“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

- St. Ambrose

“Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature.”

- Bl. Solanus Casey

“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.”

- Thomas Merton

Hello everyone!

Gratitude. I know almost all my JPIC newsletters focus on this theme, but I continue to be amazed at all the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) events and programming our parish continues to support! We had so many events in April, we decided not to send out a JPIC Newsletter since we realized just using the weekly parish e-newsletter would be more effective. Even though I submitted numerous "thank you announcements" in our parish e-newsletter, I want you to know how much your commitment to our faith and love of the Gospel matters. In addition to the specific events highlighted below, throughout April you supported numerous JPIC programs (Greener Lent, Bi-Lingual Ecological Stations of the Cross, Lenten Book Study, etc.), many of which continue throughout May and beyond (Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Pen Pal Prison Ministries, Meals for the Hungry, Furniture Project of Durham, etc.). Thank you so much!

Our JPIC also continues to encourage our parishioners to reflect on important national/international social justice initiatives and celebrations. April was “Child Abuse Prevention” month. In May, we celebrate both “Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage” and “Jewish American Heritage.” We also focus on “Mental Health Awareness.” We know all the information available can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it is important to start somewhere. Whether online or in our local community, please take advantage of one of the many opportunities to learn more and get involved!

JPIC HOUSEKEEPING

Finally, I want to welcome all those new to our JPIC Newsletter (i.e. everyone I met from my RCIA Catholic Social Teaching class, my meeting with the Latino Young Adult Group [PHJ El Sembrador], etc.). Over the past few months, I have continued to work with many of our JPIC leaders across our many social justice ministries on several issues, including our JPIC yearly budget and calendar. This summer I will be focusing on several major administrative tasks, particularly completing the renovation of our JPIC webpage. In order to focus on these tasks, I will not be sending out any JPIC newsletters over the summer. Obviously, I will continue to post all JPIC announcements in our weekly parish e-newsletter. Thank you, as always, for your support! Have a wonderful summer.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

LAUDATO SI' WEEK

MAY 21-28, 2023

To celebrate Laudato Si’ Week, two area-wide events will be taking place in Raleigh. To kick off Laudato Si’ Week 2023: Hope for the Earth - Hope for Humanity (laudatosiweek.org), NC Catholics Caring for Our Common Home and Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral’s Laudato Si’ Circle will be hosting a “Gather at the Globe” prayer service and pine tree sapling give away on Saturday, May 20 at 2 pm.

Also, if you missed our JPIC screening of the Pope Francis Laudato Si’ documentary “The Letter,” you can join the in-person screening at the St. Monica Center on Tuesday, May 23 at 6 pm. There will be free pizza/pine tree sapling giveaway. Please RSVP by email to: laudatosicircle@gmail.com.

“Enlarge the Space of Your Tent:” Presentation on the Synod and Introducing IC’s Phoebe Circle

Thank you to all those who joined our parish community on Sunday, May 7, to hear Cecilia Barja, a parishioner of Immaculate Conception and staff member in the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development share with us about the next phase of the synod, the Continental stage, and its call to “Enlarge the Space of your Tent” (Isaiah 54:2). Cecilia was joined by many other leaders in our parish who shared their stories of the countless ways women throughout history have been active leaders in our church and continue to serve in these ministry roles to this day, including here at Immaculate Conception. The Phoebe Circle is an emerging IC group committed to deepening our understanding of women’s leadership in the church, and the ongoing discernment of women’s ordination to the diaconate. Saint Phoebe (the group’s namesake) was a benefactor and deacon of the church in Cenchreae, a coastal town about five miles southeast of the city of Corinth (Romans 16:1-2). If you would like to learn more about this new IC ministry, please email Hilary Rau.

PROMOTING HUMAN DIGNITY (PHD) 

THE 49th ANNUAL

​DURHAM CROP HUNGER WALK - THANK YOU!

Thank you to all our parishioners who donated and participated in the 49th Annual Durham CROP Hunger Walk! Over 90 parishioners joined our JPIC at the CROP walk this year, including a large turnout from Respecto and our Latino youth and young adult ministries! I particularly would like to thank Bob Wiethe, Katusha Olave, Mariza Mandujano-Ortiz, Fabian Hernandez, and everyone who helped organize this event. All funds go to Church World Services to help fight hunger both internationally and locally, with 25% of all funds going directly to Durham area food charities such as Meals on Wheels and Urban Ministries of Durham.

BREAD FOR THE WORLD: OFFERING OF LETTERS - THANK YOU!

Our Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and Bread for the World’s Durham team want to thank all the parishioners who made this year’s Offering of Letters to Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill a success! In addition to all your individual and online submissions, we collected more than 220+ letters following our weekend masses alone. You still have time to submit a letter through this link and on our JPIC Bread for the World webpage. We appreciate you taking the time to put your faith into action! The Durham team would like to thank Father Jacek, Ken Chiha, and Katushka Olave for their support. We look forward to doing it again next year!  

FAMILIES MOVING FORWARD "ROCK THE BLOCK" DAY OF SERVICE - THANK YOU!

AND MONTHLY DINNER SERVICE

Thank you to those parishioners who participated in the Families Moving Forward 2nd Annual Rock the Block Day of Service! Volunteers came together as a community to help our families and share in a day of celebration and collaboration. They helped renovate and beautify the property for families who call this place home, including painting a mural, staining the fence, mulching the playground, and cleaning/organizing the facility, all while listening to live music and enjoying lawn games.

Immaculate Conception also will be hosting its Families Moving Forward monthly Dinner Service on Wednesday, June 21, 5:15-6:30 pm, at 300 North Queen Street, Durham. For more information, please contact Patricia Basta.

MOTHER'S DAY ROSE SALE

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all our parishioners who supported our Justice, Peace, and Care for Creation (JPIC) annual Mother’s Day Rose Sale to benefit Pregnancy Support Services. We also would like to thank Flor, Willy, Jasmin, Frank, Tim, the Knights of Columbus, and all our volunteers for helping all weekend with this event.

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

FOR DURHAM'S YOUTH LOST TO GUN VIOLENCE

On Monday, May 15, the entire City of Durham participated in a “Day of Remembrance.”

At 10 am, all Durham residents, schools, universities, businesses, non-profits, and government agencies across the city were asked to observe a moment of silence to reflect on our personal commitment to youth and wellness. The special observance was intended to be a continued show of unity to support youth safety and mental health wellness, as well as a remembrance of youth lost to violence. DPS’s Student Support Services team provided grade-level-appropriate guidance to schools prior to the event. 

According to the latest Durham Police data, 19 children between the ages of 6-17 were shot through April 22 of this year, five of them during a three-day span in March. 4 have been killed.

A public observance of the Day of Remembrance was also held at CCB Plaza at 5:30 pm. The event included speeches, spoken word performances by youth, remarks by elected officials, and the reading of a resolution.

Durham vigil led by friends and families of Latino victims of gun violence after the deaths of two high school boys at the end of March.

Photo Courtesy of News and Observer

On a Day of Remembrance on the CCB Plaza downtown, the audience lingers near a quilt that memorializes Durham homicide victims. Caption by The 9th Street Journal

Photo by Akiya Dillon—The 9th Street Journal

We are grateful to our JPIC Promoting Human Dignity and other parishioners who participated in these events to show solidarity with our young people and their families. We know young people and adults here at Immaculate Conception have been killed or victimized by gun violence.

In recognizing the need for churches to help Americans voice their concerns about the national epidemic of gun violence while also holding space for grief and trauma, our JPIC has continued to offer numerous opportunities for parishioners to advocate and address these issues.

If you would like to join our efforts through our JPIC Promoting Human Dignity Team and our work through Durham CAN’s Gun Violence “Action Team,” please contact Theresa Hoke.

CARE FOR CREATION 

EARTH DAY FAIR - THANK YOU!

The children really enjoyed the green activity passports! They also enjoyed the earth day celebration in the playground. We were glad that many adults signed up to get more information about our Care of Creation Team. If you are interested in joining the efforts of our parish to safeguard the earth, our common home, please visit our JPIC Care for Creation webpage and consider joining our team!

BIKE DURHAM AND VISION ZERO DURHAM UPDATE

THE ASSISI PRESERVE

Over the past two years, Immaculata School and Immaculate Conception have embarked on an ambitious, Care for Creation-centered project to lessen the impact of urban runoff from our campus into the local watershed. Our goal has been to address water runoff from our parking lots and hard surfaces in ways that slow down the flow to prevent erosion and clean the water via plant-based retention ponds. To this end, each plant, rock, mound, or indention we have constructed has been purposefully thought-out and placed by our partners Tributary Land Design and Build.

Over Spring Break, Tributary reinforced our dry creek bed, which is the main artery for directing water flow, cleaned out the main rain garden at the bridge, and installed gorgeous birch trees and other plantings around two new retention lowlands. We will continue to assess areas for improvement and are grateful to everyone who is supportive of this project. We hope you are enjoying Assisi Preserve... our urban oasis here in downtown Durham. You can see more about the overall design at the link below.

IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 

MIGRANT WORKER HYGIENE KITS - THANK YOU

Thank you to all our parishioners who helped once again with our JPIC Migrant Worker Hygiene Kit collection for farmworkers in our community. We collected approximately 20-25 large black bags of items, resulting in the completion of 500 Hygiene Kits for our farm workers. 

Every spring, an estimated 150,000 farmworkers pour into North Carolina to harvest cucumbers, tobacco, apples, sweet potatoes, green peppers, and Christmas trees. At the height of the growing season, farm workers often work 12-14 hours a day in the hot sun with few breaks, and the average farmworker earns less than $11,000 a year. Your donations are greatly appreciated by those most in need.

IMMIGRATION ADVOCACY

FRANCISCAN ACTION NETWORK (FAN)

On the same day Title 42 ended at the U.S. southern border, the release of the final version of a new rule went into effect. The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) released a statement in which Sr. Marie Lucey, the associate director of the Franciscan Action Network (FAN), is quoted saying “Overemphasis on deterrence and enforcement run counter to our belief that migrants are our sisters and brothers and to this country’s moral value of welcoming people fleeing violence, persecution, oppression, or extreme poverty for which this country bears no little responsibility.”

FAN has joined other Catholic organizations in opposition to the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2), which is an extreme anti-immigration bill that would fundamentally weaken our nation’s decades-long commitment to humanitarian protection if enacted. Please consider contacting your representative to let him/her know that you support meaningful access to humanitarian protection and respect for the God-given dignity of migrants. 

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 

We are so grateful for your continued support of our Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Community Organizing efforts with Durham CAN. For more information on any of these events listed below, please visit our JPIC Community Organizing/Durham CAN webpage.

COUNTY COMMISSION A.R.P.A.

​(AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT) FUNDING ACTION

Monday, May 22, 7 pm County Commission​

The County Commission A.R.P.A. (American Rescue Plan Act) Funding Action is an opportunity to ask our County officials to allocate $3 million in ARPA funding to bolster infrastructure and assist Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD) in planning and launching a public-private partnership aimed at the construction of a downtown day shelter for our unsheltered neighbors. Please come out and support our efforts!

"CORE TEAM" TRAINING

TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 6-8 PM, LOCATION TBD

Immaculate Conception's JPIC is in the process of forming a "Core Team" of community organizers. If you are interested in being one of our "Core Team" leaders, please contact me, Ken Chiha, Director of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation.

The JPIC Durham CAN “Core Team” is a small group of parishioners trained in the art of grassroots community organizing. Our JPIC Durham CAN Core Team leaders identify our church’s priorities and organizes/mobilizes our parishioners in an effort to address/resolve community issues through public action as part of Durham CAN. The Core Team organizes and strengthens our church’s ability to work for social justice through Durham CAN by disseminating important updates, organizing turnout for public action, and building an institutional culture of trust through relational practices. 

CITY COUNCIL ACTION: BILINGUAL INSPECTOR AND ​AFFORDABLE HOUSING - THANK YOU

Thank you to the 65+ English and Spanish-speaking parishioners who joined our Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Community Organizing advocacy efforts at City Hall to convince the City Council to prioritize budget funding for a bilingual housing code inspector for Neighborhood Improvement Services and the purchasing of Carver Creek Apartments for permanent affordable housing. Approximately 150 Durham CAN members attended the meeting to support our city's residents most in need.

REFOUNDING DAY - THANK YOU

Thank you to all 105+ English and Spanish-speaking parishioners who helped our Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Community Organizing efforts to support Durham CAN’s Refounding Day! We joined 641 people from 30+ Durham churches and organizations working together to address issues such as affordable housing, low wages, gun violence, poverty/homelessness, education, public transportation, racism, and lack of accessible care for our most vulnerable neighbors.

INTERNAL ACTION MEETING AND ACTION TEAMS - THANK YOU

Thank you to all our JPIC parishioners who attended the Durham CAN Internal Action Meeting and have continued to represent Immaculate Conception by attending the Poverty, Affordable Housing, Gun Violence, and Public Transportation Research "Action Team" meetings. Your continued dedication remains at the heart of grassroots community organizing and we are so grateful for all that you are doing for those most in need in our community!

DIRECT SERVICE

MEALS FOR THE HUNGRY

MAY 20

Please drop off food at Immaculate Conception Kitchen (attached to the school) between 4:15 and 5 pm on Saturday.

Please sign up and

tell us what you can bring!