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.

July 23 and 24, 2016 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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, Eileen Browning, Kelly Erickson, Robert Hanrahan, Donna Heisler, Joanne Moxley, Francis Feldpausch - President. 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.

...ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door

will be opened to you.

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

Mass Schedule SATURDAY 7/23/16

4:00 pm For Parishioners SUNDAY 7/24/16

10:15 am † Don Wright by Bev & Jim Doughty † Jean Carlin by Fred & Jean Urda

TUESDAY 7/26/16 8:30 am Communion Service

THURSDAY 7/28/16 8:30 am Communion Service

SATURDAY 7/30/16 4:00 pm For Parishioners

SUNDAY 7/31/16 10:15 am † Raymond Maginsky by Angie Babcock † James O’Keefe, Birthday Remembrance, by Marie O’Keefe

ICC WEEK AT A GLANCE SUNDAY 7/24 11:30 a Confession Following Mass - Ice Cream Social - P MONDAY 7/25 TUESDAY 7/26 8 a Rosary & Communion Service 6:30 p Trustee Meeting WEDNESDAY 7/27 10:30-12:30 Cards & Conversation - H, K THURSDAY 7/28 8 a Rosary & Communion Service 6:30 p Peach Corp Presentation, Luke Wentlent - H FRIDAY 7/29 6:00 p Vacation Bible School Block Party - P SATURDAY 7/30 3:30 p Confession SUNDAY 7/31 11:30 a Confession 11 a GAC Ecumenical Service & Picnic - Lion’s Park 12-5 Private Party - H, K, P 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 June 2016:June 2016:June 2016:June 2016: Total Income: $ 7,984.50 Total Expense: $ 6,691.33 Second Collection, July 23 & 24 - Catholic Sun Expenses include: Holy Family School, utilities, funeral expenses, building maintenance. Remember St. Paul’s advice: “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor.9:7)

Join us this weekend, following each Mass, for an Ice Cream Social to celebrate the completed renovation of the Pavilion! New roof, siding and a coat of paint. Everyone is invited!

Peace Corps Presentation- Luke Wentlent will have a presentation about his experience last year with the Peace Corps in Tanzania Africa, on Thursday July 28, begin-ning at 6:30 pm. Luke has lots of pictures and stories to share about his adventure. Coffee Cup Ministry During August and September 2016 we offer a coffee cup ministry from 9:30-10:00 am. This is for anyone who wants to learn more about what the Catholics believe. Invite a friend!

Come enjoy some conversation and share your story over a cup of coffee or tea.

LAY PERSONS SCHEDULE Saturday 4:00 pm Saturday 4:00 pm July 23, 2016 July 30, 2016

E. M.’s: S. Northrup J. Trepa H. Connelly J. Moxley

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

Sunday 10:15 am Sunday 10:15 am July 24, 2016 July 31, 2016 E. M.’s: B. Doughty B. Norton M. Kim M. Browning E. Browning L. Detweiler Lector: M. O’Keefe P. Husband Servers: C. Grant N. Brown J. Eroshevich E. Kiehle N. Erickson D. Furman Counters: K. Ives D. Maginsky A. Simpson T. Mulvey

Page 5

Marion Memorial Garden Update-Thank you to all the people who donated items for our table at the craft show. This was a fun way to raise funds for our new garden. Bell Brothers Landscape will begin on August 15, and the pavers should be de-livered a few days before that. We are still looking for donations to offset the expense of this beautiful addition to our parish. Please consider helping us make this garden, in memory our loved ones, a reality. All of the plans have been approved by our Administrator Msgr. Putano, our Trustees, Our Parish Council, Our Finance Council and the plan-ning team. We would like to order the gazebo and arbors this week for August delivery. A family is going to fund the Mary statue for the center of the garden, and many other families are helping with the general garden construction. If you have any questions please call the church office.

Cards and Conversation hosted by The Circle of Friends group. Join us Wednesday, July 27 from 10:30-12:30 for fellowship & fun and lunch! Everyone is welcome to join us.

We need 7 people to help with painting the Rectory and Garage, Saturday, August 6 starting at 8 am. The goal is to complete the exterior painting in one

day, if we get the necessary volunteers. If you are interested in helping with the paint-ing, please sign up in the vestibule or see Chris Wentlent after a Sunday Mass.

“The Heart of the Catechist” On August 13, from 9:30am - 12:30pm, St. Paul’s, Norwich, the Dio-cese of Syracuse is offering this inspired by Pope Francis’ address to Congress on Catechesis. All catechists are encouraged to attend as well as those interested in becoming a catechist in their parish. For more information /register, please contact your parish catechetical leader or Andrea Schaffer @ 348-0746 (aschaffer@syrdio.org) by 8/11. Walk-ins are welcomed! Lunch will be provided. Monday, August 15, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is not a Holy Day of Obligation in 2016; it is a Solemnity. Fr.s Lupa & Smith will celebrate a Mass of Healing that evening, 5:30 pm at St. Joseph’s, Oxford. All are welcome!

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Greene, NY

Volunteer Opportunities Greene Food Pantry - We collect non-perishable foods for our local food pantry. May & November we cover the hours at the Pantry. We need another team member to cover the Tuesday hours in November. 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. St. Pauly Textile collection shed in our parking lot. Donate your unwanted clothes & fabric items & ICC receives 4 cents per pound collected.

Away on Vacation? Check these sources to find a Catholic Church near where you are staying, and the times of Masses: www.masstimes.org or 1-734-794-2100 + free app www.Catholicdirectory.com + free app www.Catholic-mass-times.com

VIRTUS Certification Training will be held Saturday, August 27 in the Parish Hall. All parish volunteers should attend

this training if you haven’t already been certified. Those who are certified need to be recertified every five years. Register for the certification course on-line @www.virtusonline.org. If you do not have on-line access the Parish Office will happily assist you in the process. You will find a list of local training offerings, choose ours or one that is more convenient to your schedule. We will receive notification after you have completed the session. Thank you for caring for the safety of our children and parish family.

Our Norwich Parishes are in need of a Director of Religious Education (DRE.) Mrs. Lorraine Franklin, who had been doing a marvelous job, has resigned due to illness. Anyone interested in this ministry can send a resume to St. Paul’s Church, 30

Pleasant St., Norwich, NY 13815. Employment applications are available at the parish offices. Call 337-2216 for any other information.

July 24, 2016

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

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

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

607-226-4119 607-316-2969 Gerry Reiss Mike Reiss

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. Joseph’s bulletin. Call 656-9546

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

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

July 24, 2016

A Convert’s View “I had a strong desire to understand historical Christianity. Over the next ear I read several books on Church history and also the works of men I had never heard of before: Anthony of Egypt, Cyril of Jerusalem, Clement of Alexandria, Basil, Ambrose, Eusebius, Ignatius of Antioch. It was like discover-ing new friends - Christians who had known my Lord intimately; but their words profoundly shook my Evangelical theology. The fact that these men were Catholic embarrassed me and made me indig-nant,. In all my years as a Christian, why hadn’t I heard of these people? Why hadn’t I studied their writings? What I found as I read was that in those formative first thousand years of Christian history, the great doctrines, the fundamentals of my Christian Faith, had been hammered out by the Catholics in councils and synods and by the Church Fathers who wrote and taught and preached! I discovered that although the Protestant Reformers were hailed as our heroes, the Evangelical Protestantism I had been raise in was quite a long way from the theology promoted by the Reformers. My denomination was a splinter group- a teeny, unhistorical, brand-new splinter of a splinter. I didn’t want the splinter anymore. Part of the Church that Christ established just wasn’t enough. I wanted the whole Church, if it still existed.” Kristine L. Franklin, former Evangelical Protestant

& convert to the Catholic Church

Wisdom from our Catholic Tradition “How will God forgive our many sins, if we have not forgiven the little sins of others?” St. Cyril of Jerusalem

St. Joseph’s: A Catholic Cemetery in our Pas-toral Care Area Established in 1855, for 161 years, St. Joseph’s has been committed go the re-spectful care of the mortal remains of the People of God, who even in death remain a part of the whole Catholic Community. It is a sign of faith in the Res-urrection and a place of home in the new eternal life promised by Jesus to faithful disciples of Him. Lo-cated at 39 State Street, Oxford. It is open from dawn to dusk, May 1 - Dec. 1. The grounds are beautifully maintained & peaceful for prayer & re-flection. The cost of plots: $700 for a double, $450 for cremated remains. Plots hold 1 casket & 1 urn or 2 urns. Payment Installment plans available. Call the Parish Office, 843-7021, for more information.

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

Father’s NotesFather’s NotesFather’s NotesFather’s Notes God is Truth: What Does That Mean? The Old Testament says God is the source of all

Truth. His word and law are Truth. He is Truth. It’s

probably a stupid question, but what is Truth?

That is not a stupid question at all. Usually when we use the word “truth,” we mean it as related to some-thing we know or speak. When we speak of Truth with a capital “T”, however, we mean something more. When Scripture refers to Truth in the way you describe, it is not speaking of something that only mirrors reality, but of reality itself, total real-ity, total being. In other words, the being we call

God. Throughout the Bible, God describes Himself with two especially indentifying qualities, loving tender-ness & absolute faithfulness. They occur in the Old Testament, particularly in the psalms, & parallel words abound in the New Testament in the words & actions of Jesus. While attributes of God cannot be isolated from one another, it is the second of these qualities, God’s unfailing fidelity that we connect most to His Truth. We are able to trust Him without conditions, have total confidence in His tender love for us, because if He were not faithful to His prom-ises, He would quite literally stop being God. The letter to Timothy puts it well. We ourselves may be unfaithful, but God can only be faithful. For Him to act against what He has said & done would be a cosmic lie, a violation of ultimate reality & truth, by which God would seem to deny , disown, His own self (2 Tim 2:13). How that all works out, that God is a faithful judge & also a faithful redeemer we do not know. Gut the fact is inescapable in the Scrip-tures. We can barely grasp all of this even in a small way, which is why God made it at least a little easier for us, wrapping it al up in human language in the human nature of His Son. The Truth you ask about is not simply knowing about reality , about God. This truth is precisely the Being who is the solid ground of all our hope & faith. The one who reveals Himself in the Incarnation sends to our earth not just information, but the promise of sharing a life beyond our imagining & someone who can give us a hint of what it will be like. When Jesus says “I am the Truth” (John 14:6), He is not claiming simply to know everything. He is proclaiming that all of what is real, all that has being, dwells among us in Him, the Word made flesh. From Catholic Q & A by Fr.

John J Dietzen

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

Vacation Bible School is this week -July 25-29 from 6-8:15. Greene Area Churches offers this joint summer ex-perience for our community’s children. This years theme is 'Workshop of Won-ders' and will feature games, songs, crafts and learning about Jesus’ Miracles and how to imagine and build with God. If you have grandchildren vis-iting, they might enjoy this fun evening of games, songs, crafts and more! Registration is at 6 pm each night and they don’t need to attend each night to participate. We could use a few volunteers to help at the registration desk, at the Congregational Church, on Monday & Tuesday, 5:30-6:30 pm. We also need help Friday, July 29, when we host the week-end Block Party! Please contact the Parish Office.

Your Ad Here Looking for additional advertisers for the back page of this bulletin. On an annual basis it is $100 for a small add, $200 for double & $300 for triple. Your ad will also be published in St. Joseph’s bulletin. Advertising dollars are used to purchase paper, toner & for copier maintenance. Thank you to all of our loyal advertisers for your years of continued support. Contact the Parish Office @656-6546 or email immcongreene@syrdio.org.

Dear friends, I went with my son to take his dog for a swim in the river down by the ball flats recently. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed playing with the dog and skipping stones across the water. I was re-minded of those hot summer days in Ga. as a child, when my Dad would give me tips on how to skip flat stones 2-3-4 times over the water surface. At that moment, the church bells in town started playing the simple tune of the hymn, “Faith of our Fathers”. It was like a light bulb moment for me as I thought of those words and what they meant. Faith of the founding church fathers through the century’s; yes, but also the personal faith of my father. Was the hymn about his personal faith or the faith he had in me? Maybe that hymn had a double meaning! My journey went from a quiet imaginative child, to a moody complicated teen-ager, then on to a confused young adult who finally prayed ‘”thou” will be done, not “my” will be done. Through it all, my father had faith in me! He prayed for me! He advised me one time to never give up on my kids. It’s hard, but important to have faith in our kids, our grandchildren and ‘kids today’. But it is so important! Pope Francis is calling us all to be Disciples of Christ, and to really reflect on this in this Year of Mercy. Who can we help? Who can we have faith in? How about the new babies, youth and young adults of our parish? How about our friends struggling when life throws that curve ball? How about our senior friends deal-ing with a life that didn’t turn out like they planned? How about the visitor sitting next to you today? Reach out with a smile, a handshake or a kind word. Invite someone new to come to Mass with you next week. Try to think of someone in your life who doesn’t know that Jesus came so that we might have life! The Coffee Cup Ministry is an informal time to introduce someone to our parish, and the beauty of the Catholic Mass. We had such a fun day at the Sight n Sound Theater last week. 49 parishioners and friends attended the performance and lunch after. Thank you to everyone who did his or her part to make it such an enjoyable experience. And thank you for choosing our parish for Mass today. Peace! ~Mary Wentlent

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Bishop Cunningham is leading a group of youth from our Diocese to World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland, July 25 - 31. Please pick-up a copy of the World Youth Day Prayer in the vestibule and keep these pilgrims in your prayers. Children’s Liturgy will not be meeting in the Sum-mer. Parents of preschoolers can take advantage of the children’s activity bags in the vestibule. Chil-dren’s Liturgy of the Word will return in September.