Church of the Immaculate Conception

We at Immaculate Conception are a group of people bound together by our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we

were baptized, we were called to share in His work. Therefore we pledge ourselves to build a community where all are

welcomed, loved, needed and appreciated. Armed with the faith in the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we will celebrate

the gift of life together in word and sacrament.

February 20 and 21, 2016 Second Sunday of Lent

Weekend Mass Schedule Pastoral Care Area South: Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 pm Immaculate Conception, Greene 5:45 pm St. Joseph, Oxford Sunday: 8:45 am St. Joseph, Oxford 10:15 am Immaculate Conception, Greene 4:00 pm St. Paul, Norwich

Church of the Immaculate Conception 1180 State Highway 206, Greene, New York 13778 Rev. Msgr. John P. Putano, Administrator Website: iccgreene.wordpress.com Email: immcongreene@syrdio.org Facebook: Church of the Immaculate Conception And ICC Youth Group Parish Office: Tue. thru Thurs. 10:30 am to 4:30 pm Mary Wentlent, Parish Manager 656-9546 Audrée Beach, Admin. Asst. 656-9546 Fax 656-7667 Baptism & RCIA ICC Parish Office 656-9546 Religious Education: Kathy Nichols knichols3@hotmail.com 692-4702 Youth Ministry: ICC Parish Council: Nancy Amell, Francis Feldpausch - President, Donna Heisler, Joanne Moxley, Penny Sweet, Zach Urda. ICC Trustees: Jackie Henninge - 656-9501; jackiehenninge@frontier.com Robert Larkin - 279-3900; robertmlarkin@gmail.com Feel free to contact the Trustees or Council Members with any concerns you have about our parish. Gluten free hosts are available. Notify the Sacristy before Mass if you need one.

Look up at the sky and

count the stars… Just so, shall

your descendants be..

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, New York Page 2

Mass Schedule SATURDAY 2/20/16

4:00 pm For Parishioners

SUNDAY 2/21/16 10:15 am † Thomas Nixon by Nixon & Amell Family † Kathleen Wedge by Parish Family

WEDNESDAY 2/24/16 7:00 pm † Eric Ramburg by Parish Family

THURSDAY 2/25/16 8:30 am Communion Service

SATURDAY 2/27/16 4:00 pm † Angelo Lawrence by Rita Kroon

SUNDAY 2/28/16 10:15 am † Gloria Byrne by Bev & Jim Doughty For Parishioners

ICC WEEK AT A GLANCE SUNDAY 2/21 8:45 a Religious Education Class 9 Bible Study 11:30 a Confession 11:30 a RCIA 11:30 a Liturgy Meeting - H 4-5:15 p Confirmation Class MONDAY 2/22 6 Cub Scouts TUESDAY 2/23 WEDNESDAY 2/24 10:30 a Card Party & Lunch - H, K 7 p Mass 7:30 p Stations of the Cross THURSDAY 2/25 8 a Rosary 9:30 a Bible Study 12 N GAC Service & Lunch - Episcopal Church 6 p Bible Study FRIDAY 2/26 7 p Rosary & Reflection SATURDAY 2/27

8:30-11 Cub Scout Blue & Gold Breakfast - H, K 3:15 p Confession SUNDAY 2/28 Youth Mass 8:45 a Religious Education Class 9-10 Bible Study 11:30 a Confession Coffee Hour - H, K Altar Server Training 11:30 a RCIA Finance Committee Meeting - L Location Codes: S—Sanctuary; H—Parish Hall; K—Kitchen;

CR—Cry Room; L—Library; P—Pavilion; AC—All Church;

OF-Out Front; OB-Out Back; SJ—St. Joseph’s, DT—Downtown.

Sacrificial Giving and Expenses for the month of January 2016:January 2016:January 2016:January 2016: Total Income: $ 9,605.23 Total Expense: $ 8,721.44 Expenses include: yearly taxes, utilities, parish events, supplies. 2nd Collection - 3/6 Catholic Relief Services Remember St. Paul’s advice: “God loves a cheer-ful giver.” (2 Cor.9:7)

LAY PERSONS SCHEDULE Saturday 4:00 pm Saturday 4:00 pm February 20, 2016 February 27, 2016

E. M.’s: P. Sweet S. Carlin J. Moxley D. Barden

Lector: R. Kroon D. Maginsky Servers: Adult Volunteer Adult Volunteer

Sunday 10:15 am Sunday 10:15 am February 21, 2016 February 28, 2016 E. M.’s: M. Browning E. Browning Z. Urda B. Doughty C. Gibbons M. Kim Lector: L. Detweiler Youth Servers: C. Grant D. Heisler C. Leonard K. Browning L. Flanagan D. Furman Counters: A. Browning D. Maginsky E. Hadlick T. Mulvey CLOW: C. Gibbons M. & M. S. Brown Feldpauxch

Starting Feb. 17, on Wednesdays during Lent Fr. Lupa will celebrate Mass at 7:00 pm followed by Stations of the Cross. Check the church answering machine for cancelations due to inclement weather. St. Joseph’s: Friday’s 12:10 pm, then Stations.

Liturgy Meeting - Sunday, February 21 after Mass.

Finance Meeting - Sunday, February 28 after the Youth Mass reception.

Page 5

Circle of Friends Card Party Wednesday, February 24 from 10:30-12:30. All are welcome join us for a fun morning. Feel free to bring a snack or light lunch item to share.

Rosary & Personal Reflection Time- Friday, February 26, 7-8pm. Just what you need, - an hour of quite reflection on our Lenten journey.

Parish Dinner - Sunday, March 6 immediately following Mass, for all parishioners to come and enjoy a roast pork dinner and meet our new members. The Knights of Columbus men’s group has graciously agreed to prepare the dinner for us. We will use the opportunity of this dinner is to welcome and introduce all of the new families that have joined our parish in the last few years to the rest of the parish family. We have had 46 new families join ICC and it’s time for a formal welcome and introduction to our parish life. Please sign up in the vestibule or call the parish office if you plan to attend; we will need to give the Knights an accurate number of dinners to prepare. Members of committees and parish groups are especially encouraged to attend.

IGNITE 2016 Catholic Men's Conference Attention men of the parish, the theme for the 8th Annual IGNITE Men’s Conference is Merciful Like the Father. Almost 7,000

men have attended the previous conferences and we are looking to make sure 2016 breaks the 8,000 mark! You can be part of it on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the SRC Arena & Event Center for an amazing day that will have a tremendous impact on you. See our parish captain Jim Norton or you can register online at www.ignitecatholicmen.org. Sign up now. Limited seating available.

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, NY

We extend our sympathy to... ...The Hunt Family in the recent loss of their loved one, Don Blaisure 2/11/16. ...The Browning Family in the recent loss of their loved one, Eric Ramburg 2/11/16 We pray for the happy repose of their souls. May they find a new life with God in heaven.

Volunteer Opportunities Greene Food Pantry we collect non-perishable foods for our local food pantry. Please leave your donation in the basket in the Parish Hall vestibule. May & November we cover the hours at the Pantry. Meals On Wheels Our volunteers make the deliveries for August & February: Mon, Wed, Fri, 11:15am. Call the Parish Office to join our team! Our Brother’s Keeper—We take donations of CLEAN blankets, quilts, sheets, towels, batting & fiber fill. & yarn. Please bag the items. Our next sleeping bag workshop will be this summer. Bottle & Can Drive - drop off your refundable items n the bin next to the Rectory garage. Donations will benefit the summer youth retreat to Steubenville. St. Pauly Textile collection shed in our parking lot. Donate your unwanted clothes & fabric items & ICC receives 2 cents per pound collected.

Saturday, March 19 - St. Joseph’s Feast Day and their 168th year of Parish Life! You’re invited to join their celebration starting with the 5:45 pm Mass followed by their Festa di San Giuseppe & pot luck supper. Copies of the St. Joseph novena are available in the vestibule.

VIRTUS Training Class - Two sessions offered at St. Joseph’s. Initial training session, Wednesday, March 2, 6pm . Recertification session, Wednesday, February 24, 6 pm. Both sessions held in their parish hall. VIRTUS Certification is required for all those volunteering within the Church if their work brings them in contact with children. This is to ensure that our children are kept safe & protected To register contact Kathy Anderson @ 316-1717

February 21, 2016

Lent calls us to prayer, fasting and almsgiving...to be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure, using our gifts for the building of the Kingdom.

Are You Traveling? For nationwide Mass times while you are traveling, call 1-800-627-7846 or go online www.masstimes.org. The web site also provides a map. Both services are free

Root Funeral Home Greene’s Oldest Funeral Home

Member New York State Funeral Director Assoc.

Serving Greene, Oxford and the surrounding communities.

Charles C. Dietrich

607-656-4212 23 North Chenango Street Greene, New York 13778

www.rootfh.com

NEVILLE LAW OFFICENEVILLE LAW OFFICENEVILLE LAW OFFICENEVILLE LAW OFFICE Chris P. Neville, Esq.

Robert M. Larkin, Of Counsel P. O. Box 570 * 36 Genesee St.

Greene, New York 13778

607607607607----656656656656----4515451545154515

St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery

Oxford, New York A beautiful, peaceful resting place

Double Plot $700 1 casket & 1 urn or 2 urns

607-843-8785

Continuing Our Tradition of Service Since 1914

Bartles Pharmacy

10 Lafayette Park. Oxford, NY 13830

607-843-2841

A Professional Agency for Personal & Business Insurance

Gray & Sons Agency, Inc.

Kathy Pilkington Robert J. Greene

607-656-4455 18-22 Genesee Street, Greene, NY 13778

•Construction •Lawn Mowing/Brush Hogging •Home Improvement •Excavating

607-226-4119 607-316-2969 Gerry Reiss Mike Reiss Oxford, New York

Molly S. Nolan Licensed R.E. Salesperson

607-725-6308 Cell

KENNEDY FUNERAL HOME, INC.

21 North Chenango St., Greene, NY 13778 607-656-7714

service@kennedyfuneralhome.net http://kennedyfuneralhome.net

Your Ad Here! $100.00 small; $200.00 me-dium; $300.00 large; for one year. The ad is shared with St.

BY PATRONIZING OUR BULLETIN ADVERTISERS

YOU ARE SAYING “THANK YOU”

FOR HELPING TO PUBLISH OUR BULLETIN.

Parish Registration FormParish Registration FormParish Registration FormParish Registration Form Name: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Phone: e-mail:

� I am new to the parish and wish to register. � I am previously registered . � I want offering envelopes.

� I am interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith.

Mail to: Immaculate Conception Church, 1180 State Hwy. 206, Greene, NY 13778 or place in collection basket

February 21, 2016

Daily Mass A long-standing Catholic tradition of penitential practice is to attend Mass each day of the Lenten season and to deepen one’s faith by reflecting on the special Scripture reading the Church offers us at these daily Masses. I strongly encourage all of our parishioners who are able to make that sac-rifice of 30 minutes of your time to join with others at the daily Eucharist, on Wednesday (ICC) & Fri-days (St. Joe’s) of Lent. Other opportunities in our PCA are: Tues. & Thur., 8 am at St. Bart’s & Wed. & Fri., 9 am at St. Paul’s Norwich.

A Healthy Body/Healthy Soul 51 Healthy Foods You Can Say “Yes” To, cont… Tufts University Health & Nutrition Newsletter

27. Oranges - Of course, you already know about the benefits of eating from the "sunshine tree" - notably, getting more than a day's dose of vitamin C in just one navel orange. Oranges also are a pretty good source of potassium. 28. Peaches - and similar fruit such as nectarines de-liver modest amounts of vitamins (especially A and C), niacin and minerals (particularly potassium), while satisfying your craving for something sweet - all at a tiny price in calories (only 40 in a medium-sized peach).

Wisdom From Our Catholic Tradition “If we allow ourselves to experience the terror of our core emptiness, if we allow ourselves to be still enough and silent enough to recognize our basic lone-liness, then, perhaps, we will finally realize that we need God. God alone is the answer to emptiness.” Elizabeth Anne Vanek

Ash Wednesday & Good Friday are Fast Days in Lent; only one full meal may be taken. They are also, as are all Fridays of Lent, days of Abstinence; no meat may be eaten by those over the age of 14. These acts of self-denial are meant to aid in the practice of self-discipline that we might grow in our spiritual life.

Retrouvaille, Rebuilding Hurting Marriages If your marriage has become troubled or stressed, unloving, or uncaring; if your relationship has grown cold & distant; if you are thinking of separation or di-vorce, or if you are already separated or divorced but want to try again, then the Retrouvaille Program can help you. The next weekend is March 4-6 at the Good News Center, Utica. Visit www.thegoodnewscenter.org.

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, New York Page 3

Father’s NotesFather’s NotesFather’s NotesFather’s Notes

Taking Time to Speak and Listen to God “Now it was this time that Jesus went out into the hills

to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to

God.” (Luke 6:12)

We are fortunate to live in an age when technology has given us a vast array of marvels to make our lives easier & more enjoyable. But one of the drawbacks of this age is that we tend to think that we are in control of our own lives. While our culture acknowledges that God exists, it rejects any reliance upon God. Prayer is an expression of both praise & dependency, and recent studies show that the number of Americans who pray daily has been decreasing. The gradual ero-sion of attendance at Sunday Mass over the past years stems in part from our attitude of non- dependency. Al-though we are faced today with countless national & global problems, we believe that we can solve them with the correct application of science, technology & intellect. If we are to view the countless deeds of our daily lives - from washing clothes to sharing a meal - as sacred & prayerful, we need to do more than just paste a label on them that says “Prayer!” In our already busy lives, we have to set aside times for formal prayer, for quiet re-flection and silence. Every household, even if it is only a single room, should have a sacred place or small shrine area. from A Gospel Holiness by Fr. Edward

Hays

A Convert’s View “As a Lutheran, I had been troubled by the infre-quency of Communion within the Lutheran Church. I could clearly see that the highlight of Lutheran wor-ship tended to be Scripture readings and the homily, while the highlight of Catholic worship was the Eucharist. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John helped me under-stand the difference. Once I recognized Christ in the “breaking of the bread,” I could not be held back. I wanted nothing more than to run to Him as fast as my legs would take me. So, on March 19, 1995, I pro-fessed my belief in the Holy Catholic Church, was confirmed, and accompanied my wife Mary to the Lord’s Table for the very first time. The Eucharist remains central to my spiritual life as a Catholic.” Tim Drake, former Lutheran, and convert to the Catholic Church.

Page 4 Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, New York

Hungering for Opportunity This week CRS Rice Bowl takes us to Laos, where Hongkham is using her love of cooking to provide for her family - & feed an entire school. How do we use our passions & gifts for the betterment of those we meet? Visit crsricebowl.org for more.

Lenten Retreat for Women, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Endicott. Saturday, February 27, 8am -1pm. Event includes Breakfast, Confessions, Mass and Adoration. Rev. Peter VanLieshout, Celebrant, Sr. Brigid O'Mahoney will offer a reflection on "The Joy of God's Mercy" Come and join your sisters in Christ for a time of spiritual refreshment and reflection. $15. To register call 315-475-9332 or swc@syrdio.org.

Conversion and Confession are year-round

experiences; use the following as a regular daily

prayer. Fr. Lupa

An Act of Contrition Loving and merciful God, forgive me for the times when I have strayed from you like a wayward sheep from its shepherd. For the times I thought I could get along without you, I am sorry. For the other times I have been seduced by the false idols this world has to offer, I am sorry. For the times I have failed to recog-nize you in the least of my brothers and sisters, I am sorry. For the times when I have hurt those closest to me through my selfishness, I am sorry. Lord, in your goodness remember not that I have sinned but that I am your beloved child; help me always to walk the path of love. Amen. Nancy Bevenga

Religious Education Kathy Nichols, Coordinator - 656-9546 Sundays 8:45 - 10:00 am Class - February 21, 28 Children’s Mass, February 28

Dear friends, I wish our whole parish could have been with me in Syracuse last Sunday. I drove up to the Immacu-late Conception Cathedral for the Rite of Election. That is one of the stops on the RCIA path to join-ing the Catholic Church. Our RCIA candidate is Stephanie Watson, and it was a special day for her at this service. All the parishes in the Diocese sent their candidates and a parish representative. We sat on the front row and got to see all the action! Bishop Cunningham spoke about why the day was so special. He explained that God calls each of us at some point in our life, in some way, to draw closer to him. This day was about the candidates responding to that call in a public and formal way. (He has such a gift with words!) When it was time, I went up and announced to everyone that our par-ish was happy to present Stephanie for the Rite of Election. She went up with her sponsor and signed the Book of Elect, which enrolls her as beginning her journey to receiving the Easter sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil Mass. The parishes were then asked to pray for all the candidates and support them as we move toward Easter together. It was just a beautiful service, full of excitement, symbolism, anticipation and spirit! I’ve come to understand that by joining the church through the RCIA classes, you learn all about the history of how the church started, why we worship thru the celebration of the Mass, why Mary and the Saints are so important, and how the Bible can help us each day of our life. With the current political turmoil and disgusting media blast each day, it is very comforting to be able to fall back on the rich-ness and depth of the Catholic Church and the strength it has shown these past 2000 years! Jesus knew about yesterday, today and tomorrow! He has things under control! Please pray for Stephanie as well as our 3 confir-mation students and our 4 First Communion stu-dents as they prepare to receive their sacraments this spring; this outward and visible sign of an in-ward and spiritual grace. Thank you for choosing ICC for worship today! Peace! ~Mary Wentlent

40 Days for Life: a groundbreaking, coordinated international mobilization: 40 days of prayer, fasting, & peaceful vigil for an end to abortion. Feb. 10-March 20 our community will take part. We pray that, with God’s help, this will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city — and beyond. For up to the minute news from the Binghamton vigil, follow Binghamton 40 Days for Life on Facebook. Vigil location: Public right-of-way outside Southern Tier Women's Services 149 Vestal Parkway W, Vestal.