Tod i b. Si, Cis. Lr". Church of the Immaculate Conception. Ai.

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1 Church of the Immaculate Conception We at Immaculate Conception are a group of people bound together by our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we were baptized, we were called to share in His work. Therefore we pledge ourselves to build a community where all are welcomed, loved, needed and appreciated. Armed with the faith in the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we will celebrate the gift of life together in word and sacrament. December 24 & 25, 2016 The Nativity of the Lord Ai. Tod i b Si, Cis Lr". Ai.

2 Mass Schedule SATURDAY 12/24/16 Christmas Eve 4:00 pm For Parishioners SUNDAY 12/25/16 The Nativity of the Lord 10:30 am John S. Trepa, Birthday Remembrance, by Trepa Family TUESDAY 12/27/16 8:30 am Communion Service THURSDAY 12/29/16 6:00 pm Communion Service SATURDAY 12/31/16 4:00 pm Stella Trepa, Anniversary, by Trepa Family SUNDAY 1/1/17 Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God 10:15 am Charlie Coppola by Kristen & Justin Mercurio Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, New York Page 2 ICC WEEK AT A GLANCE SUNDAY 12/25 Merry Christmas 10:30 am Mass MONDAY 12/26 11 a-1 p Hello Rita! Party H, K TUESDAY 12/27 8 a Rosary & Communion Service WEDNESDAY 12/28 10:30-Noon Cards & Conversation H, K THURSDAY 12/29 8 a Rosary & Communion Service FRIDAY 12/30 SATURDAY 12/31 New Years Eve 3:30 pm Confession SUNDAY 1/1/2017 Happy New Year! 10:00 am Mass 11:30 am Confession Location Codes: S Sanctuary; H Parish Hall; K Kitchen; CR Cry Room; L Library; P Pavilion; AC All Church; OF-Out Front; OB-Out Back; SJ St. Joseph s, DT Downtown. LAY PERSONS SCHEDULE This Week Next Week Saturday 4:00 pm Saturday 4:00 pm December 24, 2016 December 31, 2016 E. M. s: S. Northrup S. Carlin K. Erickson J. Trepa S. Carlin J. Moxley Lector: Heisler Family C. Gibbons Servers: C. Leonard, Adult Volunteer J. & K. Browning Sunday 10:15 am Sunday 10:15 am December 25, 2016 January 1, 2017 E. M. s: B. Doughty B. Norton C. Gibbons Z. Urda L. Detweiler E. Browning Lector: H. Barker D. Heisler Servers: Adult Volunteer J. Eroshevich C. Flanagan L. Flanagan Counters: E. Browning D. Brown B. Norton J. Norton Sacrificial Giving and Expenses for the month of November 2016: Total Income: $ 15, Total Expense: $ 14, Income includes: St. Pauly Shed, votive candles, Garden donations, Lasagna Dinner profit, funeral donation Expense includes: New hymnals, Missionary appeal, monthly Diocese fees, garden tags, plumbing repairs in Rectory, Young family & college age outreach. The Parish Office will be closed for vacation December 26-January 2. New Server Schedule is due out the end of December. If you have any changes to your availability, please, contact Audrée before Christmas. Thank you. ICC Bible Challenge! Each week a different verse from the Bible. Try to memorize it over the week. Use it as a family contest each week or just as a personal challenge. Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us.; and he will be called Wondrous God, Prince of peace, Father of future ages: and his reign will be without end. cf. Isaiah 9:1, 5; Luke 1:33 Pope Francis Celebrated His 80th Birthday on December 17th. He also celebrated his 47th Priest Jubilee on December 13th. You can tweet messages using the hashtag #Pontifex80 or send an PopeFrancis80@vatican.va. Please include Pope Francis in your intentions for prayer as we join him in celebration!

3 December 25, 2016 Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, NY Page 5 Hello Rita! Join Rita Kroon s family & friends for an Open House, Monday, December 26 from 11 am to 1 pm in the Parish Hall. Rita is here for the holidays with her family and would like to see her friends before she returns to Texas. Did you get your free gift? Our parish is giving away another great book by Matthew Kelly called "Finding Happiness". Pick yours up in the vestibule today! Take one to a friend! We will once again be having Super Bowl Pool and a March Madness Pool this winter. Beginning in January after all Masses you can purchase a chance to win. This year we will offer a 2-for-1 deal. You can purchase one chance for $25 in either pool, or you can purchase a chance in each pool ( thus the 2-for-1) for $40. There are lots of ways to get in on the fun. Chances will be available beginning January 7/8 after Mass. Folks can also stop by the office. Cards and Conversation Wednesday, December 28, 10:30-12:30. Join us for Fun & games & fellowship & lunch! Everyone is welcome! Save the date...knights of Columbus Roast Pork Dinner will be Sunday, January 15, Noon 3...The Catholic Men s Conference is Saturday March 25 from 8-5 pm. Just a note of appreciation. We are genuinely grateful for all the help, donations and the parish participation for the Roger Artis Benefit Dinner, Saturday, 12/17/16 So many good people were generous with their time and talent. Matthew Kelly would be proud. Due to the generous donations of the Parishioners of both Immaculate Conception and St. Joe s the Holy Trinity Council is pleased to report that we will be supporting 3 seminarians this year. Each seminarian will receive a check for $500 to help defray their expenses. Thank You & Merry Christmas! Volunteer Opportunities Greene Food Pantry - We collect non-perishable foods for our local food pantry. May & November we cover the hours at the Pantry. Meals On Wheels Our volunteers make the deliveries for August & February: Mon, Wed, Fri, 11:15am. Call the Parish Office to join our team! Bottle & Can Drive - drop off your refundable items n the bin next to the Rectory garage. St. Pauly Textile collection shed in our parking lot. Donate your unwanted clothes & fabric items & ICC receives 4 cents per pound collected. Christmas Mass will air on the following stations at the following times and will also be available on our YouTube channel - syrdio: Time Warner Syracuse CH.98 12/24 at 9am, 10am and 8pm 12/25 at 7:30am, 11am & 3pm 9 WSYR Syracuse 12/25 6am-7am WBNG Binghamton 12/25 6am-7am WKTV Utica 12/25 6am - 7am Church of the Immaculate Conception 1180 State Highway 206, Greene, New York Rev. Msgr. John P. Putano, Administrator Website: iccgreene.wordpress.com immcongreene@syrdio.org Facebook: Church of the Immaculate Conception Parish Office: Tue. thru Thurs. 10:30 am to 4:30 pm Mary Wentlent, Parish Manager Audrée Beach, Admin. Asst Fax Baptism & RCIA ICC Parish Office Youth Ministry: ICC Parish Council: Nancy Amell, Eileen Browning, Kelly Erickson, Robert Hanrahan, Donna Heisler, Joanne Moxley, Francis Feldpausch - President. ICC Trustees: Jackie Henninge ; jackiehenninge@frontier.com Robert Larkin ; robertmlarkin@gmail.com Feel free to contact the Trustees or Council Members with any concerns you have about our parish. Knights of Columbus Council Grand Knight Charles Browning Meetings the 1st Thursday of each month. Gluten free hosts are available. Notify the Sacristy before Mass if you need one.

4 Continuing Our Tradition of Service Since 1914 NEVILLE LAW OFFICE Chris P. Neville, Esq. Robert M. Larkin, Of Counsel P. O. Box 570 * 36 Genesee St. Greene, New York Molly S. Nolan Licensed R.E. Salesperson Cell Bartles Pharmacy 10 Lafayette Park. Oxford, NY After hours - Brian Bartle KENNEDY FUNERAL HOME, INC. 21 North Chenango St., Greene, NY kennedyfuneral@frontiernet.net kennedyfuneralhome.net Your Ad Here! $ small; $ medium; $ large; for one year. The ad is shared with St. Joseph s bulletin. Call Mimi s Italian Cuisine Genesee Street, Greene, NY Mon-Sat: 11 am - 9 pm, Sun: 12 pm - 8 pm Facebook: MimisItalianCuisine Twi*er: MimisGreene We Deliver! Free within Village of Greene, $1/mile outside ($20 minimum order) Root Funeral Home Greene s Oldest Funeral Home Member New York State Funeral Director Assoc. Serving Greene, Oxford and the surrounding communities. Charles C. Dietrich North Chenango Street Greene, New York Construction Lawn Mowing/Brush Hogging Home Improvement Excavating Gerry Reiss Mike Reiss Oxford, New York St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery Oxford, New York A beautiful, peaceful resting place Double Plot $700 1 casket & 1 urn or 2 urns Name: Address: Parish Registration Form City: State: Zip Code: Phone: I am new to the parish and wish to register. I am previously registered. I want offering envelopes. I am interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith. Mail to: Immaculate Conception Church, 1180 State Hwy. 206, Greene, NY or place in collection basket

5 December 25, 2016 Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, New York Page 3 Father s Notes A Sin to Skip Mass? Is it still a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday? We have relatives who go only when they feel like it. Their excuse is that there is no more sin since Vatican II. I am sometimes tempted to believe that one of the biggest mistakes of the Church was to make a law that we must go to Mass on Sunday. For too many Catholics, the obligation to participate in Mass each Sunday is in somewhat the same category of Church law as abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent, or even of attending Mass on holy days of obligation. It obscures the significance of the Sunday Eucharist for Christians. To speak of the presence or absence of a Church regulation as a primary motive for participation in the Sunday Eucharist radically missed the point. In early Christian times, centuries before it was a Church rule participation in the Eucharist each week was considered automatic. Assuming one was not ill, only two reasons could explain an individual s routine absence. He had either decided not to be a Christian any more, or his knowledge of the faith was seriously deficient and more instruction was needed. Sunday Eucharist, in other words, constituted the life-breath of the Christian person and com m unity. Both the New Testament and earliest Christian writings point out this truth. (See, for example, Acts 20:7, On the first day of the week, when we gathered for the breaking of the bread ) The Church has realized in the past few generations that many Catholics lost touch with this essential Christian tradition, if indeed they were ever aware of it. To participate in the Sunday Eucharist because I have to may be understandable at certain stages of growing up. A Catholic adult at age 30 or 50 should nave moved beyond that. To answer your question, the law is still there and perhaps is still necessary for most, or all, of us to have the opportunity to grow to a fuller appreciation of this central element of our faith. The Code of Canon Law recalls our tradition: Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the Universal Church. It then provides, On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in Mass (canons 1246 & 1247). Vatican Council II did not, and had no intention to, minimize the essential role of the Sunday Eucharist in the life of the Church. Fr. John J. Dietzen, Catholic Q & A Who are we? Material Bings With Souls We have to recognize that we are spiritual beings with souls existing in a spiritual world as well as material being with bodies and brains existing in a material world. Sir John Eccles, Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist who studied consciousness. Facing Enemies Love your enemies, pray for you persecutors. Matthew 5:44 When...you see your enemies clearly, you see the lines in their faces and the way they walk when they re tired. You see who their husbands and wives are maybe. You see where they re vulnerable. You see where they re scared. Seeing what is hateful about them, you may catch a glimpse also of where the hatefulness comes from. Seeing the hurt they cause you, you may see also the hurt they cause themselves. You re light years away from loving them, to be sure, but at least you see how they are human even as you are human, and that is at least a step in the right direction. It s possible that you may even get to where you can pray for them a little, if only that God forgive them because you yourself can t, but any prayer for them at all is a major breakthrough. In the long run, it may be easier to love the ones we look in the eye and hate, the enemies, than the ones whom-because we re as afraid of ourselves as we are of them-we choose not to look at at all. Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark A Christmas Prayer Great God of creation, your love has made our world and all that exists within it, creatures visible and invisible. Each day I can revel in the beauty of your world, the sky, the earth, the seas. I believe your creation is greater than my sight, that there are forces real but beyond my perception. I cannot describe nor touch the spiritual being your power has called into being; but I know if they come from your hand, they are both beautiful and good. Allow me to embrace both what my eyes have shown me and my faith has told me, and give you thanks and praise. Amen.

6 Religious Instruction No class until January 8, 2017 Family Blessing Activity T Go f A Ae Christmas Readings: Isaiah 9.1-6; Titus ; Luke Mary, Mother of God Readings: Numbers ; Galatians 4.4-7; Luke REFLECTION The Gospel readings for Christmas and Mary, Mother of God stand in quiet contrast to our actual holiday season, filled with activities, parties, and endless to-do lists. Mary is our model of quiet contemplation. She treasures the words the shepherds share. She ponders the words and keeps them in her heart. She encourages all of us to slow down and savor the message that Jesus is born joy to the world, indeed! Question from Life: What holiday traditions bind your family together? Question from the Gospel: How will you share the Good News of the Incarnation with others? Parents and Grandparents, try using this information as a basis for discussion at home. The Diocesan has set guidelines for parishes approached by individuals for assistance. We are to refer them to Catholic Charities for help, such as, emergency clothing and food assistance. To contact Chenango County Catholic Charities, whether to make a donation or to seek assistance, visit Would you like to give a donation to our Marian Garden as a gift to someone this Christmas? Donna Heisler has created some lovely cards with a collage of pictures for this very use. These cards are available in the vestibule. This is a special Christmas Gift opportunity. Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, New York Page 4 Dear friends, When my children were little our family had good days and bad. The good days were filled with plays in the basement, songs at the piano and excited tales of the day s events. Grumpy kids and stressful arguments shadowed the bad days. One of my least favorite memories is long car rides with 8 and 10 year olds playing the shut up game: You shut up, no you shut up, no you shut up (Insert lesson learned #1 in life journal- Count to 10 before reprimanding children!) So when my oldest daughter went off to college, she couldn t wait to get away from the noise and drama at the house! However, once she was settled in her dorm room and college life, she told me she had an epiphany. She realized that although her family wasn t perfect, we were still her family. And she missed her family, good times and bad. (Insert lesson learned #2 in life journal- Life isn t perfect and no family is perfect!) Some of the folks at Mass this weekend are family we see often and some not so often. Some are visitors just passing through. I d like to tell you about our parish family. We are blessed to have Father Lupa and some of our area s retired priests celebrate Mass with us on weekends and Holy Days, but during the week we are a group of families committed to being the best parish we can be! We help the needy, visit the elderly, offer studies about faith in God, and create opportunities so we can listen to each other. Life is hard, and sometimes you just need someone to listen! We have teams of volunteers at ICC for most of our functions. It s how we are organized. Teams oversee the Sacristy, our religious education program, music, building and grounds, our financial obligations and meeting the pastoral needs of our parish family. But most of all we have faith in a loving God that wants to help us through the ups and downs. We are a parish family working together to be a strong Catholic presence in our community. We aren t a perfect family, but we are your family. (Insert lesson learned #3 in life journal - Appreciate friends and family who help us be the best version of ourselves.) If we haven t seen you in awhile, come be a part of ICC. Peace to you and your family this Christmas! ~ Mary Wentlent