IC's Mission

As our communication team gets up and running, I wanted to have something, in addition to face-to-face conversation, for conversation about our emerging plan and the Mission and Vision of our parish this plan aims to serve.

As I mentioned in the January 24 bulletin, it's important that we’re a parish well-wired not only to what is happening but to why it’s happening, appreciating how our various activities and programs are all in service of our parish Mission and Vision.

Our parish Mission is printed each week on the front cover of the bulletin.

Immaculate Conception Parish is a Roman Catholic community in downtown Durham pastored by Franciscan friars. We are a multicultural and stewardship parish called, gifted and sent to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, parish-wide faith formation, our parish school, pastoral care, and living the church’s social teaching.

I don't think we've ever had a chance to comment on some key words and phrases.

Parish If, like me, you're a transplant from up north and grew up in a "thick" Catholic culture, you probably think of parish as a piece of territoty. A short drive and you're in  another parish. But the church's Canon Law describes a parish as a 'portion of the people of God.' So IC is flesh and blood and not geography.

downtown Downtown here refers both to geography and culture. We're obviously a stone's through from what everyone calls downtown Durham. But "downtown" also refers to a culture that's different from the suburbs or rural parts of Durham. There's a grittiness to the notion of "downtown" as the place where the customs of and courtesies of neighborhoods don't apply. Folks who have lost their berings typically gravitate downtown. That's why Urban Ministries is ideally located where it is. Downtown is also where things happen. It's usually the seat of government and where people gather to make the decisions that shape city/town life. An apt location for our parish.

pastored "Pastor" is Latin for "shepherd." It's an image Jesus used to describe himself. It's both a consolation and a challenge for the friars.

multicultural We are a portion of the people of God composed of folks from a host of cultural backgrounds. In many ways, we're like the Corinthians whom St. Paul loved dearly but who needed constant reminders that theirs was first a unity of faith.

stewardship The core of our spirituality is gratitude. We're ever aware of our blessings, some that have come to us through no effort of our own and others that have come from the hard work we've been given the capacity to accomplish. Our gratitude makes us a generous people, often sacrificial.

called, gifted and sent We share a common vocation ( = calling) to share in Jesus great venture, and we've been gifted (= graced) with the talents we admire in Jesus. Each Sunday, nourshed by Word and Sacrament, we're sent ( = "The Mass is ended, Go ...." ) to fulfill our calling with the graces given to us.

the gospel of Jesus Christ The gospel hangs over our altar. "God so loved the world ... " If our lives don't somehow say that, a lot of people will never know it.