Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Newsletter — May 2022

Iac¶˚a& CONCEPTION Catholic Church

Contents: 2 Stewardship The Church is More than a Building — It is Our Spiritual Home 3 The Month of Mary: A Time for Celebration and Joy 4 The Results of the Synodal Questionnaire

Uniting the Body of Christ by Listening to One Another 6 The Faith Journey of St. Philip Neri Patron Saint of Holy Fun 7 Meet Parishioner Karen Boyer Finding Home and Community in Our Church May 2022

Vacation Bible School Returns to Our Parish this Summer Wilderness Escape: Where God Guides and Provides

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or the first time since 2019, our parish is blessed to present Vacation Bible School (VBS) for our children next month. The VBS program will run every morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. from June 1 to June 5 at the parish. At the end of the week, there will be a presentation for families to attend and hear all the songs,

meet our volunteers, and see the exciting atmosphere the children have engaged in throughout the week.

“The VBS experience is an adventure into the Bible,” says Phyllis Eubanks, Director of Faith Formation.

The theme for this year’s VBS is Wilderness Escape: Where God Guides and Provides. continued on page 5

Iac¶˚a& CONCEPTION Stewardship The Church is More than a Building — It is O‚_S5^¶a¸H2

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here do you go to church?

We’ve all answered that question hundreds of times before. But have you ever stopped to think about what it truly means?

“I go to our parish,” is the usual response, and rightly so, because we do “go to” the church to celebrate Mass together. But as Catholics and as stewards of God’s gifts, the Church is much more than a building within which we worship. The Church, as we understand it, is the universal body of believers, the society that Christ established to help us grow in holiness, to bring us closer to Him through the giving of our time, talent, and treasure, and to lead the world to the truth.

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20). That is the Church’s mission in the world today — to make disciples of all nations, to bring all men to Christ.

Our parish plays a key part in that. As members of our parish, we are local representatives of the universal Church. Together, as members of this parish family, we work to carry out the Church’s mission on a local level. We worship the Lord at

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Mass, offering Him our praise and thanksgiving, and then we go forth on a mission to make disciples — to encourage our fellow parishioners in their lives of faith and to bring unbelievers into knowledge of the truth.

In addition to being a “local representation of the universal Church,” the parish is much like a family. We are communal beings, and we are created to live with others. So, as Catholics, we are members of the Church and, on a more immediate level, of the parish. As such, we gather together for the Eucharistic meal and we grow in faith together throughout the week, supporting one another through our participation in many parish ministries, through prayer, and through the friendships that many of us share.

In a letter written to parish priests throughout the nation, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explained the important place of the parish in the lives of Catholic faithful: “The parish is a privileged place to announce the Word of God. It includes a variety of forms and each of the faithful is called to take an active part, especially with the witness of a Christian life and the explicit proclamation of the Gospel to non-believers to lead them to the faith, or to believers to instruct them, confirm them and encourage them to a more fervent life.”

So, we ought to feel truly blessed to be a part of this parish family. We ought to make a conscious effort to be actively involved, to build relationships with our fellow parishioners and to celebrate the Mass together as often as possible — most especially every Sunday. We are then bound to grow closer to others, to grow deeper in faith and closer to Christ. Then, together as a parish family, we are bound to proclaim the Gospel to others, inviting them to a life of discipleship, thereby, building the kingdom of God.

A Letter From Our Pastor

The Month of Mary: A Time for C%˚%b^aß

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Dear Parishioners,

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n the Catholic Church, we designate a particular devotion for each month — and May is when we honor our Blessed Mother Mary. Thus, this is a good time for us to think about and concentrate on our devotion to the Mother of God. Perhaps we can add a few more Marian prayers to our daily routine —praying the Rosary is a great place to start. Of course, that assumes that daily prayer is part of our daily routine — which it should be.

Our Blessed Mother is important to our faith and our Church. Her willingness to serve in a way that allowed the Lord to take human form made our salvation a possibility. Because of her complete trust in God, she lived her life free from sin, and after her life, she was assumed into heaven by the power of God and crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

She is, of course, not divine. We worship only our Lord Jesus Christ, but we honor Mary as a saint, and also in many other ways. We honor God when we remember the role of Mary in our salvation. Devotion to Mary always leads to Jesus Christ Himself.

Mary was joyous when she said “yes” to God. That is the kind of joy we need to seek — and we, too, must say “yes” to the Lord. Let us be grateful to Mary for bringing us her Son. This is why we crown her on our Catholic version of Mother’s Day. Through Mary, we are given an invitation into the Catholic fold. Her feminine presence and the safety of her motherhood may help us grow.

For most of us, this time of year is a month of growth in relation to nature. It is difficult not to have May as one of our favorite months for so many reasons. May is a beautiful time. We are called to make it even more beautiful, and we can do that as we serve and love one another.

I am deeply blessed to be your pastor. I may say that often, but it is true. My priesthood has been a blessing and serving you all has made that blessing even more significant.

I pray for you daily. Please pray for me. God bless you and keep you always.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. John Wakube Pastor

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Iac¶˚a& CONCEPTION

The Results of th

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urrently, the Catholic Church is in the process of collecting information around the world in preparation for the next Synod on Synodality. Our parish, Immaculate Conception, has done its part to help the bishops and the pope. Recently, Fr. John Wakube initiated a campaign to collect feedback for the upcoming synod by preaching on the importance of synods, writing a pastoral letter, and circulating a questionnaire to all parishioners.

The campaign was a success! The feedback provided by parishioners will be instrumental in the Church’s goal of creating greater unity between its members by listening to one another.

Talk of synods and synodality is probably not a typical dinner conversation, and we need to understand specifically what these terms mean.

“A synod is a gathering of bishops that fosters a closer unity between the bishops and the pope,

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Uniting the B

provides council to the pope on matters of faith, morals, and discipline of the Church, and studies questions concerning the Church in the world,” says Fr. Ben Riley. “The current synod is about synodality. Synodality is about the entire People of God placing their hopes, joys, sorrows, and concerns at the feet of the bishops who, along with the pope, decide matters of faith and morals in order to preserve the faith and strengthen the Church in the world.”

In essence, during this Synod on Synodality, the bishops and the pope will be gathering to discuss how the whole Church can discern the will of God together in communion with one another.

The Church is faced with many new challenges that vary around the globe. The hope for this synod is to discover a way to overcome the various and modern challenges in a united manner, where every member of the Church has a voice.

Your voice matters and the feedback you have submitted is the first step in the process of unifying the Church’s approach to spreading the Gospel.

“We received a great deal of feedback,” Fr. Riley says. “The three most common topics brought up in the questionnaire were: first, a need for young adult ministry and more casual social opportunities in the parish; second, an expression of the hardship and sorrow many divorced Catholics experience as a result of the annulment process, and a desire to make the process easier and more expedited; finally, for the Church to reach out in more concrete ways and welcome the lesbian and gay community.”

The bishops will consider these topics as they discuss the difficulties facing the Church and formulate a synodal process of coming to evangelical solutions. The goal is that all of us, as members of the Church, have a share in the Church’s future and mission of bringing Christ to others.

Fr. Riley roots the work being done during this Synod on Synodality in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:

he Synodal Questionnaire

Body of Christ by Listening to One Another “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.”

Thus, you may understand the importance of the Synod and the profound value of your feedback. The Church is the body of Christ, and we should follow Jesus together by listening and learning from each other.

“The current synod is about synodality. Synodality is about the entire People of God placing their hopes, joys, sorrows and concerns at the feet of the bishops who, along with the pope, decide matters of faith and morals in order to preserve the faith and strengthen the Church in the world.”

— Fr. Ben Riley

Vacation Bible School Returns “This year, participants will meet and hear the story of Moses and the Israelites and what it was like as they traveled through the desert toward the Promised Land," Phyllis says. "They will see firsthand how life was, what they did, what they ate, and how they shared as a family this incredible adventure."

As Phyllis notes, VBS helps to develop our four pillars of stewardship — hospitality, prayer, formation, and service — in our parish community through the children’s weeklong involvement. The program invites all young people together in an act of hospitality. Each day begins and ends with prayer. The participants learn more about the faith through formation. And finally, volunteers giving of their time are engaging in acts of service.

“Just as Moses served and led his people, we show our young people through example to continue to be a part of their faith community through volunteering to help lead others to Christ," Phyllis says. "Giving of your time and talent is always a blessing for others."

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VBS welcomes children from age 4 through to fifth grade as participants. Older children are invited to consider volunteering during the week, as well as any parents or other adults interested in helping out.

“Vacation Bible School has always been a wonderful way for our Confirmation students to help and share their talents with the younger students and gain for themselves some much-needed stewardship hours,” Phyllis says. “However, we are always in need of adult volunteers to play the lead roles and help to teach our youth more specifically the way of life and circumstances of the lives of those in the days of the Old Testament.

Registration for VBS is open through May 27.

The cost is $25 per student or $40 per family and includes crafts, snacks and a music CD. If you would like more information or to register, please contact our parish office at 501-835-4323.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Iac¶˚a& CONCEPTION The Faith Journey of St. Philip Neri

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an a saint have fun on the way to attaining holiness?

Many would say that St. Philip Neri definitely fits that bill.

Born in 1515 in Florence, Italy, St. Philip Neri showed his fun side from the time he was a boy.

One such incident almost cost him his life. Seeing a donkey loaded with fruit for market, the impulsive and spontaneous little boy jumped on the donkey's back. Surprised, the donkey lost his footing, and along with the fruit and young Philip, tumbled into a cellar. Miraculously, Philip was unhurt.

Philip’s father struggled financially, so 18-yearold Philip was sent to work with an older cousin who was a successful businessman. During this time, Philip found a favorite place to pray in a spot upon a mountain that had been turned into a chapel.

During these hours of prayer, Philip is said to have decided to leave worldly success behind and dedicate his life to God. Eventually, Philip went to Rome. In 1548, Philip formed a confraternity with other laymen to minister to pilgrims who came to Rome without food or shelter. The spiritual director of the confraternity convinced Philip he could do even more work as a priest. After receiving instruction from this priest, Philip was ordained in 1551.

As a young priest, Philip learned to love to hear confessions. Young men especially found in him the wisdom and direction they needed to grow spiritually. But Philip began to realize these young men needed something more than absolution — they needed guidance. So, Philip began to ask the young men to come by in the early afternoon when they would discuss spiritual readings, and then stay for prayer in the evening.

Philip understood it wasn't enough to tell young 6

people not to do something — you had to give them something to do in its place. So, at Carnival time, when the worst excesses were encouraged, Philip organized a pilgrimage to the Seven Churches with a picnic, accompanied by instrumental music for the midday break. After walking 12 miles in one day, everyone was too tired to be tempted!

Philip was known to be spontaneous and unpredictable, charming and humorous. He seemed to sense the different ways to bring people to God. One man came to the Oratory just to make fun of it. Philip wouldn't let the others throw him out or speak against him. He told them to be patient, and eventually the man became a Dominican. On the other hand, when he met a condemned man who refused to listen to any pleas for repentance, Philip didn't try gentle words. Instead, Philip grabbed the man by the collar and threw him to the ground. The move shocked the criminal into repentance and he made a full confession.

Humility was the most important virtue he tried to teach others, as he continually worked to learn it himself. Some of his lessons in humility seem cruel, but they were tinged with humor — like practical jokes — and were related with gratitude by the people they helped. His lessons always seemed to be tailored directly to what the person needed.

Philip did not escape this spiritual mortification himself. As with others, his own humbling held humor. There are stories of him wearing ridiculous clothes or walking around with half his beard shaved off. The greater his reputation for holiness, the sillier he wanted to seem.

But Philip was very serious about prayer. He was so easily carried away that he refused to preach in public and could not celebrate Mass with others around. But when asked how to pray, his answer was, "Be humble and obedient and the Holy Spirit will teach you."

Philip died in 1595 after a long illness. His feast day is on May 26, just in time to kick off the season of summertime fun.

Meet Parishioner

Karen Boyer

Finding Home and Community in Our Church

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aren Boyer's journey to the Catholic Faith and Immaculate Conception was a long and winding one. But now that she is here, she’s so very thankful.

When she was growing up, Karen attended religious services with both sets of grandparents — her Methodist maternal grandparents and Baptist paternal grandparents. When she was 15, Karen went on a road trip to California with her family. She remembers stopping at the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM, and seeing the mysterious spiral staircase. Intrigued, and despite not knowing anyone who was Catholic, Karen started learning more about the Catholic faith. In high school and college, Karen learned more about many different faith traditions. By the time Karen got married and had her son, Michael, she didn't feel that she needed religion.

“I would say that I was spiritual but not religious,” Karen says.

As the years passed, Karen found community in her work family. She also had a large extended family with whom she had always been close. When Karen’s family members started to pass away, she felt very lost, but she couldn’t understand why. That’s what finally brought her to the doors of Immaculate Conception in 2013.

“I was feeling so alone and lost,” Karen says.

“I passed Immaculate Conception all the time, so I decided to try attending Mass.”

Karen participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process and entered into the Catholic faith in 2014.

Karen Boyer feels at home here at Immaculate Conception.

“I really liked RCIA, and I wanted to come back to help,” Karen says. “I’ve been helping with set-up, greeting people, and take-down ever since.”

Karen is still learning about the Catholic faith and finds that she learns something new continued on page 8

“I would tell everyone to get involved at the parish, It’s a connection you can build with other people at Immaculate Conception. You can get to know people and hear their stories.” — Karen Boyer

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Iac¶˚a& CONCEPTION 7000 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

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

Meet Parishioner

Karen Boyer

each year at RCIA. She faced some struggles from 2015 to 2017, and she really leaned on her faith. Any time something was being offered at Immaculate Conception, she was there.

She loves being part of any Adult Faith Formation activities. This community got her through those difficult years.

“This church and RCIA are my family,” Kar en says.

Karen’s son, Michael, also went through the RCIA process and joined the Catholic Church in 2018.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Karen had been involved with Eucharistic Adoration and Vacation Bible School. She serves as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and a Sonfest volunteer. While she now lives in Sheridan, Karen loves the community she’s found at Immaculate Conception, so she is willing to make the drive.

“I would tell everyone to get involved at the parish,” she says. “It’s a connection you can build with other people at Immaculate Conception. You can get to know people and hear their stories.”

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**