Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Newsletter — December 2020

Immaculate CONCEPTION Contents: 3 Unwrapping the Gift of Stewardship 4 Parent-Teacher Organization:

A Labor of Love

that Benefits

Parish School 6 Begin the Journey Home for Christmas 7 Youth Ministry Flourishes During Pandemic Connecting and Serving in Exciting New Ways

December 2020

Catholic Church Parishioner Profile

Mike and Joan Finnegan

Pandemic Doesn’t Stop Their Spirit of Stewardship

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eading an active faith life in the Catholic Church has always come naturally to Joan and Mike Finnegan. Both were raised in Catholic families and then went on to raise their own two children in the Church. The couple has participated in several of our parish ministries since they first moved to the area and joined Immaculate Conception 37 years ago. While the unavoidable effects of this year’s pandemic led to temporary church closures and the suspension of various meetings and ministries, the Finnegans are among the many parishioners who have continued to find ways to serve the Church through it all.

The Finnegan family (from left) — As the current president of our Altar Society, Mike, daughter Jennifer, Joan, Joan has continued to coordinate the cleaning son Andrew, daughter-in-law Amy, and granddaughter Violet of candles and the laundering and ironing of altar linens throughout this unprecedented year. Time and again, she has witnessed the unwavering support of our parishioners for our Church.

“I’m still helping with checking the candles and washing the purificators,” continued on page 2

Immaculate CONCEPTION

Mike and Joan Finnegan Joan says. “Mike and I would check the candles when we went to adoration in March and April, and when I had to go back to work, he graciously continued that for me. I have a lady who cleans the red candles for us, and I call ladies to help with cleaning and ironing the purificators. They are all wanting to do something. I’ll call them and they say, ‘Oh, yes, we would do anything.’ They’re ready to get back into it.”

Although Joan and Mike have been Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for many years, they were unable to serve in this capacity for much of the year due to their age and the COVID-19 restrictions. They both dearly missed serving in this way and were thrilled when they could once again return to the ministry a few months ago.

Other ministries the Finnegans have been able to help with this year are looking a little different these days — this fall, they began helping Joan’s sister and brother-in-law as ushers, a task that included ensuring parishioners were wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

Of course, without the ability to gather in large groups, there are a few parish activities that have been deeply missed this year. For Joan and her fellow members of the Altar Society, the fall soup tasting luncheon was one such event. The group realized that, even though this annual fundraiser requires a lot of hard work on the part of the members, they all truly enjoy hosting the luncheon each year. Already, they are looking forward to the next opportunity they will have to hold this beloved event.

One thing that even the pandemic couldn’t take from our parishioners, however, is the strong sense of fellowship that participating together in our ministries provides.

“All of us ladies got to know each other very well,” Joan says. “There’s just a friendship and camaraderie that comes from that. It’s a calling that we all just do.”

Thanks to their involvement in parish life, the Finnegans feel a close connection to the faith 2

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community here at Immaculate Conception — one that has remained strong and true even in a time of social distancing.

“I just want to be involved in the church,” Joan says. “I don’t want to just go on the weekends only and that’s it. Mike feels the same way. He goes to daily Mass, to adoration, and checks the candles and all that. By being involved with the church, we feel more a part of it. I just feel good going to the Catholic Church and seeing my friends. It’s great to see everyone coming back to church.”

“I just want to be involved in the church. I don’t want to just go on the weekends only and that’s it. Mike feels the same way. He goes to daily Mass, to adoration, and checks the candles and all that. By being involved with the church, we feel more a part of it. I just feel good going to the Catholic Church and seeing my friends.

It’s great to see everyone coming back to church.”

— Joan Finnegan

A Letter From Our Pastor

Unwrapping the Gift of Dear Parishioners,

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Stewardship

ost people associate stewardship with giving. Some think it is a desperate plea by the church asking parishioners to give some of your time, talent and treasure to a worthy cause.

Some think it is a noble gesture that identifies a faithful steward, a common occurrence this time of year. And for some, it is an understanding that the stewardship way of life brings joy and blessings to the giver by returning a portion of the gifts he or she has received from God. At Christmas, when it is most common to give or receive gifts, should this not also be a time when the stewardship way of life becomes the gift that is unwrapped by our consciousness and treasured by our faith? After all, the first gift of Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son. For those who may still be struggling to truly understand the stewardship way of life, that may be a concept that is difficult to accept, even at this time of year. But by living the stewardship way of life, it makes perfect sense to me. And during this season of faith, the gift of stewardship remains one of the blessings of my life as a Catholic, as a priest and as a pastor.

Before fully embracing a life of stewardship, I could justify wasting my time with less-than-worthwhile activities. I could rationalize withholding my talents, because I often thought somebody else would always step up and take care of things instead of me.

I restricted or limited sharing my material resources, thinking it wouldn’t make a difference — or worse yet, I thought others could afford to give more than me, because I believed I had already given enough. As each day passes, I remind myself often of how wrong I was in what I did with my time, talent and treasure.

But the days for regretting my misunderstanding of the stewardship way of life are over.

Stewardship conversion changes all of that, and the reverse is now true. The more time, talent and treasure that I can give, the more content and joy-

ful I truly am. When is the last time you unwrapped a gift that gave you so much peace of mind and heart? Maybe you have never been aware of receiving such a gift, or maybe God is just waiting for you to unwrap what He has always wanted you to have.

Perhaps it is the gift God wants you to have this year for Christmas.

The catalyst for stewardship is gratitude. And, as we recognize that all we have is a gift from God, it lights up our gratitude as if it were a large Christmas tree with too many lights on it to be counted. All we can do is look at it with wonder and awe, thankful for what we see, what we have, and the opportunity to give back something in gratitude. It is more than just a spirit of “holiday stewardship” that seems to be so common this time of year. It is the core of the stewardship way of life, and once that gift is unwrapped, our conversion takes hold and our lives are transformed into faithful stewardship intended by our God. I hope and pray that you and your family will be blessed during this season of God’s grace, unwrapping the gift of stewardship in your lives and finding joy and peace — both during this season of grace and all year long.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. John Wakube Pastor 3

Immaculate CONCEPTION

Parent-Teacher Organ

A Labor of Lo

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rom encouraging our parish children to offer acts of kindness towards others, to hosting Bingo and Trivia nights so that everyone can have a blast, the Parent-Teacher Organization of Immaculate Conception Catholic School (PTO) has one main mission — to share God’s love.

“Everything the PTO does is a labor of love,” says Casey Simon, who is serving his second term as PTO President. “We have such an awesome PTO board, as well as amazing sponsors and school parents. I just love seeing all the good we can do together to help our school.”

In fact, this love is so great that it spans generations.

“I went to our parish school as a youngster, and so did my wife, Amy, who is now a second-grade teacher there,” Casey says. “Our roots run deep with Immaculate Conception, and there is a lot of love in our hearts for our parish

and school family. I want to contribute in any way I can to help make the lives of our children, students and staff better.”

In addition to being the main fundraising arm for our parish school, the PTO also fulfills other important functions.

“The school can’t do what it does without the parish and the parish can’t do what it does without the school,” Casey says. “The PTO works hard to fundraise, support our teachers, and host community events so that our school families can get together. The PTO provides many of the ‘extras’ that our school parents, students and teachers like to have.”

All of the families who send their children to the school are automatically considered members of the PTO, whether they choose to be very active or not.

“We can use everyone’s help,” Casey says. “It takes a lot of continued on page 5

“The school can’t do what it does without the parish and the parish can’t do what it does without the school. The PTO works hard to fundraise, support our teachers, and host community events so that our school families can get together. The PTO provides many of the ‘extras’ that our school parents, students and teachers like to have.”

— Casey Simon

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nization:

ove that Benefits Our Parish School The school is especially in need of monetary support at this time.

For further information on how to help provide our parish school children with a Catholic education, please contact Casey Simon at pto@icsnlr.org.

volunteer help from a lot of people to pull off the big events we offer, and make them a success.”

On a normal year, the PTO organizes several uplifting social events, like the used uniform sale each August; the Falcon Fest each fall; the Raise Craze fundraiser in October; Ladies’ Night Bingo on the opening night of deer season in November; the Santa Shop in December; a pancake breakfast in honor of Catholic Schools Week each January; and more.

“The Falcon Fest is the biggest event we offer,” Casey says. “Even though we couldn’t do it this fall, we hope to do it this spring. It brings our families together. It is a lot of work, but it is a lot of fun too!”

Monetarily speaking, Raze Craze is the most profitable annual school fundraiser. It is also a

beautiful way to communicate the importance of God’s love to others.

“This year, the theme for Raze Craze was ‘Kindness is My Superpower,’” Casey says. “The students were encouraged to do acts of kindness for others to raise donations for the school, such as picking up litter or holding the door for others.”

The PTO is also passionate about making our school teachers feel appreciated for all that they do for our children. For example, each August the PTO prepares a “back to school” breakfast for them.

Impressively, even though the school has waived the necessary volunteer service requirement for our PTO school parents, that hasn’t stopped them from being incredibly generous.

“Our school parents are still

helping a lot, even though they don’t ‘have’ to,” Casey says. “For example, on the First Friday of each month, the PTO gives $10 restaurant lunches to our school teachers. So far, we have filled every slot! This is a complete volunteer effort on behalf of our school families, and it has all been done out of love. It is so awesome to see the parish school environment pull together for this effort.”

Amazingly, despite the trials our country is facing, the PTO has come through in ways that they never have been able to before.

“Thanks to the money we have raised through events and our sponsors, we have obtained $15,000 in tuition assistance for families in need,” Casey says. “We have never done this before. It is great to see. Some families have been hit hard by the pandemic, and we feel for them and are so glad to be able to help!”

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Begin the Journey

Home for

CHRISTMAS C

hrist was born the son of a poor carpenter. This was by no means an accident.

His birth was the culmination of salvation history, as it profoundly revealed the glory of God. Infinite power and wisdom took the form “of a servant, coming in human likeness” (Phil 2:7) — not as a warrior, but a poor and vulnerable babe.

Every aspect of Christ’s birth, from the three kings to the swaddling clothes, carries meaning. The proclamation of the angel, therefore, is also important: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk 2:10). This message, meant to be for “all the people,” was announced to a group of shepherds in a field out in the middle of nowhere. Was this accidental? Not at all.

The shepherds, who received a personal invitation to greet Christ at the manger, reveal that God’s love extends beyond boundaries of distance and transcends social classes. Unlike persons of this world who yearn to gain recognition with those of influence, wealth or beauty, Christ cries out to the lowly in society — to the shepherds in the distance. He reaches out in love, desiring a relationship with every single person, no matter their

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status. This is the “good news of great joy for all people” — Christ was born for us all.

Christmas is the perfect time for distant shepherds to begin the journey home. The angel’s greeting extends to all those who feel estranged from the Church or numb to God’s love. Those who have fallen away from the faith can be comforted by these words: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Lk 2:10-11).

Be not afraid. The Christ Child awaits your arrival. Begin the journey back to Christ by drawing near to His body, the Church. Through prayer and the sacraments, you will discover the great joy that accompanies a relationship with God. Take a moment to ask the Lord to bring peace to your heart and guide you in love towards Him. Please join our parish family for the final preparations of Advent, as well as the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses.

You have read this entire article and have received a personal invitation to begin the journey.

Accidental? Not a chance.

“Unlike persons of this world who yearn to gain recognition with those of influence, wealth or beauty, Christ cries out to the lowly in society — to the shepherds in the distance.

He reaches out in love, desiring a relationship with every single person, no matter their status.”

Youth Ministry Flourishes During Pandemic Connecting and Serving in Exciting New Ways

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huge part of Mass is about building community. Longtime Director of Youth Ministry Christie Powell truly believes that, having fostered community with hundreds of teens for more than 30 years.

“This is my life,” she says. “It’s my passion.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced school and church closures, Christie knew she had to do something to keep youth connected. Like so many people have during this unprecedented time, she took to the Zoom video conferencing platform, conducting weekly virtual meetings for the senior high students. While it’s certainly not the same as meeting in person, video The young adult group meets via the Zoom video conferencing platform. conferencing has provided a way for the teens to be accountable to one another.

The Zoom sessions are spent checking in to see “This is a wonderful opportunity to let them how everyone is doing during this difficult time. The know they are not alone,” Christie says. “It’s participants also talk about the Sunday readings. like a support group. With COVID, the sense of Right now, Christie is looking forward to the community is being busted up. It can get them annual Christmas Caravan, even though it will distracted. Then, they can make bad choices. It’s look a bit different due to COVID-19 precautions. so important to keep them connected.”

The youth group members, their families and many In pre-COVID-19 times, a junior high — sixth to parishioners pitch in to make this day a success. In eighth grade — group had been meeting every other past years, more than 1,000 toys and hundreds of Wednesday evening, with up to 75 youth attending. coats has been given to homeless in the area.

In the face of so many upsets, Christie can “The kids are so generous and they work so still list many blessings that have come to her hard,” Christie says. “This is our 15th year for the during the past months. One such blessing is Caravan. So many kids have given shoes off their having the time and interest for a young adult feet and the coats off their backs. They look forward group, for those in college to age 30. This group to that every year.” has been meeting on Thursday nights via Zoom.

Each year for Thanksgiving, the youth In the future, she hopes this group can meet groups gather, box and deliver ingredients for a in person about once per quarter. For now, the Thanksgiving meal for those in need. Members Zoom meetings are working very well. also participate in diocesan events, a summer “All of them have gone through the Youth work camp and the Steubenville conference.

Minis-try program, and they still want the connection,” “The senior high students are a real faithful Christie says. “It was just the right time.” group,” Christie says.

If you would like more information on the current Youth Ministry events, please contact Christie Powell at 501-835-4323, ext. 10.

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Immaculate CONCEPTION 7000 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

North Little Rock, AR 72116 Church Office: (501) 835-4323 www.iccnlr.org

Advent and Christmas Schedule Feast of the Immaculate Conception — Dec. 8 7 p.m.

Christmas Eve

4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and midnight

Christmas Day 10 a.m.

Solemnity of Mary Dec. 31 — 7 p.m.

Jan. 1 — 10 a.m.

LITURGY SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. | Sunday Masses: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Daily Mass: Wednesday, Thursday, and First Saturday of the Month at 8:15 a.m.

Confessions: Tuesday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m., Thursday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

ADORATION

Tuesday thru Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the main church