Meals for the Hungry

**Urgent Need**

This Saturday, July 16th is Meals for the Hungry. As a parish, we serve dinner to ~150-200 people on the third Saturday of every month.

Donations can be dropped off at the Immaculata kitchen (attached to the school) between 4 and 4:30 pm on Saturday. Individual meals will be packaged and transported to Urban Ministries on Liberty Street.

Please sign up and tell us what you can bring!

Listening Session this Sunday after the Outdoor Mass

Would you like to share your ideas about what you would like to see at our Church for your children? On Sundays July 17 and August 14th after the 9:30 Mass, a group of parents will be meeting with Margie in the Assisi trailer to discuss this topic. We are hoping that one parent can watch the children at the playground while the other parent joins either of the two meetings. Any questions, contact Margie.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

(RCIA), for those older than 18

Are you interested in becoming Roman Catholic, or are you baptized Roman Catholic but have not received the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist, or are you already baptized in another Christian tradition and desire full communion with the Roman Catholic Church?

Join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

The first step is a personal interview with Fr. Gonzalo. Classes will begin on September 13^th, 2022, and continue until the Feast of Pentecost on May 28, 2023. Participants, as a group journeying together, will attend the Sunday Liturgy- the Mass at 9:30 AM each Sunday and meet on designated Tuesdays from 7 PM until 8:15 PM in the San Damiano Trailer. Please contact Fr. Gonzalo for more information at 919-281-0723 or Torresg@icdurham.org.  Registration is open until August 22^nd. 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

CGS Registration for 2022-2023 new children is now open! 

Youth Ministry

Youth Sacramental Preparation Registration NOW OPEN!

Tuesday Bible Study Opportunities

Tuesday Mornings (virtual): Second and Fourth Tuesdays 11:00am to 12:30pm. We will be studying the books of the Bible using the New Collegeville Bible Commentary. New members are welcome. Contact Karen Poglitsch if interested.

Tuesday Evenings (in-person): Every Tuesday from 7-8:30 pm join the Young Adults for a bible study hosted by the Young Adult Group in the Assisi Trailer. We typically read the upcoming Sunday’s readings and discuss them as a group.

JPIC Opportunities

(Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation)

• JustFaith Program Series: Exciting news! The “JustFaith” program series will be returning to Immaculate Conception. This fall’s program, “Faith and Poverty: A Biblical Response,” grounded in Catholic social teaching, guides participants in exploring the Gospel’s call to respond to poverty in our communities, nation, and world, equipping participants with practical tools to take action in effective and sustainable ways. The days, times, and more information about the first 8-week session will be forthcoming. If you are new to the program, this link to some JustFaith videos will help to explain its mission.  Please contact Sylvia Thompson or Ken Chiha if you have any questions. 

• Families Moving Forward (FMF): FMF is the primary agency addressing the needs of homeless families and children in Durham. Immaculate Conception’s next date for FMF is Wednesday, August 3rd. We would need to prepare dinner for 15-18 people. If you would like to volunteer to help with food prep, as servers, or on the cleanup crew, please contact Patricia Basta.

• “Immigrants and Refugees” team: We continue to move forward in the development of our JPIC “Immigrants and Refugees” team. One current organizational idea would be for our parish to be a “safe zone/resource center” for immigrants and refugees. The parish would help to provide information about their legal rights through a series of monthly talks, workshops, or clinics organized by parishioners or community volunteers who are experts (lawyers, community activists, social workers, physicians, etc.) on various topics of concern to this community. Topics could range from issues of affordable housing/rental agreements, medical care, labor and wage issues, immigration status, etc. Please contact Ítalo Medelius if you are interested in helping with this ministry. 

Catholic Charities Drive out Hunger Golf Outing

Calling all GOLFERS! Join Catholic Charities on August 15, 2022 for the 5^th Annual Drive Out Hunger Golf Outing at Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, NC.

Register as a golfer or sponsor! Entry includes Captain's Choice Tournament, Light Breakfast, Boxed Lunch & Cocktail Reception. Your participation in this event will help support our 5 food pantries which distribute over 3 million pounds of food each year.

Bread For The World

Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice to end hunger in our country and worldwide, uses a “grassroots” approach, as Laudato Si urges, by asking individuals to write letters to Congress advocating for support of anti-hunger legislation, such as the Child Tax Credit and the Child Nutrition Waivers. Please go to Bread.org and write our legislature to renew these programs.

We're Hiring!

Are you bilingual, love staying organized, and have great people skills? Come join our team! IC is hiring a new Coordinator of Scheduling. Please take a moment to look over and share this great opportunity!

We are also hiring a part-time bilingual receptionist Monday thru Friday 9am to 12pm. Please contact Margie if you're interested.

Catholic Charities is hiring! They're looking for a Program Director at the Durham Community Food Pantry. The position is responsible for day-to-day operations with the goals of alleviating food insecurity and providing high-quality services to the public. For more information about the position, click here. 

They're also looking for a Bilingual Family Case Manager for Centro La Comunidad in Burlington. The position will provide case management services, including assessment of strengths and needs, goal setting, and provision of services to individuals and families working to increase their well-being and self-sufficiency. For more information about the position, click here. 

Urgent Need for Ushers at the 5:30 Mass We are in desperate need

of additional ushers for the Saturday 5:30 Mass and would like to create a team for that Mass. If you can help by becoming part of the 5:30 team, please contact Margie at burtonm@icdurham.org. We will provide all the information you will need.  

Safe Environment Team Members

Each parish has a Safe Environment Team that helps create a safe place on our campus for children and youth. We are looking for people who would like to serve on the team. If you are interested in helping keep our children and teens safe, this is the ministry for you. Team members are asked to attend quarterly meetings. Please get in touch with Margie at burtonm@icdurham.org if you can help.

The Furniture Project

This ministry supplies free furniture and household items to needy families throughout Durham and is in desperate need of more volunteers. They can use people in one of the two positions below:

1) Furniture delivery and pickup team. Volunteers with trucks or just a car. Deliveries typically occur Saturday morning and last about 2 hours. Furniture pickups can be throughout the week and take an hour or so. If you are interested, contact Mike for more details.

2) Household Team - Options to work at home or at our temperature-controlled storage space to organize, clean, and pack household items for deliveries. Contact Sandy if interested in knowing more.