Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Newsletter — February 2022

Immaculate CONCEPTION

Contents:

3 The Word of God: How Do We Hear It? And How Do We Respond to It? 4 Meet Mike and Sandra Bulmanski: Savoring the Gifts of Faith, Family and Fellowship 6 Valentine’s Day The Feast of a Christian Martyr 7 The Vincentian Ministry Offering a Valuable Opportunity to Reflect on Scripture and Share in Fellowship FEBRUARY 2021

Catholic Church

Parish School to Celebrate 65th Anniversary and C atholic Schools Week

Sharing in Gratitude for the Many Blessings of Catholic Education

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ith all the interruptions and cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is so nice to celebrate.

In the past few months at Immaculate Conception Catholic School, staff, faculty, and students have had several opportunities to do just that. On Dec. 3, everyone at the school celebrated 65 years of Catholic education in our parish. Then, on Jan. 30, Catholic Students and staff gather Schools Week kicked off at Sunday Mass. around a special yard sign in Advancement Director Michelle Koch celebration of 65 years. says the 65-year celebration was a very special day. There was an all-school Mass presided over by Bishop Anthony Taylor. An outdoor pep rally and dance was held following Mass.

The Cheerleading Team performed a dance that celebrated each era during which the school has been open. At lunch, cupcakes were served. Large 65year yard signs were erected as a photo opportunity.

“There are a number of Catholic schools that are struggling to maintain attendance,” Mrs. Koch says. “So we want to celebrate that we have continued on page 2

Immaculate CONCEPTION

Parish School to Celebrate 65th Anniversary and Catholic Schools Week continued from front cover been here with quality, Catholic education for all these years.”

Some students have parents and grandparents who attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School. Some of the teachers are alumni of the school, as well.

“It was such a special day, being able to celebrate the school and have the Bishop join us,” Mrs. Koch says.

Immaculate Conception Catholic School opened in 1956 with 136 students. Today, there are 338 students at the school.

At the end of the day, students received a commemorative button. In addition, a leaf to commemorate the day was added to the donor Giving Tree.

National Catholic Schools Week is celebrated each year in late January. The week of fun is a way to celebrate Catholic education and all who play a part.

The week kicked off on Sunday, Jan. 30. At the 10:30 a.m. Mass, students filled the various ministry roles.

“We had a change in activities last year due to the pandemic,” Mrs. Koch says. “It’s fun to get back to more normal activities.”

Non-perishable foods are being collected for local families in need. The week also includes fun dress-up days, an eighth-grade versus faculty volleyball game, and the annual Talent Show.

“It’s been fun to continue the celebrations of our 65th year,” Mrs. Koch says. “I really enjoy watching the kids get excited and participate

Cheerleaders gather with our priests and Bishop Anthony Basil Taylor.

in dress-up days and activities during Catholic Schools Week.”

For Mrs. Koch, Immaculate Conception Catholic School is an extraordinary place. Her favorite thing at the school is the Buddy Program, through which students in older grades match up with students in younger grades to share in activities and spend time together. She looks forward to many more years working in Catholic education.

“My whole family is here,” she says. “Everyone in my world is in the same building.”

Please visit www.icsnlr.org to learn more about Immaculate Conception Catholic School.

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A Letter From Our Pastor

The Word of God: How Do We Hear It? And How Do We Respond to It? Dear Parishioners,

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few short weeks ago, we completed our Christmas season. We are now in what we call Ordinary Time — but before long, we will begin Lent. This is one of those rare years when Ash Wednesday is in March — so, Lent does not, of course, begin in February this year.

The Gospel of John begins with the statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We speak often of the Word in the Church. As most of you are aware, the first part of our Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. What does that mean to us?

Basically, there are four parts of our celebration of Mass: Introductory Rites; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist; and Concluding Rites. My focus in this reflection is that second part — the Liturgy of the Word. The main parts of that are a First Reading, a Responsorial Psalm, a Second Reading, the Gospel, and a Homily.

We draw on Holy Scripture from the Bible for the readings. As Catholics, we do not consider that these readings are about God, or about the Church, or about our faith, or a history lesson, or a nice story from long ago. We consider them to be God speaking directly to us. Thus, our attentiveness to what is being proclaimed is important. Are we listening? Do we hear? And then, do we respond in our lives? All of those should be facets of how we approach the Word of God. For us, the Word of God is the living Word. God is speaking to us as a community, and He asks us

to be faithful to His Word.

If we pay attention and truly listen, God can nourish our spirit, and Christ can be more real and present to us. The Homily, the Responsorial Psalm, the Profession of Faith, and the Intercessions develop the Word further and complete it. The Profession of Faith is our acceptance of God’s Word.

However, the question for us is, how do we respond to the Word? Does it change our lives?

Does it bring us to the conversion necessary to live lives of stewardship and service? It is not easy, I know. Being able to listen, to hear and then to act requires time, practice, commitment, and a desire to fulfill all of this. That is one of my prayers for us — that we can hear the Word, and that we can bring it to life in our own lives and in the lives of others.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. John Wakube Pastor

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Immaculate CONCEPTION

Meet

Mike and Sand

Savoring the Gifts of Fait

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or Mike and Sandra Bulmanski, being with the members of our parish family gives them the hope, joy, and love they need to keep carrying the torch of faith.

“The other parishioners inspire us to give our time to church,” Mike says. “There is one lady named Karen Boyer who volunteers all the time.

If there is something going on, she is there! She even drives about 40 miles to get to our parish from her home. It is just amazing! She is a convert and I taught some of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes that she attended. She just absolutely loves being Catholic.”

Recently, they have been inspired by a sort of “renewal” that they have noticed taking place in our parish.

“The sense of community seems to be growing by leaps and bounds,” Mike says. “We lost a lot of it during COVID, but it is all really coming back. I see a great, resurgent joy in people, and it is felt all throughout the parish. Many say how glad they are to be back here, and to receive the Eucharist again!”

Over the years, the Bulmanskis have found that when they give their time, talent, and treasure to our faith family, they will be abundantly blessed in return.

“Getting more involved in the parish has been a great experience,” Sandra says. “I have really enjoyed getting to know the other parishioners. They are so generous and kind! We have been so blessed to witness their faith. It is very rewarding to watch, and it builds up our own faith as well. We see faith in action while working with our fellow parishioners, and we really get to know God through them.”

By reaching out to our parish youth, Mike

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Mike and Sandra Bulmanski

has found great joy and peace.

“I teach Confirmation to our eighth-graders,” Mike says. “It is a wonderful thing to do. This past weekend, we were talking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the students didn’t seem too excited, but I asked them, who likes gifts that don’t keep on giving? They then looked interested and puzzled. When you exercise these gifts of the Holy Spirit, you get more. Then they started perking up. It is very rewarding to see that dimly lit light start to brighten up. The ones you do reach, there is something so special going on between them and Jesus. They are developing a relationship that they will foster for the rest of their lives, and for eternity.”

Further, Mike has enjoyed helping out with the RCIA process, facilitating a fascinating Bible study on Monday evenings, serving in liturgical ministries, and playing the guitar for the Adult

dra Bulmanski: h, Family and Fellowship

The Bulmanski family

Contemporary Choir.

“I have been teaching RCIA classes for about seven years,” he says. “Prayer is my favorite thing to talk about — it is so near and dear to my heart. I also teach about Lenten practices.

It is so exciting and inspiring to see the interest and excitement of people who are coming into the Catholic Church from a different church background or even no church background.”

By giving his heart to this ministry, Mike feels he is embracing the call to stewardship.

“I see it as part of my stewardship commitment,” Mike says. “I spend a lot of time up there. As far as talents go, I feel I have the talent of listening to children and teaching them. I taught Religion at the parish school from 2010 to 2014 as well.”

Sandra is also passionate about stewardship and expresses her love for Our Lord and our parish family by serving on both the Parish

Finance Committee and the Pastoral Council. She also attends the Bible study her husband offers.

Before the onset of COVID, she taught the Youth Faith Formation program’s kindergarten class.

“One thing that Fr. John stresses is the importance of giving your time, talent, and treasure, and since all of our children are grown, Mike and I are freer to do this,” Sandra says.

“We believe it is so important to put in our time and make the effort — it is just what we are called to do.”

Mike and Sandra’s daughter, Jenna Pride, attends our parish along with her husband, Tim Pride, and their three children — Ryleigh, Caden, and Adalynn. Ryleigh and Caden both attend our parish school. Their son, Aaron Bulmanski, and his wife, Jessica, attend our parish, as well.

Their daughter, Kayla Layne, and her husband, David, live 30 miles away.

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Immaculate CONCEPTION

VALENTINE’S DAY

The Feast of a Christian Martyr

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andy, flowers, romantic dinners, and excuses for wooing are the common traditions we associate with the once-pagan holiday known as Valentine’s Day. Dangling cupids, candy “message” hearts, and faux long-stemmed roses clutter every card store, waiting for that last-minute purchase.

The question is — how did this over-commercialized holiday really begin?

There are a few stories surrounding the history of Feb. 14 and St. Valentine himself, all dating back to the Roman Empire.

The 14th day of February was a day set aside to honor the goddess Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. The following day, Feb. 15, began the feast of Lupercalia — a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

As part of the festival traditions, there was a name drawing among the young people. The names of young Roman women were written on slips of paper and placed into a jar. Each young man would draw a young woman’s name from the jar, and the two would be partners for the duration of the festival. Sometimes the pairing lasted an entire year, and often, the couple would fall in love and later marry.

At the time, Emperor Claudius II was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns, and he was having a difficult time recruiting soldiers

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to join his military leagues.

Claudius believed that soldiers were reluctant to join because they did not want to leave their loves or families.

With this in mind, Claudius decreed all marriages and engagements cancelled in Rome.

During this time, St. Valentine was a priest in Rome, and he and St. Marius secretly married young couples. For this, St. Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who sentenced him to be beaten and then executed by beheading. He suffered this martyrdom on Feb. 14, around the year 270 AD. Before his death, it is said that St. Valentine left a note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.” Although the truth behind the St. Valentine’s legend is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. It is no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Over time, Feb. 14 became a time for lovers to exchange sweet messages, making St. Valentine the patron saint of lovers. The date was often commemorated with the sending of poems and simple gifts. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that Feb. 14 was the beginning of the avian mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine’s Day — should be a day for romance.

THE VINCENTIAN MINISTRY

Offering a Valuable Opportunity to Reflect on Scripture and Share in Fellowship

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or many years, the Vincentian Ministry at Immaculate Conception has been a lively community of prayer, study, and friendship. While the group stopped meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited that the group will be coming back together.

Mike Jones has been leading the Vincentian Ministry and is looking forward to being able to get together to discuss the Sunday Scripture readings and spend time in fellowship.

Eight or nine years ago, Mike attended a retreat at St. Anne led by Fr. Tom Stehlik. The retreat was well-attended by the Hispanic community and Fr. Tom hoped that Mike could help bring the retreat to more local Catholics. The three-day retreat featured Catholic speakers, the sharing of faith testimonials, and overall was an uplifting experience for Mike. One of the goals of the retreat was to break off into small groups that would continue meeting after the retreat. At Fr. Tom’s encouragement,

Mike took on leading that small group at Immaculate Conception.

“It’s a time to get together and talk about Christ and how your faith affects your life,” Mike says.

The group has grown and changed over the years.

About half of the seven or so members have been to the retreat, but the group is open to those who are looking for a community in which they can reflect on Scripture. In the past, when the group met regularly, they would spend time reading and reflecting on the Scripture readings for Mass that Sunday. In the hour and a half they spent together, there was lots of time for everyone to share experiences. Sometimes, Mike would read a faith-based book in his own time and bring his thoughts from that book to share with the group. For Mike, the Vincentian Ministry is important to the parish because it provides a place of fellowship for parishioners who might not have children in the school or are past that phase of their lives.

Mike Jones has been leading the Vincentian Ministry and is looking forward to being able to get together to discuss the Sunday Scripture readings and spend time in fellowship.

continued on back cover

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Immaculate CONCEPTION 7000 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

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

THE VINCENTIAN MINISTRY “It gives older folks something to look forward to,” Mike says. “Schools and churches tend to blend together and there aren’t always as many opportunities for everyone else.”

Mike has found that being based in Scripture is a great starting point for meaningful conversation and while he has a plan for the group’s discussion, he lets the members take the meeting wherever it needs to go. There is a lot of wisdom to share.

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“I hope coming to the meetings makes them feel more secure in their Catholicism,” says Mike.

As the Vincentian Ministry starts back up again in this new year, Mike hopes to see all the former members return and welcomes new members, young and old. Parishioners are welcome to come when they can, even if they can’t come to every meeting. Please join us for prayerful reflection and good fellowship!

To find out when and where the Vincentian Ministry is meeting, contact the parish office at 501-835-4323.

LITURGY SCHEDULE

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

Daily Mass: Tuesday, 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., Saturday: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

ADORATION

Adoration is now being held in the Adoration Chapel. If you are interested in spending time with the Blessed Sacrament, please contact Ramona Bourdo at 501-831-5040, for an available time slot. **Schedule subject to change due to COVID-19 guidelines**