. That’s what happens. Great peak moments followed by anxiety, fear and disbelief.
But then the promised Spirit descends as tongues of fire – not exactly tongues of fire, but something like that. They tried the best they could to describe the reality. Mary helped them, of course. She knew the ways of the Spirit—she who was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit brought forth the Christ into the world. So in a moment of eternity, these anxious disciples were transformed, they burst bonds of fear, and fanned out through the streets and Temple area. Soon all Jerusalem was abuzz.
Jerry Thode, LIS Board Chair, Fr. Mike Bayard, S.J., and Fr. Patrick Howell, S.J.
Fr. Mike received he Hearts on Fire Award on behalf of Jesuits West on May 6.
We too at the Loyola Institute see this transformation month after month—the Spirit descending. And now another year closes on a note of joy and exaltation. We’re ready to celebrate our own Pentecost—not only this coming Sunday, but also on June 3 when we honor all the graduates who have gone through the three-year spiritual formation programs in English and Spanish – with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius as the heart of the program—and who are ready to fan out throughout the region as disciples.
We have other reasons to celebrate as well. The Hearts on Fire gala on May 6 was a wonderful celebration of the spiritual writings of Fr. Dick Hauser, S.J., who tragically died of pancreatic cancer just weeks before the award. And we also gave thankful recognition to the new Jesuits West province—all the Jesuits who have been so vital in the founding and endurance of LIS.
And we made our goal. We were shooting for $90,000 gross income and we shot past that to $92,190.
Many thanks to all for your generous spirit and contributions.
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With Easter blessings,
Fr. Patrick Howell, S.J.
Executive Director, ad interim
Upcoming Events
The end of our program year is quickly approaching, but we have events coming up through the summer and the fall.
We are grateful to announce that 37 people are graduating from the ISFP and PFEI on June 3, 2018.
Ignatius Day is July 31, 2018. Stay tuned for news about our celebration, open to all our friends.
Registrations for the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life are now open. Make an appointment today and experience this life-changing retreat.
Click here for more information.
The Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program offers two courses in the Fall:
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Ignatian Prayer and Biblical Foundations in Spirituality. Click here for more information.
Hearts on Fire
2018
We had a successful Hearts on Fire Celebration. Participants were treated to a fun evening with Mariachi music, a great auction, and a delicious dinner.
The highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony. Deacon Joe Coleman, received the Writer's Award in Spirituality for Fr. Dick Hauser, S.J. You can watch Fr. Dick's acceptance speech on our 2018 Hearts on Fire Page by clicking here, it was recorded shortly before he died. Fr. Mike Bayard, S.J., accepted the Hearts on Fire Award on behalf of Fr. Scott Santarosa, S.J., and Jesuits West.
We also debuted a new promotional video for LIS. You can view it here.
We managed to meet our goal of $90,000. Thank you our donors, volunteers, and to everyone who participated. We couldn't have done it without you!
For more pictures, click here, or visit our Facebook page.
Praying with Pope Francis
Pope Francis' Prayer Intention for May 2018
The Mission of the Laity
That the lay faithful may fulfill their specific mission, by responding with creativity to the challenges that face the world today.