September 18, 2025

Meals for the Hungry - 9/20

As a parish, we serve dinner to ~150-200 people on the third Saturday of every month. We ask that food donations be delivered in disposable (ie, aluminum) pans and that each donation be enough to feed 15 people. Donations can be dropped off at the Immaculata kitchen (attached to the school) between 4:15 and 5:00 pm on Saturday. Food will be kept warm and cold as necessary until transport to Urban Ministry on Liberty Street, where meals will be served in person. Thank you for your generosity and kindness

Stewardship Thought for the Week

September 21, 2025

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that we cannot serve both God and wealth. True stewardship means using our time, talents, and resources not for selfish gain, but to build God’s kingdom with integrity and compassion.

Reflection Question:

Am I using what I’ve been given in a way that honors God and serves others?

Ministry Spotlight of the Week

Looking to connect your time and talent to a ministry that helps our parish? Looking to share your spiritual gifts of hospitality, service and encouragement?

If so, please consider becoming a greeter at one of our weekend Masses. Your job as a greeter is to welcome people as they come into our Church. It is a simple ministry and a great way to create a more welcoming community at Immaculate Conception. You show up at Mass 20 minutes early, stand in the gathering space and welcome people as they arrive.

The schedule is flexible — you choose what works best for you!

If you're interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Margie.

Phil’s Challenge | Fall 2025

Immaculata Catholic School is excited to launch Phil’s Challenge, our largest annual fundraiser. This year’s theme—“Rooted in Mercy. Driven by Love. United for Our School!”—calls us to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy while uniting in support of Catholic education.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 to strengthen ICS’s annual operating fund. Along the way, students will also take part in service projects, including supporting our community partner Note in the Pocket, to share kindness and compassion with those in need.

We invite our parish family to join us in prayer, encouragement, and support for our students and school.

Learn more

S.E.T. Training

As you know, all volunteers who will be working with children and youth are required to complete Safe Environment Training (S.E.T.). Margie will be offering another S.E.T. session on Monday, September 29, at 6:00 PM in the Parish Office.

Please register below so we can ensure that enough materials are available.

Feast of St Francis of Assisi

Transitus - 10/3

Join us for the Transitus, Friday, October 3rd at 7 PM in the Main Church. The Franciscan community will celebrate the death of St. Francis and his passing into eternal life. The service is bilingual.

Blessing of the Animals - 10/4

On Saturday, October 4th, we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of all God’s creatures. To honor his example and remind ourselves of our call to care for creation, we will host a Blessing of the Animals at 10:30 AM on the School playground.

Bring your pets—large or small—for a blessing and a sprinkling of holy water. Together, we’ll thank God for the gift of animals and the joy they bring to our lives.

50 Plus Group

The next meeting of the Fifty Plus Group will be on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 12:30 PM at the Hibachi Grill Buffet restaurant, located at 4600 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. Please plan to arrive by noon to allow time for lunch before the meeting begins.

We will have a guest speaker, and trips currently being planned include Washington, D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival and a trip to Iceland. Other trips are also in the works.

For more information, please send an email to 50pluspresident@gmail.com or contact Bob & Mary Jane Wiethe at wiethe@hotmail.com.

Join Us for an Exclusive Wine & Will Event!

Plan Your Legacy Over a Glass of Fine Wine

Whether you need to create or revise your will, please join us for our Wine and Wills event hosted by the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh on Thursday, October 23rd from 5:30- 7:30pm in the San Damiano Trailer.

Come join us and enjoy a great evening of wine, conversation, and planning for the future.

The Seminar will be led by a local Estate Planning Attorney, providing an excellent opportunity for parishioners to learn more about creating or revising your will. Seminar topics include legal steps required in personal planning, understanding wills and trusts, Beneficiary Designations, Power of Attorney, Advance Directive- Living Will and other important information.

Don’t miss out on this invaluable opportunity to take control of your future, protect your family and ensure your legacy for generations to come.

Thoughtful planning now will help those we love live peacefully in the future.

Contact Margie Burton for more information.

Please note that this is a free Seminar, and no solicitations will be made.

Cristo Rey High School Seeking Volunteers!

Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School is a 4-year, college preparatory Catholic high school located minutes from IC who exclusively serves students of limited economic means. Our school is currently seeking volunteers to serve as guest speakers, college application mentors, and study pod volunteers (tutors). For more information, please visit our website at www.cristoreyrt.org, contact Jaclyn Volpe.

Parish-Wide Listening Session Report

JPIC Community Organizing Core Team

The Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Community Organizing Core Team would like to thank the more than 150 parishioners who participated in the parish-wide listening sessions held in both English and Spanish from last fall 2024 through the spring of 2025. The goal of the sessions was to identify those Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) issues that parishioners most wanted community and parish leaders to address in the next two years.

Notes were taken during all sessions, and all responses were shared in a written summary and during an in-person meeting with Immaculate Conception’s pastor, Fr. Manuel, and the JPIC Director, Ken Chiha. Additionally, Core Team members shared priorities for community action with Durham Congregations, Associations, and Neighborhoods (Durham CAN), an interfaith community organization dedicated to collaborative action to improve quality of life in Durham. Immaculate Conception has been a core member organization of Durham CAN since its founding in 1999. A summary of the issues that featured most prominently with parishioners can be found on our JPIC Community Organizing Core Team and Durham CAN webpage.