HOPE – LOVE – JOY – PEACE

Derived from the Latin adventus (“coming”), Advent announces the beginning of the first season in our church’s liturgical year. It provides an opportunity to start a new journey with God. A time of preparation, hope, and celebration, we anticipate the “arrival” of Jesus Christ. Rich with symbolism, so often we gravitate to the more tangible imagery in our liturgical celebrations. We light an advent candle on each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. A liturgical color indicating a period of prayer, penance, and sacrifice, the three purple (violet) candles represent hope, love, and peace. The pink candle lit on the third Sunday of Advent signifies joy. Yet, these themes symbolized by this liturgical practice would hardly reflect the sentiments of one discovering young parents and a newborn child huddled in a stable in the ancient world. As often is the case in Scripture, God challenges human values and assumptions about power, status, and even faith. This includes how we understand hope, love, joy, and peace.

In the Gospel of Luke, God enters the world wrapped in bands of cloth (prefiguring the hour of his death) and lying in a manger (symbolic of an altar/table), denied the custom of “hospitality” granted even to strangers, foreigners, and those in need at that time. From the beginning, we are called to a striking paradigm shift as the theological implications of Christ’s divine nature are dynamically juxtaposed with the concrete reality of His birth as a poor outcast. Drawing on Saint Augustine, Pope Benedict XVI describes how “the manger is the place where animals find their food, but now, lying in the manger, is he who called himself the true bread come down from heaven, the true nourishment that we need in order to be fully ourselves. This is the food that gives us true life, eternal life. Thus, the manger becomes a reference to the table of God, to which we are invited so as to receive the bread of God. From the poverty of Jesus’s birth emerges the miracle in which man’s redemption is mysteriously accomplished.” Even the visitation from shepherds, who were often considered “unclean” and “outcasts” by the religious community, takes on many levels of meaning. Scripture will come to speak of Jesus as a shepherd who will come to embrace outsiders (the poor, Samaritans, tax collectors) and the unclean (prostitutes, lepers, etc.).

Advent and Christmas remind us that the true source of our hope, love, joy, and peace has been made known in a God at one with the poor, marginalized, and most vulnerable. May we continue to live this mission as church in humble service to those God lived among and made God's own.

Merry Christmas!

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD 

19th Annual Advent Alternative Gift Fair

Thank you so much to everyone who supported Immaculate Conception’s “19th Annual Advent Alternative Gift Fair.” We also want to thank our volunteers that made this event possible. You helped us make God's love known to all those in need during this Christmas season! We look forward to announcing the results of your generous contributions in the coming weeks. On behalf of the JPIC, the entire parish, and all our organizations... we are truly grateful! 

WINNER OF NAMING THE JAGUAR CONTEST

As part of the Advent Alternative Gift Fair, a girl by the name of Allison Barbara has named the jaguar toy "Tigrecito." Those who are interested in learning more about supporting the Amazon Rainforest's conservation efforts of Rosa Maria Ruiz at Serere Nature Preserve, click here. 

JUSTFAITH 

“FAITH AND POVERTY: A SOLIDARITY RESPONSE”

How do you respond to poverty in your community? “Faith and Poverty: A Solidarity Response,” explores local poverty and introduces participants to the tips and tools they need to respond. Immaculate Conception’s JPIC JustFaith Catholic series program will be meeting on Thursday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, beginning February 2. For more detailed information and to register, please see our announcement on Immaculate Conception’s webpage. 

“THE LETTER”

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4  

JOIN OUR IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH COMMUNITY 

FOR A FILM SCREENING OF “THE LETTER” 

On Saturday, February 4, Immaculate Conception will be offering a parish-wide screening of The Letter, a new documentary about how spiritual values unite us in the face of the planetary emergency. The Letter tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis. Please see our full announcement on Immaculate Conception’s webpage. 

After the film, we will discuss what we can do to join the movement of people who are building a better future. If you would like to join a small group of parishioners helping to organize the screening of this event, please contact Ken (English) or Katushka (Spanish-subtitle screening).  

NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING

In this Season of Advent and with the promise of the Christmas Season our hearts and hopes turn to peace. Peacemaking is one of the core elements of our Franciscan way of life.

NONVIOLENCE RETREAT (ONLINE)

In early January, please consider participating in a short online retreat for nonviolence. In this retreat, we will use a video from Pax Christi International to reflect on what is nonviolence, how we can live it, and reflect with others on what action we might start to discern for our ministries to live this out in our world. The need for nonviolence is glaring as we continue to have shootings in our streets, domestic violence continues to rise in homes, the political rhetoric of our civic conversations often is founded in violence, and war is a constant in our world. Franciscan ministries are needed more than ever to help ourselves and others live into the greeting upon which we are known, Peace and All Good.

There are three options for the retreat. Each of which will be one hour. Please consider joining and sharing this invitation with others. We are asking that people register for the retreat time that is best for them as it will help to plan and use the time more effectively.

• Monday, January 9, 2023—7:30 pm
• Tuesday, January 10, 2023—7:30 pm
• Wednesday, January 11, 2023—3 pm 

BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

A REFLECTION FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 A Reflection by Jeanne Bernacki

Jeanne Bernacki, Immaculata’s Campus Minister and member of Immaculate Conception’s staff was invited by US Catholic Magazine to offer a piece for their Sunday reflection series during the second Sunday of Advent. Among many spiritual insights, Jeanne explains how the prophets “point the way to Jesus and prepare God’s people for the Kingdom that is at hand and still not fully realized.” She reminds us that the prophets teach us the importance of committing “to working toward peace and justice, seeking right relationships, even if it seems our actions will have little impact.” If you have not had a chance to read Jeanne’s Advent reflection or were not fortunate enough to hear her share it recently at the 9:30 am outdoor mass, you can find it through the link below.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE AND JUSTICE, PEACE, AND THE INTEGRITY OF CREATION

WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?  

 A Reflection by Father Jacek Orzechowski, O.F.M.

During the Advent season, the Immaculate Conception parish may appear to be a cauldron of various activities among them, Advent Alternative Gift Fair, putting the final touches on our solar panel lease to make sure we can finally harness the power of brother sun to meet some of our electricity needs, advocating for an end to the death penalty, and… celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Is it too far-fetched to claim that they are all profoundly interconnected? 

In the course of many centuries, devotion to Mary has profoundly shaped the religious imagination of hundreds of millions of Catholics across the globe. This has been particularly true on the American continent, where in 1531, the Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, appeared to a poor indigenous man. The Guadalupe event had a decisive effect on the evangelization of the Americas. Within just 15 years, about nine million native people flocked to the Church seeking baptism, a conversion that was not brought about from the top down through an alliance with political power, but rather from the bottom up, through the agency of marginalized, indigenous people like Juan Diego. Continue reading Father Jacek's article on Immaculate Conception’s webpage.

PROMOTING HUMAN DIGNITY (PHD) 

ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

The JPIC has made several attempts to unite our English and Spanish-speaking communities together to address issues related to gun violence. In addition to community events and advocacy opportunities, our Immaculate Conception parishioners continue to lead these efforts, even organizing a letter-writing campaign to our legislators advocating gun violence prevention at an outdoor mass a few months ago.  

In union with the Catholic Church and our parish’s continuing efforts to provide concrete opportunities to work toward peace in our communities, please call your Senators to encourage them to vote in favor of S736, an assault weapons ban, which made it through the US House of Representatives earlier this year. Our Senators need to hear from their constituents that this is really something that will save lives: After the assault weapons ban of 1994, which lasted 10 years, we saw that there can be a 70% decrease in mortality from mass shootings when such legislation is in place. Please, if you are in favor, consider calling Senator Burr 202-224-3154 and Senator Tillis 202-224-6342. https://www.senate.gov/states/NC/intro.htm NOW is the time to get this passed, because if it does not come to a vote and pass before the end of the calendar year, it will die and is unlikely to make it through the House again next year. 

Ten years ago, on December 14, 2012, there was a mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. This year, it was Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. As informed people of faith, we are aware of increasing gun violence in our society. What is ours to do? This webinar, which will be available on the JustFaith website and YouTube on Tuesday, December 20, explores ways to engage our faith in the public square as we learn about the excellent work that has come out of heartbreaking tragedies. 

LENTEN BOOK STUDY

This year’s Lenten Book will be “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion,” by Gregory Boyle. “For over twenty years, Gregory Boyle has run Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, the gang capital of the world. In Tattoos on the Heart, he distills his experience working in the ghetto into a breathtaking series of parables inspired by faith...”

Participations will have the option of registering either in the Tuesday night “zoom” session or in a Friday morning “in person” session (will switch to zoom if a parish room is not available). Participants also have the option of continuing with the group by reading Father Boyle's second book, “Barking at the Choir.”



The PHD team is looking for people to help plan this year’s Lenten Book Study discussions. If you are interested, please get in touch with Catherine Pleil.  

DEATH PENALTY PROTEST MARCH

Last Saturday, December 10, people from across North Carolina marched from Central Prison in Raleigh to the NC Governor’s Mansion to urge Governor Roy Cooper to commute the death sentences of the 135 people on North Carolina’s death row. Father Gonzalo, along with several parishioners, attended the march to tell Governor Cooper “No More Death Row!” #NoMoreDeathRow #DecarcerateNowNC Thanks to all our parishioners who embodied Catholic social teaching by helping to bring attention to this important movement. 

CARE FOR CREATION 

SOLAR PANELS – CONNECTED!

On Friday, December 9, solar lease panels located on the roof of our school were connected to the electrical grid. From now on, we will harness the power of the sun to produce clean, renewable energy and reduce our dependence on conventional energy, which is obtained from burning fossil fuels. We are grateful to those whose steadfast engagement in this initiative, hard work, and persistence has led us to this moment.

WHAT IS COP15 AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

This month, from December 5-18, a United Nations Biodiversity Summit, known as COP 15, is being held in Montreal, Canada. The term biodiversity refers to plants, animals, fungi, and other microorganisms that we do not usually see with our naked eye. It is the variety of life on Earth, from the tiniest bacteria to the largest mammals and it is what provides our food, water, and air. Biodiversity loss ranks as one of the biggest threats facing humanity. At COP 15, government leaders and climate justice groups will consider a once-in-a-decade agreement that establishes goals for how the countries of the world should protect biodiversity and ecosystems (related to but separate from climate change, which was addressed last month in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt). 

Pope Francis highlights biodiversity in his encyclical Laudato Si’. “Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, our children will never see, because they have been lost forever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity” (LS 33). To understand the importance of COP 15 and see a short video, No More Biodiversity Collapse, visit the Laudato Si’ Movement. 

CONFRONTING ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM

For parishioners who were unable to take part in any of the 4-part webinar series the JPIC has been highlighting this fall sponsored by the Franciscan Action Network, the Franciscan Federation, and the Franciscan Friars (OFM) US-6 JPIC Working Group, all of the recordings can be found here: Confronting Environmental Racism. The centerpiece of the series consists of three short documentaries produced by Hip Hop Caucus called “Big Oil’s Last Lifeline.” At three of the four gatherings, viewers watched one 20-minute-long documentary and heard from a speaker in one of the “sacrifice zones” in the U.S.–Houston, Louisiana, and West Virginia–while at the fourth participants discussed advocacy options with experienced activists. The testimony of affected people and local activists from so-called “sacrifice zones” in Texas, Louisiana, and West Virginia helped us to understand the devastating and disproportionate health impacts of petrochemical industries on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-wealth communities. 

IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 

INTERFAITH IMMIGRATION COALITION

VIGIL & LETTER

On Friday, December 9, at 4 pm, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition held a Prayer Vigil at the Terry Sanford Federal Building in Raleigh, NC, to encourage Senator Thom Tillis to support a pathway to citizenship during the “lame duck” session of Congress. Father Gonzalo, Father Jacek, along with several parishioners from Immaculate Conception Church joined the prayer vigil. We also want to thank all the members of our parish who have signed the letter to Senator Tillis showing their support and need to legally protect Dreamers, TPS holders, and migrant farmworkers. Thanks to everyone who helped bring attention to this important issue.

LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR IMMIGRANTS

The FRANCISCAN ACTION NETWORK (FAN) has asked us to remind our parishioners, as we prepare for a new Congress in early January, several efforts are underway to protect our immigrant sisters and brothers as well as those seeking asylum. Please take action where you can. 

• DEMAND A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP: Contact your members of Congress via telephone or email and ask them to return to the negotiating table and pass legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants this year. 
• REJECT EFFORTS TO EXTEND TITLE 42: Contact your members of Congress and urge them to reject any congressional efforts to extend or codify Title 42 or otherwise dismantle our asylum system.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 

DURHAM CAN

On Thursday night, December 8, Durham CAN gathered to set the agenda for 2023. All member institutions, including Immaculate Conception, had the opportunity to identify problems, caucus, vote, and collectively outline the main areas Durham CAN would seek to address in our community for 2023. The following areas of focus were identified: 

          1) Affordable Housing 

          2) Gun Violence 

          3) Poverty (Living Wages, Food Insecurity, Homelessness, Job Training) 

          4) Public Transportation 

This agenda means nothing without members willing to work to move our problems to issues that become actions. If you feel passionate about any of the areas, please submit your name to work on an action team noted above. In January, Durham CAN will be meeting with each action team to flesh out the various issues. Email Ken and I can connect you with Durham CAN on behalf of parish community.

DURHAM CONGREGATIONS IN ACTION (DCIA)

Announces the Annual Homeless Memorial Vigil, Wednesday, December 21, 6 - 6:45 pm. The Annual Homeless Memorial Vigil will be at the Farmers Market Pavilion at Durham Central Park (501 Foster Street) in downtown Durham. Durham has 134 neighbors who live unsheltered (2021). All faith-communities and the public are invited to share in a time of spiritual song, prayer, eulogy, and reflection on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, as we remember and honor, by name, our neighbors who have lived in homelessness and died in 2022. 

DIRECT SERVICE

Meals for the Hungry 

December 17 

Help us prepare meals! As a parish, we serve dinner to approximately 150-200 people on the third Saturday of every month. Donations can be dropped off at the Immaculata kitchen (attached to the school) between 4 and 4:30 pm on Saturday.

Individual meals will be packaged and transported to Urban Ministries on Liberty Street.

Please sign up and tell us what you can bring! 

Immaculate Conception’s “The Furniture Project of Durham” recently released some updated information about the organization. Please click below.