To fulfill a growing need among parishioners for additional prayer time, Immaculate Conception will expand its church hours and implement new sanitation procedures to maintain a safe environment. The church will be open to the public 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday. On Tuesday, the church will be open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The new hours will go into effect immediately. To maintain a safe environment with our expanded hours, Immaculate Conception has a new sanitation device, which is an electrostatic mister that uniformly distributes anti-viral and anti-bacterial disinfectant. Since Immaculate Conception re-opened its doors for public worship in May, all church pews and high-touch surfaces have been sanitized by hand. Our new disinfecting equipment allows for an effective and more efficient process to sanitize all the parish spaces. This equipment is designed for use in public spaces and the same or similar technology has been utilized across the Diocese and in many other similar public facilities. The disinfecting solution is safe for use and we do not expect any sensitivities to the chemicals. Safety data sheets for the disinfecting solution being used are available for review in the Parish Office.

This year’s theme is “Forced like Jesus Christ to flee.” In his 2020 message, Pope Francis reminds us, “If we encounter them, we will get to know more about them. And knowing their stories, we will be able to understand them. We will be able to understand, for example, that the precariousness that we have come to experience as a result of this pandemic is a constant in the lives of displaced people.” Learn more about the U.S. Catholic bishops commitment to immigration reform and to creating a culture of welcome in which all migrants are treated with respect and dignity at JusticeForImmigrants.org.

When: 4 p.m. | Sunday, Sept. 27 Where: Immaculate Conception RSVP: icoffice@iccols.org Help us celebrate Fr. Matt Hoover’s 25th Anniversary of his ordination to the holy priesthood. On Sunday, Sept. 27, we will officially celebrate his anniversary with a Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a small reception in Marian Hall. Fr. Matt asks only for your prayers for him, and prayers for vocations to the priesthood. Masks and social distancing are required. Please RSVP to icoffice@iccols.org or by calling the parish office at (614) 267-9241 if you plan to attend. Space will be limited. Drive-thru Reception In addition, Fr. Matt will hold a drive-thru “reception” on that Sunday following the 11 a.m. Mass at approximately 12 p.m. Drive through the IC lot towards the Grotto exit, and Fr. Matt will greet you with a gift of ice cream, one of his favorite foods!

Fr. Matt and the IC Does the Derby team wish to thank everyone who participated and donated to IC Does the Derby. A special thank you to the IC Festival Chairs (Jerry and Jen Bennet and Chris and Jessica Schultheis), who created this unique event in lieu of the IC Festival this past summer. IC Does the Derby was a wonderful way to strengthen the Immaculate Conception community while providing financial support for the IC School Sustainability Fund. Because of the huge support from our parish community, we were able to exceed our goal. Of course, the parishioners and friends who volunteered their time, donated sponsorships, and Silent Auction items, are greatly appreciated and helped make this event a true success. THANK YOU!

The Parish School of Religion (PSR) program will be using the online Damascus Alive Faith Formation program. This is an online family-based program that can be done at home. The program will provide a weekly 45-minute video and parent preparation sheet for family catechesis (more information including an FAQ can be found at http://alive.damascus.net/. It is structured for all age levels and will allow parents to coordinate a time that works for each family’s weekly schedules. If you have any questions and need to register a child for IC’s PSR program, please contact icpsr@iccols.org or call 614-267-9241 x293. Thank you, Mary Ann Rivera Immaculate Conception Faith Formation & Evangelization

The Eichel Clan moved into the Clintonville neighborhood ‘a while back’ and have enjoyed growing up in the IC parish. Our three children, Christy, Beth and Will attended IC school and went on to either Waterson or St. Charles for high school.  Our family has been blessed with wonderful additions, including six fantastic grandchildren ranging in age from 9 years to 7 weeks. We have always found IC parishioners welcoming and have enjoyed being involved with multiple activities and groups. One of the most powerful blessing of IC is having such incredible Catholic leadership from our pastors and school principals. Become a Legacy Family Sponsor A $250 donation goes directly to the IC School Sustainability Fund. We honor the generosity of each Legacy Family Sponsor by featuring them on our social media sites and in the church bulletin.  This allows us to get to know one another even better and build a sense of community during this unprecedented time. To donate, visit the following link: ICDerby.givesmart.com