ICSJ Parish’s annual Taco Fiesta returns Sunday, July 27th! Celebrate with our good friends from Mother of the Americas, our sharing parish, while enjoying authentic Mexican fare including tacos, margaritas and more! This free, festive event will take place rain or shine at ICSJ School’s Hill Street Campus, across the street from St. Joseph Church, immediately following our 11:00 a.m. Mass.  (Volunteers needed! Click here to view the different opportunities and sign up!)

If you enjoy knitting and/or crocheting (or would like to learn), join us! We get together at St. Joe's once a month. Our next KnitWit gathering is Monday, July 21, 10AM-1PM. You can come for a half hour, a couple hours or for the entire time…whatever fits your schedule. Or, you can make a blanket, a hat or 8x8 squares at your convenience and drop off at IC or SJ. If you have any questions, please leave a message for me at ICSJ or send an email to me, Kathy at kmust1@yahoo.com.

Young adults (20s &30s) are invited to joined ICSJ's FORMED community for a picnic in the park after work on Wednesday, July 16th at 5:30PM. We meet just north of the Benjamin Franklin statue at LaSalle and Stockton-- you can't miss us! Bring your picnic blanket, snack, drink and friends! All young adults are welcome. To learn more about the FORMED group and to sign up for our newsletter, visit our page!

Peace Yoga is back at Immaculate Conception Church, offering a beginner-level class led by Jennifer Kim of The Peace School. The 8-class series is just $60 and runs Saturday mornings from June 7 to August 9 (no class July 5 or 12). Each session includes gentle stretching, yoga postures, breathing meditation, and relaxation. For more information, and to registers, please email Jennifer at info@peaceschool.org.

We still have a few spots open on our annual Women's Retreat! Haven't signed up yet? Now's your chance! Join us for a refreshing and uplifting weekend- a time to rest, reflect, and renew your spirit in the presence of God's great love. Experience meaningful fellowship, inspiring messages, and peaceful moments of grace. Click HERE for more details and the registration form!

Join us for a joyful celebration honoring Mary and all mothers at our Holy Mary's Family Brunch on Sunday, May 18th immediately following the 9:30am mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Enjoy a hot breakfast, Mimosas and great company from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.! It is a wonderful event for the whole family, including a kids activity corner.  Volunteers needed — visit our sign-up page to help out!

On Saturday, May 17th we will celebrate a Memorial Mass for Pat Rashid at 11:00 a.m. St. Joseph Church. Pat had been a long-time parishioner and very active in our community. Besides attending Sunday Mass every week, she was present at many of our parish events and helped with various service projects. She was a great woman of faith. Please keep Pat and her family in your prayers. You can read her obituary here. 

This weekend at all Masses we will have a second collection for Catholic Charities. This Mother's Day appeal supports mothers and children across Cook and Lake counties. Contributions can be made at Mass or here on our GiveCentral page.

Join us Saturday, May 10, from 8–11 AM for ICSJ Parish's Day of Service! We’ll start with an 8 AM welcome Mass at IC Church (followed by coffee & donuts) then break off for our service projects. There’s something for everyone, from sorting clothing for migrant families, assembling hygiene kits, preparing bagged lunches, and helping with campus beautification (more details here). CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY, to serve with joy and share God’s love!

What does it really mean to receive God’s love? Save the date—Saturday, April 26th—for an Easter Morning of Reflection with Fr. Larry McBrady and Elly Rodriguez at Immaculate Conception Church from 8:30am-11am. We will reflect our parish Lenten theme, Draw Near and Receive God’s Love, in light of the resurrection. This time of prayer, reflection, and renewal will be a beautiful way to deepen your Easter joy. All are welcome and no registration is required!

Calling All Children of the Parish! We invite all the children to join us at 9:30am Mass for Children's Liturgy of the Word (C.L.O.W.) as we journey through Lent together over the next few weeks. This is a great opportunity for our younger members of the community to connect more deeply with the Mass and experience the meaning of Lent in a fun and engaging way. Throughout this season, we will have special activities, prayers, and reflections to help guide our children’s spiritual growth. Let’s come together and make this Lenten journey one of faith, prayer, and community! Learn more about C.L.O.W. in this weekend's bulletin.

Mark your calendars for our powerful and inspiring Parish Mission evenings on Monday, April 7th, and Tuesday, April 8th, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. This two-night event is an opportunity to deepen your faith, recharge spiritually, and strengthen your Lenten commitment. Featuring speakers Fr. Tom Hickey and Mgsr. John Canary, Parish Mission will offer practical and powerful insights to draw closer to God’s love. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a transformative experience. Learn more about the event and our speakers HERE.

Deepen your Sunday Mass experience by participating as a lector, usher, Eucharistic minister, or sacristan! We are training new liturgical ministers on Saturday, March 29th at St. Joseph Church (1107 N Orleans St) from 9-11AM. Please RSVP to Elly at erodriguez@icsjparish.org if you are interested in joining!

We invite you to make a difference by supporting our annual Lenten Food Drive, organized by our Knights of Columbus. On Saturday, March 29th, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Drop off your donations at the Immaculate Conception parking lot to help support local food pantries. Most Needed Items: peanut butter, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, canned fruits and veggies, canned meats, dry ramen, Individually packaged multigrain bars, cookies, Rice Krispie treats, Hostess Cupcakes/Twinkies, and brownie mix.

During the month of April, we will be collecting new toiletry items that will be used to create hygiene kits at our Parish Day of Service. These kits will be distributed to Pilsen Food Pantry, a local organization serving a large population of new migrants. Collection boxes are located in the back of both church sites. Items most needed: new/unopened travel-sized toiletries (shampoo, body wash, lotion, and toothpaste), toothbrushes, deodorant, diapers (all sizes, especially 4-6), and baby wipes. (You can also purchase need items on our Amazon Wishlist.)

ICSJ Financially Co-Sponsors Nicaraguan Family of Five in Resettlement! Thank you, ICSJ Parish, for your generous and incredibly timely gift to RefugeeOne. We’re so grateful your parish has opted to co-sponsor the Ramirez family. As you know, the new administration has temporarily suspended the resettlement program, however this does not prohibit us from continuing to serve clients to the best of our abilities as they rebuild their lives in Chicago. We’ll ensure that the Ramirez family has access to all of our programs, such as housing, resume and job support, youth services, mental health therapy, and much more. Read the full update on the Ramirez family in the ICSJ Refugee Ministry News section on our Refugee Ministry page.

The Stations of the Cross will be prayed on the Wednesdays of Lent at 6:00 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. This is a powerful prayer experience for this season. We hope you can join.

Experience our Lenten small group series, Draw Near, on Tuesday evenings from March 11th to April 15th, from 6:00–7:15 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church. Enjoy free food and drinks as we dive into powerful Gospel stories and hear the inspiring faith journeys of fellow parishioners. It’s a wonderful opportunity to grow closer to God and each other during this holy season. Please register here; we offer a childcare option for those who might need it!

Join ICSJ’s FORMED for our next young adult social at Waveland Bowl! We're throwing strikes from 6:30PM-8:30PM. It is free of cost and all young adults are welcome so sign up and invite a friend! RSVP HERE

ICSJ Parish invites all of you to travel with us this Lent on our 40-day journey to Easter!  We have prepared several Lenten opportunities to guide us along the way. Allow Jesus to show you new experiences that can bring renewal and reveal God’s presence to you. We hope you can join us on this adventure of drawing near to God’s great love for us. Let this Lent change your life! Visit our Lenten Journey page for details!

Peace Yoga is back at Immaculate Conception Church on Saturdays from January 11 to March 1, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Everyone is welcome! Jennifer Kim from The Peace School leads this beginner-friendly class with stretches, yoga postures, breathing meditation, and relaxation to help you recharge. The eight-class series is $60, payable by cash or check on your first day. Donations to the Church are appreciated for providing the space. Bring your mat and make Saturdays your time to unwind. To sign up or learn more, email Jennifer at info@peaceschool.org.

Sparkle is ICSJ School’s largest fundraiser, and your support makes a meaningful difference! A donation is a wonderful way to contribute to our school's success and help fund Teacher Retention Bonuses. There are several ways to give:

▶︎ Make a general donation
▶︎ Choose a sponsorship level, which includes entry into the Sparkle raffle!
▶︎ Sponsor a Teacher and help cover the cost of a teacher’s attendance so they can enjoy the event for free.

We also invite ICSJ alumni parents and parishioners to join us for a fun evening at Tree House from 7 to 10 PM! Special $100 Friends of ICSJ tickets are available until February 19th. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Our partners at Refugee One and Exodus World Service (EWS) need urgent support as resettlement agencies lose funding. Families must move from temporary housing to permanent homes, and EWS has asked ICSJ to collect a Welcome to America pack in the next two weeks for a family of four. Please consider donating through our Amazon Wish List—just click here, select items, and check out. All donations will be sent to the parish office for our Apartment Set Up volunteers. Feel free to share the link with family and friends! Thank you for your continued generosity and support! Please contact Elly with questions at erodriguez@icsjparish.org.

The ICSJ Music Ministry's Love Song Sing-Along is just a month away! Join us Saturday, February 15th at 6 p.m. in the IC parish hall, following our 5 p.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception church. We will be able to show our appreciation and say farewell to our Director of Music, Kate Ryan, who is leaving to spend more time with her family. We have truly been blessed by Kate’s gifts and talents over the last ten years!

The ICSJ community is so proud of our parish school! We celebrate the parents, students, educators, administrators, and staff that help us continue to bring Catholic education to our children. In honor of Catholic Schools Week, we are putting our faith into action with a food drive to support local organizations and their food pantries. Please drop off your items on Saturday, January 25th from 9a.m.–12p.m. in the IC Church/School parking lot. Thanks to the Knights of Columbus for organizing!
Items most needed are:

• Peanut butter, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, canned fruits and veggies, canned meats, dry ramen, individually packaged multigrain bars, brownie mix, cookies, rice krispie treats, Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies

Gather with us on Sunday, March 23, for our annual St. Joseph Table, a free Italian feast in honor of one of our patron saints! This year, we have even more to celebrate: Fr. McBrady’s 80th birthday! Come for the 11 a.m. Mass, then continue the celebration at St. Joseph Table with a special tribute to Fr. McBrady, delicious food, and a joyful afternoon of fellowship, and festivity. Learn more HERE. ▶︎▶︎ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Lend a hand, share your favorite dish! This celebration depends on volunteers like you! SIGN UP HERE!

We will be making the Annual Catholic Appeal at all Masses on the weekend of February 22-23. Please consider supporting this year's Appeal! Your generous contribution will be a source of blessing for many people for yourself and for your loved ones. To make your donations online, visit annualcatholicappeal.com and be sure to mark Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph as your parish!

May She Rest In Eternal Peace. Please keep the family of Meg Fitzgerald in your prayers. Meg, the beloved former teacher at our ICSJ parish school, and devoted wife and mother, passed away on February 28, 2025. Services will take place Saturday, March 15, 2025, with visitation from 1–5 p.m. and a memorial service at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Breast Cancer Research Fund or the donor’s choice. Read Meg’s obituary here.

This weekend we will have a second collection at all the weekend Masses to Support the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. Contributions can be made at Mass or HERE on our website's Second Collection page. More information can be found by clicking HERE.

Rose Marie O’Neill, 93, of Chicago, died peacefully Sunday March 23. Visitation will be Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, 1107 N. Orleans Street, Chicago, followed immediately by a Mass of The Resurrection at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rose’s name may be made to the Irish Georgian Society. Read Rose’s obituary here.