July27

On July 31 1556 Ignatius of Loyola, christened Inigo, passed suddenly from this world to a better one, aged 65, not very old by modern standards, though considerably older than Francis Xavier, who was only 46. The latter part of Ignatius' life, from the official founding of the Society of Jesus by the bull of Pope Paul III (1540) to his death were spent very undramatically at his desk in Rome concerned with the organization of the rapidly expand-ing Society.

To many this may seem a bit of an anticlimax to a life which had previously been full of incident, as a soldier till 1521, then as an invalid, a student, a pilgrim to the Holy Land , a negotiator for himself and his first six companions. This contrast between seeming activity and dullness is illustrated by the fact that the article on him in the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church devotes only 2 lines out of a total of 50 to the last 16 years of his life. No life at court for him and no demanding travels over the sea; simply the exacting weary business correspondence and the writing of rules and constitutions.

Yet surely Ignatius realised, what few of us readily admit, that what he occupied himself with was of greater importance than the most dramatic exploits on behalf of the Church. The initial spark is indeed vital, but how the fire is to be kept alive, well beyond the life of the initial igniters is in many ways just as important as the first inspiring steps.

What kept him alive during these weary desk-ridden years? His spiritual diary reveals the secret. Above all it was his spiritual life, his daily Masses and the devotion he derived from them. So, for example he writes in his spiritual diary for the Mass of the Trinity on February 11. �On awakening I prayed and did not cease to give thanks most earnestly to God our Lord� and so on. At the heart of every day is the Mass. In other words finding God in all things was to him a consequence of having found him in prayer and above all in the Mass.

It seems that the extraordinary self-mastery and control over his physical weakness of gall stones and demanding labours at his desk, was available to him because of his prayer and the devotion he experienced while saying Mass. With Mass at the heart of his life and of ours even the most tedious work acquires a sense of purpose and urgency it might otherwise lack. May Saint Ignatius inspire us and help us by his example to find him in all things, by finding him first in Mass and prayer.

FEAST OF ST IGNATIUS

This Thursday, July 31st, we celebrate the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, Fr William Pearsall will preside at the evening Mass at 6pm with Fr Michael Bossy SJ preaching. Mozart's Missa Brevis (K275) will be sung by the Farm Street Choir with a string ensemble and embers of the Young Adults group will be contributing to the music. A parish party follows in the Hall at 114 Mount Street . This event is also our annual reunion of Jesuit alumni and alumnae. If you attended a Jesuit school or uni-versity anywhere in the world, please pick up an invitation card for July 31 st at the church doors. Take spares if you know others who would be interested. There is an information contact and mailbox at

31stjuly@farmstreetchurch.info

This is an occasion to celebrate as a parish along with our summer visitors � and a last chance to enjoy the Choir for a while � so do come!

REQUIEM

Requiem Mass for Yola Ryan, who worked for over a generation at 114 Mount Street., will be celebrated on Friday August 1 st at Farm Street at 2pm. Requiescat in Pace.

AUGUST BREAK

This is the last newsletter until September. The Choir will also be on holiday till the last Sunday of August. A huge thank-you to them!

"JESUIT AND FRIENDS"

Copies of the summer issue are available at the church doors and they are free, with much information about the work of British Jesuits.

FAITH AND PRAYER

This is the online journal of the British Jesuits with up-to-date articles on topics of interest to Catholics: www.thinkingfaith.org And don't forget the daily help to prayer: www.pray-as-you-go.org Both of these are the work of Jesuit Media Initiatives based at 114 Mount Street .

JULY: IGNATIAN MONTH

MISSION / RETREAT

Fr John Edwards concludes the Mission-Retreat this Wednesday evening with an Apostolic Blessing. We thank him for his wonderful work and for his faithful dedication throughout the month. May God continue to bless the participants throughout their lives!

FROM THE PARISH PRIEST

�I wish to thank everyone who has made our recent celebrations at Farm Street so memorable. The Garden Party was a great success thanks to a lot of help and support behind the scenes. Well done! And how can I thank the organisers of the reception given this week to mark my 25 th anniversary of Ordination? All were delighted by the occasion. And a big Thank You to everyone for the gifts and cards that came my way. It has been an honour to be your Parish Priest for the last four years - I hope to carry on for a little while longer!�

Fr William Pearsall SJ

LONDON JESUIT VOLUNTEERS

Would you like to volunteer part-time to work alongside those in greatest need in the London area? And to reflect prayerfully with other volun-teers on our service within the bigger picture of God's justice and His presence in our lives? If so, come and find out more about our volunteering programme:

LVJ Information Meeting for the Autumn Volunteer Season meets on Wednesday August 27 th at 7pm in the Hall at 114 Mount Street .

For more information, contact our new volunteering co-ordinator, Andrea Kelly: Andrea.Kelly@care4free.net or ring 020 7499 7002.

A DAY WITH MARY

On Saturday August 23 rd we are happy to host a Day with Mary starting at 10am and concluding at about 4.30pm . Mass at 11am . Devotions, procession, Rosary, Benediction, sermon at 4pm from Fr William. Bring a packed lunch. See the leaflets at the doors.

MOUNT STREET JESUIT CENTER

114 Mount Street

The new September �08 to July �09 brochure and prospectus of courses for the Mount Street Jesuit Centre is now available. Take home plenty of extra copies to give to friends. More detailed descriptions of the programmes can be found at www.mountstreet.info

To book or make enquiries please e-mail lynne@mountstreet.info or ring 020 7493 1673.

PLEASE REMEMBER

Mass Intentions are always welcome!

PARKING REMINDER

Resident Parking applies 24/7. Parking is "Pay by phone" only and is free only on Sundays and from Monday to Saturday after 6:30pm. Congestion Charges apply from Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm. Please bear in mind that the Traffic Wardens are very �pro-active� in this area.

GIFT AID

Please use the Gift Aid envelopes at the church exits if you are a UK taxpayer for all your donations. If you are not sure of the code you have been allocated, please complete name and address or contact the parish office. Thank you