"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1Corinthians 13:4-7) |
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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
February 1, 2021
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Carol Adams
Robert Couse, husband of Carol Couse
Helen Popp
Veronica Senn
For all those who died from the Coronavirus.
Eternal rest grant to them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
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PARISH COUPLE CELEBRATES 68 YEARS OF MARRIAGE |
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The month of February holds a special place in the hearts and lives of parishioners, Sid and Catherine Baker! They were married in February, 68 years ago! “We met through my brother,” recalls Sid,” who was attending the University of Detroit at the same time as Catherine was.” Sometimes brothers do know best because that was the beginning of their long and happy life!
Sid and Catherine have lived in the Hendersonville area since 1990, and have been members of Immaculate Conception Parish since 2009 when they transferred here from Sacred Heart Parish in Brevard. It didn’t take them long to fit into our parish and community. “We felt immediately connected to our Parish Mission statement, and to the friends we met at Masses before Covid 19.”
Sid is a graduate of the Diocesan Lay Ministry Formations Program, and attended Loyola Institute of Ministry Masters Program. He served on the Catholic Lutheran Covent Group, and as a member of Immaculate Conception’s Extraordinary Minister Program. “I’m a life member of the Knights of Columbus,” Sid adds, “and also have served as an usher at the Saturday evening Vigil Masses.”
As someone who enjoys writing, “especially poetry!” Sid has written both articles and poetry for our Immaculate Conception online newsletter. His ability to put ideas and information clearly into words has been valuable in helping him to do public relations for the Parish’s Fall and Winter Gifts Programs.
Catherine too has found her place in the parish as a member of the Extraordinary Minister Program, and by welcoming parishioners to the Saturday evening liturgy. She serves with Rose’s Ministry, and “enjoy being a part of several Bible Study Groups,” she explains. “I am also a part of a special Ministry to the Sick and Homebound.”
A master gardener, Sid loves to be outdoors working with plants and flowers in his spare time. Both he and Catherine enjoy reading, and participating in Small Group meetings and discussions. Catherine enjoys writing to friends they don’t see often to keep up with their lives and families.
Family is important to both Sid and Catherine and with 8 children, 12 grandchildren, and 6 great- grandchildren, there’s always something going on in their family! “Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everyone’s lives,” they agree!
Being happily married for 68 years has presented them with challenges and rewards, but they’ve each learned some lessons for a successful life together. Sid reminds marriage partners to “always make allowances for any differences.”
Catherine’s advice is to “take life one day at a time, do the best you can, and stay loving.” Wise words for all of us to live by!
Poem on love by Sid: “Go forth My son, and find love now.”
“I’ll try, my God, though I’m not sure how.”
“You’ll know, My son, the path is clear.
She’s all you seek, and hold most dear.”
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Finance Council Names New Chair |
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Mike Tanner has been named Chair of the Finance Council following Gayden Gautier’s 2-year term as Chair. He will serve from 2021 to 2023.
Mike recently retired as Director of the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, responsible for the world’s largest archive of global climate and weather data and information which monitors climate variation and is the authoritative source to the US, the United Nations and other international scientific programs.
His responsibilities have spanned over 35 years of experience in program management and technical management of numerous nationally critical, multi-billion dollar operational programs. Previous experiences have included senior leadership roles at NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the US representative at the Group on Earth Observations Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland and the United States Air Force. Mike has successfully managed large multi-agency teams and has routinely represented the US government to Congress and the Executive Office of the President.
Mike is currently chairman of The North Carolina Arboretum Board of Directors and serves on the North Carolina BioTechnology Center’s Board of Directors and the Asheville Museum of Science Board of Directors.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters degree in Research and Development Engineering Management.
Mike is a decorated veteran of the United States Air Force, currently serving on the RCIA team and has previously served as a Lector, Eucharistic minister, religious education instructor and as Sacristan of St. John Berchman’s Basilica.
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Werlcome Judith & Tim Grutzius |
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Tim and Judy Grutzius moved to Flat Rock in June with their dog Vino from Alsip, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). Tim is a retired lieutenant/paramedic with the Alsip Fire Department. He is also a personal trainer, health coach, and a reiki master practitioner. Tim also volunteers as a peer support specialist with Illinois Firefighter Peer Support, and locally with Stand T.A.L.L (Thank a Local Lawman).
Judy is a retired 3rd grade teacher who is enjoying her first year of retirement. They have been busy exploring all that their new home has to offer! They love the wineries, breweries, small towns and natural beauty that surrounds them each day.
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We have all been affected by the Covid 19 pandemic, and the Ministry of the Sick is no exception. Early in 2020, the hospitals and the nursing homes shut their doors to all outsiders including ministers bringing Eucharist to their residents. Shortly thereafter, we received a directive from Fr. Cook that no one would be allowed to get the Eucharist to bring to the homebound. The following week, mid-March, Bishop Jugis paused the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, and the full lockdown began. No one could have imagined that 11 months later we would still be suffering from the virus and that over 400,000 Americans would have died. Many of those we visited are among the deceased. Fortunately, our priests have been allowed to visit the dying and to anoint them and bring Viaticum in many cases.
I get calls weekly from parishioners who would like to receive Holy Communion at home. I hope that after the Covid vaccine becomes more widely administered, we will be allowed to visit the sick again and perform that corporal work of mercy. As I have prayed about that, I hear Jesus saying to me that He would rather that I long to receive Him when I cannot than to receive His precious body without appreciating what a special gift it is.
As we go through this most difficult time, I ask you to pray for all of our homebound (which ironically now includes us) and ask God to give us the strength to persist in our faith and to say together “Jesus, I trust in you.”
--Colin Thomas
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St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity |
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St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order invites you to deepen your Catholic Faith in the Franciscan Way of Life. The Secular Franciscan Order (approved by the Holy See) was established by St. Francis in 1221. It now has more than 300,000 members worldwide. In the United States there are over 600 local fraternities and about 12,000 professed members. We are a community of Catholic men and women who seek to pattern our lives after Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Our way of life seeks to be faithful to the original rule written by St. Francis bringing the Gospel to life in everything we do. Currently, gatherings are held via Zoom on the 4th Saturday of every month at 10am. For more information please contact Mark Taylor, OFS at 828-513-8388 or Nancy Torres, OFS at 352-727-0504.
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The Knights of Columbus will be collecting for the “Souper” Bowl of Caring on February 6-7 before all Masses! Parishioners are asked to bring a can of soup and $1 to be donated to Interfaith Assistance Ministry to help those in need.
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Enter the Chance to Win BIG for a GREAT Cause | 50/50 Cash Prize Raffle! |
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The purchase of a $100 ticket for the 50/50 Cash Prize Raffle gives those who enter the opportunity to win up to $10,000 with fantastic odds - 1 in 150. Second prize is $5,000. Tickets can be purchased online: https://givebutter.com/mardiparty or in person at 525 N Justice Street, Hendersonville between the office hours of 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM Monday – Friday "by appointment only". Our office staff will hold stubs for the drawing and mail you your portion of the ticket for your records.
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LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT A "WHY" |
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Now that a new year is upon us, it’s good to reflect on why we are here on this earth. A renowned middle ages priest, teacher and mystic called Meister Eckhart has some excellent advice for us.
He said we are here to live without a “why?” The reason? “Because nothing is missing.”
Often, that advice seems impossible. Is he serious?
Eckhart recognizes that there is a deep longing in the human heart for something perfect. You can sense it everywhere in everybody. It doesn’t go away. He calls it the presence of the Word in our soul. He suggests that it needs activation on our part.
Of course, we refer to it often as God (the Father) or as the Holy Spirit, or as Jesus, who is really “The Word”. Since all three persons are “One” we are talking about the One God who is Love itself.
So, in this New Year I would like to remind you of Eckart’s wisdom: God is
always with us, no matter what. And always available to help. Sometimes the help comes directly from Him and sometimes it comes through other people who appear in our lives as gifts.
This year I ask God to Bless you just as you are. In all of your goodness and in all of your imperfections. You are loved.
---Sid Baker
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A Cup of Encouragement
“I did it my way…,” Wait. What?
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In December 1968 Frank Sinatra recorded the immensely popular song “My Way”.
Part of the lyrics in the song are, “I planned each chartered course each careful step along the by-way and more, much more than this I did it, my way.”
Popular song, Yes. Good advice? Not so much.
I have discovered the hard way, that charting my way, is not what our Lord called me to.
Why? Because Jesus taught us to pray, “…, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.."
My pride got in my way doing my own thing for too long. I am learning His way, His will is not only good, but the best way to go “on earth…,”
Each of us makes about 150 decisions daily. Some are obvious, others require time prayer and discernment.
How can we know God’s will for us? Here are a few suggestions to help you discover His will.
Surrender daily to Him. Consult with your best friend, Jesus, keeping in mind: He Loves you better than you love yourself. He is not out to “get you”. Trust our Lord to act, watching for circumstances, trusting in Him to do what is best for you.
Forgive those who hurt you.
Ask and rely on The Holy Spirit to guide you, teach you His way, daily- ever moment by moment.
Read scripture - pray daily. Set aside a private, quiet, time and place with Him, away from the noise and distractions of this world. Keep a spiritual journal, write down what you hear.
When you hear and know His will for you, be aware that it may not always be easy or make perfect common sense. One example is what our Blessed Mother Mary told the servants at the Cana Wedding, “Do whatever He tells you”. (John 2:6)
Remember; Fear of the consequences of doing His will, is not His will.
Recommended Reading: “How to make Great Decisions” By: Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Press.
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What Will I Do With My Stimulus Check? |
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Will you be receiving a stimulus check within the next few weeks, but have not personally been financially harmed by the Coronavirus pandemic? Do you have a few favorite charities which in fact are struggling because of Covid-19? What a great dilemma!
In Fr. Cook’s year-end letter to parishioners, he shared with us Immaculate Conception’s current financial situation and suggested we ask ourselves, “How can we help?” Individuals, businesses, churches, schools, and others are hurting and would appreciate your help. If you are able and inclined to share your gift, our parish will be most grateful.
Thank you & God bless you,
Immaculate Conception Church Finance Council
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Knights of Columbus Covid-19 Disaster Plan 2020 |
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On Thursday, March 12, the Knights of Columbus had their last Business Meeting in the St. Francis Room for 2020. The upcoming Columbus Day Dinner social and fundraiser planned for Saturday, March 14 was a main topic of discussion due to a scheduled Monday, March 16 lock-down of the state because of the Covid-19. A Knight who had experience working for FEMA strongly suggested caution because of the possible widespread and deadly effects of the virus. This was all new to us in Hendersonville, and we decided to have the dinner as planned. As usual, we were blessed by the Holy Spirit. All went well even though there were no masks, no social distancing, and no extraordinary hand washing. |
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Shortly after that event, we saw the need to reevaluate our mission. Other than the absence of social events, group meetings, and trimming our operating budget, we found that we just needed to go back to the guidelines presented by our founder Fr. McGivney (now Blessed Michael McGivney). Our priorities had little change. Our mission consisted of prayer, and support of our priests, our parish and school, our members and widows, and our community.
This is how we adapted to the Covid-19 restrictions:
Knights continued to pray the Rosary each day, a small outdoor group led by Dick Wilcox continued our Culture of Life Rosary on the first Wednesday of each month, Knights joined the group Rosary at the Sheriff's office in support of police, and also participated in the Fatima Rosary. Don Rivera delivered 100s of Rosaries to the jail.
The Shield Awards were started by PGK Gene McFadden in 1992 (after the first bombing of the World Trade Center). Gene was a retired police officer from New York City. With his background, he was surprised to find no civic organization in the county doing anything to recognize police and firefighters (and later the EMS).
Fred Ratzer led the 28th anniversary of this award this year. The award shows our appreciation for those men and women who make our everyday lives in Henderson County safe and secure.
Those who receive awards have gone above and beyond the roll of their jobs by giving back to the community and are chosen with the help of their superior officers.
Normally, we have a large group presentation with all of the awardees present with city and county leadership, family, and friends. This year, because of Covid-19, separate presentations were made to the individual Police, Firefighter, Paramedics, EMS, and Sherriff’s Deputies awardees with members of their teams. This year, we provided an additional monetary award to make up for the cancellation of a reception.
Uh oh! Principal Margaret Beale was near completion of the improvements to Immaculata when some unbudgeted painting expenses appeared to the 4th and 6th grade classrooms, the long hallway, and the office areas.
Facilities Manager JR Christy was soon up to the challenge. Before the K of C, Facilities Managers in ancient Rome used some of the local boys (Raphael, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Bellini, Titian, …) to cover unbudgeted expenses. JR contacted PGK Joel Carter with a request for help from the Knights. JR soon had seven (Magnificent Seven) Knights (Joel Carter, Jim Welter, Gerald Justice, Chuck Tokarski, Mark Taylor, Luis Saavedra, and Steve Paffrath) eager to help.
JR purchased paints that give happy, cheerful, bright, and joyful colors and textures to the school. The effect is expected to extend to the students, teachers, and visitors to the school. The pattern is in layers (like a cake) with white on top, a navy blue (Salty Dog) stripe in the middle, and light blue (Bayu Blue) in the lower section.
Besides being a Knight, Jim Gedwellas is a noted volunteer (Volunteer of the Year) at IAM. Parishioners as well as Knights make up a major part of IAM’s staff. This year, Jim, with the help of Knights, led a Coat Drive at our parish. Covid -19 has caused a lot of food insecurity in our community. One day a week, IAM sponsor’s a drive through food pickup serving over 600 families. Jim recruited Knights to unload truckloads of donated food on specified days over a 6 week period.
Margaret Cavagnaro has been an unmovable presence at the Attic providing furniture for those in the greatest need. Knights Joel Carter and Luis Saavedra have adopted the front line jobs of picking up donations. Gene Ray Magruder and Birch DeVault help customers at the store.
Closing our church has put a spiritual and social strain on many of our parishioners. The GK with Gene Cox, Bob Gray and Birch DeVault helped Fr. Cook put together a plan to reopen our church in a safe manner using Knights and wives to serve as ushers and to sanitize the church after Masses.
Having funeral Masses during Covid-19 has been a challenge. Inspired by a request from Greg Savold’s Family, Bob Gray developed safe procedure for having funeral Masses in the main church.
We are blessed to have Ann Nolan making sure the landscape around the main church is a credit to our city. Here again, Knights are helping.
For years, Wally Walsworth has led our Op LAMB effort raising money for those with intellectual disabilities. Covid-19 has made fundraising difficult. We were unable to do any Tootsie Roll fundraisers this year. Due to the generosity of our parishioners and our Knights and their families, we were able to raise $7,790.90 this year. Our St. Patrick's Day dinner raised $727.13 for Op LAMB and the remainder consisted of donations. Our total for the year was just $24.19 less than last year's total. We can all be proud of this accomplishment. The amount that we will have to award to organizations that help people who are intellectually challenged is $6,622.00. $1,168.90 will go the State Op LAMB fund to help organizations throughout the state. Checks were distributed to the Special Olympics of Henderson County, Helping Hand Development Center, St. Gerard House, Vocational Solutions, Mountain Bowlers, Hope Academy and the Exceptional Children's Program in our public schools, in January.
Keep Christ in Christmas is an annual theme for the Knights. This year, led by the GK, Knights were able to sell over $900.00 in Christmas cards. In addition, Bob Gray put up our banner in front of Immaculata over the Christmas season.
Covid-19 has been hard on all of our budgets. Faith Formation, which is the hope for the future, is seeing some extraordinary needs. Using funds from our budget and donations from members, we were able to donate $2,000.00 to this vital cause.
I have run out of the space allowed for this article. So, I must stop here. Please keep the Knights in your prayers. We are proud of our accomplishments, but we could do more with a few more active members. If you are a practicing male Catholic over 18, and are interested in our benefits and challenges, please contact Jim Welter at j.welter@morrisbb.net.
---Jim Welter, Grand Knight Council 7184
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