HAPPY BIRTHDAY
To these special Parishioners with October Birthdays!
Janet Cleary, Mary Lent, Laurie Myer, Ann Ward, Julia Kennedy and Bernadina O’Connor
WELCOMING NEW PARISHIONERS
Are you new in the area and wish to make Immaculate Conception your new Parish home? Please consider registering as a new Parishioner. There are many different ways you can register. Go onto the Parish website at www.immconch.org, go to the “forms” page and fill out the online registration form. This can be either printed and mailed to the office or sent directly to our email ([email protected]). Or you can stop by our office during the week, Mon-Thurs. and fill out the form directly there. We are always happy to welcome you! Feel free to contact the office (607-273-6121) at any time.
THINKING ABOUT BECOMING CATHOLIC?
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) will have a slightly different format this coming year of 2023-2024. We are embarking on a regional approach to this process, involving all five of the worship sites in our area. This is an invitation for anyone who may have been involved in the process before or may like to take on this new venture together this fall to please contact Deacon Dan Hurley ([email protected]).
Additionally, this is an open invitation to those who have an interest to become fully Catholic, or those who have been baptized Catholic but have not received First Holy Communion or Confirmation. Or anyone baptized in a Christian faith expression other than Catholic and wish to become a fully initiated Catholic. And finally, for those who have never been baptized or have never received any of the Sacraments, have never had any instruction in the faith and wish to become fully Catholic. Please reach out to Deacon Dan Hurley ([email protected]).
OCTOBER – MONTH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
October is known as the month of Our Lady of the Rosary. You are invited to pray the Rosary privately or join a communal Rosary before Daily Masses during the week and Saturdays in October. The recitation of this time-honored devotion takes place throughout the entire month.
THANK YOU
We sincerely thank the Women’s Endow Group for sponsoring our first Coffee Hour! It was extremely well organized; they even found a way to show us how to “go green” with their innovative items and display. It was very well attended, and everyone seemed to enjoy the variety of goodies.
PARISH COUNCIL
These are the people who prayerfully serve our parish in advisory capacity on matters related to the parish pastoral goals: spiritual, outreach, community building, family, youth and young adults. This team meets monthly on the first Thursday of each month. Feel free to contact them to share your thoughts as relate to their role in enriching our parish goals/ agenda. We thank the outgoing leadership: MaryJo Guyidi who served as president for three years, Pat Ober who served as secretary for two years.
The new leadership: Denise Robinson: president, Mary Gonyea: secretary: Other members: Zach Huber, Dan Carney, Pat Welch, Mary Gonyea, David Gauspari, Jan Nye, Lorene Jump, Shirley Engman, Nancy Iacovelli —Trustee, Rich Kuhar, Trustee. A youth representative will be added to this list in the near future. Pray for this team that they have the wisdom to help our parish achieve the desired pastoral objectives.
PARISH APP
Did you know that Immaculate Conception has an App? It is called the MyParish App and it is one of the ways we try to foster a stronger parish life and better engage the New Evangelization. The app allows us to send you useful and important messages throughout the week regarding our parish life and events and allows you to reply to messages or RSVP for events. There will be no need for parishioners with smart phones to remember to silence their phones before Mass. The app will send you a reminder to silence your phone 20 minutes before the Mass you select. There are many other great features such as, daily Mass readings, Catholic news, prayers and prayer reminders, quick access to online tithing, and our weekly bulletin. So, be sure to download the app by texting “app” to 5453211 or by visiting myparishapp.com. Once downloaded, you can search for Immaculate Conception Ithaca and install.
ST PAUL’S STREET EVANGELIZATION
Our parish’s St. Paul Street Evangelization team is looking for more volunteers to join us in the important work of evangelization! Training is provided, and you will always be paired up with an experienced evangelist. If you are interested or if you have any questions, please contact Darren at [email protected]
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL COMMITTEE
Do you have a love for the Holy Eucharist and a desire to increase that love in yourself and others? Consider joining our Eucharistic Revival Committee! We are planning retreats, novenas, discussion groups, and more, and we want to expand our team to accomplish still more. Please contact Darren at [email protected] if you would like to join or learn more.
RESPECT LIFE MONTH
Reflections on Catholic Social Teachings: Respect Life Month
In October we commemorate Respect Life Month, a reminder of the God-given dignity of each and every human life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. Next weekend at the Masses, Catholic Charities staff member Laurie Konwinski will offer a brief reflection on Catholic Social Teaching related to this theme and some ways to put our faith into action.
HARVEST BAGS
The Service Team is once again sponsoring the Harvest Bag program which provides fresh produce to residents at Titus Towers. We will be collecting monetary donations after Mass on the weekends of Sept. 30/Oct. 1 and Oct. 7/8. For convenience, a donation button will be set up on the Parish website. Thank you for your generosity & support. Please see the bulletin for more information.
CMA 2023/24
The 2023/24 Catholic Ministries Appeal campaign kicks off once again at the end of September. The goal for our parish is $57,000, a reduction of 10.9% from the previous year’s goal of $64,000. Participation is critical as it reflects the viability of our parish, so all gifts, large or small, are important. This year’s theme is GO FORTH WITH CHRIST which is a call to action to be the hands and heart of our Lord Jesus Christ to provide critical services to our parishes and deepen the faith of so many people. This can happen through Catholic Charities serving the poor, elderly and infirmed; urban and rural multicultural programs and ministries; hospital and jail chaplaincy; and many other outreach programs that promote our Catholic faith and values. Thank you all for your continued generosity to the parish and to the CMA.
Catholic Ministries Appeal: Please remember to write all checks to the CMA. Catholic Ministries Appeal PO Box 6841, Ithaca, NY 14850
Knights of Columbus Ithaca Council 277: Movie Knight at Immaculate Conception Church. Every Third Friday
The Knights of Columbus Council will show a series of movies over the next 12 months featuring the lives of the saints at Immaculate Conception Church every third Friday of the month. Showings will start at 5 PM. Light refreshments will be served.
LIFE CHAIN 2023 – OCT 1
Life Chain 2023 will take place this weekend on Sunday, October 1st from 2:00pm to 3:00pm at the intersection of Groton Ave-Clinton Street and Main Street in Cortland. This hour will be spent peacefully praying for an end to abortion. Pro-life signs will be distributed to participants, who should gather at 1:50pm at the parking lot near Key Bank on Main Street.
BIRTHRIGHT OF ITHACA IN NEED OF CLOTHING AND DIAPERS
Birthright of Ithaca is in need of fall and winter clothing for children sizes 18 months up to size 5T. If you have any stain free, gently used clothing that you are ready to pass along, please consider dropping them off at our office at 223 Elmira Rd. We could also use size 5 diapers. Our families would greatly appreciate your help.
We are delighted to be back in the beautifully refurbished church! Thank you to our buildings and grounds team for their efforts during the reconstruction: Tom Robinson, Anne Adesso, Marie Terlizzi, Matthew Hall, Margaret Carney and Fr. Chumo. Photos are still available on our renovations page where you can see the progress week by week- thank you to Bill and Diane Brooks for keeping us updated!
Photos by Bill and Diane Brooks, Deb Rasmussen and Anne Woodard
