Weekend & Weekday Masses

Sunday Mass 9:00 am
Sunday Mass is live-streamed on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/basilicaofstmaryoftheimmaculateconception/
You do not have to have a facebook account in order to view our livestream events.

Weekday Masses on Tuesday and Friday at 12:10 in the Church Hall.

WEEKLY MASS REGISTRATION

Sunday October 11, 2020

Please reserve a seat for this week's upcoming 9:00 AM Mass.

Date: 10/11/20200 (Sun.)

Time: 9:00am - 11:00am EDT

Location: The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception

Related files: Returning to Church and What to Expect

Please click on the Link below to signup Mass on Sunday October 11, 2020

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040449A4AD2BA0F94-mass

Message From Fr. Jim

Passing On Our FAITH!!!

Dear Friends and Family of the Basilica,

When I was newly ordained, I lamented to a good friend that I was struggling with time management. I was failing to accomplish everything that I needed to do. Returning phone calls and emails to friends went on the back burner and I never seemed able to get to them. My prayer life was even suffering. She told me that my problem was not with managing my time but with prioritizing my day. She had noticed that I prioritize everything based on urgency instead of importance. Wise lady! There is seldom a sense of urgency about praying or calling a friend, but they are among the most important things we can do.

In times like these we are most grateful for our faith. The hope that comes from knowing Jesus is unsurpassed by anything that can be taught in school. When it seems as though we are forsaken or forgotten by others, we stay strong knowing that our Lord never abandons us! He has not brought us this far to leave us now. It is of utmost importance that we stay strong in faith. It is of equal importance that we pass that faith on to our children.

Catechesis is more than simply “Religious Education”. It is the passing on of the faith from one generation to the next. We stand on holy ground that was made fertile by the people who made sure we had a strong faith. There were certainly more urgent things in life, but to them, nothing was more important. I give thanks to God for everyone that brought me to this holy and fertile place. My parents, my family, my teachers. They knew what I would need to build my character as I grew into a man and they made sacrifices to ensure I had it.

Children today need a strong connection to their faith and their church even more than we did. I know that this time of separation from each other is difficult and we can sometimes forget or neglect that which is most important: prayer, exercise, compassion, peace and mercy, catechesis. We are all struggling. It is easy to put off doing those things because there are so many things that are more urgent. Nothing is more important.

Please take a minute and register your child(ren) for our Catechetical program here. It is how we pass on the importance of faith.

Peace,

Fr. Jim

Religious Education

“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15

Dear Parishioners,

In the Scriptures we are told that Joshua reviewed the history of Israel with the People of God and asked them to make a choice- the God of Israel or foreign gods. In choosing to serve the God of Israel they also pledged to teach the words of the Lord to their children faithfully, day in and day out. The faith remains vibrant when we practice it and pass it on from one generation to the next.

Parents, we are asking you to register your child/children in Pre-kindergarten through 8th grades for Religious Education. The publisher for our materials, Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, has made an all-out effort to provide resources, help and support for parents.

The “Parent Teaching Pages” are easy-to-use lesson-specific teaching steps for teaching the lesson.

The “Parent Quick Start Overview” helps parents understand the various components of the Pflaum Gospel Weekly and how they work together. The “Gospel at Home” gives a very brief explanation of the Gospel and how it relates to your child/family.

Weekly video links are posted that coordinate with the lesson for the week.

The “Family Connection” encourages family prayer and discussion. The “Home Instruction” guide, in addition to the “Parent Teaching Pages”, can be used as a general overview for how to teach the lessons with one or more children.

As you can see there are many resources to help you share the lessons with your child. You can view these resources at Pflaum.com. Click on Resources for families. Even the most inexperienced parent-teacher can be successful.

Please register your child/children. Call the church office at (757) 622-4487 to make arrangements to get materials for your child.

Yours in Christ,

Barbara Wright

Director of Religious Education

Note: Different materials will be provided for youth in grades 9 through 12.

Flu Vaccine Sign Up

Please click on the link below to sign up for your flu vaccine that will take place in the office on October 10th and the 24th.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904044DADAD2DA3FF2-fluvaccine

Daily Reading

http://usccb.org/bible/readings

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 - 12 Noon
1000 Holt Street
Norfolk, VA 23504
Phone: 757-622-4487

Clergy

Reverend Jim Curran, Pastor

Reverend Calvin Bailey, Deacon

2020 Holy Days of Obligation

Holy days of obligation are days set aside by the Church when the faithful attend Mass. In addition to Sundays, the days observed as holy days of obligation in the United States are:

January 1st – Mary, Mother of God - New Years Day Mass will be @ 10 AM

May 21st – Ascension of Our Lord
August 15th – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Abrogated
November 1st – All Saints
December 8th – Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 25th – Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Mass held on these days will be at 12 Noon and 7:00 pm

2019-2020 Holy Days of Obligation & Feast Days

Announcements

28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 11, 2020 – 9:00am

Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk, Virginia

ANNOUNCEMENTS and COMMENTARY

You are asked to pray for those who are sick or homebound, especially Kitty Burke, recovering from brain surgery and Maria Andrade, the mother of Olga Andrade.
Please remember in your prayers those who have died recently especially: John Beamon, who died on Thurs., Oct. 8th. His graveside service date and time is pending; and Janet Hays, who died on Wed., Oct. 7^th. She was the mother-in-law of Nenneh Marshall

This morning’s Mass is being offered on the twentieth anniversary of his death for Cherone Gunn.

Those parishioners who desire to receive a Flu Shot on Sat., Oct. 24^th are asked to call the Church Office from 10am until 2pm Monday thru Thursday and 10am until 12noon on Friday.
Our 7pm , Oct. 14^th Spirituality activity will be led by our proclaimers of the Word, the Lectors. Please plan to join them for the live stream.
Pope Francis has called Holy Communion, the "Sacrament of Love":

"The Eucharist is at the heart of 'Christian initiation', together with Baptism and Confirmation, and it constitutes the source of the Church’s life itself. From this Sacrament of love, in fact, flows every authentic journey of faith, of communion, and of witness."

Today, even with the restrictions of Covid, 3 youths will receive, for the 1^st time, Holy Communion – and certainly, it will not be their last time.

My sisters and brothers, “On this mountain” God will be doing something surprising and mighty. All people will be invited to the banquet. The veil of death will be removed and everyone will see the goodness of our redeeming God. “On this mountain” the hand of the saving God will wipe away all reproaches. The Giver will be seen, the God to whom all look for comfort.

The banquet and the mountain are images of the person, the messiah, who will welcome, feed, and guard all peoples.

Today’s readings invite us to come into the kingdom, to open up, eat, enjoy what is there. To receive as Jesus did.

Receive and give. Jesus wants us to receive his life and then give it out to the world.

Parishioner's Script 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Return to Mass Guidelines - https://tinyurl.com/returntomassguidelines

Follow the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception

Basilica Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/BSMICFacebook

Basilica Website: https://www.basilicaofsaintmary.org/

Online Giving: https://tinyurl.com/onlineofferings