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Mass Times:

Monday: 12:10 pm
Tuesday: 7:00 am
Wednesday: 7:00 am
Thursday: 12:10 pm
Friday: 7:00 am
Saturday 4:30 pm
Sunday: 8:30 am
Sunday: 10:30 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation:

2:30 – 4:00 pm Saturdays

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Come Join Us!

WELCOME TO IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH!

We are a Roman Catholic Church located at 113 N. Geneva Street in Ithaca, NY. Whether you are a long-time parishioner or a first time visitor, we’re glad you are here. This is where we gather to meet as brothers and sisters to worship and encounter our Lord, Jesus Christ. We strive to make our parish a community of God’s love, and communion of hearts. Please join us! 

Renovation Photos

Learn more about our renovation project and scroll down the page to view photos.

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contributing to special parish offerings. 

Adult Faith Formation

Learn more through Scripture Studies, Speakers and Christian Communities.

Eucharistic Revival

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of Christ in the Eucharist.

365
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Photo by Mario Cesar at Pixabay

Whether you are a long-time parishioner or a first time visitor, we're glad you are here ❤️!

Are you new in the town? We welcome you into our community. Father Chumo, the parish council, and fellow parishioners take great pleasure that you have chosen Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca to worship our Lord and Savior. Your presence in our congregation is a true blessing. We look forward to praying, celebrating, and coming together in a community to worship and have fellowship in God ‘s grace. To see new faces and families is a joy and a blessing to our entire congregation. As we welcome your ideas and presence, may our love and faith in Christ increase during our time together. Feel free to talk to members of the parish pastoral council and other ministries to know more about our parish. Contact information for Staff is available on the front page of the Bulletin. You can learn more about each of our staff members on the Staff Directory page. Contact the parish office to register and for all your spiritual needs.

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At Immaculate Conception Parish we endeavor to be a Catholic Community of Faith, Prayer, Love and Service, centered on Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Rev. Augustine Chumo

Rev. Augustine Chumo

Pastor of Immaculate Conception

Fourth Sunday of Lent

God works in ways beyond human comprehensions. He surprises us in the ways He does things. Whenever He chooses somebody for a great task, He seems to break all the rules of common sense. The Old Testament Scripture is full of examples of how God has done things that defied people’s expectations. Jesus does the same in the New Testament. He chooses sinners, the poor, shepherds, the ones who are despised and gives them the first place in the banquet of the kingdom. The religious authorities of the day were confused by the actions of Jesus, like healing on the Sabbath Day. The reason as to why He does things this way is because He does not look at things through human eyes. He looks at the heart. Both the story of the blind man and the story of David speaks to us of God’s choices; they point beyond themselves to the reality of the divine. God’s power shines through human weakness.

Christ has been sent to open our eyes so we can see as God sees. Jesus Christ is the true Light of the world. In our Baptism we have been chosen and enlightened to witness to the life of Jesus by our own way of life. We ask for the grace to be renewed during this Lenten season.

LENTEN PRACTICES

  • All Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence.
  • Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of Fasting and Abstinence.

    Fasting practices —those between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to FAST—one full meal a day is allowed with two lesser meals and only liquids in-between meals.
    Abstinence practices—those 14 years of age and older are obliged not to eat meat on the days appointed.
    (If, due to medical reasons you cannot fast, the regulation does not apply to you.)
Daily Readings
Pray the Rosary
Pray a Novena

Catholicism

A bible is open with a rosary on top of the pages

Seven Habits of a Practicing Catholic

1. Morning Offering

As soon as you arise from sleep, offer everything you do in your day to God. Here is one example of a Morning Offering prayer that places us in union with Jesus and Mary and covers a complete list of needs and intentions. See if this Morning Offering works for you, or share your version of this prayer with others:

O My God, I offer You all my prayers, works, joys, sacrifices and sufferings in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for :

1) the Intentions in which You plead and offer Yourself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 

2) in thanksgiving for Your favors,

3) in reparation for our offenses, 
4) in humble supplication for our temporal and eternal welfare,

5) for the needs of Holy Mother the Church,

6) for the conversion of sinners, and

7) for the relief of the poor souls in Purgatory. 

 

I wish to gain all the indulgences I can from the good works I perform today. Amen.

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2. The Angelus

Follow your Morning Offering with the recitation of The Angelus. The Angelus is typically prayed at rising, noontime and at the end of your day. At times God may seem light years away, but Jesus is truly present here with us, in the messes of each day. When pondered carefully The Angelus can bring you closer to the Mystery of the Incarnation, how our Lord “put some skin into the game” and how you can do the same for God! Thanks to His Incarnation and His suffering on our behalf, we may someday be brought to Eternal Life.


The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit, Hail Mary….
Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Your Word. Hail Mary…
And the Word was made Flesh. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary…
Pour forth we beseech Thee O Lord Thy Grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of the Angel, may we by His Passion of the Cross be brought to the Glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord, Amen.

3. Biblical, Scriptural Reading, and/or uplifting Spiritual writings

For a Catholic, the choices are abundant, but when in doubt, it’s best to check that the sources you read are in conformity with Catholic teaching. Your Bible for instance will note on the first pages the phrase, Nebi/ Obstat, indicating that a Catholic theologian has examined the book and finds nothing objectionable. The word “Imprimatur” tells you a Catholic bishop has given his ’stamp of approval’. If you carefully listen to the Word of God at Mass, to the daily/weekly Lectionary (Readings, Psalms, the Gospels over a 3-year period), you will be well grounded in Scripture. However, there are still plenty of books in the Bible to explore not covered by the Lectionary. From Genesis to the Book of Revelations, the Bible is a “library’, a collection of books inspired by the Holy Spirit. But just as you wouldn’t try to read all the books of a physical library from one shelf to the next, it is best to ‘break open’ the particular book you have chosen by taking into account the context, history and other aspects. Following a Bible-in-a-Year program can be helpful. Journaling what your have read can also be very useful. If you wish to begin simply however, take up a chapter of the Proverbs each day in a month of 31 days. At the end of the month you will have completed the Book of Proverbs!

Aside from Sacred Scripture, or following the 3-Year Lectionary, there is an inexhaustible collection of Catholic writings, Encyclicals, Lives of the Saints stories, etc. that are inspirational and written at many levels of understanding. You also don’t have to limit your experience to only reading, since there are many great Catholic audio books/podcasts and Catholic movies to learn more about your Faith. With our parish subscription to FORMED.org you can choose various topics such as the Sacraments, Eucharistic Revival, Children and Youth programs, feature movies of Saints, Te Chosen and more. Finally, know that in a very real sense, “you are what you read” and remember the expression, “the eyes are the windows to the Soul”. Make every attempt to nourish yourself with a solid Catholic understanding of our Faith, not only to sustain yourself, but to provide enlightenment to everyone with whom you meet in your day.

4. Silent Prayer and Meditation on Scriptural Reading

There is an abundance of methods to choose in the Catholic tradition regarding Silent Prayer and Meditation. Within the Mass itself, you should search for quiet moments, particularly after the reception of the Eucharist where our silent prayer is most powerful since we are so close to Our Lord at this time. Stay a few moment in silence even after Mass has been dismissed, and speak directly to Jesus, Whom you have just received. If you attend a daily Mass you will quickly notice a deeper sense of quiet in the daily Liturgy, compared to weekend Masses. Spend as much time as you can in the Presence of the Lord in sight of the Tabernacle. For as much as he accomplished in a day, St. Teresa of Calcutta was known to spend an hour of Adoration after morning Mass before she would begin her busy schedule and many revered saints also maintained this same practice.

If it is not possible to attend daily Mass ot be in the Presence of Our Lord, set aside a time or place in your home, at your desk, in front of a Crucifix, with a Rosary or some other blessed Sacramental in hand to help calm your mind, body and spirit. Pause and read a line of Scripture that calls to you and listen to what Our Lord Jesus has to say through the Scripture, rather than start right away with your list of prayer needs. Say instead to Our Lord:”What would You want of me Jesus?”

5. Vocal, Communal Prayer

Here again, the list of possibilities abound for Catholics, starting with the Sacrifice of Mass. Throughout the Mass there are call back and response prayers, which encourage participation between the priest, lector, cantor, Eucharistic minister and the laity, whether it be during the Liturgy of the Word (eg. Psalm verses and responses) or the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Memorial Acclamation, the “Great Amen” for example). Most people might agree that the ultimate communal prayer is there citation of the Lord’s Prayer. What is your favorite communal prayers aid during the Mass? Apart from Mass, Catholics have many other vocal prayers such as the Rosary, the Divine Chaplet or other Chaplet prayers, Litanies, Novenas just to name a few.
Aside from these more structured forms of worship, don’t forget simple and spontaneous prayers lifted up to God, such as “God Bless you’, “Help me Jesus!” “Thanks be to God”. Keep such short and simple expressions and others in your ‘prayer toolbox’ throughout the day and use them frequently, whether spoken or in silence. can be practiced in solitude and/or in community. Challenge yourself this week to pray silently and vocally, at Mass, or outside.

6. Daily/Regular Reception of the Eucharist

Our discussion regarding Communion can be two-fold: 1) The reception of Communion, also known as The Eucharist, is crucial to a Catholic’s spiritual nourishment. It is a Sacrament that should be received on a regular basis throughout one’s life, daily, or as often as is possible, provided we are in a proper state of Grace to receive. We will talk about being in this proper state at the next opportunity. Simply and profoundly stated, The Eucharist IS the Real Presence of Our Lord.

When Catholics receive the Eucharist, the bread and wine offered up at Mass is transfigured into the Body and Blood of Jesus. We become what we receive, to quote a popular hymn, hence must receive Jesus in our most reverent manner. Daily reception of the Eucharist might not be always possible, but weekly reception at Vigil of Sunday (“the Sabbath” Masses) is a habit to maintain throughout one’s life. For the homebound, it might not be possible to receive on a such a regular basis. That is why the ministry of visiting the sick and to those confined at home is so crucial, offering the Eucharist to willing recipients.

2) In a second context, Frequent Communion refers to living together in harmony, “in communion” and is to be encouraged, both in terms of the family and in larger societal structures. In the second chapter of Genesis, God first created humankind in a state known as Original Solitude. Solitude is a gift to be appreciated. It is the ability to realize one’s own self-worth and autonomy. But solitude is not to be equated with selfish independence, which can lead to loneliness. When God said, “It is not good for man (humankind) to be alone”, God wanted us to live in communion with each other. Jesus re-iterated what His Father said when He sent out the disciples ‘two by two’ and promised that “where two or more are gathered, there am I’. Please reflect on the importance of the sixth good Habit of a practicing Catholic (Frequent Communion) and the impact of receiving the Eucharist in your life, that you may be a faithful witness to others.

7. Examination of Conscience and Act of Contrition

The last Good Habit in this series is a nightly Examen, followed by an Act of Contrition. An Examen helps us focus on a particular feature or defect in our behavior. Our souls grow in the state of Grace if we take time to review how we ‘missed the mark’ during the day.

As you think back of the events of your day be aware of God’s presence and review your day with gratitude. Pay attention to your emotions experienced and pray about what was happening at that time. Finally, always look forward to tomorrow to begin again. These steps help us form an Examination of Conscience, which is used in preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. An Act of Contrition prayer should conclude our Examen. This prayer can also be used for the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You and I detest all my sins, because of Your just punishment. But most of all, because I have offended You, who is worthy of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your Grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen

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Mission Spotlight

THANK YOU!
A gratitude of Thanks to all the groups and ministries who signed up to lead the Stations of the Cross during Lent.
Your commitment gives us the opportunity to meditate more deeply on the passion of our Lord this Lenten season.
Blessings to you all.

Explore Spiritual Opportunities During Lent
A man breaking and sharing bread

1. Abundant Spiritual Opportunities

Find Mass Times, Daily Scripture Readings, the Responsorial Psalm for the weekend, along with current listings of Prayer and Adoration times, special services, guest speakers, Bible Studies, and links to resources on the web.
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Spiritual

2. Diverse Youth & Family Ministry

We offer different opportunities to engage our youth in their faith, including a flipped Religious Ed Family based program for 1st-5th graders, a middle school and high school youth group, and a hybrid program for Sacrament preparation. In addition, there are service opportunities and youth retreats available.
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Youth

3. Community Outreach

Our volunteers help bring the Eucharist to the homebound and those living at Cayuga Ridge, coordinate our Food Pantry, and participate in community events. Our Service Team helps feed the hungry and helps support those in need in our community.
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Outreach

4. Financial Transparency | Stewardship

We have an intentional focus on the prudent use of our parish resources and transparent communication of our financial health. Learn more about our Finance Council and access our Financial Reports, online Giving or volunteer opportunities.
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Stewardship
Meet our Staff
Patrick McMullen
Deacon George Kozak
Rev. Augustine Chumo
Erika Linsdell, Administrative Assistant
Director of Multi-Parish Faith Formation
Cemetery Manager Mike Moravec
Deacon Dan
Mary Holzhauer Picture
Mathew Hall in Choir Loft
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Learn more about our staff
We attend and participate in the parish life of Immaculate Conception because it is a traditional and welcoming parish that reflects the wonderful diversity of the Ithaca community. You could say that Immaculate is a microcosm of the Ithaca community.
Parishioner
We attend Immaculate Conception because we have found parents with whom to share the struggles and triumphs of raising children in the Catholic faith.
Parishioner
Immaculate Conception Parish has been our home for over 10 years. We love the vibrant and prayerful community and the service oriented mindset.
Parishioner

STRIVING TO BE A COMMUNITY OF GOD'S LOVE & SERVICE

Other Reasons to Join our Parish

Eucharist Focused

In receiving the body of Christ we are strengthened to be the body of Christ in the world.

Distinctly Marian

The Blessed Mother, Mary. is our parish patroness and the true model of faith. We honor her through prayers of intercession.

Service to the Greatest in Need

Our mission includes striving to be a community of God's love and service in our community and the world.

Healing Confessions

Father Chumo hears confessions each Saturday from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. This is a healing sacrament enjoyed by many, so come early!

Beautiful Architecture

21 beautiful stained glass windows of the Saints are visible around our church building.

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Supportive of New Ideas for Ministry

You'll find a vibrant faith community where ideas are welcome and many hands help to bring them to fruition.

Immaculate Conception Moments

Photos by William & Diane Brooks, Mia Rasmussen, Rich Rasmussen, Erik West, Anne Woodard

Immaculate Conception Church

113 N Geneva Street Ithaca, NY  |  607-273-6121  |  Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 4:00pm

Anointing of the Sick

Please call 607-273-6121 if you or a loved one is hospitalized, and/or would like to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (Last Rites).

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