Photo by Mia Rasmussen
Highlights from the most recent bulletin are provided below for your convenience. See the bulletin for additional information.
The Food Pantry is closed until 8/23.
RENOVATION AND NEW BUILDING UPDATES
We thank all our parishioners for your patience and understanding during these past few weeks when we ran into asbestos challenges. We appreciate your flexibility and above all, for keeping the faith in the midst of unpleasant surprises. The project is just starting and we have a long way to go. Keep the prayers going. Progress of the project will be posted on our parish website on a regular basis.
Please join us in prayer: The Church is where the Lord comes to us in His Word and Sacraments. He comes to unite Himself with us in Holy Communion. We become One with Him and with one another-the Body of Christ. In the celebrations of our Liturgies we as pilgrims are connected to our final end in a special way. This is a spiritual opportunity to reflect on God’s love for us as members of this parish and to ask for the grace to deepen our understanding of Christ’s Mission in our community. We want to use this moment to grow in Faith, Love, and Charity. Pray also that we may not lack the necessary financial resources to complete the work we have started. We entrust this process to the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our Patroness.
The Church is CLOSED to everyone during construction. There will be no Adoration and no prayer during this time. Only construction personnel will have access to the church during the Renovation Process.
-Masses are held at St. Catherine’s until Tuesday (8/8). The church will not be available for personal prayers during the renovation.
-Entrances to the Parish Hall for Masses will be through the Atrium, and the Seneca Street Entrance.
-Confessions will take place in the Parish Center Back Room. The office will be used as the waiting room. Confessions are reduced to 2:00 – 3:30pm. Anyone who cannot access the office should contact Fr. Chumo.
-Volunteers are needed to help set-up the Parish Hall every Friday afternoon at 3:00pm in preparation for weekend Masses. Mass-goers are asked to please return the Hymnals to the carts after their use during Mass. Eucharist/Ciborium will be in the hall for prayer prior to the start of Mass.
–Rosary before Daily Mass. There is a group who meets every day before Daily Mass to pray the Rosary, for Ukraine, success of our renovations, and other dedications. Anyone is welcome to join in.
-The Sanctuary Lamp will be kept in the Nursery, where the Blessed Sacrament will be housed during this renovation process. It will continue to be kept lit to honor all Intentions. While it may not be visible to our eyes, it will continue to be kept burning. Prayer & visits with the Blessed Sacraments must be scheduled through Fr. Chumo.
-Visit to the Blessed Sacrament. We are in the process of preparing a small chapel in the Parish Hall to provide the opportunity for those who would like to visit the Blessed Sacrament during the Renovation. The time to visit the Blessed Sacrament will be daily after 3.30 PM and any time during the weekends. Many
thanks to those who take time to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for the intentions of the parish and for our diocese.
Emerging questions about space for ministry
We anticipate that all ministries would be able to serve and schedule their programs and services in the fall. The question of space availability is a big challenge with the ongoing renovations. We are encouraging all ministries to send their meeting and program schedules to the parish office as soon as possible so we can plan on how we could share the limited space we have. Thank you so much for your cooperation in this matter. God bless.
The transition will be hectic and may be a bit confusing at times. We ask for your patience, understanding, and especially your prayers during this process.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?
Many parishioners have asked us how they can participate in the church renovation project. Here are some of the opportunities for you to participate in the project;
• Air conditioning • Sanctuary furniture • Door replacements • New Altar • Pew replacement • Improving accessibility • Sanctuary woodwork • Organ rebuild • Lighting improvement • Window restoration
Call the parish office or talk with any of the buildings and grounds team headed by Tom Robinson, or Fr. Chumo. We look forward to your participation in this historic restoration of our church. This process also needs a lot of prayers. We count on your prayers for the success of our project. Blessings to all!
CONTACT THE TEAM:
If you have comments, concerns or you want to help in any way with our renovations soon to start, kindly talk with any of the buildings and grounds team: Tom Robinson, Anne Adesso, Marie Terlizzi, Matthew Hall, Margaret Carney or Fr. Chumo at any time. We are at your service in Christ.
BACKPACK PROGRAM EXTENDED UNTIL AUG 21
The Service Team will once again be collecting backpacks and school supplies for underprivileged children. The supplies will be distributed to needy children through the Department of Social Services. Supplies and backpacks can be dropped off this Sunday 8/7 at the 7:30 a.m. Mass at St. Catherine’s entrances or during the week at Immaculate Conception parish center. Thank you for your generosity.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Many of you may remember that Dante Iozzo was a parishioner and student at Cornell who is now a PhD in Astrophysics. He was very involved with the parish as a lector, youth minister and helped coordinate the ministry to Cayuga Ridge Nursing Home. So, where is Dante now? Dante’s love for science was instrumental in his longing to grow closer to God. He had long felt God calling him to the priesthood and did a lot of discernment as to whether that is God’s will for his life. Upon graduation, Dante entered the order of Dominicans and has been there this past year in formation with the order. He has not been able to have contact with anyone as that is part of the process. Recently we received an announcement from Dante that he will take part in his Simple Profession into the Order of Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph on Monday, August 15th. Dante will now be known as Brother Dante Cassian Mary Iozzo. We are so proud of him, and the Church will be richly blessed by his continued deep faith and his ministry. Please continue to pray for him and for an increase to the vocation to the priesthood.
2022-2023 RCIA REGISTRATION
Do you have questions about the Catholic faith, or does someone you know have questions? Do you know anyone who is considering the possibility of becoming a member of the Catholic Church? Are you yourself considering this possibility? The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (and for youth) is for anyone who has never
been baptized OR has been baptized in another Christian religion OR has been baptized but has not received the sacraments of First Eucharist and/or Confirmation. For information about the RCIA process, or to simply ask questions and have a conversation about becoming a member of the Catholic Church, please call he parish office at: 607-273-6121.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS RAFFLE
The Knights of Columbus Council 277 has C&B Raffle Tickets available. Funds raised go back into our community as charitable donations, such as the Breaking Bread Hymnals you use. The first prize is $250,000 and down to ten $1,000 prizes. Please send contact information to [email protected] to make arrangements for tickets.
BIRTHRIGHT DONATIONS
Birthright of Ithaca is currently in need of donations of diapers in sizes 2, 3, and 5, and also diaper wipes. These may be dropped off directly at Birthright (223 Elmira Rd, Suite 1) or at the Parish Office Monday—Thursday, 8am to 4pm. We appreciate all that our Parishioners do to help this wonderful organization with funds and donations.
ASSUMPTION
We honor the Assumption of our Blessed Mother. The world is a battlefield where the forces of death and the forces of life battle each other. It is easy to see the forces of death appear, in many cases, to have the upper hand: hatred, solitude, betrayals, social and economic injustice, fear, disease; these are all scored in the favor of the forces. There is, however, a particular moment when death manifests its overwhelming power when it ends our days on earth. What does God, who created us for life do? Mary, today who celebrates triumph of life over death, gives us the appropriate reply to these distressing questions. Magnificat is a thanksgiving hymn to the Lord for the wonders He did in the life of Mary. May her prayers help us in our daily struggles of life. Good cannot be overcome by evil. Holy Mary, pray for us!
NOTRE DAME RETREAT HOUSE
“Eucharist, God’s Gift to His People”. Come and join on one of our weekend retreats to learn the importance of the Eucharist and why it is a gift and the action that should inspire our every day living. Notre Dame Retreat House Team will offer thoughts on the different aspects of the Mass, such as Mass and its History; Mass as a Meal; Mass as Thanksgiving, and Mass as Mission. There are six weekends this Fall, we are limiting each to 50. Visit: notredameretreat.org for dates and details.