Jesuit that Served in Slums of Nairobi - Next Living Ignatian Speaker

Click the link above to find out more about Fr. Jim Collins' service as chaplain for St. Aloysius Gonzaga High School in Nairobi, Kenya. St. Aloysius is the world's first high school for AIDS orphans. Fr. Jim will will reflect on his experiences and offer his thoughts on how young adults can take steps toward transforming our world. Wednesday, November 4, 7:30pm, Holy Name Cathedral. Hope to see you there!

-Mary Ellen M.

St. Ignatius and Relationships--now on YouTube

Charis' Living Ignatian speaker series kicked off on Wednesday night. Terry Nelson-Johnson gave a wonderful reflection entitled "St. Ignatius and Relationships--A Nice, or Perhaps Holy, Combination." He is a gifted story-teller who captured our attention for the evening. If you missed his talk, it's posted in its entirity on the Charis Ministries podcast on iTunes or in pieces on YouTube.

















Next speaker: Wednesday, November 4 at Holy Name Cathedral.

-Lauren G

Discovering Spiritual Gifts

For those interested in their own vocational discernment, it might be worthwhile to check out this website looking into your spiritual gifts. We found it during some of our early preparation for our Spirit @ Work Retreat Day Retreat Day, coming up on November 14 this year. It helps to take an inventory of our spiritual gifts for ministries and other work. It might be something to check out and check out our website to learn more about our upcoming retreat!

-Jesse K.

A new take on an old Gospel

Last night at the Living Ignatian Evening Mass, Fr. Ken Simpson (pastor of St. Clement Church) gave a wonderful homily focusing on Luke's Gospel. In this Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve out to proclaim the good news. He tells them to take nothing for the journey and to stay with those who welcome them and shake the dust off their feet as they leave the towns that reject them.

For many of us, this is a familiar story, one in which we take comfort in knowing that God will provide for whatever we need. But Fr. Ken gave us a different message to think about. When Jesus sent the Apostles out, he told them to "take nothing" with them. He then elaborates: "neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic." He is sending them out with absolutely nothing so that they must become beggars. These men who care for the needy must first become needy themselves and allow others to take care of them.

Most of us are willing to care for those in need, but how often are we willing to humble ourselves and let others take care of us?

-Lauren G

"Close Encounters: A skeptic discovers the spirit of community"

When Matt Stevens began a year of service as a Jesuit Volunteer, he dove in expecting to impact the lives of those he was serving. As the year progressed, he found himself transformed and humbled by the Holy Spirit working in the communities where he lived and worked. Click the link above to read about his experience in his article in America.

Matt Stevens is currently a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago.

-Mary Ellen M.

What do the Jesuits and Oprah have in common?

Whether you're an Oprah fan or not, you have to admit that it's pretty cool that she picked a Jesuit author for her latest Book Club book. Fr. Uwem Akpan, SJ wrote this series of 5 short stories each set in a different African country and tackling some of the most difficult topics from poverty to child slavery to genocide. Each story is written from a child's perspective.

Fr. Akpan is a Jesuit from the East Africa Province who also studied at Creighton University and Gonzaga University before returning to his home.

-Lauren G

Cleaning the shelter

On Saturday, a group of young adults from Charis and Old St. Pat's went to the Franciscan House of Mary and Joseph to help clean up the shelter. I've been there for a Service Day in the past, but the thing that always strikes me when I first walk in is the sheer number of beds that they have in a single room. Every night, nearly 170 men sleep in the transitional dorm and another 40 or so sleep in the room for the regulars. The women's dorm houses 37 each night.

During our time there, we swept and mopped each of the dorms, moving beds out of the way to give a thorough cleaning. The dorm that houses the regulars is for those who have a job or who are working with a case worker to improve their situation and eventually move into their own apartments. Everything that these people have is neatly on or under their beds. You can really tell what the guests value by what they choose to keep in this limited space.

One of the things that I learned on Saturday was that the Franciscan House turns more people away each night during the summer than in the winter. I assumed that the opposite would be the case, but the Franciscan House is one of the few year round shelters in the city. Most shelters are just open for the winter.

The Franciscan Outreach Association who runs the shelter is a wonderful ministry that provides many services for the homeless in our community. If you're looking for a way to get involved and serve Jesus through the least of our brothers and sisters, check out what they provide.

-Lauren G