Immaculate CONCEPTION
Contents:
2 Stewardship Don’t Take a Vacation From Stewardship This Summer
3 Redefining Love Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus 4 Meet Parishioners Matt and Casi Runnells Embarking on the Faith Journey and Finding “Home” at Immaculate Conception
6 Connected to the Faith through Technology: There’s an App for That! 7 Building a Bucket Ministry Extends Love to Our Neighbors in Need throughout the Community JUNE 2021
Catholic Church
COVID PROTOCOLS AND PRECAUTIONS ENSURE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS ON SAFE AND HEALTHY NOTE
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here has been a tremendous amount of cleaning, as well as gallons of hand sanitizer dispensed, meaning the students and staff at Immaculate Conception Catholic School have been able to complete the school year safely, up to the last day of school on May 26. “We’ve been able to go face-to-face for the entire year,” says Michelle Koch, Advancement Director. “We offered online learning for the families who wanted to stay with virtual for the first half of the year.” Strict protocols have been followed, with six-foot distancing put in place for desks, mask-wearing for everyone, and hand-sanitizing stations set up throughout the building. An ionized water system provided for constant cleaning of door handles, in- A school day wouldn't be complete terior doors, and walls in the restrooms. without a chance to spend some time outdoors. “Mrs. Erica and Ms. Lucy have done a tremendous job cleaning to keep everyone safe,” Michelle says. Being able to have the students attend in person required more work, but continued on page 5
Immaculate CONCEPTION
STEWARDSHIP
Don’t Take a Vacation From Stewardship This Summer
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veryone deserves a vacation. After nine busy months of school, kids get to enjoy the summer to relax and regroup before beginning a new grade. Employees, after diligently working long hours and dealing with stressful situations, deserve time away from the office to enjoy their favorite getaway. No one would argue that we need to mentally refresh our minds and bodies from time to time so that we can come back rejuvenated and ready to do our best. Taking a break from some things, however, is not a possibility. Take stewardship, for example. Imagine saying to yourself, “Well, this month I think I will not pray, I won’t share any of my talents with anyone in need, and I will hoard my treasure.” What would doing this accomplish? You certainly wouldn’t feel refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to be at your best. Instead, feelings of greed, selfishness and spiritual unrest may occur. Stepping back from being a good steward just doesn’t make sense. So, now that summer has arrived in full force and our leisure time each day has increased, how can we remain good stewards? It is likely that the regimented opportunities available during the school year are no longer available. Youth ministry and parish religious education formation may also be on summer break. So, where do you turn? How can you keep your faith alive? First and foremost, don’t stop praying. The slowpaced days of summer are a perfect time to quiet ourselves for a few moments and try to reconnect with God. Why not take a moment of your free time each day to read the Gospel or a spiritual reflection
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while lounging in a hammock? Next, try to participate in an outreach program over the summer. Think of the life of Christ — everything He did on Earth was an act of service. Now, think of the gifts God has bestowed on you. He wants you to share them with others like He did, and summer gives us the time to do just that. If you like working with kids, you can volunteer at the Vacation Bible School by helping to decorate, organize or being a team leader for the younger children. If you are handy with tools, you may call Habitat for Humanity to see how you can help build a home for a family in need. Or, if you are musically inclined, you might share your singing or instrumental gifts with a local nursing home. Maybe you are good in the kitchen — if so, you could offer your culinary skills to a local soup kitchen or food bank. If you are a strong student, you could offer tutoring services to neighborhood kids to help prepare them for the next school year. No matter what gift God has given you, there is a way to share it. Getting paid for volunteering sometimes happens. And, if you have a summer job while on break, you’ll get a paycheck for sure. Have you ever taken an opportunity to think about sharing the first fruits of your check? As a young adult, returning a portion of your paycheck to God is an important thing to consider. Giving a portion back to Him is a way to say “thanks.” Whatever you do this summer, don’t take a break from being a good steward. Remember that the time God gives you is a gift. What you do with it — whether on vacation or not — is meant to give Him glory.
A Letter From Our Pastor
Redefining Love Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Dear Parishioners,
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ne of the great feasts of the Christian year will occur in June, but it is often overlooked. It doesn’t fall on a Sunday, and it isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation. I am referring to the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be on June 11 this year. This wonderful feast provides a great way to begin the summer. However, despite widespread devotion and many parish dedications to the Sacred Heart, many Catholics have only a vague idea of what it’s all about. So, let me try to briefly fill in the picture. Often, when we think of the heart, we think of it as the seat of our emotions and feelings. But feelings come and go — we can’t really depend on our emotions to be reliable, steady guides. However, when classical theology refers to the heart, it is considering an aspect of human life that goes beyond our feelings. It includes our will, where we make decisions. The heart can be considered the center of our personhood. In explaining Christian teaching about human nature, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The spiritual tradition of the Church also emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense of the depths of one’s being, where the person decides for or against God” (368). It is common to mistakenly label love as an emotion. Love often includes feelings, but true love is more than that. Real love is a settled attitude that wants the best for the person being loved. That’s why the Church’s teaching usually uses the term “charity” — to distinguish the Christian virtue from the more superficial popular concept of love. The Catechism tells us, “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By loving his own ‘to the end,’ he makes manifest the Father’s love which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus which they themselves receive” (CCC, 1822-1823). This sort of love, this charity — demonstrated by Jesus Christ and commanded to His followers — is
no lightweight passing emotion. Feelings alone do not bring one to offer oneself to an agonizing death for the sake of someone else. No, that sort of sacrifice can come only from a considered and deliberate decision. Although we sometimes forget that fact, Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine. So, His human heart was involved in His sacrifice on the Cross. Thus, simply put, devotion to the Sacred Heart reminds us of the basic fact that God loves us. It was a costly love, the ultimate act of charity, to give His life on our behalf. We know the kind of love Jesus has for us. What kind of loving response are you going to make? How will that affect your use of your time, talent and treasure? Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. John Wakube Pastor
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Immaculate CONCEPTION
Meet Parishioners
Matt and Casi
Embarking on the Faith Journey and F
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Matt and Casi Runnells with their children, Luke, Josie and Isaac
Isaac, Josie and Luke Runnells
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hen Matt and Casi Runnells joined the Catholic Church here at Immaculate Conception this spring, they knew they had found not only a parish, but a close-knit “village” to accompany their young family through the ups and downs of life. And indeed, for this couple and their three small children, our faith community has quickly become a second home. Matt and Casi were both brought up with strong Christian roots in the Southern Baptist tradition. As they began a family of their own, they began searching for a church that felt like home. At the same time, choosing a school for their oldest child, Luke, was also a priority. “Our sister-in-law, Sonni Runnells, is a teacher at Immaculate Conception Catholic School,” Casi says. “It all just started with us talking to her as we were deciding where to send our kids to school. We ended up choosing Immaculate Conception and got plugged into the community that way.” “We had been looking for a church and wanted to find somewhere with a sense of community,” Matt adds. “We started going to some events at Immaculate Conception with my sister-in-law and really enjoyed the community here.” Matt and Casi enrolled in our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process last fall. RCIA coordinator Phyllis Eubanks made them feel right at home from the beginning with her gracious hospitality and the comfortable atmosphere of the class. They also enjoyed getting to know the other RCIA candidates during the weekly Sunday lessons. Coming from another Christian tradition, Matt and Casi found many similarities between their Baptist background and the Catholic Church teachings. They were also particularly interested in learning the rich history of the Catholic faith that was presented in their RCIA lessons. “It’s all Christian, but some of it was new and a fresh perspective,” Casi says. “We spent most of our lives not having to really dig into our faith, so we took the ins and outs of everything for granted. I think it’s neat how the Church traces everything back to how close it was to Jesus. You take things for granted, and then you hear how it goes back to this specific apostle or this tradition. Matt and I had both had religion in school, but nothing quite so historical.” Matt and Casi received the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil Mass in April. Casi’s sponsor was Sonni Runnells, and Matt’s was Wally Gieringer, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Holy Souls that Matt met and connected with through his work.
Runnells
Finding “Home” at Immaculate Conception “The Mass that night was great,” says Matt of the Easter Vigil. “It was nice to come together and be up front together with the other RCIA candidates. Everything was really pretty with the candles, and it was special having our sponsors there with us.” Looking ahead, Matt and Casi look forward to watching their children — Luke, 6; Isaac, 5; and Josie, 3 — grow in faith and receive the sacraments over the years. They are thankful to have found a faith family here at Immaculate Conception and can’t wait to see what the future holds! “I think the biggest thing is that we found a church home, and that’s what we were striving
for from the beginning,” Matt says. “I think some people come to the RCIA class not knowing what is coming or what to expect from it, but we knew from others what this could be, and it has come to fruition in the process.” “You really do feel like you’re doing life with a community,” Casi agrees. “There are probably a lot of people who take that for granted. We’re more engrossed with the church community and will continue to be even more so now. We’re looking forward to meeting even more people than we already have. We’re excited. It feels like the tip of the iceberg — we joined the Church, and now life begins.”
PROTOCOLS AND PRECAUTIONS proved to be a positive experience for them. “It has been a huge benefit to the children to be in the classroom with their teachers, and with their peers,” Michelle says. “We are very grateful and thankful we’ve been able to do that for the entire school year. But it didn’t happen without a lot of hard work and dedication by many, with additional hours put in by faculty and staff. It has been a huge advantage to have the children in the building.” In looking ahead to the next school year that begins August 15th, the protocols at Immaculate Conception Catholic School will coincide with directives from our Covid Task Force, Medical Advisory Team, ADH, CDC, and the Diocese of Little Rock “Hopefully, we’ll be able to be back to normal next year,” Michelle says. “Time will tell.” If parents or grandparents are considering sending their children to Immaculate Conception Catho-
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lic School, they can be assured that everything possible will be done to keep them safe. “We have put the time and dedication into our faculty, staff, students, and families to keep them safe,” Michelle says. “We are prepared to continue these practices, if necessary.” Whether in the time of COVID-19 or not, the strong academic programs offered at Immaculate Conception Catholic School remain constant. “We have a music program like no other, and our computer classes have offered everything from databases to EXCEL to clip art, and even copyright laws,” Michelle says. “We have art classes that pull the creativity out of children who have not experienced it. We have teachers who want the kids to succeed and take the time to make sure they are safe and growing, wanting this for all students. They encourage the students to grow and challenge them.”
School may be out for the summer, but anyone interested in taking a tour of the school may reach out to Maureen Berry, registrar, to schedule a time. She may be contacted at mberry@icsnlr.org, or by calling 501-835-0771, ext. 304. 5
Immaculate CONCEPTION
Connected to the Faith through Technology: There’s an App for That!
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et the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.” These words from Pope Francis weren’t delivered during a homily in St. Peter’s or in a speech from St. Peter’s Square — nor were they written in a papal bull or apostolic letter. Rather, they were delivered in an instant to millions of Catholics around the world through the pope’s very own Twitter account. The technology of communication has perhaps changed more in the past century than in the previous 20 combined. And with these developments, the Catholic Church — led by our Holy Fathers, from Pope St. John Paul II through Pope Francis — strongly encourages that the faithful adopt and adapt these resources for the all-important task of spreading the Gospel throughout the whole world. Just as St. Paul used every convenience at his disposal to spread the Gospel throughout the far reaches of the Roman empire, today’s evangelists are using every resource available to them. Examples of Catholic figures using the new media with great success abound. Only a few months into his pontificate, Pope Francis took the Vatican’s social media efforts to a whole new level. In spring 2013, the Vatican released The Pope App, which featured quotes, news, images and videos of all the Holy Father’s latest doings. Having since been relaunched as the Vatican News App, it continues to offer the latest news and
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information from Pope Francis and the Holy See. Following the pope’s lead, bishops, priests and apologists have taken the technological gifts at their fingertips and are utilizing them to spread the Gospel throughout the world in a variety of ways. One great example is Bishop Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, whose Word On Fire Ministry has produced wildly popular YouTube videos discussing everything from controversial Church teachings to movie reviews from a Catholic perspective. Word On Fire also released the critically acclaimed Catholicism DVD documentary series. Independent Catholic bloggers and Web-based media are also widely established and provide their audiences and readership with Catholic news and cultural commentary. Throughout America, parishes, Catholic schools, dioceses, and even the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are utilizing these tools as well, creating first-rate websites, maintaining Twitter and Facebook accounts, and more. All of these resources are geared toward a wide variety of audiences, from the un-churched and fallen-away Catholics to active parishioners. Being knowledgeable of the new media tools available to us as Catholics is a great way to be more effective in our universal call to evangelization. Take some time to see what media resources our parish and diocese are using, and be sure to pass them along to those in your sphere of influence!
BUILDING A BUCKET MINISTRY Extends Love to Our Neighbors in Need throughout the Community
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or most of us, buying a laundry basket, cleaning rags, a broom, and a mop is no problem. But for those moving into a home, after previously experiencing homelessness, the cost for all of these items quickly adds up. Depaul USA’s Jericho Way Resource Center in Little Rock helps those experiencing homelessness take the necessary steps to turn their income into rent payments. The center also provides affordable housing, laundry, meals, showers, and access to phones and computers. Alongside this important work of Jericho Way, it takes many hands to make the people and families feel at home in their new place. That’s where Immaculate Conception’s Building a Bucket Ministry comes in. Thanks to the generous support of Immaculate Conception parishioners, 255 “buckets” of cleaning supplies have been distributed since 2017. The bucket includes nearly 20 essential items for cleaning and making people feel at home. Settled Souls, a local nonprofit, helps with furnishings, a food starter kit, and various household goods. Ramona Bourdo, June Parsley and Jean Zehler helped get this ministry started after
(From left) June Parsley, Ramona Bourdo and Jean Zehler organize the Building a Bucket Ministry
Sister Elizabeth Greim, DC from Jericho Way, came to speak at Immaculate Conception several years ago. Ramona had it in her heart that she wanted to help, so she asked if there were other needs — Sr. Elizabeth said that gathering cleaning supplies would be another way to help. “This needed to be done, and I could do it,” Ramona says. “God helps us fill those buckets. It’s just amazing to me. You can’t outdo the Lord. If you help Him, He will help you.” Ramona, June, and Jean believe in this ministry because it provides dignity to those who are coming out of a situation where
they may have been living at a shelter or on the street. “The thought of being homeless, and all of a sudden you have your own kitchen and you can invite someone over — I can’t think of anything that brings more dignity,” Jean says. “You have your own bathroom and your own bedsheets.” “A lot of people have a negative attitude toward the homeless, but they are just like all of us,” June says. “Something has happened to get them into the situation they are in.” “If you have a home, you have a place to go, and you have selfesteem,” Ramona says. 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
Building a Bucket Ministry The three women had never met someone experiencing homelessness before starting this ministry. They love that this ministry is a way to demonstrate people of faith doing good work for those in need. “Being involved in this project has been such a rewarding experience for me, to know that we are helping someone,” June says. “I really can’t even wrap my head around this, to be able to help these people and get them started. They are so grateful for this. It is wonderful.”
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“Sometimes, it’s hard to actualize the things Jesus wants us to do,” Jean says. “Jesus wants us to love our neighbor. It’s easy to love the person across the street who is just like you. This has taught me to love a neighbor who is totally different from me.” Ramona, Jean, and June would love to see parishioners get involved as supporting partners of the Building a Bucket Ministry. Parishioners could give $5 or more per month to help with the purchase of cleaning items.
If you would like more information, or to get involved in this ministry, please call Ramona Bourdo at 501-831-5040, June Parsley at 501-940-8071 or Jean Zehler at 501-240-7050.
LITURGY SCHEDULE
Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m. | Sunday Masses: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Daily Mass: Wednesday, Thursday, and First Saturday of the Month at 8:15 a.m. Confessions: Tuesday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m., Thursday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
ADORATION
Tuesday thru Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the main church