A Parish That Wired Itself to the Gospel of Stewardship
On a 1969 foundation stone on Cunningham Drive, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church has grown into one of the most recognizable parishes on the Virginia Peninsula, not just for its Catholic life but for the 440 photovoltaic panels covering its roof and the 147 kilowatts of clean energy that now flow from them. The parish installed those panels in 2019, on the very weekend it marked its 50th anniversary, and became the first in the Diocese of Richmond to convert to solar power. That same impulse, to take the Church's call to care for creation personally, runs through almost every program at ICC today.
The parish belongs to the Diocese of Richmond and operates out of 2150 Cunningham Drive in Hampton, Virginia. It is staffed and supported by a community made up of "imperfect men and women who strive to be faithful to the promises of our baptism."
Mass Schedule and Reconciliation
Weekend Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 5:30 PM and on Sunday at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM. The 11:00 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person. Weekday Masses are offered three days a week: Tuesday at 12:00 PM, Wednesday at 12:00 PM, and Thursday at 8:30 AM. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturday from 4:30 to 5:00 PM, on Wednesdays after the daily Mass, or by appointment.
Parish office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and the church building is open for individual private prayer throughout the day. The parish library, with more than 1,000 book and DVD titles recommended by the diocese or the parish staff, is available any time Mass is being celebrated or during regular office hours.
Sacraments at ICC
All seven Catholic sacraments are prepared for and celebrated at the parish. Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders each have their own parish page, and sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish office and Jean Hawley, the director of faith formation.
First Eucharist is typically prepared for in second grade or later, and parents are expected to be attending Mass and parish religious formation (or Catholic school) with their children. Confirmation in the Diocese of Richmond is generally conferred on 10th graders, with dedicated catechists and sponsors walking teenagers through four in-person sessions over the preparation year. Reconciliation preparation precedes first Communion. Anointing of the Sick requires only a careful judgment about the seriousness of illness; it can be celebrated before surgery, in a hospital room, at home, or in church. Couples preparing for Marriage begin by emailing the parish office for the application, while anyone discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life is pointed toward the Diocesan Vocations.
Adult Faith Formation
Adult faith formation at ICC is treated as a lifelong journey. The parish library's 1,000-plus titles, curated with the diocese and parish clergy, sit alongside periodic seasonal displays that follow the Church year. Anyone preparing for the sacraments as an adult, returning to the practice of the faith, or simply looking to grow in knowledge has a place to start.
Music Ministry
The parish maintains an active music ministry that supports the Sunday and weekday liturgies, drawing on the tradition of sacred choral and congregational music that is the backbone of Catholic worship. Visitors who want to sing or play as part of the parish's liturgical life are invited to get in touch with the parish office.
ICC Food Ministry
Immaculate Conception has run a food pantry for more than twenty years, and it is one of the largest ministries of the parish by sheer volume. The walk-in pantry serves over 200 households and over 600 people each month from Hampton and the surrounding communities. Guests are greeted by volunteers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and can receive two full bags of nonperishable groceries twice a month. Unsheltered guests may receive food items any day the pantry is open. The pantry is supplied through donations, the parish's partnership with the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, and a dedicated corps of volunteers who pack bags, shop, sort, and greet.
On the second and fourth Sundays of the month, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM, the parish hosts Sunday Supper, a bi-monthly community meal that began as a response to food insecurity in Hampton Roads. Guests receive food and a chance to socialize. The gathering has been described as "an oasis in the desert." Volunteers and donations for both programs are coordinated through foodministry@icchampton.org.
Care for Creation
Care for creation is not a single program at ICC; it is a thread that runs through the parish. The 440-panel solar array, installed with Catholic Energies in 2019, fully powers the church and reduces the parish's carbon dioxide emissions by 230 tons. The project drew national attention, including features in the Washington Post, America Magazine, the National Catholic Reporter, and the Virginian Pilot, and inspired other parishes in the Diocese of Richmond to explore solar. Fr. John Grace has written publicly about the call to act in the face of climate change and the small steps that parishes can take.
Beyond solar, the parish has launched a series of creation-focused initiatives:
- The Francis Project: ICC is a partner with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on a Living Shoreline project in Hampton, drawing on the pope's encyclical Laudato Si' to restore natural shoreline habitat.
- ICC Tree Project: The parish has donated funds to plant thousands of trees in East Africa through The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST), which works with small-scale farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and India to grow trees, reduce carbon, and lift up rural communities.
- Water With Blessings: ICC partners with the Water With Blessings Navajo Nation Project to bring clean drinking water to marginalized families through Sawyer PointONE filters distributed by trained "Water Women" who promise to share filters with neighboring families.
- Equal Exchange Fair Trade: A Fair Trade Ministry runs a cart after Mass on the second and fourth weekends of each month, selling coffee, tea, chocolate, and olive oil from Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative. The ministry ties Catholic social teaching to everyday consumer choices.
- Peace and Justice: The parish supports legislative advocacy through the Virginia Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of Virginia's two Catholic dioceses.
A Diverse and Welcoming Community
The parish mission statement, written by the community itself, names the breadth of the people who call ICC home: "a rich mixture of races and ethnic diversity, the married and the single and the divorced and the separated, the working and the retired, civilian and military, young people and seniors, the healthy and the infirm." The mission statement is plain about its priorities: communal liturgy as "the source and summit" of spiritual life, and hospitality as "a prerequisite for the celebration of Eucharist." Guests from other diocesan parishes are treated as a witness to faith that strengthens the parish's own.
Parish life is supported by a number of practical touchpoints. A weekly email newsletter keeps members informed, and the parish bulletin is available online. Sacramental records can be requested directly from the parish office. The parish is compliant with the Diocese of Richmond's Safe Environment standards, and registration forms, employment opportunities, and giving options are all available online.
Leadership
Immaculate Conception is served by Fr. John Grace, pastor, who writes weekly reflections and has been a public voice for the parish's creation-care work. Jean Hawley directs faith formation and sacramental preparation, walking families through First Eucharist, Confirmation, and Reconciliation. Eric Kent coordinates the Fair Trade Ministry and welcomes new volunteers for the Equal Exchange cart. The parish office handles Mass intentions, sacramental records, and general inquiries throughout the week.
Visiting Immaculate Conception
The church sits at 2150 Cunningham Drive in Hampton, with parish office hours Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Saturday Vigil Mass begins at 5:30 PM, with Sunday Masses at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM. Weekday Masses are offered Tuesday and Wednesday at 12:00 PM and Thursday at 8:30 AM. Reconciliation is heard Saturday from 4:30 to 5:00 PM and Wednesday after the daily Mass. Anyone thinking about becoming Catholic is encouraged to reach out to the parish office, and online giving is available through OSV.