Immaculate Conception Catholic

This is a progressive welcoming dynamic parish run by three excellent Franciscans. It is largely characterized by its diversity, one third Hispanic, at last count eighteen African countries represented, GLBT people, families, and older people. There is a deep sense of Faith and Community here. If you are looking for a pre-Vatican II parish this would probably not be the place for you. more

I have been attending Immaculate Conception for the past few years. The parish is full of young families. There are only a few older couples that I ever see, but oodles of children. There is also a large Hispanic population at the church. They offer two masses in Spanish every Sunday. They are very involved in the Durham community and have numerous programs ongoing at any time. The music is usually nice. At the early mass (7:45 am) it is usually organ music, while at 9:30 and 11:15 there is usually multiple instruments and a choir. The music selection is sometimes odd, especially for the communion hymns, which is typically solemn, reflective music, they generally choose very upbeat, distracting music. I am also quite dissappointed in their mass times. They offer no English speaking mass after 11:15 am on Sunday morning and on holy days typically offer a 7 am, 815 am, noon, and 7 pm (in Spanish), with no vigil mass. This leaves the working member only one real opportunity to attend mass when required. Sunday mass is typically over an hour. Overall an decent church, with nice caring priests, but I feel a lacking a little. more

Immaculate Conception is one of those ugly, modern churches. If you're into a more old fashioned mass, this is not the place to go (really, there's nowhere in Durham to go). But if you like folksy music, you might like this church (although the quality of the performers is usually pretty bad). Banal music and subpar homilies, in my opinion. more

Had I stayed in the area, this is the church I would have settled on. The congregation is large and full of families, there's an affiliated school, and Fr. David is a good priest. He was very helpful to my now-wife and I when we were trying to sort out paperwork to get married. The church is beautiful, and if you're a Duke fan, you might get a glimpse of the Krzyzewskis if you go. more