Immaculate Conception  & 

Assumption of Our Lady 

Our RCIA Program will begin in September for all adults and young adults who have not completed their Sacraments of Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. Converts to the faith are always welcome.

Please contact Fr. Sorgie at the Parish Office - (914) 961-3643 - as we fill out the RCIA Class of 2022, whose Sacraments will be made at the Easter Vigil on April 16, 2022.
 

From Fr. André:

"Since the publication of our first volume, Franciscan Solitude, in 1995, we have encountered several people who have taken St. Francis’ Document on Solitude personally into the fabric their lives, and we have invited them to share their experiences in a collection of essays that comprise a new anthology called Prayer of Franciscan Solitude. Solitude has been embraced by the Church since its beginning, but solitude that is called by the name “Franciscan” has the unique vision of its founder, St. Francis, stamped upon it. And simply being in a religious way in solitude is prayer. So, we offer these essays to all lovers of Franciscan solitude."

The followers of Francis and Clare today continue to discover ways to adapt a thirteenth-century document on solitude to the lives of people in the twenty-first century. The essays of this volume demonstrate the ongoing vitality of the Franciscan spiritual tradition of solitude in our day. And the inspiring words and example of these authors comprise an invitation to the readers of this book to discover the riches of this tradition for themselves.

Brother William Short, OFM, from his Introduction to this new anthology

View the Full Flyer Here
Order the Anthology Here

PREP is Family Friendly: Grades 1-8 Offered at Each Session

Three Sessions Available

• Tuesdays: 4:15 - 5:30 PM
• Tuesdays: 6:45 - 8:00 PM
• Wednesdays: 4:15 - 5:30 PM

Session preference is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Keep in mind that session availability cannot be guaranteed for late registrations.

*PREP plans to return to In-Person classes for the upcoming 2021-2022 year.*

PREP Update

The PREP Office will be closed from Friday, 7/30/21, through Friday, 8/6/21, for building maintenance and deep cleaning. The office will reopen Monday, 8/9/21. Registrations for the upcoming year will be accepted in the PREP office on:

• Tues. 8/10/21 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM
• Wed. 8/11/21 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Families who have not yet registered are urged to do so during the week of 8/9/21. In order for PREP to be adequately prepared for the upcoming year, the number of students attending classes must be finalized before the third week of August. All necessary registration forms may be found on the PREP Webpage. Full payment, including any additional applicable fees, must be submitted at the time of registration.

Parents are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Session preference is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Take the time to register now if you require a particular session, as session availability cannot be guaranteed for late registrations.

PREP Office: (914) 961-1076
Email the PREP Office HERE

Please visit the PREP Webpage for more information.

The 2021 Annual Parish Raffle for the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady has begun! Tickets are available through the celebration of the Feast Day on Saturday, August 14. On that evening, we will celebrate the 4 PM Mass and follow with our outdoor pasta dinner and dessert.

There is a $20 donation for each raffle ticket or six (6) for $100. Consider sharing the cost of six tickets with family members, friends, or neighbors.

The prizes are:
1st Prize: $5,000
2nd Prize: $2,000
3rd Prize: $1,000

Tickets are available in the Parish Office and after Masses in the sacristies of Immaculate Conception or Assumption Churches. Thank you for supporting this effort!

Drawing: Saturday, August 14, 2021
at the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption in the Piazza of the Assumption
125 Wallace Street, Tuckahoe, NY 10707

You need not be present to win.

In honor of the Assumption of Our Lady, the Patroness of our Parish, whose Feast Day is August 15, we will be celebrating a solemn Mass on Saturday, August 14, 4 PM, at Assumption Church. The statue of Our Lady of the Assumption will be positioned in a place of honor in the Piazza of the Assumption: 125 Wallace Street, Tuckahoe, NY, 10707.

Following Mass, we will continue the celebration with a dinner consisting of salad and homemade pasta; desserts including cookies, pastries, and gelato; and music selected by a D.J. and room to dance. Our Assumption Raffle winners will be drawn during the evening.

Help us honor Our Blessed Mother with Mass, a beautiful liturgy, and a warm celebration as a Parish Family.
 

As the new academic year approaches, we are asking our veteran catechists to return and seeking new catechists for the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP). As emphasized by Pope Francis, the ministry of catechist is vital to the survival of our church and the salvation of our children.

What is a catechist?

A catechist is much more than a teacher; a catechist is someone who accepts the ministerial role of building life-long faith formation in those who are not yet fully-initiated members of the Church.

Faith formation has four dimensions: human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual.

• Each of our students in PREP need to be formed as humble and compassionate human beings, capable of loving and caring for their neighbor: their brothers and sisters.
• Each needs to be formed spiritually: they need to be formed in an environment of prayer, meditation, and contemplation.
• Each needs to be formed pastorally: They need to be shown how to care for those in need and learn how to recognize those in need of physical and financial assistance and those in need of spiritual or moral assistance.
• Finally, the students in PREP need to be formed intellectually: They need to be instructed in the doctrine of the faith, the Sacramental life of the Church, and the reading and interpretation of Sacred Scripture.

If you want more information on ministering as a catechist, please contact the PREP Office.

Call the PREP Office at (914) 961-1076
or
send an email to Deacon Orlando HERE

Catechist Questionnaire

The following is an excerpt from Deacon Orlando's personal letter of introduction. The full letter can be found HERE.

"I am Deacon Frank Orlando, but I tell most people that God knows me as Francis. In November 2020, I was happily transferred to the Parish of Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Our Lady; happily, because I know what a terrific parish this is.

[...]

If you ask me what my profession is, I find it to be a very difficult question. I think my answer would have to be deacon/attorney/teacher. I often tell people I traded the classroom for the courtroom and the courtroom for the pulpit.

[...]

All of that led me here to the Parish of Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Our Lady, as a deacon and as the new Director of Religious Education. I’m looking forward to working with all the parishioners as well as with the catechists, staff, parents and students in PREP."

Loosening of Pandemic Protocols
Beginning the Weekend of May 29-30

On May 19, some careful loosening of the COVID-19 Protocols for Churches in New York State went into effect, approved by the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New York in his newsletter to the clergy.

What does this mean for our Parish? Beginning the weekend of May 29-30:

1. All doors will be open (the sanitizing stations will remain).
2. Masks must be worn by those who are NOT fully vaccinated, until further changes.
3. The Cardinal has asked us to continue to receive Holy Communion only by the host and in the hand.
4. Much of the tape that has been guiding us during this past year will be removed. We rely on you to keep a comfortable level of social distance.
5. Ministries will once again be activated (i.e. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Altar Servers).
6. Entrance and Recessional Processions will return as well as the Presentation of the Gifts of Bread and Wine by anyone who has been fully vaccinated.
7. Our Missalettes will return to the Pews for use during Mass. Please do not remove the Missalettes or the covers from the churches. 

We appreciate your cooperation as we move ever closer to a full reopening of our Parish.

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

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

You are invited to join Fr. Novio on a 10-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land! The pilgrimage will begin on December 26, 2021, and conclude on January 4, 2022. There will be stops in Nazareth, Cana, Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ein Karem, and Emmaus. The enrollment deadline is June 30, 2021. Please click HERE for the full brochure of information.

You are invited to join Fr. Sorgie on the rescheduled pilgrimage to the Passion Play in Oberammergau. The itinerary is the same as the 2020 program. The pilgrimage will begin on September 14, 2022, and conclude on September 23, 2022. Please click HERE for the full brochure of information.

On March 19, 2021 (the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Cardinal Dolan consecrated the Archdiocese of New York to St. Joseph. View the Act of Consecration HERE. Pray along with Cardinal Dolan using the prayers found HERE.

Pope Francis has announced 2021 as the Year of St. Joseph. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church.

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 2022 Mass Book is ready and will record all Mass Intentions for the living and deceased in 2022. You may come by the office in the new Parish Center to reserve a Mass. Daily Mass Intentions which appear in the bulletin are $20 and Unannounced Mass Intentions are $15.

Please note: At any given time, no more than five Mass intentions will be taken.

Follow the construction of the New Holy Mount Terraced Gardens and Columbarium with pictures and regular updates from the construction team:
HERE

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.

Due to the construction of the New Columbarium at Holy Mount Cemetery, the cemetery will be closed periodically to allow the construction equipment to be operated safely. These periodic closures will only be temporary. For updates, please call the parish office or check here.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.