Around the Parish – August 3, 2025

Adoration Schedule

Beginning this month, Eucharistic Adoration at Immaculate Heart will be held on the Third Friday of each month from 6:00–7:00 PM. This regular time will give us a beautiful rhythm of prayer throughout the year. However, this month, due to the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Adoration will be held from 7:00–8:00 PM on Friday, August 15, following the evening Mass.

This hour later in the month gives our neighbors from other parishes the opportunity to join us—especially since Beloved Disciple and Saint Michael both offer First Friday Adoration, this Third Friday option provides another occasion for Eucharistic prayer in our area.

Holy Day of Obligation – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Friday, August 15 is a Holy Day of Obligation, when we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heaven.

Masses will be offered at 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM here at Immaculate Heart. As mentioned above, Adoration will follow the evening Mass, from 7:00–8:00 PM.

Let’s honor our Blessed Mother by beginning and ending the day in prayer.

Communion under Both Species

Beginning in September, with the change of Sunday Mass time from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, we will resume the distribution of Holy Communion under both forms—the Body and the Precious Blood of Christ—at the 11:00 AM Mass only.

While it is a great gift to receive the Eucharist under both species, please remember: Christ is fully present—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—in either form. Receiving either the Sacred Host or the Precious Blood alone still constitutes full Communion. This change will allow us to offer the fullness of the liturgical sign where possible while remaining reverent and practical in our approach. !

Parish Mission – Pray & Prepare!

You should have received your Parish Mission Prayer Card this past week. I encourage you to pray this daily as we prepare our hearts for this grace-filled time.

Our Parish Mission with Fr. Larry Richards is set for Monday, September 8 through Thursday, September 11, from 6:30–8:30 PM each evening. Each night will focus on a different theme, and I promise you—it will be spirit-filled, powerful, and life-changing.

Please do everything you can to attend all four nights. This is a moment of renewal and transformation for our entire parish community. Invite your friends, family, neighbors—all are welcome!

A few thoughts for your week:

Happiness is not something readymade; it comes from your own actions. You will either step forward into growth or backwards into safety. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will create the fact. Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can come together.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy

The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions

The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.

Offering Masses for the Deceased:

Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.

The Mass: Center of Christian Life:

Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.

Requesting a Mass Intention:

Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.

Offering a Mass Stipend:

The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.