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Weekly Mass Times:

Saturday @ 4:00 pm

Sunday @ 9:00 am

Confessions: @ 3:00 pm Saturday

Administrator—Deacon John Roth

Sacramental Minister- Fr Marino Msigala

Administrative Assistant-David Mazzaferro

Secretary—Renee Putt

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH

We extend a special welcome to everyone! No matter if you’re visiting from another Catholic Parish, or just exploring the Catholic Church for the first time. No matter your state in life, we’re glad you’re here. If you like what you see and you’d like to join, we’re always accepting new members! Just

drop us a note and we’d love to help you join the family!

1416 Dudley Road, PO Box 188

Dudley, Pa. 16634 Office: 814-635-2919 Fax: 814-626-0127

First Sunday of Lent March 1, 2020

Be Merciful Lord, For We Have Sinned

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Week of March 1, 2020

1st Reading Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7

2nd Reading Romans 5:12-19

Gospel Reading

Matthew 4:1-11

Sat Feb 29 4:00pm +In memory of Jerry Maslanik req. by the Maslanik Family

Sun Mar 1 9:00am For Megan Miller (granddaughter of Josephine & the late Bill Kelly) req. by Josephine

Sat Mar 7 4:00pm +In memory of Jerry Maslanik req. by the Maslanik Family

Sun Mar 8 9:00am +In memory of Anthony Scavone req. by the Family

Saturday

Mar 7 at 4:00pm Sunday

March at 9:00am

Immaculate Conception Masses

Sunday Collection February 2020

Mar 1 Diana May Fred & Gina Chadwick

Mar 8 Jack Dickson Susan Dickson

Mar 15 Bob Watkins Karen Watkins

Mar 22 Ada Johnson Angie Johnson

Mar 29 Jane Brown Cathie Maslanik

April 5 Gary Bisher Nancy Ross

Collection Counters Schedule

Weekend Collection (Feb 22 & 23) $1000.00

February Total to Date $5788.00

Monthly Goal $6,500.00

Envelopes Used 27

Server Judy Ford

Lector Lisa Crawshaw

E. Minister Temporarily on-hold

E. Minister Temporarily on-hold

Usher Matt Meck

Usher Bob Ritchey

Server Morgan Musselman

Lector Rose Lynn

E. Minister Temporarily on-hold

E. Minister Temporarily on-hold

Usher Gary Bisher

Usher Scott Bisher

Join your fellow parishioners Sunday mornings

after Mass for coffee, treats and fellowship in the parish hall.

Thank you for your generosity

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From the desk of Dcn. John Roth

A HEALING MASS will be celebrated on Monday. March 16 at 7:00pm at the Cathedral of the Blessed

Sacrament in Altoona for all in need of physical, emotional or spiritual healing and those who support them. Very Rev. Alan Thomas is the Mass celebrant and music will be led by the Cathedral Prayer Group Music

Ministry.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

March— Five Sundays of Lent

April 5 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

April 9 & 10 Holy Thursday and Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

April 12- Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

Entering Lent and currently at my Diaconate

academic weekend I thought I would share some of what Father Pat provided within our class, “The

Covenants in the Bible.” As I shared with you

earlier, when Jesus reduced the ten commandments to love God and neighbor, in

essence it took the shape of the cross. With the

first three commandments to love God, it represents the vertical bar; while the last seven

commandments represent the horizontal bar.

Christ then, nailed onto the cross for our sins, reconciles us not only with God but our neighbor

or community as well. Through His sacrifice, with His heart located at the center of the cross, is

acceptable to God.

As Father Pat alluded to in our class, no sin is private and every sin changes our relationship not

only within ourselves, but with God and each

other as well. Thus, in the confessional, where the priest now becomes the minister of this wonderful

sacrament, he takes on the persona of Christ.

Please realize within our Roman Catholic faith, every sacrament is an outward sign instituted by

Christ to provide us with the Grace of God. Each

Sacrament becomes a channel of God’s grace. Though Christ died for us upon the Cross, now it

is our priest within the sacrament of Penance,

who becomes Christ, that through His Sacrifice we might receive the grace needed in order to heal

us and our shortcomings with God and our

neighbor as well. Though it is the priest who speaks the words of Christ, it is through Christ’s

Passion, Death and Resurrection that God

extends His mercy that we might receive His grace.

As we enter into Lent, hopefully each one of us

can take the time during this season to appreciate

just how much Christ has provided for us. I pray

all those who are able will take the time to attend

this year’s Penance service that will be held at

ICC. If unable, please try to attend another

service at one of the other churches within the

region.

If you were accused of being a Christian and placed in front of a jury, would there be

enough EVIDENCE

to convict you?

Examination of Conscience by Fr. Larry Rice

Every year around this time, we are bombarded with lists. The top movies of the year. The best

and worst dressed. Something about the ending

of one year and the beginning of another prompts us to review and assess the year just past, and

evaluate the high and low points. This tendency

to evaluate and make lists is deeply ingrained in us. In the Catholic spiritual tradition, we have a

method of self-evaluation that might be a valuable

spiritual exercise at this time of year. It’s called an “examination of conscience.” Although there

are lots of different forms of this exercise, all of

them are comprised of a structured list of questions to ask yourself, designed to help you

determine where you might have gone wrong,

what your spiritual weaknesses are, and even what you should have done that maybe you

neglected to do. If you’ve never done a formal

examination of conscience, this might seem like a big downer. But this is a list that’s just between

you and God. There’s no need to sugarcoat it. If,

after going through the exercise, you’ve discovered some serious issues needing

reconciliation and forgiveness, then you’re well

prepared for the Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession. At a minimum, you’ll be able to base

your Lenten sacrifice on something concrete. If

you’d like to locate an examination of conscience to reflect on, I recommend going to Google or your

favorite internet search engine, and searching for

the phrase “examination of conscience.” You’ll find several different versions you can try.

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Immaculate Conception News & Events

Let us say a prayer for our Catholic

members who are homebound and unable to attend church.

Omer Black Lora Bridestine

Mary Lynn Dickson Nancy Detwiler

Geraldine Hiquet Dora Mellot

Butch Neuder Earl Fetters

Elaine Rheem Iola Cimbalista

Renee Putt

If your Birthday is missing, please fill out a census form to be added into the church web file. Census forms can be found in the back of church on the shelf. If you have any questions please contact Dave Mazzaferro at the office or email iccdudley@dioceseaj.org

Daniel Reed 03/05

Elizabeth Zelanko 03/07

Jackie Neville 03/08

Kyler Zdrosky 03/09

Brandt Baer 03/10

Gene Altobelli 03/17

Susan Gracey 03/17

Stacy Greene 03/17

Theresa Minnick 03/20

Justin Watkins 03/21

Alan Putt 03/26

The Proclaim! TV Ministry is a

weekly television program spotlighting news and happenings

in the Diocese of Altoona-

Johnstown. It airs every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on

WATM ABC 23.

Tony DeGol, Secretary for Communications for

Bishop Mark L. Bartchak and the Diocese of

Altoona-Johnstown, is the producer and host of the show. The program also features “Keeping the

Faith,” a weekly segment with Bishop Mark

interviewing newsmakers in the Diocese.

ROSARY SOCIETY NEWS The Rosary Society is sponsoring its annual Spring Prize Bingo on Sunday, April 26th. If you

would like to donate a prize, an item for the

basket raffle, or a gift card for the gift card trees, please see Jane. If you would like to help with the

bingo, just let Jane know. Proceeds from this

bingo benefit Mary’s Medical Mission which has helped many of our parishioners, friends,

neighbors, and families with long term illnesses

get to doctor’s appointments and treatments. _________________________________________________

If you would like to join the Rosary Society, just come to one of our meetings or talk with one of

our members. There are no dues or requirements

to join. You may choose any of our events to help with – prize bingo, clothing or coat give away,

personal care bags, the Christmas Bazaar or

rosary at the grotto. We enjoy working together on our projects. Men and women are

welcome! Our meetings are usually the third

Sunday of the month after the 9:00 mass. _________________________________________________

Rosary Society is sponsoring a Tupperware book party. If you would like to order any items, please

see any of the members. Proceeds will go to

Rosary Society to support our projects. _________________________________________________

Eucharistic Adoration is held every

Monday evening at 6:00pm unless otherwise indicated.

GREAT TURNOUT We had a very nice turnout for our Ash Wednesday Mass this past week. Fr. Marino was

very pleased that so many were here to begin the

Lenten Season. It is his hope that as many as possible will continue to observe Lent by

attending the Stations of the Cross each Friday

evening at 7 pm.

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Bulletin Deadline:

Any information that you would like published in the church bulletin for the coming week must be

submitted no later than Thursday @ 10am. Any

information received after that time will be placed in the followings week’s bulletin.

Church Office Hours

Immaculate Conception Church Office hours are

from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm Monday through Friday. If you call outside of those hours, please

leave a message and your call will be returned as

soon as possible. Office number: (814) 635-2919.

Mar 1 2nd Collection—Black & Indian United States Mission

Mar 9 Parish Council Meeting—7:00pm

Mar 14 Regular Monthly Bingo—Doors open at 5:30pm

Mar 15 Rosary Society Meeting—Following 9 o’clock Mass

Mar 28 Quickie Bingo—Doors open at 5:30pm

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monthly Bingo Join us for our monthly parish bingo every 2nd

Saturday. Doors open at 5:00pm. Games begin at 6:30pm. There is always room for more helpers.

If you would like to help out with Bingo, please call Ralph Altobelli at 635-2016. All help is

appreciated.

Upcoming Bingo Schedule

Next Regular Bingo: March 14 Next Quickie Bingo: March 28

Eucharistic Adoration is held every

Monday evening at 6:00pm unless otherwise indicated.

Parish Website: www.iccdudley.com

Immaculate Conception News & Events

Bingo Help

Our monthly bingo is our church’s largest

fundraiser throughout the year. It is vital to our

financial health and success. Over the past few years, our help has declined significantly mostly

due to the age and health of those who have been

so dedicated over the years.

We are in need of volunteers to help keep our

monthly bingo viable and growing. Whether it’s selling tickets, helping selling food or washing

dishes and cleaning up afterwards, please give it

some thought. You can contact Bill Fink, Ralph Altobelli or any member of the Bingo committee.

Altar Servers Needed We are in need of altar servers especially for the Saturday mass. We strongly encourage adults to

take part as we don’t have a lot of young people

coming to the Saturday mass. We only have a few young servers and they have been carrying the

load for a long time. And Judy Ford serves almost

every Saturday when she is available. Please talk it over with your family and give some thought to

serving the Lord and your church in this special

way.

300 Club Tickets There are still a few 300 Club tickets available for

the dinner and drawing in July. If you can help sell tickets or wish to purchase any, please

contact the church office. The first drawing takes

place on March 7.

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Spiritual Reflections

Spiritual Reflections Families and the Gospel

First Sunday of Lent In today’s gospel Jesus

cautions it is not enough to provide food for our children; “one does not live on bread alone.” Let

Lent 2020 be a time when you are “led by the

Spirit” to explore new ways to be a moral guide to your children.

March 1 Matthew 4:1-11 “A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all

its confidence in God.”

St. Faustina

Lenten Preparation (Simple steps to a meaningful Lent)

• Go through your closets and donate

usable clothing and household goods to a local charity.

• Pay attention to someone you are

tempted to brush aside. • Fast from gossip.

• Pray at the sound of sirens from

emergency vehicles. Pray for the people who might be in trouble.

• Fast from e-mail, text messaging, or both

for a day.

• Speak less and listen more. Give others

the gift of your undivided attention.

We Need Each Other

There is an indelible and universal truth as it

pertains to the church. We need each other. In

fact, the Bible is adamantly clear that without the contribution of each member, the church does not

properly function. Thus is the substance of Paul’s

discussion in 1 Corinthians 12. The church in Corinth struggled with supremacy. There were

those who possessed the most coveted and

thereby most respected spiritual gifts, and to those they bestowed greater honor. Within the

church, they were considered the most important.

To dispel such a divisive notion and to promote unity, Paul makes some assertions. Notice what

he says in 1 Corinthians 12:19-22, “And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

But now indeed there are many members, yet one

body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I

have no need of you.” No, much rather, those

members of the body which seem to be weaker

are necessary.”

Why? Because truthfully, if we all possessed the

same talents, the same abilities, the same strengths and even weaknesses; where would the

body be? The answer is simple. It would be

lacking what you can contribute whether great or small. You see brethren, the truth of the matter

remains indelible. We need each other. Therefore,

let us conclude that although you may not be able to do what others can; there is no gift given by

God that is not both useful and beneficial to the

grow and vitality of this congregation. So, by all means, contribute!

A Prayer for Lent

O gracious Master, infuse in our hearts the

spotless light of Your Divine Wisdom and open

the eyes of our mind that we may understand the

teachings of Your Gospel.

Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, so that having curbed all carnal

desires, we may lead a spiritual life, both thinking

and doing everything to please You.

For You, O Christ, our God, are the

enlightenment of our souls and bodies; and to

You we render glory, together with Your eternal Father, and with Your all holy, life-creating Spirit,

now and ever, and forever. Amen

Lenten Resources

There are 2 magazines on the back table containing daily Lenten Reflections. Lent...A Time

of Grace contains reflections from Pope Francis

and the other is The Word Among Us that contains daily meditations as well as several

special feature articles. Feel free to take them

home as we begin this season of “renewal”

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Kid’s Corner

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The Catholic Ministries Drive supports 14 ministries that touch the lives of every parishioner in each of our parishes. It would be impossible for any individual parish to duplicate the scope of the ministries. We must all share in the responsibility. You can be assured that 100% of all CMD gifts are restricted to these

ministries. There are envelopes on the shelves in the back of the church. If you prefer to donate online, you can do so by going to the Diocesan website and click on which will lead you directly to the CMD donation page. The parish target for Immaculate Conception church is $8,892. Any amount exceeding this will be returned to our church for use locally.

Do more with Radical Love

Perhaps it stems from watching a webinar about St. Teresa of Kolkata … or reading about legendary

Catholic activist Dorothy Day … or reading about the selfless devotion of parents with babies in the

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of hospitals around the country.

Whatever the source, I have found myself of late contemplating the concept of radical love. Indeed, it must

be the most powerful force on earth, and its origin is in the One Who loved us first—our Father in Heaven.

But I recognize within myself a lack of that nobility that distinguished the saints. I know no lepers I can care

for, and my cramped apartment will not accommodate multiple struggling families.

It would be easy, then, to think that radical love is beyond my capability. But in my heart, I know that is

not the case — that with God, all things are possible.

However, neither Earth nor Heaven were built in a day. I need to take baby steps to begin to love lavishly.

It occurred to me that others — even heroic mothers — may wonder how to love to their full capacity.

Therefore, I would like to offer three ways to start to unleash the power of radical love:

• Pray for those who are on the “other side of the fence.” These may be people who openly dislike you, or

who oppose your values. They may be people you know well or who you are only acquainted with through

news headlines. I recall a woman I knew, whose confessor believed she was an unheralded saint. On the day of a famous dictator’s death, she asked me to join her in praying for his immortal soul. Somehow, I moved

past my initial reluctance and joined her in praying for an enemy—a moment of profound grace I will never

forget.

• Forego buying something you really want, and give the money you would have spent to a homeless

shelter, soup kitchen, or other charity. When I make such sacrifices, I can almost hear the crackle of icicles melting from my heart. With each little treat I pull from my greedy hand, I can lend a helping hand to

someone else.

• Do something extravagant for God. Spend an extra hour this week in prayer. Don’t worry, if you are

pressed for time, you can divide it into 15-minute morsels. The extra love you give to God will come back to you ten-fold.

I strongly believe that, what this world of ours needs most in 2020 is the power of radical love. The good

thing is — it’s highly contagious. The love you give will be multiplied by others, making your neighborhood a model of a Heavenly home.

Copyright 2019 Maria V. Gallagher www.CatholicMom.com