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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:
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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 share our Catholic faith, worship and encounter our Lord, Jesus Christ through the Eucharist. We strive to make our parish a community of God’s love, and communion of hearts. Please join us!
About us
Immaculate Conception Church is Open Daily from 6:00am – 5:30pm
Parish Center Hours
8:00 am – 4:00 pm (closed for lunch from 12:00-1:00 pm)
Monday thru Thursday
Phone: 607-273-6121
Email: iimmacul@dor.org
*How to use our website*
Mass times
*Please note the upcoming schedule change: Fr. Chumo will be out of the country from July 20th through August 14th. The only Daily Mass will be on Thursday at 12:10pm during this time. If you require a Priest during this time please contact the Parish Office. We wish Fr. Chumo a well deserved vacation!*
Monday 12:10pm (No Daily Mass)
Tuesday 7:30am (No Daily Mass)
Wednesday 7:30am (No Daily Mass)
Thursday 12:10pm
Friday 7:30am (No Daily Mass)
Saturday Vigil Mass 4:30pm
Sunday 8:30am and 10:30am
Pray and adore together
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The Prayer Chain involves a group of dedicated people who pray every day for special requests and individuals needing extra prayers. If you wish to add a request to the Prayer Chain, please contact the parish office either by phone (607-273-6121) or email: (iimmacul@dor.org).
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Daily Mass: on Monday and Thursday 12:10pm and Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 7:30am, the rosary is said after each Mass.
Rosary in Spanish every Monday at 5:00pm
Saturday Adoration starts at 2:00 – 3:00 PM with confessions available.
Pope Leo XIV has declared the period of January 10, 2026 to the 10th of January 2027 the Jubilee of St. Francis, becoming models of holiness of life and constant witnesses of peace. A plenary indulgence is granted to those devoutly participating in this extraordinary jubilee. Pope Leo XIV has written the included prayer which may be said in private or public devotion throughout the year.
Prayer to Saint Francis for Peace
Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace, intercede for us before the Lord.
You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano, teach us to seek in Him the source of all reconciliation that breaks down every wall.
You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding, give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries.
In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.
Amen.
Pope Leo P.P. XIV
Visit the calendar webpage.
The Eucharistic Revival Team has asked me to share how I pray in the presence of Jesus during Adoration. Well, this is how I have prayed many times: I begin with deep gratitude for the gracious presence of the Lord who shows up for me in all His glory and for the world. He longs to be with me more than I long for him. After prayer of gratitude, which is often spontaneous, I pause for an extended silence, knowing He is there with me. Silence is not easy but necessary. This is followed by examination of conscience, repentance and resolution to be faithful. Before concluding my hour, I make prayer of petitions: for the sick, poor, the homeless, the elderly who are lonely, for our parish and for all parishioners, for the Church and for the mission of Christ in the world. My conclusion always contains words of more gratitude and renewed commitment to love the Lord deeply and to serve Him and His people with greater love.
Learn and grow together
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Enrollment for Faith Formation, Sacrament Preparation and High School Youth Group has begun. Our faith formation program is a K-7 Family Based Program that meets twice a month (generally every other week) where parents and kids attend sessions together. Sessions run from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in parish hall and snacks/food is provided. The week prior to sessions, Rich, Director of Faith Formation, sends out an online worksheet with brief teaching videos and a few questions to help introduce the topic for that coming weekend. Beth and Asia, our awesome faith formation teachers, design active and engaging lessons for families based on the topic for the week.
For children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, our diocesan policy states that sacrament preparation is “separate and distinct” from faith formation. This means that children preparing for these sacraments must be enrolled in the faith formation program AND also enrolled in separate classes designed to focus solely on preparing for those sacraments. Additionally, children must prepare for First Reconciliation prior to preparing for and celebrating First Eucharist. Preparation sessions for First Reconciliation will begin in October and First Eucharist sessions will begin in late February.
Confirmation is a two-year process that can begin in 8th grade with teens celebrating the sacrament no sooner than the end of their 9th grade year.
Registration forms can be found on this webpage. Questions? Email Rich at rich.rasmussen@dor.org
Are you interested in becoming Catholic? Are you an Adult who is baptized but never received Confirmation and/or First Eucharist? The Order for Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is a program for people wanting to become Catholic or wanting to complete their sacraments. The OCIA program will begin this year on September 21 at Immaculate Conception Church. Please contact Deacon George Kozak at george.kozak@dor.org for more information.
Bible Study continues on Wednesdays at 1:00pm in the Parish Hall. Anyone is welcome to join in at any time as they study the Gospel of John. This is done with the use of films and open discussion.
*The July 9 meeting has been canceled–lots of people on vacation. See you in August.
The Immaculate Conception Book Club holds meetings on the second Thursday of every month at 7:30pm in the parish hall, all readers welcome. We read a mix of fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary, secular or spiritual-with-a-Catholic-bent. There’s no long-term commitment. Participate in as many or as few discussions as you like.
For more information or to get on the mailing list, please contact David Guaspari at dguaspari@gmail.com
The schedule for 2026 is:
January 8:
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel
by James McBride
February 12:
That We May Be One: Christian Non-Duality
by Father Thomas Keating
March 12:
The Control of Nature
by John McPhee
April 9:
Pnin, by Vladimir Nabokov
May 14:
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, by Patrick Radden Keefe
June 11:
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories, by Flannery O’Connor
July 9: (canceled)
The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis
August 13:
Selected Poems of Philip Larkin (ed. By Martin Amis)
September 10:
The Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery
October 8:
The Apology, by Plato
November 12:
The Life You Save May Be Your Own, by Paul Elie
December 10:
This is Happiness, by Niall Williams
The women’s ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) group is starting back up on Wednesday, 2/4 at 6:00-7:30pm in the Parish Hall. New members are welcome. We are currently studying the encyclical, Deus Caritas Est by Pope Benedict XVI. Please contact Trish Burgess at trickb3@vyahoo.com if you would like more information on the group or would like to join us.
Do you want to deepen your faith and progress on your journey to sainthood with a small group of faithful Catholics? If so, consider joining us to follow the path of Divine Mercy as taught by Saint Faustina and instituted by St. John Paul II. We will study the Diary of St. Faustina, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and scripture to enrich our faith and prayer life and to reflect on the meaning and impact of divine mercy in our lives. We follow a created curriculum and do a small amount of reading to prepare for our meetings. We meet every 1st and 3rd Tueday at 5:30pm in the Parish Center. For more information, including materials about Divine Mercy, send an email to bridgidcooper@yahoo.com or text 607-227-3884.
The Wisdom of the Church group meets bi-monthly to read and discuss church writings on Catholic Social
Teaching. We’re currently reading Pope Leo’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You). It is by walking
with the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized, that we
can “see revealed the very heart of Christ.” Please join us in the rectory after the 10:30 mass on Sunday.
Our parish is planning a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Ma. Date and details are yet to be determined. If you are interested in joining for this event, please contact Luke Dumouchel; luke.d1118@gmail.com or Jan Nye; janmnye@aol.com, or call the parish office.
Need to know
News
Fr. David Cataline will soon join us. The newly ordained priest has been assigned to our region: St. Catherine of Siena, Immaculate Conception, Cornell University, and Ithaca College. We warmly welcome Fr. David into our faith community, and pray that his ministry in our region will bring more people to Christ.
This weekend we are hosting Fr. Emmanuel Imani who will be speaking to us about his mission appeal for the people of Rundugai village in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, to have a school from elementary to high school, a center for street children, and clean water. The villagers are typically Maasai people and they are traditionalists. Their kids do not go to school, and the girls experience the problem of early marriage. The Diocese of Moshi is hoping that by educating them, it will open doors to success. Projects began in 2023 and $100,000 is needed to get the school started. Clean water is a problem, especially for women, who walk 15 miles to find clean water, so a project is underway to have clean water drilled from the ground.
More information can be found at www.moshidiocese.org. Please help us to welcome Fr. Imani and as always, your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Daily Mass changes:
Beginning the week of July 20th through August 14th, the Daily Mass Schedule will change. We will ONLY have Daily Mass on Thursdays at 12:10pm. Fr. Chumo will be taking his
vacation in Kenya, but we are pleased to have Fr. Lioli cover weekly Thursday Mass for us during this time.
Immaculate Conception church welcomes summer visitors. We are grateful for your presence here at our church. May your prayer intentions you express here be granted. Always feel free to talk to any parishioner, staff, deacon or priest if you need help with anything while you are with us. You are a blessing to us! God bless.
Deacon George Kozak will be out until mid-August as he is healing from Surgery. We wish him speedy recovery!
Thank you to all the wonderful Liturgical Ministers who have been so dedicated and professional while Fr. Chumo is out. Our Sacristans who are so helpful to the visiting priests, to the Lectors who lead with dedication, our Communion Ministers who step up when needed, and our Greeters and Ushers who always have a smile. We are so grateful to all of you.
Regarding Coffee Hours:
Because the FAMBRE (Family Based Religious Education) group has use of the Parish Hall 2x monthly, we are limited
with dates to hold regular coffee hours. However, we are still planning on moving forward with Ministry Groups and/
or families to host coffee hours beginning in October, 2026.
The Knights of Columbus will be hosting a coffee hour once a month beginning October 11th, and the Clark Family is
also looking to host a coffee hour monthly. We are hoping to have Ministries step forward and host a coffee hour for any particular month they would like. However please first contact Erika at the Parish Office to determine what dates
might be available. We would like to have the calendar completed by the end of August. There are NO Coffee Hours
for September due to the Parish Picnic.
The Movie for August 14th’s Movie Night will be about the life and times of Padre Pio. Everyone is welcome!
Next Saturday, August 15th, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is not a holy day of obligation this year, but we will have one Mass on Saturday Morning at 9:00am to celebrate this solemnity.
The Catholic Parishes of Tompkins County will again be commemorating Peace Week this fall. Events include:
Monday, Sept. 14: @ St. Catherine: Movie Night PBS American Experience documentary “Bombshell”.
Tuesday, Sept. 15 @ Immaculate: Presentation by David Cortright, professor emeritus from Institute for Peace Studies.
Monday, Sept. 21 @ St. Catherine: Taizé’ Prayer Service for Peace.
Bishop Bonnici will celebrate Mass with us on November 4th in honor of the Canonization of Bishop Sheen with relics. Plan on being there. It will be a celebration for the whole deanery. Let’s pray that the Canonization of Bishop Fulton Sheen will inspire deeper faith and vocations in our Diocese.
We want to alert everyone to an ongoing scam affecting parishes. Scammers are pretending to be priests or parish staff and contacting people by email or text asking for urgent help or gift cards. Please know that your priest or parish staff will never ask for gift cards or money in this way. If you receive a message like this, do not respond & contact the parish office directly.
If you have retirement accounts and you must begin or are already taking taxable required minimum distributions, you can bypass a portion of the taxable income by making gifts to charitable organizations such as our parish. You can arrange
for these gifts to be made through your account custodian as a one time gift or periodic payments. If you have not taken your 2026 distribution yet, please consider designating a gift to the CMA so we can meet our goal this year, to Immaculate Conception Church, or to our Cemetery. A sincere thank you to all parishioners who support the church and its mission.
The St. Joseph and Sacred Heart Candles still have many openings for intentions coming up. They burn for a week, and a requested donation is $10. Please call the parish office to sign up for Intention dates. Deceased and/or living.
Immaculate Conception Church has its own app for iPhone and Android smart phones. The My Parish App allows us to better communicate with you throughout the week and bring you relevant parish news and updates. The app is very well designed and very intuitive. It is a great resource for parishioners by providing daily Mass readings, Catholic news and prayers, convenient prayer and Confession reminders, our bulletins and more. Download the app from your app store on your cell phone
We do have Low-Gluten Hosts available for anyone needing them during Mass. Please come to the ciborium which has a drop-down handle as this contains the low gluten hosts. If unsure, just ask the Communion Minister to point you in the right direction. Just note that these are low gluten, not non-gluten.
Your voice matters. If you have a suggestion, good idea around the pastoral goals of the parish; spiritual opportunities, outreach/community building, youth and family, buildings/grounds, cemetery and financial matters, kindly stop by the pastoral council meetings that occur every first Thursday of each month. You will be listened to because you love your parish.
Confessions are heard every Saturday from 2:00pm-3:30pm in the Church.
Call 607-273-6121 to receive this Sacrament or if your loved one is in the hospital.
For Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation email Rich at rich.rasmussen@dor.org for information or to register.
Call 607-273-6121 at least 6 months in advance of your wedding date.
Beyond our parish
NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER ACADEMIES & ATHLETIC CAMPS
Is summer on your mind yet? Looking for ways to keep your kids active, engaged, and having fun? Notre Dame has something for everyone! Our exciting lineup of Summer Academies includes Cooking 101, Just Desserts, Teen Trailblazers, Build It. Code It. Drive It! Craft-It-With-Cricut, Not Your Average Art Camp, Sweet Feet Hiking & Nature Photography Camp, Summer Seminar on the Performing Arts, and Advanced Musical Theater Review. We’re also offering Athletic Camps, including our popular Crusader Soccer Camp led by Boys Varsity Head Coach Gavin Harrington, and a Tennis Camp directed by Varsity Head Coach Erik Romminger.
Learn more at notredamehighschool.com. Register today: https:// tinyurl.com/NDHSSummer2026. Join us for a fun and enriching summer at Notre Dame! All programs will be held at Notre Dame High School, 1400 Maple Avenue, Elmira. For questions, please contact Michelle Barkley at 607-734-2267.
Lakeside Day Retreats: Branches Christian Rest and Renewal Centers, Inc. invites you for a day of rest and renewal at our Seneca Lake property.
For more information visit the Branches Christian Rest and Renewal Centers, Inc. website, call/text: (716) 901-4313, or email: branches1515@live.com.
Looking for a great retreat opportunity? Visit the ND Retreat House Website for retreat options.
Are you a local business owner who’d like to gain more customers while supporting our diocese? Catholic Courier ad revenue stays within our diocese, and its ads reach 175,000+ print readers and 40,000+ unique monthly website visitors. If you’d like to learn more, please contact parishioner April Krueger at 607-216-5853 or amdg24@outlook.com.
First time visitor?
Current parishioner?
Mission and goals spotlight
Rev. Augustine Chumo
Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish
Your presence in our congregation is a true blessing. As we welcome your ideas and presence, may our love and faith in Christ increase during our time together. Subscribe to our Facebook page or Parish app. Contact the parish office for all your spiritual needs.
This week's message
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
How does God manifest Himself? There are so many ways through which God has manifested Himself to His people in the Old Testament. In the first reading God manifests Himself to Elijah in a completely new way, different from the pagan gods and from the ways which Israel was accustomed. God was not in a mighty wind, or earthquake, nor in the fire but in a sound of a gentle breeze.
By changing the way He reveals Himself, God is telling the prophet that His way of thinking is not right. It is merely a mixture of paganism and superstition. Baal, the god of Jezebel, manifested himself in the midst of thunderstorm, earthquake, rain and the fertility of the soil and of cattle. Yahweh is different and He is not represented by such Images.
It is not easy for Elijah to accept such change and to think of God so differently from the way He had always thought of Him. Isn’t this the way many people think in our times?
In the gospel we see further revelation of God, through the person of Jesus who comes, like the God of the Old Testament, as the Master of the sea, giving His own divine power to humans. In the second part of the gospel, we are told of the strange request of Peter. The message is clear. He receives from Jesus the power of controlling the waves. Often we encounter the power of evil and feel overwhelmed. We should be afraid as if we are relying on our strength alone. The Risen Lord is with us. He will never abandon his people.
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.
Diverse youth & family ministry
Community outreach
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, online Giving or volunteer opportunities.
Meet our staff
Testimonials
Striving to be a community of God's love and 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 - 3:30 pm. 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.
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.
Our parish in pictures
Advent 2023
Advent wreath in refurbished church.
Advent 2023
Advent wreath and creche awaiting Jesus, in refurbished church.
Advent 2023
Sanctuary on fourth week of Advent.
Columbarium
Columbarium Blessing and Dedication, November 2, 2023.
Columbarium
Columbarium Blessing and Dedication, November 2, 2023.
Mary Shrine
Mary Shrine and Prayer Garden July 15, 2023.
Photos courtesy of Claudia Ariza-Nieto, the Brooks family, the Rasmussen family, Erik West, and Anne Woodard