Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Newsletter — October 2020

Immaculate CONCEPTION

Contents: 2

Join the Ranks and Honor the Dignity of Life in October

3 Passionate for the Stewardship Way of Life 4 Men of Faith Group Brings Friends to Christ through Discussion, Reflection and Fellowship 6 October: A Month to Turn to Our Lady of the Rosary 7 The Ushers Ministry: Stewardship and Discipleship in Action Through Simple Gestures of Hospitality OCTOBER 2020

Catholic Church AN INSIDE LOOK AT OUR

SACRISTANS MINISTRY Preparing Our Church For Liturgies While Growing Closer to Christ

H

ave you ever noticed how beautifully prepared our sanctuary is for each and every Mass? The altar sits ready for the celebration of the Eucharist — everything is right where it belongs. The attention to detail provides a reverential atmosphere for worship, though many of us may not know who we have to thank for ensuring that our sanctuary remains such a sacred haven — our parish sacristans.

Larry Angyal, coordinator of the Sacristan Ministry, enjoys being able to lend his time and talents to the church in this special capacity. Larry Angyal coordinates our parish Sacristans Ministry.

He first became a sacristan in 1998, at the invitation of Fr. Malone — now Bishop Malone of the Diocese of Shreveport.

At the time, Fr. Malone had duties both at Immaculate Conception and the cathedral, and often had to arrive at our parish just moments before Mass was to begin. Training a parishioner to serve as a sacristan was the best way to ensure that the church would always be ready when it was time to celebrate the Mass. Larry fulfilled this duty by himself every weekend until the official Sacristan Ministry was initiated in our parish just over a decade ago. continued on page 5

Immaculate CONCEPTION Join the Ranks and Honor the

A

Dignity of Life

ll Catholics are summoned to action — this month, and beyond.

October is Respect Life Month. And as we face the looming culture of death, we are all summoned to action. An apostolic exhortation by Pope St. John Paul II, titled Ecclesia in America, described this culture of death’s effects on the “powerless” within American society: “I am thinking here of unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and the incurably ill, subjected at times to euthanasia; and the many other people relegated to the margins of society by consumerism and materialism.

Nor can I fail to mention the unnecessary recourse to the death penalty… Faced with this distressing reality, the Church community intends to commit itself all the more to the defense of the culture of life” (Ecclesia in America 63).

Respect Life Month is the perfect time to prayerfully examine our consciences in light of these critical issues, which directly violate the dignity of the human person. This includes not only the evil of abortion, but also euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, capital punishment, and contraception — all of which are vital contributors to the pervasive culture of death.

So we must individually ask ourselves, “Do I, in my personal, day-to-day choices, respect life? If so, do I boldly proclaim this belief or merely stand idle? Do I exercise my right to vote and support candidates who promote a culture of life? Am I known within my home, family, and/ or workplace as someone that respects life?”

As with every movement of a Christian heart towards goodness, it is imperative that our efforts issue forth from a prayerful foundation. The work of the Holy Spirit allows us to receive the zeal necessary to promote the sanctity of human life, even in the face of suffering.

This October, please pray for a revitalization of the culture of life. Every night, as a family, meditate on the prayer from John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae. As you pray, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with apostolic boldness, and ask the Lord to guide your heart towards ways in which you can personally contribute to the culture of life.

The call is clear, the stakes are set, and all Catholics are summoned to action. How will you respond?

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in October

Pope St. John Paul II’s Prayer for the Revitalization of the Culture of Life O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life Look down, O Mother,upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy.

Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time.

Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

—Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

A Letter From Our Pastor

PASSIONATE FOR THE

STEWARDSHIP WAY OF LIFE Dear Parishioners,

O

ften when reading the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles in the New Testament, I recognize that the writers were genuinely passionate about having an opportunity to put into words an expression of the faith they have in Jesus Christ. I am inspired by the passion expressed by those who live what they believe. Having the courage and the enthusiasm to express their thoughts, and to embrace and cherish it as if it were the most important thing in the world, translates into a passion for Christ and a passion to be His disciple.

I ask myself on a regular basis, do I have that same passion as Jesus’ disciples? I pray that I do.

But if I don’t, I have to wonder why, and must reflect upon what is keeping me from being passionate about my faith. Without being genuinely passionate about our faith, can any of us genuinely embrace the stewardship way of life?

The Food Network broadcasts a program called Chopped, which features professional chefs who are challenged to use designated ingredients to prepare a dish. Using the time they have been given, and the skills and talents they possess, they must compete against each other while attempting to impress a panel of judges. In what they say and do, their passion for who they are and what they can do with all that has been given them is more than obvious. They demonstrate confidence, enthusiasm, creativity and a desire to use their talent. Even if they get eliminated, they know they have done their best — and will continue to do so, with an ongoing passion.

Should we not have the same kind of passion for being a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Stewardship is the best way to passionately express and live out our call to be a disciple of Christ.

The New Testament is filled with passages that confirm the stewardship way of life. How passionate are we about being those faithful stewards using the gifts given to us by God, and using our precious

time to use those gifts for the greater glory of God? How do we move from merely thinking that stewardship is something others do, to being passionate about it enough to live our lives as a committed disciple of Christ? It isn’t possible to be truly passionate about something unless we are genuinely convinced it is God’s will, and we know it and feel it in our hearts. Genuine passion begins in the heart.

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are ignited to believe that the Word of God is calling each of us to express our love and devotion to Him — and we can do this by living out the stewardship life. Do you think we are up to that? Well, to do so is to be passionate about it.

I pray and hope that we all become better and more passionate about being disciples of the Lord.

I believe there is great potential for all of us. If we trust God enough to do what it takes to be passionate about the stewardship way of life, our lives will become the truest expression of discipleship. While the world tries to convince us there are other things to be passionate about, our hearts should be telling us loud and clear that the stewardship way of life is the most important. It always has been, and it always will be.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. John Wakube Pastor 3

Immaculate CONCEPTION

MEN OF FAIT

Group Brings Friends to Christ th

M

any times, Bible studies and church offerings are populated with more women than men — so, men may feel there is no place to share their faith and enjoy fellowship with one another. In addition, as Catholics, we understand the importance of a father’s role in the religious lives of their children.

Therefore, we know how important it is for men to have a religious group in which they can participate and share fellowship with other Catholic men. It’s on these principles that the Men of Faith group was formed.

“We talk about everything from family life to business, to personal life, to social life,” says Chris Herring, who leads the Men of Faith ministry with Butch Hale. “All of those topics come up when we get together.”

The goal of the group is to give men a place for fellowship and to discuss practical ways to live the faith. They discuss how the Catholic faith applies to everyday life.

“We want men to be more active in their faith, and more intentional about living and understanding their faith,” Chris says.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group met between the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses at 9 a.m. for about an hour. They often go through the Sunday Mass readings and follow discussion questions in The Word Among Us magazine. Chris finds these questions are very pertinent to daily life.

“The questions look at how the readings apply to our lives — they are tailored perfectly for what we are trying to do,” Chris says. “It’s interesting to hear how different people hear the Sunday readings. It is based on where you are in your life. God speaks to us where we are.”

When Chris, Butch and two prior parishioners started this group, in the mid-1990s, they were 4

(From left) Chris Herring and Butch Hale started the Men of Faith group in the mid-1990s.

young fathers and husbands. They met through the Cursillo program and found there was a need at our parish for fellowship among men.

“The Cursillo motto was ‘make a friend, be a friend and bring that friend to Christ,’” Chris says.

Chris and Butch knew that to get more men involved at our parish, they needed to help them be on fire for the Lord.

“We wanted a place to come together and be real with one another,” Chris says.

TH

hrough Discussion, Reflection and Fellowship As they have gotten older, they find the discussions at Men of Faith still pertain to their daily lives, and are thankful the group is made up of men of all ages. Chris enjoys celebrating special moments with the other men, like having children and becoming first-time grandparents, for example.

The Men of Faith group meets in the school

library and there’s usually 10 to 20 men. Chris says the topic is different each time, so there’s no obligation to come every time — it’s very informal.

“Don’t hesitate to come,” Chris says. “There is no teacher. We all come together. It’s more of a discussion group than anything else. The group would be better with you there.”

If you would like to get involved in Men of Faith, or for more information, contact Chris Herring at 501-416-6574 or crherring@icloud.com. Chris also notes that he and Butch Hale are seeking someone to take over this group, so it may continue for many years to come.

An Inside Look at Our Sacristans Ministry continued from front cover Today, 18 sacristans who have completed the training and approval process help prepare for the Masses at Immaculate Conception on a rotating schedule. Most of their work happens “behind the scenes” as they unlock the church and prepare the altar for the liturgy — yet, these tasks provide an invaluable service to our parish priests.

“This saves the priests probably close to 10 or 12 hours of their time each weekend,” Larry says.

“They have enough worries and stress that they don’t need to spend time doing these things. It just provides a service, and that is really the best reward — to know you are doing a very important service and lightening the load on our priests.”

As a sacristan, Larry has found that the extra

moments spent in the Lord’s house have continued to bring him close to Christ.

“It’s very hands-on and you’re involved,” he says of serving as a sacristan. “There is a moment when I’m locking up after the weekend — it’s a special moment knowing you have done your duty for the weekend and have another one coming. There are those quiet moments at the end of Saturday or Sunday that are kind of special in that way.”

Feeling richly blessed by his experience as a sacristan, Larry encourages anyone who may be interested in living out intentional discipleship at Immaculate Conception to prayerfully consider giving of their time and talent in this essential ministry.

Would you like to learn more about the training and approval process for becoming a sacristan at Immaculate Conception? If so, please contact Larry Angyal at 501-246-0134 or lmangyal@aristotle.net, or speak with any sacristan after Mass.

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Immaculate CONCEPTION

OCTOBER: A Month to Turn to Our Lady of the Rosary

D

ay by day, our heavenly Father provides spiritual food and graces to His beloved children, nourishing us on our earthly pilgrimage. October brings us the grace of the Holy Rosary, a prayer buried deeply in the heart of the Church, as one of its most precious treasures.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which takes place Oct. 7, is a commemorative feast established

by St. Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto. The victory was attributed to the help of the Mother of God, whose aid was invoked by praying the Rosary.

This victory revealed the power of the Holy Rosary more than ever. Catholics who were open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit took with deep resolve the Rosary as their link to God. Pope St. John Paul II, in his 2002 Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, writes: “The Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting to the Rosary ... the most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation” (39).

Thus, not merely through the Rosary, but more significantly, through the woman behind the Rosary – the glorious Mother of our Savior, Christ the Lord – a wellspring of God’s love has 6

been discovered.

Indeed, the Rosary is truly a way to discover Christ’s infinite love by means of the tender heart of His Mother.

“With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 1).

A great number of saints, such as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who had a special concern for the preservation of the Christian family, sensed that its salvation would be through the Holy Rosary. And as Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “Today I willingly entrust to the power of this prayer ... the cause of peace in the world and the cause of the family” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 39). Our Lady of Fatima, who pleaded with families to pray the daily Rosary, would agree with him!

Let us entrust everything to the Rosary along with the saints. As our hearts burn with hope, let us give to the Mother of God every concern that we bear, each cross we carry, piece by piece, worry by worry. She will be there to offer everything to our Heavenly Father, Whose care for each one of His children reaches beyond anything we could ever imagine.

The Ushers Ministry:

Stewardship and Discipleship in Action Through Simple Gestures of Hospitality

W

hen we walk into Immaculate Conception, we are likely to see an usher, who greets us with a smile and “hello,” and assists us with finding a seat. While these are simple gestures of hospitality, they go a long way toward making parishioners and guests alike feel welcome.

Usher Phil Zaffarano has served with this ministry for 20 years. He responded to the need when he noticed many of the ushers were older and that the need for a volunteer seemed to come up each week.

“A friend of mine who was the head of the ushers at that time asked if I wanted to help full-time and I said, ‘yes,’ and that has been a way of life ever since,” Phil says.

For Phil, giving just a bit of time as an usher means that he receives many blessings in return.

“Before I started as an usher, I came to Mass, followed the Mass schedule, prayed and went home, not really interacting with fellow parishioners,” he says. “As an usher, you begin to feel like you’re part of the celebration of the Mass.”

The ushers’ service has been even more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as they work to ensure people are safe while attending Mass. Available pews are spaced to adhere to social distancing recommendations.

Ushers also make sure people are wearing a face covering and that there is no crowding during Communion.

Of course, beyond pandemic guidelines, the ushers have carried out other important tasks —

choosing a family to bring the offertory gifts to the altar and facilitating the gathering of money at the collection. They also extend a goodbye as people leave.

“I enjoy ushering because I enjoy people,” Phil says. “I love greeting people when they arrive. I feel closer to my church family in that I have gotten to know more members.”

Phil invites any adult parishioner to get involved as an usher, noting that it’s an easy ministry in which to be involved since members serve during Mass, and it requires very little time outside of Mass.

“People say they don’t want to commit or be tied down — they have family commitments,” he says. “All we are asking is about an hour of your time to serve the Lord.”

Anyone who is 18 or older and interested in serving as an usher may contact Phil Zaffarano for training — please call 501-834-6302 or email pzaffarano@sbcglobal.net.

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Immaculate CONCEPTION 7000 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

North Little Rock, AR 72116 Church Office: (501) 835-4323 www.iccnlr.org

TaLenT  = Currently Involved

TaLenT

(continued)

 = Interested in Join

Gratefulness

(continued)

DON’T FORGET TO RETURN YOUR COMMITMENT CARD! ing Write the first nam e of the family mem ber who wishes to join or is activ e in each ministry on the lines. You may write multiple names for the sam e ministry.

T he L iTurgy C om mis sio n  Altar Servers  Altar Society  Extraordinary Communion

Ministers of

resourCe P ooL

I would like to sha re the following talents/skills with my parish: (Exa mples might include dat abase developmen t, photography, mai ntenance, and othe r activities you are involved with in your work or as a hob by that can ben efit your parish.)

________________ ________________ _____________ ________________ ________________ _____________ ________________ ________________ _____________ ________________ ________________ _____________ ________________ ________________ ____ _________ ________________ ________________ _____________

 Lectors  Music  Perpetual Ado ration  Sacristans  Ushers

Please remember to turn in your commitment card to the parish as soon as possible. We appreciate your willingness to participate in this year’s Stewardship Renewal. The more we grow to mbrace and understand the stewardship way of life, the more each of us will flourish and grow!

T he P arish L ife Commis sion

 Arts and Cra fts  Catholic Dau ghters of America  Golden Falcons  IC Boy Scouts  Men’s Club  Quarterly Wel come Dinner

Committee

 Second Sunday Committee

Rosary

 Sonfest Com

mittee

T he sChooL Com mis sio n

 Parish School Volunteer  PTO (Parent Teacher Organization)

T he sTewardshi P C om mis sio n  Hospitality Com mittee  Stewardship

Committee

continued on next panel

Immaculate Con ception Cathol ic Church 7000 John F.

Immaculate Con ception Catholic Church

2020 Commitm

ent Card My Offering of Time, Talent & Treasure First & Last Nam e Phone Email

Spouse: First & Last Nam

e

Spouse: Phone Spouse: Email Address City

Kennedy Blvd. • North Little Rock , AR 72116 501-835-4323 • www.iccnlr.org

LITURGY SCHEDULE

State

Saturday Mass: 4:00 p.m. | Sunday Masses: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 5 p.m.

Daily Masses: 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

Monday thru Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the main church

ZIP