Each new year begins in expectation and hope. The underlying core mission of the ICTC is that we are agents of hope, or as St. Paul mystically suggests, “We are stewards of the mystery of God.”

Hope is grounded in the truth; anything else is a chimera, illusory. So, as an Institute, we continue to address the sexual abuse crisis and the too frequent cover up or malfeasance of bishops:

• With the Center for Jesuit Education, we sponsored a robust conversation in November, among faculty and staff, offering an historical context since 1985, and allowing for frank, open, honest dialogue. Access the handouts and notes from the event here.
• Richard Gaillardetz will speak on a “Church in Crisis” on Feb. 12 with an analysis and recommendations for ecclesial reform in the areas of sexual ethics, episcopal leadership and abuse of power. This is open to the public.
• Sponsored by the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center, ICTC Director Pat Howell, S.J. will be speaking at Assumption Parish in North Seattle on the topic “How Might Previous Reforms Offer a Lens for Reforming the Church Today?” on March 9. He will repeat the lecture in modified form at a luncheon conference on the SU campus on April 3.

Unfolding the riches, our Catholic Heritage Lecture series continues with Dr. Margaret Pfeil on March 7, whose expertise is racial justice, ecological ethics and peace studies and who has a long-time commitment to the Catholic Worker movement.

At the core of our mission is animating and assisting faculty in their mission of bringing the Jesuit Catholic heritage to life and to make it accessible and vital for our students. We will announce the 2019-20 ICTC fellows next week, in the meantime please see the work of our current and past fellowships that we were able to grant because of the generosity of our patrons and donors.

The spirit and practice of prayer animates all that we do. We draw your attention in particular to these:

• An annual examen: As the new year begins, org invites you to reflect on 2018 with this Ignatian Annual Examen courtesy of Xavier University’s Jesuit Resourcewebsite.
• January 21 Celebration Mass of the life and vision of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (11:00 am, Chapel of St. Ignatius).
• The First Spiritual Exercises:A five-week Ignatian Retreat in Every Day Life, led by Rosanne Michaels, using the format designed by the Australian Jesuit Fr. Mark Hansen, S.J. at St. James Cathedral.

Blessings and peace,

Patrick Howell, S.J., interim director
Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture