Roman Church Fall Newsletter 2019

Inside This Issue

Neocatechumental Way 2 PSR Education 3 PSR Education 4 Picnic 5 5 Rally 6 Divine Mercy Cenacle 6 Parish Council 7 Annual Pro-Populo Mass 7 Christmas 8 Craft Fair Mission Statement: We seek to create mature Parish Improvements 8 disciples through prayer, education, love and service as Jesus Christ proclaimed. Mass Schedule Vision Statement: Immaculate Conception Church is a group of Vigil Mass Saturday: 4:00 p.m. Catholic Christians who are in the process of becoming a vibrant Eu- Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. charistic people by deepening and expanding their . We accom- Mon, Wed, Fri, 8:30am Tuesday & Thursday, 7:00pm plish this through prayer, the grace of the sacraments and the process of continuous conversion. With the prayerful leadership of the pastor and the work of many ministries and programs designed to educate, Office Hours evangelize and support our parishioners and greater community, ICC Monday - Friday: 9:30am –5:30pm is a shining example of how a parish uses the gifts of faith, hope and Saturday: 9:00am– 1:00pm charity for the glory of God and in service to others.

2846 Hubbard Road, Madison, OH 44057 440-428-5164 www.iccmadison.com 2 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH

Neocatechumenal Way Members of the Neocatechumenal communities in the Catholic of Cleveland gathered on Oct. 1 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Parma for evening prayer, testimonies, a mes- sage from Nelson Perez and fellowship. Jack Craig, a catechist and member of the Neo- catechumenal Way, travelled from New Jersey to lead the program. Neocatechumenal commu- nities from and St. Anthony of Padua parishes in Parma, St. Andrew Parish in Norton and Immaculate Conception Parish in Madison participated, along with from those parishes and others. About 60 members from the four parishes’ communities also participated. “The Diocese of Cleveland has been very welcoming to us,” Craig said. “When I called to speak to Bishop Pe- rez about us, he asked what he could do to help.”

The Neocatechumenal Way is a charism in the , Craig explained. It began in 1964 in and is dedicated to Christian formation. Communities are established in parishes and they follow the three- pronged Word of God, liturgy, community approach to .

Bishop Perez, who was familiar with the Neocatechumenal Way from his youth in New Jersey, spoke briefly to the group, explaining that he only attended for a couple of years. “I was a ‘publican,’ which is what the kids who attended public schools were called,” he said. And since he didn’t attend Catholic school, he wasn’t trained as an altar server. However, he wanted to be one, so he watched and learned – and then one day went into the sacristy before Mass and donned the server’s garb.

“The looked at me and asked who I was. I told him, ‘I’m your server.’ And he said, ‘I guess you are,’” the bishop said, adding that he continued serving Mass after that.

“God loves you as you are, where you are and for who you are. Thank you for the witness you give each oth- er and thank you to the priests who walk with you on the Neocatechumenal Way. Serve as leaven for the world around you,” Bishop Perez said.

“You might not see the grace working through and around you right away,” he said, but he encouraged them to continue their prayer and catechesis. Where can you find us? Want to grow in Faith? Visit our website for more information on parish activities www.iccmadison.com

"Look us up on Facebook : "Immaculate Conception, Madison Ohio"

ICC's YouTube Channel : IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH-MADISON OHIO 3 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH Education Fall Festival / Trunk or Treat

It was a windy, rainy day for our fall festival, but it still seemed to be enjoyed by all. Perfect weather for sipping warm cider and eating pop- corn. Thank you to those of you who decorated your vehicles or came to pass out candy. The kids voted for their favorite vehicles. First place went to the Marcelli family-Cave of Wonders; Second place was the Roach family-Spooky Cat; and Third place was the Dragas family-Monopoly. We appreciate everyone who participated.

A big thank you to Pete Wayman who donated 100 pumpkins for our pumpkin patch. The kids were able to choose a pumpkin, then decorate it. The middle school and high school students competed in a pumpkin roll contest. The winners were First place-Dimitri Dragas; Second place-Michael O’Brien; and Third place-John Peter Dragas.

Our /holy person contest winners were First place, Anna Marcelli as Kateri Tekawitha; Second place-Haylee Breedlove as St. Terese; and Third place-Olivia Breedlove-Angel. We can’t forget to thank Jerome Golenskie for the several dozen cupcakes he baked for our cupcake walk; as well as, all the other donations of cupcakes we received. The kids were able to play the game the whole event due to the amount of cupcakes we received. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped in so many ways to make the event special. We appreci- ate the support and participation of our church community. Jill Chiro

PSR Culture Project The middle school students welcomed a new group. They are the Culture Project International group who travel around the US and they are introducing this project for the Diocese of Cleveland. This project is an initiative of young people set out to restore cul- ture through the experience of virtue. The young adults from around the country commit to proclaiming the dignity of the hu- man person, and richness of sexual integrity. They are trained by experts in the fields of medicine, psychology, philosophy and the- ology. Thus they have been equipped to discuss these important topics with knowledge and understanding. The first presentation they did was regarding human dignity. Students learned how we are set apart from the rest of creation and our uniqueness. They heard stories about the abuses of this dignity. Students were empowered and encouraged to make a positive difference in the world, beginning with choices to love and respect their own families, friends and acquaintances. Jill Chiro

FORMED: New format for registration Registering for FORMED is easier than ever: Go to formed.org/ signup, Select your parish, Register with your name and email address. Check that email account for a link to begin using FORMED FALL 2019 4

Education 8th Grade PSR Confirmation Retreat

The 8th grade students recently attended an all-day Confirmation retreat at Immaculate Conception Church. The day consisted of prayer, a fun scavenger hunt, lunch, guest speaker Mary Lou Beers, writing letters to the Bishop, and Mass. 7th Grade Confirmation Students

Seventh grade Confirmation students recently spent a Sunday afternoon in the parish center preparing baked goods and Christmas cards. Confirmation teachers Rebecca Owoc and Mike Teter guided our stu- dents in the parish kitchen making biscuits and muffins for a Project Hope dinner. Dave Albert Sr. offered his artistic talents in the card making station. Cards will be included in the ICC Spiritual Development Christmas cookie program for homebound parishioners. High School PSR Thank You Teacher Aides We have two aides for our elementary PSR pro- gram, Schuyler Blaess and Alex Porras. They are currently both helping out in the first grade classrooms. Schuyler has been volunteering over nine years in this capacity. She is currently attending Notre Dame College and comes home on the weekends. She enjoys her fish, two cats, and dog. She said she also really enjoys being around the students; “they are always so genu- ine at this age.” She also likes how every week is different with the Sunday evenings high school stu- kids. dents get together and talk about their This year is Alex’s first time working with first graders. She has faith while using the Youcat. Nick helped out in the kindergarten classroom in the past. Alex comes Alcantar is the high school teacher. from a larger family, seven members. She said her interests are photography. She also said she likes helping and teaching the chil- dren. We are blessed to have these two young adults working in the program. 5 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH Parish Picnic Fun!

September 15th was the date of the parish picnic this year. There was a light sprinkle at the start of the event, but the weather cleared and the cooler temps made for an enjoyable day. The event was well attended, and it was great to see so many children enjoying themselves. Jill Chiro and Julie O'Brien did a wonderful job as always with the children's activities. The han- dled the grilling. Paul Wadowick was the winner of the 50/50 drawing. Several parishioners volun- teered their talents to keep the crowd entertained, first time entertainer, Mike Canfield played his gui- tar and sang a couple of songs, the Brent Family shared their singing voices, Jake Merrill gave a witness to Jesus is in his life, and a thank you to all of the young singers as well as Tom, who was still recuperating from shoulder surgery. As in the past, the ice cream social was a big hit, even with the cooler temps.

Thanks go out of all who helped organize the event, from those that assisted with the setup, to keep- ing things running smoothly during the event, to those that helped with the clean up. Special thanks to Diane Young for organizing the volunteers, and Joe Slike for providing and setting up the audio equipment. Look forward to seeing you all in September for next year's event. Alan Carroll Legion of Mary Legion of Mary Over the past several months, Fr. Donnelly has had the Legion Members pray for and visit parishioners on their birthdays. We have been truly blessed to be able to do this outreach. While we genuinely enjoyed seeing familiar faces, we found a lot of bless- ings in visiting those who have fallen away from the faith and inviting them to return to our Lord. We will be taking a break on these visits during the winter months but will continue to pray for everyone on their birthdays. God has truly blessed our ministry! If you would like to join us in either active or auxiliary (daily prayer) membership, please contact the parish office @ 428-5164. ‘LOVE is the answer’

Online Giving A safe, convenient way to give the way you want. FALL 2019 6 Rosary Rally On Saturday, Oct. 12, a prayerful group of around 30 parishioners and friends met at the SW corner of Rt. 20 and Hubbard Rd. at noon to hold a Public Rosary Rally to pray for the conversion of America. We were part of a national campaign of America Needs Fatima to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of Our Lady’s appearance at Fatima on Oct. 13, 1917. Over 18,700 rosary rallies were held across America and the world. Some of the intentions we prayed for included: for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in America and around the world, in reparation of the many sins committed against the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most Immaculate Heart of Mary, for an end to abortion and all offenses against the Law of God, for our national and local leaders, for our safety forces, for the suffering and dying. Why public prayer? Saint Louis Marie de Montfort in his work The Secret of the Rosary states, “Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and call down His mercy, and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering.” I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all the participants that attended on that chilly and windy day. May Our Lord and Our Lady bless you abundantly for your public witness. Barb Zupcsan Divine Mercy Cenacle The picture shows the members of the Divine Mercy Cenacle at their Induction Ceremony October 3, two days before St. Faustina's Feast Day. They are now official members of the Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy, an of the Marian Fathers of the Immac- ulate Conception. After having persevered through 50 weeks of faith- sharing, prayer, formation and reading of Scripture, the Catechism and the Diary of St. Faustina, they continue their studies with Ce- nacle Formation Manual 2 and sharing the Divine Mercy message and acts of mercy.

In October, the docudrama, Love and Mercy: Faustina, was shown for the first time in 700 movie theaters across the nation. Without a doubt movie goers witnessed the hand of God at work in the visions and the message of Jesus, the Divine Mercy, to St. Fausti- na. It revealed God's providence in how the message, images, devotions and diary were preserved and propagated through many tumultuous historic events over several decades. A script that could only be written by Divine Provi- dence! The Divine Mercy Cenacle members were prepared for the sold out theater viewing in Mentor: Members had in hand 100 packets that included an 8x10 Divine Mercy image of Jesus, Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer cards and pamphlets. As moviegoers exited the theater, we fortified them with these packets as ways to set into motion the de- votions and message of Divine Mercy they had witnessed in the docudrama. They were surprised and absolutely delighted to receive them! Several asked what parish we were from and someone even called the parish office be- cause they wanted to know where they could get more to give away! The pamphlet we distributed, "The Message of Divine Mercy as Easy as ABC," explains that God wants us to repent and ask for mercy while it is still the time of mercy, be merciful to others and completely trust in Jesus. Benedict XVI said Divine Mercy is the nucleus of the Gospel. Because mankind has forgotten this, Jesus gave us five new channels of grace to emphasize the message, known as Divine Mercy devotions. "They are the Feast of Divine Mercy, the Image of Divine Mercy, the Novena of Chaplets, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Hour of Mer- cy (3pm)." Valerie Ferrante 7 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH Parish Council Back in Session The Parish Pastoral Council is back in session. The council is a consultative body with the purpose of assisting the pastor in carrying out his pastoral responsibilities. Areas of concern involve spiritual formation, pastoral planning, policy development, and communications. The goal is to develop ideas so the parish can grow spiritually and carry out the mission of the Church. Some of the items we've been concentrating on involve greater participation of the people in the liturgy; performing a parish census to determine who we are as a parish, and Alan Carroll for the purpose of evangelization and outreach; and increased faith formation programs.

The Parish Council members are: Alan Carroll (president), Nick Ferrante (vice president), Beth Martin (secretary), Jill Chiro (commission head for education), Joe Meiers (participating), Kathy Woodworth (caring), Lee Katona (reaching out), other council members are: Helen Guenther, Patty O’Reilly, and Mike Canfield. Feel free to approach any council member about concerns you may have. Meetings are held from September to May on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:45 pm, and are open to the public. Parish Council Commission Report Upon the request of Father Donnelly and the Parish Council, I made visits and had conver- sations with some of the ministries of the church. I asked what their needs and accomplishments were. The IC Charities Ministry is chaired by Mike Canfield, it has 12 members. They average 15 clients a month. IC Charities is supported by the parish donations. This ministry helps with finan- cial support to those in need. Kathy The Bereavement, Healing and Consolation Ministry is chaired by Shelley Meade, Gayle Woodworth Carroll and Lorraine Pettit. They serve many prayerful needs for the parish such as Funeral Mass Preparation, prayer chain and monthly bereavement support. The Prayerful Shawler’s Ministry is chaired by Toni Will. The shawls are handmade, donated and given away to provide a comfort to people who are suffering. There are 7 members in the ministry. 360 shawls have been given since they started in 2012. The Rosary for Life Ministry is led by Father Donnelly. They meet the first Saturday of each month. Mem- bers gather to carpool from the upper parking lot at ICC and then to go to the Abbey in Cleveland where they can go to and attend Mass. After Mass they pray in front of the abortion mill on Shaker Blvd. They walk along the sidewalk praying 15 decades of the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Many babies have been saved by their petitions and prayers. There are many parishioners doing so many works of God’s Mercy for His glory and there is still room for more. Annual Pro Populo Mass Our annual Pro Populo Mass is a Mass celebrated to remember all those who have died in the past year and for departed loved ones of those pa- rishioners and non-parishioners who attended the previous Grief Sup- port Seminar. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Donnelly on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 7:00 pm. Names of the deceased who died in the past year were read at the end of Mass, followed by “Candles of Remem- brance” which were given to those who attended the Seminar. Also, white carnations were given to families who attended the Mass. A reception afterwards was held in the Parish Center with refreshments and a time for fellowship. Everyone was welcome. Our next Grief Support Seminar will begin Sunday, March 15th at 6:30 pm. The meetings are scheduled on the third Sunday of each month for eight months concluding with the Pro Populo Mass. The meetings are held in the Parish Center, and are given by ICC’s Bereavement Ministry. All are welcome to attend this Seminar, for grief has no timeline; a loved one may have passed last year or ten years ago. This Seminar is a time for healing new and old wounds. FALL 2019 8 Bethlehem Christmas Craft Fair

On October 25th and 26th we held the first ICC Bethlehem Christmas Craft Fair. Forty two crafter/vendors participated. We started planning this event in the fall of 2018. I was able to visit craft fairs in the area and hand out business cards to promote our event in 2019. 15 wreaths were donated by local businesses and raffled off. Donors were: Madison Dairy Queen, Ferrante Winery, Always Cleaning Service, Chalet Debonne, The Behm Family Funeral Home, Bennett Machine, The Roach Family, The Bittner Family and The Spiritual Development Ministry. There were many winners from the over 30 Chinese auction items. The items were donated by many of the crafter/ vendors. Many of our own parishioners had booths at the craft fair. We have so much talent in our Church! A special thank you to Kathy Woodworth and Jerry Foresi for their hand in the planning, all the parish- ioners who volunteered to run the kitchen, those who sold tickets for the Wreath Raffle and Chinese Auction, those who took in admission at the front door, and to all the ladies who opened the ICC gift store. All proceeds went to the church. Next year’s Craft Fair will be held on October 23rd and 24th. So mark your calendars! We have many crafters who are looking forward to next year’s event, so if you are interested in participating in 2020, call the parish office. Beth Martin

Parish Improvements

• The church boiler goes through an inspection every year, and this year it did not pass. The inspection showed that it had a leak. The repair was done in October. • Jerry installed new LED exit signs in the church. The old exit signs fell apart as Jerry removed them. The old ones were probably as old as the church. • New Thermostats were installed in the parish center and the chapel. The new thermo- stats are able to control the temperature from an electronic hand held device. This will help the bills when the parish center is not being used, especially during the summer when the air conditioning is running. • The trees on the front lawn were removed. Due to storm damage, the trees were re- moved for safety issues. • The dish washer in the parish center will be up and running soon, the booster pump is on order. • The Confirmation students will be assisting for clean up around the church in the spring. This will go towards their service hours. • For safety purposes, new handrails leading to the tabernacle are on order and will be installed soon.