IC Blessings

July 1, 2022

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Parish Life Commission Events:


MOVIES: July 27, August 24, September 28

Reminder that the next movie will be on Wednesday, July 27 at Flat Rock Cinema at 6:30pm. Details on what movie and how to get tickets will be listed on Facebook, the parish app, the bulletin, and email. We hope to continue the movie series for a few more months and they will be on the 4th Wednesday of each month.


PARISH POOL PARTY: July 24

You are invited. Grab your towels and join us for some fun this summer.

Sunday, July 24 from 7pm - 9pm at the Elks Lodge Pool.


HIKES / PARK STROLLS:

Dates and locations coming soon.


More details on these and upcoming events will be available on Facebook, the parish app, the bulletin, and via email.

Parishioner of the Month

Mariana Angel Tanner

Our Parishioner of the Month, Mariana Angel Tanner, is originally from Colombia, South America. In 2018, she came to the U.S. for a vacation, and to help in a garden center in Tryon, NC. “That’s where I met my husband, Matthew Tanner,” she says happily. “He was delivering plants there, and one day he asked me on a date. We just clicked from that first moment, and kept dating until I had to return to Colombia.”

But that didn’t stop their romance! Matthew visited two months later, “and he got to see my country, meet my family, and try our delicious food!” she exclaims. “Then he found that he was not only in love with me, but also with my family and my country!” Matthew asked Mariana’s parents for their blessing and proposed during that visit. “Of course, it was a YES!” she shares smiling. “I knew he was the love of my life and I was so lucky to find him. I truly believe it was God who put him in my life.”

The couple wanted to get married at Immaculate Conception, Matthew’s family’s parish, so he joined the RCIA program here while Mariana was confirmed in Colombia. “Everyone at the parish was so amazing and so welcoming, and we got to meet a lot of new people,” she says. On July 20th, soon after he had become the pastor of Immaculate Conception, Fr. Cook married them “in a perfect ceremony with a beautiful homily and a wonderful reception!” she remembers.

Since she had to wait to work until she could get her Green Card, Mariana began turning her previous work, and hobbies into a fun “job.” With a degree in Graphic Design in Colombia, Mariana had worked there in the textile industry designing prints and patterns for fabrics. This experience and her love of making things started her in painting watercolors, making macramé wall hangings, mirrors and pillows. “I also made Miyuki jewelry,” she says. “This is a beading technique using very tiny Japanese beads, and I started selling them on Etsy and Instagram.”

When the pandemic came, Matthew started his own landscaping business, and she would help him. “Around that time I found out that I was pregnant!”

She tells joyfully! “We were incredibly happy with the news – so many blessings from God!”

2021 brought wonderful happenings to Mariana. “In January, when I was 8 months pregnant, I finally got my Green Card, and one month later, on February 7th, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Emma Angel Tanner!” she says with a proud and loving smile. “It was the happiest day of our lives!”

Matthew started in a new career with Asheville City schools in the Special Education Program and coaching. “I stay at home with Emma who is now 16 months old, and it is such a joy being her Mom! She has the sweetest, outgoing personality, and makes our lives so happy,” she says proudly.

For fun and relaxation, they enjoy going to the breweries in Hendersonville and Asheville, and eating in the great restaurants. We enjoy nature and going hiking at Dupont Forest with the beautiful lakes and waterfalls, going to Blue Ridge, and the Arboretum.

Last year, Fr. Cook asked Mariana if she would help with the Parish Facebook page. She finds it a great way “to share about the events, festivals, and everything happening in the Parish. It’s been another big blessing for me to be part of something, and help in the community. At the same time I get to practice my Graphic Design!” she laughs! Mariana looks forward to getting more involved with the Parish and Social Media as she gets more time and Emma gets older

While she loves it here, she does miss her home country and is looking forward to visiting everyone in Columbia as a family next month. “It will be our first visit with Emma and we are very excited!”

Mariana feels that her 3 years here has enabled her to meet some amazing people. “ICC is a big part of our journey as a married couple, and now in starting a family,” she shares. “It is a joy going every Sunday, and seeing familiar faces, especially Matt’s family, Mike Tanner and Jan! We are so lucky to be close to them!” she says.

Parts of the Sanctuary Continued

The Tabernacle


The tabernacle is the repository for the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic church usually situated close to the altar or, in some cases, in a separate chapel.  The English word, tabernacle, comes from the Latin word tabernaculum meaning “tent” or “hut”. The Hebrew word mishkan means “dwelling” and refers to the portable sanctuary constructed by Moses as a place of worship for the Jews as they wandered in the desert on their way to the Promised Land. The mishkan was surrounded by a fence and the tent contained the Ark of the Covenant and other holy items used in the worship of and sacrifice to Yahweh.

Since there were no churches during those early centuries, Christians did not have a tabernacle. However, as we do today, they were careful to protect the Blessed Sacrament. There is some evidence that following their divine services, Christians took the consecrated bread home and consumed it during the week. By the fourth century, when construction of churches began, any reserved hosts were kept in various rooms in the church, including an area that became known as the sacristy. Theft, pilferage or worse was a serious threat, especially following the Protestant Reformation, when violence was carried out against the Catholic Church.

The design of the tabernacle evolved slowly, addressing both the need to ensure the safety of the Blessed Sacrament (the tabernacle is always locked and immoveable) and the desire to house the Blessed Sacrament in a manner worthy to be the dwelling place of God in the church. By the 16th century tabernacles similar to those we have today were in use.

Canon Law spells out the rules for the tabernacle’s location: “The tabernacle in which the Blessed Eucharist is reserved should be sited in a distinguished place in the church or oratory, a place which is conspicuous, suitably adorned and conducive to prayer” (No. 938.2). As authorized by Church law, and approved by the local bishop, some churches use a separate chapel to house the tabernacle. The tendency today is to keep the tabernacle in proximity to the altar.

Sanctuary Lamp


The sanctuary lamp is required in every Catholic Church, readily visible and constantly burning near the tabernacle. Our sanctuary lamp is the large candle stand to the right of the tabernacle with the burning candle that glows red. This burning candle signifies the presence of the living God in the tabernacle. 

The sanctuary lamp was first used in the 13th century, and Canon Law 940 requires the lamp to burn continuously. The flame of the tabernacle lamp is purposely transferred from candle to candle beginning with the fire lit at the Easter Vigil Mass. This perpetual light is mentioned in Leviticus 6:6 in discussing the fire for burnt offerings: “Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continuously; it shall not go out.”

This light can be thought of as the same light the Magi followed until they found the baby Jesus in a stable. This ever-present light still beckons to each of us. We all look for the flickering flame as soon as we enter the church. Our attitude and demeanor change as we recognize that we are in the house of the living God. The flame signifies his presence and a sign that our love for the Lord is eternal, never to be extinguished.

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St. Rita of Cascia

By Rosemary Hagerott

I was pleasantly surprised to read in last month’s issue that the altar in our Church contains a relic of St. Rita of Cascia. I moved to Hendersonville in 2017 from Sierra Madre, CA, from my parish of St. Rita of Cascia which has the only Shrine in the western United States devoted to her. St. Rita is worthy of devotion. At my former parish, her Feast Day (May 22) usually attracts about 7-8,000 pilgrims each year.

St. Rita was born in 1386 in Roccaparena, Umbria, Italy and died in 1457 at the Augustinian convent in Cascia, Italy. Her parents were very protective of her. They wanted her to have a future so, as was the custom at the time, they sought a good marriage for her. Margarita (Rita) showed interest in a religious life but, at age twelve, her parents betrothed her to Paolo Mancini. Disappointed but obedient, Rita married Paolo when she was 18. They subsequently became the parents of twin sons. But it was not a happy marriage. Paolo was ill-tempered and abusive and became embroiled in disputes among two local warring families. He was eventually stabbed to death. Her sons wanted to avenge their father’s murder. Rita confidently turned the matter over to God. She asked God to “take them home” rather than have them become murderers. Shortly thereafter, her sons succumbed to the plague.

Rita still felt the call to religious life so, after the death of her sons, she applied to a local Augustinian monastery but was denied entry because some of the nuns were relatives of her husband’s murderers and they did not want any more problems. Through the intervention of holy men, including St. Augustine of Hippo, Rita managed to bring the warring factions to peace. She was admitted to the monastery at age 36. She lived there for 40 years, spending her time in prayer and always working towards peace. She was devoted to the Passion of Christ and was blessed with the stigmata on her forehead.

She was confined to her bed for the last four years of her life, but continued to pray and work for peace. As she was dying, her only request was a rose from her family’s home. Since it was January there did not seem to be much hope of finding a blooming rose. But there, on a bare bush, was a single rose. To this day, St. Rita is pictured with a crucifix in her hand and with roses surrounding her. A tradition continues, throughout the world, of bringing roses to Church to be blessed on her Feast Day—and then distributed in turn to others.

St. Rita is known as the “Saint of the Impossible” because of the many obstacles she overcame in her life—as wife, mother, widow, nun, and peacemaker. She was canonized on May 24, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII.

Every 4th of July we hear and see fireworks all across our country. So why do we incorporate fireworks into the celebration of this holiday? July 4, 1776 is the day that commemorates when our nation declared itself to be an independent nation, and no longer a colony of England. On that day the Declaration of Independence was signed by numerous leaders of that time. This document clearly indicated the determination to become a free country. And as we all know, this action led to a fierce battle with England, yes, a great deal of fireworks! Numerous battles have been fought since that time, leading to many giving their lives in the cause of freedom. So it seems that freedom and sacrifice go hand in hand.

Freedom has been a core value for mankind since the beginning of the human race. Adam and Eve lost their freedom by disobeying God. The rest of humanity continues to battle the gift of freedom of choice, specifically to choose God’s way or his/her way. The Bible records the many lapses of the Jewish people, leading to their loss of freedom over and over again. The most well-known is recorded in the Book of Exodus, as the Jewish people lost their physical freedom as slaves of the Egyptians for 400 years. However, despite their continued disobedience, God showed He is ever-forgiving, restoring their freedom and given another chance again and again.

Ultimately, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue all from the slavery of sin. This offer is conditional on only one thing, that one must put his/her faith in Jesus. The famous verse John 3:16 is clear: “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” This is truly the ultimate freedom. This freedom is not based on one’s circumstances, but rather a decision one makes.

I hope this July 4th, as you observe some fireworks, you will take some time to reflect on your faith, and the amazing gift God has given us as believers in His Son.

 

Blessings,

Doug Miller, Parishioner

PARISH LIFE COMMISSION

Parish Life Commission builds community by creating ways to connect with friends from church outside of Mass, to grow our connection in faith and each other. We are open to ideas for new ways to do this. If there is an activity you’d like to see us work on gathering us together and if you are willing to have a role in creating that activity, please contact Annamarie Jakubielski by email annamarie@jakubielski.com to share your ideas or ask questions. 

Fourth of July Trivia

How much do you really know about the 4th of July holiday? Answer these questions about our Independence Day to find out. (Answers are elsewhere in this newsletter).


1.  What was the total number of people who signed the Declaration of Independence?

2.  Every Independence Day, how many times does the Liberty Bell ring?

3.  What special event happened on July 4, 1960?

4.  Who was the oldest man to sign the Declaration of Independence?

5.  In 1777, fireworks were first used to celebrate Independence Day.  What color were           they?

6.  What American President was born on July 4th?

7.  Who held the first July 4th party at the White House?

8.  Where is the largest fireworks display on July 4th?

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry presented 25 prayer shawls to members of the Kairos Prison Ministry. The shawls will be given to those attending the Kairos Outside weekend. The Kairos Outside Weekend is a 2 ½ day program for women based on a series of talks by volunteers designed to address the pain of enduring separation from friends or family members who are incarcerated, and from the judgment of others from their community.

Receiving the shawls from left to right: Trudy Gordon, leader of the next Kairos Outside weekend, Gene Gordon, Kairos Prison Ministry and Dave Coe, Kairos Prison Ministry and currently serving as a team member of the Dioceses of Charlotte NC Prison Ministry.

FEED THE KIDS UPDATE

Now that FTK is back to normal operations, we want to grow and improve our service to the kids at the Boys & Girls Club. We are looking for some behind-the-scenes people to keep us running smoothly. Organizational ability, reliability, and dedication to feeding children are the most important qualities for the following positions: 

 

·       Assistant Recording Secretary

·       Assistant Volunteer Coordinator

·       Assistant Treasurer (accounting experience would be ideal)

·       Flex Lunch Coordinator

·       PR

 

Check out our website at feedthekidscoalition.org. If you haven’t worked with FTK before and would like to start by cooking or serving, we would be happy to have you. For information or to volunteer, call Suzanne Grasser at 828-595-3526 (leave message) or Eris Allen at 704-619-8166. 

Good Samaritan Funds to Help Local Charities

One of the duties of our Stewardship Committee is to recommend to Fr. Cook and our Finance Council local charities to receive funds from our Good Samaritan collection. A total of $34,000 was recently distributed to six charitable organizations that provide a wealth of services to our neighbors in need. Here is a list of those organizations and how the funds will be used. 

The Free Clinics provides medication, case management and specialty referrals to uninsured, low income local residents.

Smoky Mt. Pregnancy Center helps fund the operation of their mobile ultrasound system to help young women choose life for their unborn babies.

Safelight spreads the funds evenly between their Child Advocacy, Family Advocacy, Counseling and Outreach Centers as they help families struggling with domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

Open Arms Pregnancy Center provides needed supplies and support for young mothers helping them to preserve life and protect innocent children.

Rescue Mission provides food and shelter plus a Case Manager who helps clients with job search and money management programs. They also provide Gospel study and help clients find and join a church. 

Interfaith Assistance Ministry helps people in need with food, clothing, hygiene products and financial assistance for housing and utility expenses. Over 43,000 received assistance in 2021.

Answers to Trivia

1.    56

2.   13 for the 13 colonies

3.   Hawaii became our 50th state.

4.   Benjamin Franklin at age 70.

5.   Orange – that was the only color of fireworks then.

6.   Calvin Coolidge

7.   Thomas Jefferson in 1801

8.   Macy’s fireworks display in New York City. It takes 6 barges to hold all the fireworks.

Parishioners enjoy an evening hike at the Carl Sandburg Home National Park.

Women's Guild

Annual Rummage Sale

Congratulations to Juana Rizo and Sandy Donecho, winners of the beautiful baskets. 

Members of the Saint Francis of the Hills Fraternity gather for a retreat at LaForesta, retreat house, on the campus of the Monastery of St. Clare located in Travelers Rest, SC.


Immaculate Conception Church

208 7th Avenue West

Hendersonville, NC 28791 


Church Office

611 North Church St.

Suite 101

Hendersonville, NC 28792


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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