Immaculate CONCEPTION
Contents:
2 The Assumption of Mary: A Time to Celebrate! Aug. 15 3 Understanding God’s Gift of Time 4 Bible Study: A Beautiful Opportunity to Grow Our Relationship with God 6 The Faith Journey of St. Genesius 7 Emerging from a Time of Uncertainty, Immaculate Conception is Ready for 2020-21 School Year
AUGUST 2020
Catholic Church
“FRIENDSHIP BUILDS FAMILY” AND OUR
PARISH PICNIC
PLAYS A KEY
ROLE
T
he hot dogs and burgers will be ready, and our parish cooks will be preparing tables full of salads and desserts — so make plans to come to the annual Immaculate Conception Parish Picnic, set for Sept. 20 after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Our Stewardship Committee, led by Kim Davidson, and our Men’s Club have a full day of activities to be held outside our Parish Center. “It’s a longstanding parish tradition,” Kim says. Members of the Immaculate Conception Stewardship The Men’s Club will be cooking the hot Committee prepare some of the delicious food to be dogs and burgers, and the desserts and served at the annual Parish Picnic. The Men’s Club salads have been assigned alphabetically grills the hot dogs and burgers, while parishioners provide desserts and salads. to parish families. The committee will also provide drinks and bottled water. Shawn Stane graciously donates wine and beer. There will be chalk provided to the children to make chalk drawings, as well as play balls, bubbles, a bounce house provided by Chris and Andrea Bratton, and cardboard boxes for sliding down the hill. “We have the CYM help with the kids by manning the bounce house and doing face painting,” Kim says. It is fitting that our Stewardship Committee hosts the picnic because the event continued on page 5
Immaculate CONCEPTION
The Assumption of Mary: A Time to Celebrate! AUG. 15
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an a pile of bones really be that exciting? Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, eager to glimpse the spot in which the alleged bones of St. Peter, our first pope, remain to this day. The relics of saints have been venerated throughout the ages in every corner of the world — yet, the bones of the very first Christian, the Mystical Rose, are nowhere to be found. When it comes to the day, manner or year of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s death, nothing is certain. No account is given in Scripture. The Church turns instead to Tradition for an answer. Since the birth of the Church, no Marian relics have ever been venerated — nor can they ever be — because her body was assumed, or taken up, into heaven. There exist, therefore, no remains of the Blessed Virgin’s body on this earth. She lives, right now, body and soul, in heavenly glory. Although the particular dogma of the Assumption cannot be found in the writings of Scripture, if we look at many other writings by the early Christians, it is clear that the Church has always held this dogma to be true. Even more, though there is no statement of fact in the Bible itself that Mary was assumed body and soul, the truths that we do know about Mary from Scripture simply serve to back up the reality that she was assumed into heaven. She gave herself wholly to the Lord and followed His will for her life, perfectly, to the end. The Assumption of Mary reveals that the promises of the Lord — including the resurrection of the body — were fulfilled in Mary. She shared most intimately in the life, death and resurrection of her Son, and was free from original sin and its effects — including corruption of the body at death. Therefore, it was no surprise when, in 1950, Pope Pius XII declared infallibly the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of the Catholic 2
faith with these words: “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44). The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is observed on the liturgical calendar as a solemnity — of higher importance than a feast. On Aug. 15, this wonderful celebration is accompanied by great hope in the resurrection of the body and everlasting union with God in heaven.
A Letter From Our Pastor
Understanding God’s Gift of Time Dear Parishioners,
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ith the arrival of August, I find myself reflecting on what a strange summer this has been. Of course, some of us have done our best to enjoy a “staycation” at home, while focusing on the positive during this unprecedented — and often stressful — time. Nevertheless, August also means that many of us start the transition back to our fall routines. I once heard a quote from a psychologist who said time seems to pass more quickly as we get older because we’re experiencing fewer “firsts.” When we’re continually experiencing new things, time tends to stand still while we’re living them. After we’ve repeated those events numerous times, they don’t faze us much anymore — and before we know it, months have passed, seasons have changed, and it’s time to start the annual cycle again. Yet, we should not allow our time to be something that simply evades our grasp, trickling through our fingers. After all, time itself — every moment on this earth — is a gift from God. We each have 24 hours today and seven days this week to use however we please. At this point in time, let us reflect on how we chose to use our time during this pandemic. Did we set aside time to pray? Did we spend additional time with our family? Have we allowed for time to serve others? Did we devote time each day to serve God?
When we assess the use of our time, we must make a spiritual examination — “Have I been a good steward of the time given to me?” Maybe now is a good time to make some changes in our lives. There is no better time than right now to seek out ways to grow closer to God. This is what it means to be a good steward! As the last days of this most unusual summer hopefully give way to the activity of fall, remember to keep God in your hearts, in your minds, and on your tongue as we continue our stewardship journey as a parish family. Please pray for me as I continue to pray for all of you. God is good all the time, all the time God is good — that is his nature, wow! Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. John Wakube Pastor
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Immaculate CONCEPTION
Bible Study: A BEAUTIFUL
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Mike Bulmanski coordinates the Adult Bible Study here at Immaculate Conception. The course planned for this year’s study is on the book of Revelation, a series in which Mike is particularly interested because it’s so commonly misunderstood.
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OPPORTUNITY TO G
od has a special way of pulling us into stewardship — one seemingly simple “yes” building upon another in often unexpected ways. This has certainly been the case for parishioner Mike Bulmanski. “It all started several years ago when a former associate pastor brought us the Jeff Cavins Bible Timeline series,” Mike says. “I was considering the diaconate at the time and thought this would be a wonderful way to help me prepare for that. So, I signed up for the class and was just enthralled — I thought it was one of the greatest things I’d ever done. Well, fast forward two to three years. That priest was gone and I went to Phyllis Eubanks’ office one day and told her how much I missed those Bible study programs. She said, ‘Well, Mike, I know how we can fix that. You can start it again in September.’” Not able to tell Phyllis “no,” Mike says he gave her a sheepish “okay.” So, he suddenly found himself in a new leadership position — one which he has held and been blessed by ever since. “It’s been very easy on my part,” Mike says. “I really don’t have to teach anything. All I do is absorb what Mr. Cavins has to say along with everyone else.” As facilitator, Mike has hosted series on the Gospel of Matthew and, most recently, the Acts of the Apostles. Classes typically begin in early fall, taking place weekly on Monday nights until their completion. Each evening consists of food, fellowship and fun, all with the purpose of helping parishioners come to know God more personally through His Word. “It’s really a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours in the evening and just be with some friends,” Mike says. “It’s a wonderful way of learning more about God.” Sessions always include a video presentation from Jeff Cavins on the night’s topic, opportunities for small-group discussion, and the materials to help guide private reflection at home. Mike says the small-group element of the courses have been particularly beneficial, enabling parishioners to develop new relationships where they can truly grow in faith together. “In a small-group setting like that, when you speak, people listen — when other people speak, you can listen,” Mike says. “You are all on the same page and it’s just beautiful, uplifting and, at times, deeply emotional as you learn and share about God together. Getting to know Christ is such an important thing. In this case, you are getting to know Him while also getting to
GROW OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD know the people at your table.” The course planned for this year’s study is on the book of Revelation, a series in which Mike is particularly interested because it’s so commonly misunderstood. “Phyllis and I chose Revelation because that is the one book in the Bible that probably we as Catholics
know the least about,” Mike says. “Many of us read it and are just so confused. Because of that, I think this is going to be our largest class ever. Many people have come up to me and expressed an interest. Personally, I’m ready to just delve into the book of Revelation myself, taking it in word by word.”
The Revelation study is scheduled to begin in early September. There is a minimal fee to cover study materials, and participants are asked to register by the end of August. If you would like to sign up or if you have any questions, please contact Mike Bulmanski at bulmanski@sbcglobal.net. Due to the unfortunate circumstances involving the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not certain that this study will be meeting in the traditional way. Please refer to the parish website for information about this and other ministry gatherings, as we continue to monitor the ongoing situation for the safety of our parish community.
Parish Picnic continued from front cover embodies what stewardship means for us. “The Stewardship Committee encourages the Four Pillars of Stewardship, and two are hospitality and service,” Kim says. “So, we put the picnic on as an act of service and encourage all to come. It is an example of hospitality, as well. We want to get to know each other and friendship builds family.” There never is a shortage of willing hands to clean up after the picnic. “Between us in the Stewardship Committee, the Men’s Club, and volunteers, it gets taken care of,”
Kim says. “It’s a good place to be.” In keeping with stewardship, any leftover food is taken to the Salvation Army the day of the picnic, or the next day. Any leftover uncooked meat is given to the school to serve to the students. As the days tick closer to the picnic date, Kim encourages us all to attend. “Everyone should come to meet new parishioners and for some hospitality, good food, and to support our parish,” she says. “If it rains, we’ll probably adapt it to be held in the gym.”
Please refer to the weekly bulletins for additional information. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the safety of all our community members, the Parish Picnic may not take place this year as scheduled. If we do move forward with this event, it may be arranged quite differently from picnics in years past. For the most up-to-date information about the picnic and other parish events, please refer to our parish website. 5
Immaculate CONCEPTION
The Faith Journey of
St. Genesius
B
eing a performer and a comedian may sound like a fun way to make a living. St. Genesius, an outstanding actor, playwright and comedian in late Imperial Rome, certainly did have some fun for a while. But his career and life came to an abrupt end when his work ultimately led him to Christ. Genesius was a comedian of some renown, but in the fourth century, Christians were often discouraged from becoming actors because ancient Roman comedy was highly sexual, crude and offensive. In the year 303, Emperor Diocletian launched what would be the last great Roman persecution against the Christian Church. So, Genesius used the persecution as an opportunity to write a comedy about Christianity. He thought it might attract the attention of the Emperor, increase his fame, and make him some money in the process. Genesius approached leaders of the Christian community in Rome and presented himself as a catechumen seeking Baptism. He was then invited into a period of instruction in the faith, in order to learn the beliefs of the Christians. He was particularly taken by the idea of Baptism. But at the time, he had no plans to convert to the faith – it was all just a part of his plan to research new material to use for his comedy. But a strange thing happened to Genesius as he began to work on his play, which was to be a comedy on Baptism. As Genesius began teaching the other actors about Baptism, he began to believe, and a desire to be baptized grew within his heart. The opening night of the play was a great success, with Emperor Diocletian in attendance. But at 6
some point during the play, the Holy Spirit touched Genesius. He was no longer acting. “You fools, I wish to die a Christian,” Genesius said. When the other actors asked him why, he said, “All my life I have been a fugitive, and only today have I found God.” Everyone, especially Emperor Diocletian, laughed as Genesius spoke. Genesius, standing in a pulpit designed to look like the goddess Venus, began to preach to the audience. He told the crowd how he once hated Christians and enjoyed insulting them. He told the crowd how he deserted his own family as a child because they were Christians. From there, Genesius addressed Diocletian, stating that he wrote the play to mock Christians, but had been converted on the spot during the course of the play, by the power of the Holy Spirit. “I now know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, the Light, the Truth and the Mercy of all who have received His gift of Baptism,” Genesius said. “O great Emperor, believe in these mysteries! I will teach you, and you will know the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God.” Diocletian was furious and stopped the play, having the troupe arrested and beaten, while Genesius was condemned to torture. Through all of his sufferings, he continued to confess that Jesus was God. When this failed to break his spirit, Diocletian ordered Genesius be beheaded. His final words were, “Our Lord Jesus Christ is God and we shall have life in His name.” St. Genesius is the patron of comedians and actors. His feast day is Aug. 25.
Emerging from a Time of Uncertainty, Immaculate Conception is Ready for the 2020-21 School Year
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he faculty and staff at Immaculate Conception School are eagerly awaiting the start of the new school year — although it admittedly will be a much different start than was expected. The opening date is Aug. 17, with the goal of making it as normal a “face-to-face” setting as possible in the face of the COVID-19 environment. “That’s the plan,” says Nicole Schafer, Assistant Principal. “We feel it is in the best interest of the children socially and emotionally to have them here.” “We have a task force in place that consists of many constituents,” says Marcia Brucks, Principal. “They are of different backgrounds and we will be adjusting our plan along the way.” Mrs. Brucks’ team of Miss Schafer, Michelle Koch, and herself have developed three different scenarios for the school day, and they have pulled together all the guidelines toward following the latest when it becomes available. The staff already has addressed social distancing by placing all the desks in all the classrooms six feet apart, making sure the number enrolled for that class will fit. The teachers’ desk may be removed, but the thinking
is that the teachers are on their feet for most of the day. Masks will be required, according to the age levels of the students. The plan is to have three drop-off posts in the morning, with staff at each post. Students’ temperatures will be taken before each leaves the vehicle. If a student has a fever, they will not be permitted to exit the vehicle. Students testing normally will go directly to their classrooms, instead of the gym. There will be no hot lunches served, and students will be asked to bring packed lunches from home.
“A lot of parents may feel more at ease if they can pack lunches from home,” Miss Schafer says. “They will eat at their desks. Under the current circumstances, we chose to not offer a hot lunch for the safety of the students. We’ll re-evaluate this for the second semester.” Students will see some slight changes in the curriculum. There will be more interactive material brought into the classroom, in case students must return to home-based learning. School staff also have been receiving training on the different learning platforms for interactive teaching. Teachers also will be equipped continued on back cover
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Immaculate CONCEPTION 7000 John F. Kennedy Blvd. North Little Rock, AR 72116 Church Office: (501) 835-4323 www.iccnlr.org
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IS READY FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR continued from page 7 with microphones and headsets in the event that they will have to teach from home. Teachers will also work with their students to use platforms — especially Google Classroom — in the event that school must return to at-home.
“The students and parents were great,” Mrs. Brucks says of the past semester’s experience. “We couldn’t have done it without the families. And they all had access to the Internet. We were able to get Chromebooks and iPads to those who needed them.
The staff has been outstanding. The teachers have worked so hard. It was so different for them. We’re coming back. We miss our kids and we want to be back. We’ll have to work differently and work harder. Everyone is aware of that and we are ready.”
School tours and enrollment are still ongoing, until the maximum number is reached in a particular class for social distancing. For information about enrolling, please call the school at 501-835-0771.
LITURGY SCHEDULE
Saturday Mass: 4:00 p.m. | Sunday Masses: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Daily Mass: Monday: 7:00 p.m. (using Sunday's readings) Confessions: Tuesday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m., Thursday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
ADORATION
Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the main church
