Immaculate Conception  & 

Assumption of Our Lady 

On Thursday, December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we will have a full day of prayer and Adoration asking Our Lady of Guadalupe to bless our families and to help us to use the Advent season to properly prepare for the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ. Here is the schedule for the day:

• 8:30 AM Eucharistic Celebration in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe

• 9 AM Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

• 9 - 11:45 AM Adoration and Private Prayer; Simple Reposition before the Noon Mass

• Noon Eucharistic Celebration in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe

• 12:30 PM Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

• 12:30 - 7 PM Adoration and Private Prayer

• 3 PM Communal Praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet

• 5 PM Communal Praying of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary

• 7 PM Solemn Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament with a Presentation on Our Lady of Guadalupe*

• 8 PM Benediction and Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament

* The presentation will be given by Dr. Luz Maria Ibarra Aguilar.

The Immaculate Conception School invites you to attend their annual Christmas tree lighting on Sunday, December 15, following the 5 PM Mass at Immaculate Conception. Students will sing Christmas carols as the evergreen tree by the rectory is lit. Following the tree lighting, you are invited into the school cafeteria to enjoy some hot chocolate.

Jesse Tree 2024

Labels Now Available

Gift labels for the Jesse Tree are now available. We ask that all gifts be NEW and placed in a gift bag (no wrapped gifts, please) with the label attached to the gift bag. The gift labels are placed at the entrances of both churches. If you’d like to participate, please return the gifts to either church by Sunday, December 15. This year, the Jesse Tree Ministry will be serving 5 local organizations that aid children and adults in need. Thank you for your generosity!

If you have any questions, please contact us at: [email protected].

Thanksgiving Liturgy Schedule

Wednesday, November 27

7 PM Family Mass - Immaculate Conception Church

Thursday, November 28

7:30 AM Mass - Assumption Church
8:30 AM Mass - Immaculate Conception Church

Our Parish will be accepting non-perishable food at all Thanksgiving Masses to give to local pantries. Thank you for your generosity in providing meals to those in need!

In observance of Thanksgiving, the Parish Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 28-29. In addition, there will not be Adoration this Thursday. Adoration will resume next Thursday, December 5.

Once again, we will share our Thanksgiving collection with our brothers and sisters struggling in Nicaragua. Many years ago, we adopted this School where hundreds of children have been educated in the best Catholic tradition of education. The Parish itself also benefits from our generosity. Let’s make this our best year ever. - Fr. Sorgie

From Fr. O’Dowd:

“Dear good friends of the Parish of Cristo Agonizante,

Our fondest best wishes to all of you from your sister Parish in Managua, Nicaragua, Central America. As the beautiful celebration of Thanksgiving approaches once again, we are reminded of the great gift of gratitude that we owe a God who cared so much for us that He gave us His only Son so that we might live in His abundant love.

I am eternally grateful to your good pastor, Fr. Sorgie, and all of you for the annual Thanksgiving offering that you will be sharing with us once again this year. May Our Blessed Lord bless each of you for your kindness in caring for others. My prayers and best wishes for your families this Thanksgiving. 

Father Aurelian O'Dowd
Pastor, Agonizing Christ Parish
Old Managua, Nicaragua”

Pre‐Baptism Class: Baptismal Catechesis

Parents who are planning for their child’s Baptism are required to attend a Pre‐Baptism Class to prepare themselves for their child’s reception of the Sacrament and to understand the importance of their role in developing their child’s relationship with God. Our Parish offers a class on one Thursday a month at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center at Immaculate Conception.

 Please call the Parish Office to register for the class in advance so the instructor may have the appropriate materials ready. The upcoming Pre‐Baptism Class is Thursday:

December 19

Please join us for Hospitality Sunday in Fr. Fata Hall on Sunday, December 1 after the 9 AM Italian Mass at Assumption Church.

 Enjoy some light refreshments and the company of your fellow parishioners.

Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Every Monday, after the 12 Noon Mass, our Parish prays the Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. On Monday, July 15, we will begin another 9 Mondays of prayer through Our Lady. Bring your intention, as there will be some silence to offer your intention to the Lord through Mary. In addition, each time we begin a novena (every tenth week), Fr. Sorgie will invest anyone with the Miraculous Medal that would like to be. 

 On November 27, 1830, Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré in Paris at the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity and asked Catherine to have a medal cast. Our Parish has a relic of St. Catherine which will be venerated during the final hymn of the novena each week.

 The Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, is a devotional medal, the design of which was originated by Catherine Labouré following the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal of Paris, France. It was first made by goldsmith Adrien Vachette and approved for use by Archbishop Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen from the Archdiocese of Paris in 1836.

A Tree of Life, rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, will be placed in a prominent position of the Prayer Garden at Assumption Church, attached to the new wrought-iron fencing near the waterfall. This Tree of Life will provide an opportunity, with an engraved leaf, acorn, stone, or dove to honor various occasions in the lives of your loved ones and to memorialize them when they have passed into eternal life. Each memorial is made out of durable polycarbonate, also known as Lexan, so that these memorials will stand the test of time.

 The procedure is simple: for each memorial, fill out an order form, available below or at the Usher’s tables in each church and in the Parish Office. Please call the Parish Office at (914) 961-3643 with any questions.

Initial Pricing
$200 per Leaf
 $300 per Acorn
 $500 per Stone
 $600 per Dove

Order Form

As the Parish continues to renovate and restore the Prayer Garden, the state of the Memorial Bricks had been noticed. After years of being in the ground, the bricks had become dirty and discolored. The Parish will provide the service of a thorough cleaning of all the bricks and a repainting of the engravings, which will be done by Cave Company of Long Island. Now framed and elevated, they are no longer at risk of being stepped on, so this cleaning will last for many years to come. If you or your family have a memorial brick and would like to assist the Parish in the cost of the process ($20 per brick), please fill out and submit the form below.

Please make checks payable to ICA Parish.

Form 

Remember a Loved One
Reserve a Mass or Donate Flowers
2025 Mass Book is Open

The 2025 Mass Book is open and will take Mass Intentions for the living and deceased during the year 2025.

The cost for Announced Masses is $20. No more than five Mass Intentions can be taken at any given time. To arrange for and donate flowers to either church in honor of a loved one, call the Parish Secretary at the number below for details.

Information for all memorials can be obtained by calling the Parish Office:
(914) 961‐3643

As we journey through the liturgical year, consider using the Jesuit Examen of Consciousness as a way to grow in your faith life.

Examen of Consciousness

Feast of the Transfiguration
Sunday August 6, 2023

Several of you, after the 12 Noon Mass, asked for a copy of the poem I read at the beginning of my homily. My good friend Peter Ricca, a Green Beret Veteran of the Vietnam War, graciously allowed me to make it available to you.

Fr. André, OFM

The Difference
by Peter Ricca

Do you think there’s a difference
between listen and hear?
I sure do and the difference
is quite clear!

Hear is strictly automatic.
Sound, Ear drum. Reply.
Listen is all heart.
I’m here if you want to cry.

Hear is “hurry up”;
I’ve got something to say.
Listen is take your time,
I’ve got all day.

So keep that in mind when
a friend comes to your door.
You may need to listen as
you’ve never “listened” before!

After thoughtful consideration and with the blessing of Cardinal Dolan, our Parish has returned to the two options for receiving Holy Communion: in the hand and on the tongue.

As a reminder, when you receive Holy Communion:

• You should be in a state of grace, with no mortal sin on your conscience.

• You should make a reverent bow to the Body of Christ before stepping up to the minister of Holy Communion.

• Before receiving, respond “Amen” when the minister says, “The Body of Christ.”

• If receiving in the hand, you should make a throne, placing your left hand over your right hand, with your hands at chin level and parallel to the ground. You should never take the host from the minister; the Body of Christ should be received in the palm of your hand.

• If receiving on the tongue, please stick your tongue out of your mouth so that the minister has the proper area to place the Body of Christ.

It has come to our attention that there are a number of individuals arriving for Mass late and leaving Mass early. We appreciate that you lead busy lives, but, out of respect for the Third Commandment and the holy sacrifice of the Mass, you should be arriving at least 5 minutes before the start of Mass so that you can prepare yourself to experience the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Just as you would never leave a friend’s house after putting the last bite of dinner into your mouth, you should never leave church with the Body of Christ still in your mouth and should remain to receive the final Blessing from the priest as he sends you forth into your lives in Jesus’ name, which is a beautiful way to begin your week.

A Prayer of Pope Francis to
Mary, Undoer of Knots

Holy Mary, full of God’s presence
during the day of your life,
you accepted with full humility the Father’s will,
and the devil was never capable
of tying you up with confusion.
Once with your Son,
you interceded for our difficulties,
and full of kindness and patience,
you gave us example
of how to untie the knots in our life.
By remaining forever Our Mother,
you put in order and make more clear
the ties that link us to the Lord.
Holy Mother, Mother of God and our Mother,
to you who untie with a motherly heart
the knots of our life,
we pray to you to receive us in your hands,
and to free us of the knots and confusion
with which our enemy attacks.
Through your grace, your intercession,
and your example deliver us from all evil,
Our Lady,
and untie the knots
that prevent us from being united with God,
so that we, free from sin and error,
may find God in all things,
may have our hearts placed in God,
and may serve God always
in our brothers and sisters.
Amen.

On Saturday, March 18, Fr. Joseph Kelly concelebrated the 5 PM Mass at Immaculate Conception. He spoke of his book On Second Thoughts: A Book of Stories. Below is the synopsis (courtesy of Amazon) and a link to the Amazon page.

In his book On Second Thoughts: A Book of Stories, Father Joseph Kelly recalls experiences from his eventful life (e.g., his childhood in New York City, his time in the U.S. Navy, his life of priestly service) and reflects on those experiences and how they illustrate faith and the presence of God in all things. His engaging stories are an aid to the reader’s own faith in God inviting meditation and prayer.

On Second Thoughts

Going forward:

1. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Thursday and First Friday at 9:00 AM in the Divine Mercy Chapel in the Parish Center.
2. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Thursday and First Friday at 3:00 PM in the Divine Mercy Chapel in the Parish Center.
3. We need people to sign up and commit an hour so that we never have the Blessed Sacrament exposed without anyone to adore the Lord.

The Divine Mercy Chapel was built within the Father Anthony Domenic Sorgie Parish Center in 2020. You can enter the Chapel by going to the Parish Center front door, which is located behind the School, and, after being let in, walking to the Chapel.

It has come to our attention that the names of the pastors of our three local parishes (IHM, St. Joseph's, and ICA) are being used in an email scam. We would like to officially state that Fr. Sorgie would NEVER ask for gift cards or anything of the sort through email. If you have any doubts about the veracity of an email, please call the parish office - (914) 961-3643 - and speak to a staff member before responding.

If Fr. Sorgie were to ask for assistance, he would reach out through more personal means, such as a phone call or speaking in person. Thank you for your assistance in stopping this cyber-crime.

The image below provides an example of where to find the information detailed underneath. It is not an actual Scam email.

• When receiving an email of uncertain origin, look at the sender's email address (black arrow in image above) at the top of the email.
  • Our parish emails will always have an "@icaparish.org" or "@flocknote.com" address.
• If you receive a scam email, please report it, within your email provider, as "phishing," "spam," or a similar type of description (blue arrow in image above) so that these thieves cannot take advantage of anyone.
  • Within Gmail, the menu to report an email can be found by clicking the vertical ellipsis (blue star in image above).

The opening of our long-awaited, new Parish Center began with the move of all Parish Offices out of the Rectory. The Parish Center can be entered from the original entrance to the school building. There is a handicap ramp between the Church and School and a new sign to lead you directly to the new center.

For all Parish business, please visit our new offices and see the center as we prepare for its complete opening.