Parish Mission Statement Immaculate Conception Catholic Church celebrates the Eucharist and proclaims the gospel in worship through our love of God and for each other and with our ministry to the marginalized. We journey together in our faith, united by our trust in Christ s love and mercy and the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Staff Connection... February 19, 2017 Be the best you can be! Immaculate Conception Church If you are responsible in any way for the emotional or spiritual growth of a child, I would bet there is a good chance you have offered the above advice at some point. It s good advice! In fact, it s the same advice that God offers to us repeatedly in today s readings. In the First Reading, God commands us, through Moses, Be holy, for I, the Lord, am holy. Jesus steps it up a notch in the Gospel by not asking us to simply be holy, but to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Talk about some rather lofty expectations for people! What are we supposed to do?! Believe it or not, I m not sure the task is as daunting as it may seem at first glance. What we are really being asked to do is follow the same advice we have offered to so many others: Be the best you can be! When we offer that advice to a young person, we are recognizing that we see something really good in him or her, and we want that person to nurture that gift and so blossom into the full potential that he or she possesses. When God offers the advice to us (or rather commands us!), He is reminding us of the truth that Saint Paul expresses in today s Second Reading: the temple of God, which you are, is holy. If, then, we are holy, then we need to act holy, strive to be perfect; in other words, be the best we can be. I went through a period of my life when I must admit, I did not act holy. I was quite down on myself because of my shortcomings in how I dealt with issues within my family, my occupation, and my relationship with God. I felt like I had lost my way, and this feeling led me into a vicious circle: I did not feel holy, so I did not act holy; since I did not act holy, I did not feel holy. A wise person then reminded me that, in spite of my shortcomings, I am still holy for I was created by God in His image and the Spirit dwells within me. The key, then, is being the best holy person I can be which means bringing the teachings and love of Jesus into all the arenas of my life. Whether, it involves family, occupation, or any other aspect of life, we need to let the holiness we possess be evident by our words and deeds. Perhaps as we begin to draw closer to Lent, we can all start thinking ahead about what we can do or not do to be the best we can be in God s eyes. It may involve the traditional practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, or it could involve a volunteer opportunity that is present on the Promise Tree. Whatever it might be, we need to heed the same advice from our heavenly Parent that we so willingly offer to our children: Be the best we can be in every sense of the expression. MASS SCHEDULE Monday & Thursday 12:10PM Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 7AM Vigil Mass Saturday 4:30PM Sunday 8:30 & 10:30AM George Green Parish Center 113 North Geneva Street Ithaca, NY 14850 *** 607/273-6121 Have a great week and stay warm! Patrick SACRAMENTS BAPTISM: A preparation session is required before the baptism of your child. Please call 273-6121 prior to your due date for an appointment. RECONCILIATION: Saturday 2:30P 4PM MARRIAGE: Please call 273-6121 at least 6 months in advance of your anticipated wedding date. ANOINTING OF THE SICK: to request this sacrament. HOSPITALIZATIONS: if your loved one is in the hospital.
Date Sunday 2-19 Monday 2-20 Tuesday 2-21 Wednesday 2-22 Thursday 2-23 Friday 2-24 Saturday 2-25 Sunday 2-26 NEXT SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2017 EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Mass Intentions 8:30AM For Parishioners 10:30AM Bruce Wragg from the Babiak Family 12:10PM Joe Benedict from Pat Darling 7:00AM Luisa Biasillo from Gaetano & Emma Sciarra 7:00AM John Boronkay from the Estate 12:10PM Joe Benedict from Birthright 7:00AM Howard & Anna Mullen from Ruth Pearson 4:30PM Arthur Soletti from Loretta & Philip Goss 8:30AM Elsie & John Boronkay from the Boronkay Family 10:30AM For Parishioners The Week Ahead... MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 OFFICE CLOSED TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 1:00P FOOD PANTRY 6:00P ADULT CHOIR-CH 6:30P EVANGELIZATION-PC WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 10:30A SCC-PC 5:00P CONTEMP. GRP-CH 7:00P RCIA-PH 7:00P K OF C 4TH DEGREE-ICS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 7:00P SERVICE TEAM-PC SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 11:00A LIGHT WEIGH-PC 5:30P BUNCO NIGHT-PH Page2 CMA 2016-2017 CMA due date is fast approaching! Help us reach our goal. Thanks in advance and God Bless. (Please make checks payable to Catholic Ministries Appeal) Goal $59,694 Current status: 204 Families 67.18% $40,103 Homebound Ministry If you know of a parishioner who is homebound, please contact the parish office at 273-6121 so that we can make sure their ministerial needs are met. We want to make sure they regularly receive the Lord in Holy Communion as well as regular visits from Fr. Chumo. Parish Lenten Retreat Have you and/or your family been running non-stop? Do you feel like you haven t had time for yourself or to connect with each other as a family in a long time? Why not clear your family calendar and come to our Parish Lenten Retreat? This year s retreat will be held March 24-26 at Camp Casowasco in Moravia, NY. This is a beautiful camp right on the shores of Owasco Lake. There will be time for prayer, faith-learning, reconciliation, Mass, fun and just time to be together as family. We are also hosting a separate Teen Retreat which will be facilitated by former parishioner and Immaculate Conception Youth Ministry Volunteer, Ryan Barba. A small deposit is required to hold your reservation. Registration Forms can be found at our parish website, www.immconch.org, in our parish office or by contacting Rich Rasmussen at rrasmussen@dor.org. We hope you can join us for this fun, faith-filled weekend. Notice from the Office of the Bishop On Friday, March 17, 2017, we celebrate the Commemoration of St. Patrick s Day. In accordance with canon 87, of the Code of Canon Law and noting the many celebrations that will occur on that day, I hereby grant a dispensation from abstinence to all the faithful of the Diocese of Rochester. Most Reverend Salvatore Matano, Bishop of Rochester. St. Patrick s Dinner Mark your calendars for our upcoming St. Patrick s Dinner on March 11th in the Parish Hall. Doors will open at 5:30pm and dinner will be served at 6:00pm. The cost of the dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12-yrs old. Reservations ARE REQUIRED and must be made no later than Monday, March 6th. Call the parish office ASAP to make your reservation! By your words & your actions, you can choose to lift up or to destroy others! What will you do today? Have you ever had an experience at Mass that you considered a glimpse or foretaste of heaven? Has anyone you know had such an experience? By reading Scott Hahn s book The Lamb s Supper you could have a good response to such questions. This book can help you better understand the Mass and how it relates to the mysteries of the New Testament s Book of Revelation. Come join us in our quest to learn and appreciate more about the Mass. A few remaining copies are available. Contact the Parish Office. OUR OFFERING TO THE LORD February 12, 2017 Collection 2017 $7,860 ********************************************** ********************************************** Attendance 482
BUNCO PARTY Come join in the fun!!!! We are holding our annual Bunco Party- (Mardi Gras Party) on Saturday Night, February 25, 2017 after the 4:30pm Mass. Bunco is an easy, fun, crowd pleasing, community building event which is sure to make everyone laugh and enjoy themselves while playing. This is not gambling everyone wins something. All we ask you to bring is a dish to pass for supper. No funds are required to play. When: Saturday, February 25, 2017 5:30pm after Mass Where: Parish Hall downstairs Who is invited: Everyone who likes to play table games. All you have to do is sit at a table and play. So come on down we will show you how to play Bunco in just a few minutes. Come share a meal and have some pre-lenten fun. Multiple prizes some from around the world. Any questions ask Sr. Edna Slyck, RSM she will tell you how much fun you will have.
NEXT SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2017 EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Page3 Learn Swahili with Fr. Chumo Unajiskia vipi? = How are you feeling? Mimi nina ajabu = I m fantastic Nina huzuni = I m sad Nina mafua = I have a cold God is Talking...Are You Listening? Is it difficult to carve out time to pray each day? Is life too busy? You are invited to a weekend retreat at Notre Dame Retreat House where we will give you time to explore the meaning of prayer; different styles of prayer and ways to overcome obstacles and enrich your prayer time. Our retreat this year will challenge us to move from saying prayers to living a prayerful life. PRAY...LISTEN...COME. Date: Women s weekend: March 31-April 2, 2017 Where: Note Dame Retreat House, Canandaigua, NY Contact: Maureen Seeley 607-589-6483 mseeley@htva.net HELP FOR VICTIMS If you have been a victim of sexual abuse by anyone working in the church, you should contact the appropriate civil authorities. To receive help and guidance from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester please contact: Deborah Housel, victims' assistance coordinator, (585) 328-3210, ext. 1555, or toll-free 1-800-388-7177, ext. 1555, or by e-mail to dhousel@dor.org. AYUDA PARA VÍCTIMAS Si ha sido víctima de abuso sexual por alguien que trabaja en la iglesia, debe comunicarse con las autoridades civiles apropiadas. Para recibir orientación de cómo proceder y ayuda de la Diócesis Católica Romana de Rochester favor de comunicarse con Deborah Housel, coordinadora de asistencia a las víctimas, (585) 328-3210, ext. 1555, o por llamada gratis al 1-800-388-7177, ext. 1555, o por correo electrónico: dhousel@dor.org. Would You Like to Join a Small Christian Community? Small Christian Communities (SCC s) are groups of 4 to 8 people who meet with one another for the common purpose of applying Gospel values to every aspect of their lives. These informal, small groups pray and share faith & life experiences, while engaging in learning and offering mutual support. With the season of Lent approaching we would like to invite you to consider joining a SCC here at Immaculate. They commit to meeting weekly throughout Lent and sharing their faith with one another at a mutually agreed upon time and location (someone s home or the Parish Center, for example). These SCC s give parishioners an opportunity to experience prayer and the breaking open of Scripture in the context of small faithsharing groups. If you would like an opportunity to join a group for this Lent, please contact Patrick Meyer (pmeyer@dor.org or 607-273-6121) or Mary Edsall-Golway (MEGolway@aol.com or 607-564-0673) for more information March 20th - Save the Date Texas Roadhouse is hosting a family dinner fundraiser to benefit Immaculate Conception School on March 20th. Gather your friends and family and enjoy a meal together while helping to raise funds for our school. Be sure to bring the flyer to give to your server. Pre-K3, Pre-K4 and Elementary School Registration Immaculate Conception School is now accepting registrations for all of our academic programs, Pre-K through 6th grade, for the 2017-2018 school year. Our 3 yr-old and 4 yr-old Pre-Kindergarten programs are filling up quickly. Tuition assistance and parish subsidy are available. Call the school at 273-2707 or visit icsithaca.org for more information. Save The Date! Catholic Women s Conference The Rochester Catholic Women s Conference is coming back to the Aquinas Institute on March 18, 2017. This year s theme A morning With Immaculee will be a powerful presentation on faith and the persistence of prayer. Our speaker is Immaculee Libagiza, who survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994. this year we have a half-day format, and the cost is only $25. Registration is now open. Please visit the website at Rochestercwc.org for conference details, or contact Liz Burns, ecab929@gmail.com for more information. PARISH STAFF Fr. Augustine Chumo ext. 105 Pastor fchumo@dor.org Patrick Meyer ext. 106 Pastoral Associate pmeyer@dor.org Larry Wasser ext. 110 Director of Finance & Admin lwasser@dor.org Erika Linsdell ext. 101 Parish Administrative Assistant elinsdell@dor.org Gary Vrabel ext. 111 Music Ministry holyspearrats@gmail.com Cynthia Miller ext. 108 Bookkeeper cmiller@dor.org Colleen Sforzo ext. 109 Business Management CONTACT INFORMATION Main Office 607/273-6121 Fax: 607/273-0185 www.immconch.org IImmacul@dor.org www.facebook.com/immconch YOUTH & FAMILY Rich Rasmussen ext. 102 Catechetical & Youth Ministry rrasmussen@dor.org Don Mills School Principal 273-2707 dmills@dor.org Dan Hurley-Deacon 585-319-8205 usatfofficial@gmail.com BULLETIN REQUESTS: E-mail: iimmacul@dor.org no later than Mondays @ 4p Calvary Cemetery 272-5780 Mike Moravec-Cemetery Manager
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