2024 Lent Schedule
New Spanish OCIA/OICA Program
Starting January 15, 2024
Immaculate Conception Parish
Our GIFT to you for 2024…
...More Jesus!
New Schedule for Masses and Adoration
Weekday Masses:
- Mon and Tues: 12:10pm (Main Church)
- Weds: 9:00am and 6:30pm (Main Church)
- Thurs: 12:10pm (Main Church) and 6:30pm (Lower chapel, English)
- Fri: 12:10pm (Main Church) and 6:30pm (Lower chapel, Spanish)
- First Fridays: 6:30pm (Main Church, Bilingual)
- Every Saturday: 8:30am (Main Church, English)
- Confession schedule is not altered.
New Adoration schedule:
- Weds: 5:00pm-6:15pm (Main Church)
- Every Thursday and Friday: 7:00am-6:15pm (Lower Chapel)
- Benediction at 6:15pm followed by Mass
Un REGALO para Usted en 2024…
…Más Jesus!
Nuevo Horario para
MISAS y ADORACIÓN!
Misas diarias:
- Lun y Mar: 12:10pm (Iglesia principal)
- Mie: 9:00am y 6:30pm (Iglesia principal)
- Jueves: 12:10pm (Iglesia principal) y 6:30pm (Capilla, en inglés)
- Viernes: 12:10pm (Iglesia principal) y 6:30pm (Capilla, en español)
- Primeros viernes: 6:30pm (Iglesia principal, Bilingüe)
- Sábados: 8:30am (Iglesia principal, inglés)
- Horario de confesiones no se altera.
Nuevo horario de Adoración al Santísimo:
- Miércoles: 5:00-6:15pm (Iglesia principal)
- Todos los Jueves y Viernes: 7:00am – 6:15pm (Capilla)
- Bendición a las 6:15pm y seguidamente la Santa Misa
Hahn Seminar Rescheduled
Advent, Christmas, and New Year Schedule
Special Schedule Advent-Christmas-NY 2023-2024.docx
ADVENT – CHRISTMAS – NEW YEAR SCHEDULE
2023-2024
Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord – Holy day of obligation
• NOTE: This year, December 24th falls on a Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent. And the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas) would be Monday, December 25th. We remind all parishioners that BOTH days are holy days of obligation so that all the faithful would need to attend a Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent AND another Mass for the Nativity (Christmas). To accommodate as many faithful as possible, the Mass schedule for those days will be the following:
• Sat, December 23rd (Vigil for IV Sunday of Advent): Vigil Masses @ 4pm and 6pm (Spanish)
• Sun morning, December 24th (IV Sunday of Advent): 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm, 1:45pm (Spanish)
• Sun evening, December 24th (Christmas Eve): 5:00pm (Vigil Mass), 10:30pm (Midnight Mass)
• Monday, December 25th (Christmas Day): 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm and 6:30pm (Spanish)
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION (this year)
• NOTE: This year, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is NOT a holy day of obligation in the United States, since December 31st falls on a Sunday and THAT IS A HOLY OF OBLIGATION, which will be celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Family. However, spending time in adoration on the 31st and going to Mass on the first day of the year is a wonderful way to seek God’s blessings, thanking him for His amazing kindness towards us by celebrating the Divine Maternity of Mary. Mass schedules will be:
• Sat, December 30th (Vigil for Feast of the Holy Family): Vigil Masses @ 4pm and 6pm (Spanish)
• Sun morning, December 31st (Holy Family): 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm, 1:45pm (Spanish)
• Sun evening, December 31st (Vigil for Mary, Mother of God):
o Exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament @ 8:00pm (brief talk at 11pm followed by Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament)
o Mass @ midnight – 12:00am January 1st (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God)
• Monday, January 1st (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God): 10:00am, 12:00pm and 6:30pm (Spanish)
Bounty of Bethlehem Turns 40
Bounty of Bethlehem Turns 40 Several years ago, some Immaculate Conception parishioners had an idea to bring those who might be alone on Christmas together for a freshly prepared hot meal, fellowship, and a sense of belonging and created "Bounty of Bethlehem." This year, the heartwarming tradition celebrates its 40th year.
The mission and vision are simple: Bounty of Bethlehem provides freshly prepared hot meals to anyone seeking solace within our community. The guiding principle remains unwavering: "No one should be alone on Christmas Day."
Our parishioners have been an important part Bounty each year and is currently led by our own Annamarie Jakubielski. We have continued doing the same good work and are now serving out of The Salvation Army facilities on Christmas Day.
We need your help again this year. You are invited to support Bounty of Bethlehem through various means, such as financial contributions, turkey, ham, or dessert donations, or volunteer engagement. The community's continued support is paramount to this inclusive holiday tradition.
All food donations should be brought to the host site, The Salvation Army, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The collection of turkeys and hams begins Dec. 19-21. Single-serve desserts will be accepted on Dec. 23-25.
In 2022, Bounty of Bethlehem served 2,189 meals, including deliveries to shut-ins, law enforcement, EMS, fire departments, to-go meals, and guests who dined at the beautifully decorated Salvation Army location on 3rd Avenue.
On Christmas Day, Bounty of Bethlehem opens its doors, offering a space for all to dine in or collect a hot, fresh meal while nurturing the spirit of the holiday season and providing volunteer opportunities to the community.
This year, Bounty of Bethlehem is partnering with the Community Foundation of Henderson County (CFHC), allowing for tax-deductible contributions.
To make a donation, please visit bountyofbethlehem.org or send a check to:
"BOB Fund," P.O. Box 742, Horse Shoe, NC 28742.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
VOLUNTEER HOTLINE (828) 845-4277.
Live Streaming Planned
Live streaming is coming soon to Immaculate Conception Church! In the meantime, recorded Sunday Masses can be found by going to ichvl.com and scrolling to the bottom of the home page. Click the red arrow for English or Spanish.
We want to reach homebound parishioners and make them feel connected and part of our parish family.
Furthermore, it will give our families the chance to share special moments like weddings, funerals, first communions, etc., with loved one who can't be present. (Check with the offices for fees.) With this initiative, we are also fulfilling a pastoral priority in the good use of digital media to promote the faith.
Students Spend All Souls' Day in Cemetery
A graveyard Mass on All Souls’ Day proved enlightening and meaningful for students in grades 6 through 8 at Immaculata Catholic School.
Students and teachers walked to Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville.
Fr. Andres Gutierrez, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, told students that human bodies become ashes in a cemetery.
“Our destiny is to receive our bodies back for heaven,” he said. “To do that, we have to live ‘Life on Earth’ worthily.”
Fr. Andres continued: “Everyone in heaven is not the same, but everyone in heaven will be full of joy forever.”
After the Mass, students walked through the cemetery, noticing many graves from the 1800s.
“I learned many people died really young back then,” explained sixth grader Analia Rodriguez.
“Some people lived one day,” said religion teacher Sarah Bell, referencing an infant marker which indicated the child died on the same day as birth. “There’s no certainty how long you will live, but God creates for eternity.”
During the Mass, participants prayed for the souls in purgatory and the souls of people buried in the cemetery.
Middle School Retreat at Church
HENDERSONVILLE - Middle school students at Immaculata Catholic School walked across the street for a daylong retreat at Immaculate Conception Church Sept. 28.
“Today is about growing in your faith,” said Principal Margaret Beale to fifth through eighth graders. “If you go in with an open mind and open heart, then you will get a lot out of this.”
Fr. David O’Connor added, “I hope you come out on fire for the Lord and have a more personal relationship with Him.”
Beale’s mother, Lauretta Beale, led the event that included games, projects, and a movie centered on spiritual growth.
“I have a passion for retreats and programs,” Laurette Beale said. “This is my hobby, and it’s a privilege to take a topic and expand on it.”
Students moved rapidly from one station to the next.
“The people teaching it are really funny,” laughed sixth grader Natalia Montiel. “It’s a great way to learn about God.”
Classmate William Schwartzman added, “This is really fun; I want to become Catholic.”
Parish Annual Financial Rept. Released
Special Month Includes Virtues
HENDERSONVILLE - National Hispanic Heritage Month continues through October 15th. To celebrate, middle school students at Immaculata Catholic School made silletas, elaborate flower arrangements that represent the centerpiece of a festival in Colombia.
The students' projects also incorporated virtues. Some eighth graders, for example, were assigned "obedience" as their virtue. They included the Virgin Mary in their project made of tissue paper, glue, and cardboard. "Obedience to us means to listen to someone's instructions and follow," explained the team of three. "We put the Virgin Mary (on the silleta) because she was obedient to God by having Jesus."
Silletas are actually wooden pieces with handles that are filled with flowers and carried on people’s backs. Their origin dates to colonial times when silletas were used to carry people around the region’s mountains in Medellin, Colombia. After time, they were only used to carry flowers to sell in the city of Medellin. The Silleteros Pageant has been the main event of the Flowers Festival since 1957.
Holy Water Falls on First Day of School
HENDERSONVILLE — The aspersion of Holy Water on backpacks marked the start of the 2023-2024 school year at Immaculata Catholic School Aug. 16.
“As Catholics, we bless everything,” said Fr. Andres Gutierrez,” pastor of Immaculate Conception Church.
“We bless buildings, cars, fields, gymnasiums, animals; we bless everything that can be used for good,” he continued. “Why? To remind us that everything we have and use is a gift from God, as we ask for the grace to use it well.”
Fifth grader Azlan Zuniga said of his backpack spotted with drops of Holy Water: “It’s Batman. I can put a lot of things in it.”
Added first grader Aliha Antunez, “My backpack is cool: Mickey Mouse.” She headed to class sporting the matching lunchbox.
Principal Margaret Beale said a change of mindset is in the air for students and staff. “We ‘get’ to be here, rather than I ‘have’ to be here,” she explained. “Work hard; shine bright because we are Immaculata Stars.”
Fr. Andres Installed as Pastor
HENDERSONVILLE - Fr. Andres Gutierrez was installed as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church during a special Mass July 27.
"It really is a blessing to initiate the new mission entrusted by God and Bishop (Peter) Jugis," said Fr. Andres. "We will continue this faith journey together."
Fr. Adrian Porras, pastor of St. Barnabas and Vicar Forane of the Asheville Vicariate, presided as a delegate of Bishop Jugis.
"A priest is called to be there in the most important moments of your lives," Fr. Adrian said, listing everything from baptisms to weddings to funerals.
"All of you come to be fed by the Holy Eucharist and the Word of God," he continued. "The essence of a priest is to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and preach the Word of God."
With Fr. Adrian at his side, Fr. Andres later signed documents making his appointment official at Immaculate Conception parish.
Fr. Andres previously served as a missionary priest in Peru.
St. Joseph ‘star’ for the day, Immaculata unveils $3m in renovations
HENDERSONVILLE — Students and teachers at Immaculata Catholic School cheered St. Joseph on Monday, his feast day, as they celebrated the completion of a major makeover at the school. Why?
“We may not be standing here today without the intercession of St. Joseph, husband of Mary,” Father Christian Cook, pastor, told the crowd of students, teachers, parents and leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting and blessing of the school March 20.
Click here to read the entire article!
A Blessing for Religious Education at Immaculata
$300,000 endowment at Immaculata School will honor legacy of religious sisters
HENDERSONVILLE — Recruiting and training Catholic educators in western North Carolina just became easier thanks to a $300,000 endowment gifted to Immaculata Catholic School by the estate of two formerly professed sisters of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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“The legacy left behind by the women will go to fund a program in which we recruit student teachers to come to Immaculata. We will be able to help form young educators and equip them to teach through the virtues of Christ,” said Margaret Beale, principal of Immaculata School. “This innovative program will provide more support for our students and a pipeline of Catholic educators coming to our area.”
Money from the endowment will provide a residential house for student teachers where education students looking for a student-teaching position in a Catholic elementary school can reside, at no cost to them, while doing their student teaching at Immaculata. The funds will also provide continuing education and a stipend to experienced teachers at Immaculata School who will mentor aspiring faculty through the student-teaching experience.
“One of the challenges we face with a small school in a smaller city is recruiting Catholic teachers to our area,” said Father Christian Cook, chaplain and pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish. “We hope that, if we give them a place to live at no cost, student teachers will be more likely to do their student teaching at Immaculata, and we hope that they will fall in love with our school and our city and apply for any open teaching positions at Immaculata when they graduate.”
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Read the full article by Annie Ferguson at the Catholic News & Herald by clicking here!
Parish Semi-Annual Financial Report Released
Click on the link to review the report:
IC Knights Council Receives Major Award
The Immaculate Conception Knights of Columbus Council received the Knights of Columbus Star Council Award at the 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday, January 22nd. On hand to present the award to Grand Knight Gene Ray MaGruder were the State Deputy and the Regional District Deputy, whose presence reflected the high level of accomplishment it takes to win the Star Council Award.
Fewer than 30% of Knights councils receive this award nationwide. To receive the Star Council Award, the council must initiate at least eight faith-related family programs, add a minimum number of new members and insurance members, meet crucial training requirements and comply with certain financial requirements. The IC Knights of Columbus Council exceeded these requirements by 162%.
Congratulations to our Star Council of the Knights of Columbus! If you are a man 18 or older and practice the Catholic faith, please consider joining this great K of C Council at Immaculate Conception. Call our parish office for contact information at (828) 693-6901.
First Friday Adoration
Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament will be available on First Fridays on the following schedule. Exposition will be after daily Mass, and Adoration will continue until 6 p.m. The Benediction is at 6:15 p.m., followed by Mass at 6:30 p.m. in the main church.
2023 First Friday Adoration Schedule
November 3rd Adoration, Benediction, Mass
December 1st Adoration, Benediction, Mass
Catholic Ordinariate Community at IC
From the Catholic News Herald
HENDERSONVILLE — For former Anglicans seeking to practice the Catholic faith in the rite they love, the St. Edmund Campion Church community is a godsend.
This new community celebrates the sacraments in the “Ordinariate Form,” an Anglican style liturgy, once a month in the chapel at Immaculate Conception Church. Led by Deacon Joshua Johnson, a convert studying for the priesthood, the community of 60 members is the latest example of how Catholic bishops and dioceses around the world are welcoming rites of many traditions.
Father Christian Cook, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, said he felt called to welcome Anglican converts shortly after arriving at the parish in 2019 because, “As Pope Benedict wrote in ‘Anglicanorum Coetibus,’ (the apostolic constitution released in 2009 that paved the way for Anglicans to join the Catholic Church), the Holy Spirit is the principle of unity. Unity is both an invisible spiritual communion but is also visible to society and the spiritual community.”
Father Cook says it was also important to him to support the small community of believers in bringing stability. “And I had a desire to show visible unity among Catholics as the Catholic Church has seven different rites – Latin, Byzantine, Maronite and the like – and Catholics in the United States are not largely exposed to this fact,” he said.
Volunteer Opportunities at Immaculata Catholic School
Volunteers make a BIG difference in the classroom at Immaculata! When volunteers commit to serving at a school, students improve their reading and math skills and achieve higher grades and test scores. While teachers appreciate all of the time volunteers can possibly give, just dedicating one hour a week goes a long way.
Immaculata welcomes parents and community members who wish to contribute their valuable time and talents to enriching the academic experience of our students. We have volunteer opportunities in:
• PreK 3 - on most mornings but especially Wednesdays
• Kindergarten – read aloud at 11 on Thursday or Friday
• 4th grade – 11:25 – 12:10 for math (any day) and 1:10 on Tuesday or Thursday for read aloud
• 6th – ELA, mornings for read aloud, reading with small groups and writing and crafts related to reading
• 7th - ELA, mornings for read aloud, reading with small groups and writing and crafts related to reading
• After school homework help with students in grades 1-8.
If you are interested in helping and would like more information, please call Ms. Beale at the school, 693-3277.
