Reminder: Mass will be at 12:10pm on Monday, September 6th.
Church office will be closed on Monday, September 6th and will reopen on Tuesday, September 7th at 8:30am.
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Immaculate Conception Church
208 7th Avenue West
Hendersonville, NC 28791
Church Office
611 North Church St.
Suite 101
Hendersonville, NC 28792
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We are a joyful Catholic community of disciples of Jesus Christ, moved by love, to seek the lost and the broken and bring them home |
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IC Blessings
September 1, 2021
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Brian Hull, husband of Anne Marie Hull
Liam Erick VelazquezMartinez, son of Gloria MartinezPedraza and Erick O. VelazquezDiaz, brother of Amir E. and Januell E. VelazquezMartinez
Eternal rest grant to them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
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Parishioner of the Month Sings to Share Her Faith |
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You may not know her name, but many of you will recognize her as the lady who cantors at Mass on the weekends. Jane Ward has always loved to sing. “My older sisters told me I sang for my parents when I was 5 years old,” Jane laughs. “As their sixth and last child, I’m told they enjoyed the entertainment, yet I don’t remember any of it!”
Jane was raised on a farm in Minnesota and moved to Minneapolis when she was 17 to further her education and work. From there she moved to Arizona. “I found that the desert wasn’t for me,” she confesses, “but I did meet a friend and his wife who introduced me to the real estate business.” She moved with their family to the Monterey Peninsula, earned her real estate license, and has been in the real estate business ever since. Seven years later she moved to Orange County, CA to continue in the residential industry.
In 2004, while living in Denver, CO, her husband decided he wanted to retire to the East Coast, “somewhere north of Florida but not too far north,” she explains. “When we discovered these Western Carolina Mountains, we decided this was it.”
Having been raised Lutheran in Minnesota with her Mom warning her to never marry a Catholic, Jane “married my cradle Catholic husband who asked if I would go to Mass with him at Immaculate Conception,” she says with a smile. “This was in late 2004, I attended Mass with him and was not welcomed when we entered and I said I would never return,” she remembers.
Her husband waited a few weeks then asked her to attend again and she did.
“This time, we were warmly welcomed,” she shares, and she’s been here ever since. “At that Mass, the music director announced that he needed people to sing in the choir,” she shares. “I called him, said I was interested but wasn’t Catholic. He said, ‘No problem, I’m not either.’ “
After singing at several Masses, Jane decided that if she was going to participate in the Ministry of Immaculate Conception Church, she was going to genuinely participate in it, and she enrolled in the RCIA program and became Catholic. “I’ve never regretted it,” she says gratefully.
Besides singing at church, Jane sings with the Hendersonville Chorale and the Asheville Symphony Chorus as well. For fun when not showing or listing real estate, Jane says, “I must hear music daily, and a good book is essential. My little 14 year old rescue dog sits next to me when I rehearse and we go for daily walks.” Getting together with friends is essential, but Jane always allows for personal, private, quiet time as well.
Besides singing, Jane has been a member of the Welcoming committee at Immaculate Conception. What she likes best about the Parish are the people, “and it seems that each time I’m at Mass, I learn one more thing about Catholicism. It’s amazing!”
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During this past year dedicated to the patronage of St. Joseph, I was gifted a most unexpected spiritual gift of a St. Joseph Rosary. Along with the rosary, there were meditations on the 7 Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph - to be contemplated while praying the 7 decades of the rosary. What an extraordinary spiritual help this rosary has been for me – especially during times of great trial. This month of September has been dedicated by the Church to devotion to the 7 Sorrows of Mary, and I have found that same profound link between Mary's joys and her sorrows. Psalm 90 always brings this connection to mind as I pray: “Lord give us joy to balance our afflictions.” Perhaps we might pray the 7 Sorrows of Mary this month in like manner – by praying the following 7 Sorrows of Mary - along with contemplating the corresponding “joys” the Lord has bestowed upon us. For example we might pray:
The 1st Sorrow of Mary (The Prophesy of Simeon) followed by the joy when Simeon foretold that Jesus would be the Light for the revelation to the Gentiles & the glory of (we) His people.
The 2nd Sorrow of Mary (The Flight to Egypt) followed by the joy that the Lord had protected Jesus from the ruthless Herod, so that Jesus would fulfill the Father's will to bring about “our” salvation.
The 3rd Sorrow of Mary (Searching for her Child Jesus) followed by the joy of finding Jesus and bringing her Son back to Nazareth where He grew in wisdom & grace to fulfill His mission for us.
The 4th Sorrow of Mary (Mary meeting Jesus carrying His Cross) followed by the strength of being reunited in their intimate bond of love which was unwavering from when Jesus was in her womb and extends to us today through the Sacraments of the Church.
The 5th Sorrow of Mary (Mary stands beneath the Cross of Jesus) followed by the comfort of Jesus entrusting Mary not only to His beloved disciple John, but to each of us - as our dearest Mother and greatest exemplar and compassionate intercessor.
The 6th Sorrow of Mary ( Mary receives the Dead Body of Jesus) followed by the vision of Mary holding her Son in the lap of her endless love – a truly “living” Pieta for all who call to her.
The 7th Sorrow of Mary ( Jesus is laid in the Tomb) followed by the knowledge that Mary was ever faithful from her first Fiat - to beyond the tomb of her Son & Savior – just as she is ever faithful to us in our greatest trials, farewells & grief. May we be blessed with new insights and devotion to Mary as we contemplate her sorrows along with her profound joys.
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SAVE THE DATE!
OCTOBER 22-24
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Immaculate Conception and Immaculata will host a welcome back festival including: adoration, a cornhole tournament, a food truck festival and more. Watch the bulletin for more details in the coming weeks. |
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LECTORS AND EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS NEEDED |
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Please prayerfully consider becoming an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. We are in need of parishioners who feel the call to help distribute Holy Communion at Sunday Mass. You will be able to serve at the Mass you most frequently attend; however the need is the greatest at the 10 am and noon Masses. You must be 18 years or older, a registered parishioner, be willing to have a background check, and attend, either in person or online, a Protecting God's Children class required by the diocese directive. Training will be provided. If your interested or need more information please call or email one of the following: Suzanna Sherrill at (828)699-3328 or hjsboat2@gmail.com or Mary Lou Varnes at (828)435-1652 or marylou546@att.net.
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EVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEING A READER? We are in need of Readers, particularly at the noon Sunday Mass. Any confirmed (or of Confirmation age) practicing Catholic is eligible. If you are interested in this ministry, or ever wondered about being a reader, please contact Wayne Foresman at 570-290-3654 or w44man@gmail.com. |
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EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS 2021 |
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You’re invited to join us for our Charlotte Diocese Eucharistic Congress, a great event for families, with exciting and spiritually enriching activities for children and adults. This is a free event, Friday and Saturday, September 17 & 18, 2021, at the Charlotte Convention Center. Hope to see you there! Visit www.GoEucharist.com for more information.
Reminder: We will not have Confessions, 4pm Mass or 6pm (Spanish Mass) on Saturday, September 18th. We will follow our regular Mass schedule on Sunday, September 19th.
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The Parish Garden Work Day was a HUGE success thanks to parishioners who answered the call to help in the gardens for the first time, and thanks also to the regular gardeners who showed up to work, too.
We had at least 20 people working diligently for two hours trimming spent flowers, weeding, pruning dead wood from trees and shrubs, and trimming shrubs.
What amazing improvements were accomplished in the two hours!
It was a blessing to meet more parishioners and to have them meet and work with each other as well.
We are very grateful to all and, once again, God answered our prayers!
Another work day will be held in September so watch for details……!!
--- The Garden Committee
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A QUIZ FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR |
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With September comes the beginning of a new school year, and a time to think about what you have learned over the years. Can you answer the following?
- Name the last 5 Heisman Trophy winners.
- Name the last 3 winners of the Miss America Pageant.
- Name 6 people who have won the Nobel Prize.
- Name 4 of the last Academy Award winners for Best Actress and Best Actor.
- Name the 5 wealthiest people in the world.
How did you do? Like most of us, you probably didn’t do too well. Rarely do we remember the headliners of yesterday. These are some of the best in their fields, but we don’t remember them. Now try answering these questions.
1. Name 5 teachers you remember who helped you through school.
2. Name 3 friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name 5 people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of 4 people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of 5 people you enjoy spending time with
Did you do better this time? As in all education, there is a lesson learned here. The people you remember in the second quiz are the people who have made or are making a difference in your life. They are the ones who simply care the most about you. This academic year, it’s your chance to become one of the answers in the second quiz. Show one another that you care!
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A Cup of Encouragement
Find a Friend - Be a Friend - Bring a Friend to Christ"
Part II
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There are times when true friendship requires us to go the extra mile serving one another as we bring a friend(s) to Christ. Such was the case with the men in the story Jesus shares with us in the Gospel of Luke 5:18-19.
18 Some men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to bring him in and lay him down in front of Jesus. 19 But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the [a]roof [and removed some tiles to make an opening] and lowered him through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.
As I read this scripture some thoughts about friendship came to mind:
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It takes more than one person to carry your stretcher helping you to get where you need to be.
- The men were determined, moved by love, motivated to see their friend healed by Jesus.
- They knew that healing paralysis was not a problem for Jesus, they were exercising their faith combining it with action.
- People that got in their way presenting their friend to Jesus only served as an opportunity to get creative –with perseverance.
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They had one goal in mind for their friend, that is to put him “into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus”. Goal achieved.
One morning while meeting with our parish leadership, Bob asked this question out loud- “Who is carrying your stretcher”?
That is an excellent question for you the reader to ask yourself.
As you do, please consider, pray, read, and reflect on the following scripture:
Think about your 5 closest friends God has given you. Spend time praying intentionally over these people. Send them a text or a little note in the mail to encourage them in their week.
God Bless you and yours.
Dave Coe
Questions?
Prayer Requests? I am happy to pray for you and yours.
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Our present church was completed in 1998, and after 23 years of service, the original roofing over the portico and sacristy are being replaced. At the same time, the roof over the center section is being replaced after 9 years of service due to some defects in installation by a previous contractor. The roof replacement was needed to prevent on-going damage to our roof, ceiling and sanctuary. The original gutters and downspouts around the front of the church are also being replaced. Some minor associated water damage will be corrected after the roofing and gutters are completed.
The Diocese of Charlotte provided a roofing consultant to help us select a contractor, to advise us on specifications and materials, and to inspect the work being done. The roofing contractor we selected did outstanding work. All areas of our roof are now properly vented, which will allow for air circulation and a much healthier roof for decades to come.
All the repairs and installation of our beautiful new roof and gutters are due to your generosity to the Church Improvements and School Modernization collection (yellow envelopes). Thank you for being good stewards of our parish church!
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Knights of Columbus Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast 1 |
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Barbara Jeter, President of the Women's Guild, with Knights prepare to set up for the Rummage sale. |
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