About Immaculate Conception · Hampton, Virginia
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (ICC) is a 600-family Roman Catholic parish in Hampton, Virginia, founded in 1968 and part of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Located on Cunningham Drive in the southeastern corner of Virginia — a region where Catholics make up only about 4.5% of the population — the parish has built a reputation for warm hospitality, strong music, and a notably ambitious adult-faith-formation program. Its most distinctive offering is the Bishop Keane Institute, a Catholic lecture series that has drawn nationally recognized speakers such as Bishop Robert Barron, Fr. James Martin, S.J., and Cardinal Blase Cupich to Hampton since 2015.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (patroness; parish is named for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. John A. Grace
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 4)
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a mid-sized, welcoming Peninsula parish where active faith formation is taken seriously — from infancy through grade 12, with whole-family catechesis (G.I.F.T.), sacramental prep, and women's Scripture study (Walking with Purpose). It is also home to the Bishop Keane Institute, one of the few parish-run Catholic lecture series in the country to bring leading voices such as Bishop Barron, Fr. James Martin, S.J., and Sr. Helen Prejean to a small diocesan town. Add in a strong music program, a robust food ministry that serves the broader Hampton community, and an on-site columbarium, and the parish is both a local parish church and a regional hub for adult Catholic learning.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday after the 12:00 PM Daily Mass (approximately 12:30–1:00 PM)
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
- Or by appointment (call 757-826-0393)
Adoration times
- Individual private prayer in the church: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (no dedicated Eucharistic Adoration block is published; staff indicates you may also schedule Adoration by appointment through the office)
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (ICC) is a 600-family Roman Catholic parish in Hampton, Virginia, founded in 1968 and part of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond's Deanery 4. The parish sits in mission territory — Catholics make up only about 4.5% of the local population — yet has earned a regional reputation for its welcoming community, vibrant music, and unusually ambitious adult-faith-formation work, anchored by the Bishop Keane Institute lecture series. The parish offices are open Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, and the church itself is open for private prayer during those same hours.
- Founded: 1968
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 4)
- Pastor: Rev. John A. Grace
- Pastorate size: ~600 families
- Parish email: [email protected]
History of the Parish
Immaculate Conception was founded in 1968 to serve Catholics on the Virginia Peninsula. Through a succession of pastors — including Msgr. Robert Perkins and Fr. Robert French — the parish developed a long-running commitment to adult-faith formation, occasional talks by nationally known Catholics, and creative stewardship of its physical campus. Fr. Robert French arranged a real-estate deal that brought an apartment complex onto church grounds in exchange for a share of profits, with the proceeds dedicated to senior outreach and adult formation. That funding later enabled the Bishop Keane Institute, founded by Fr. Sean Prince around 2015 and continued today by a committee of parishioners under director of evangelization Cass Hooker.
- 1968: Parish founded in Hampton, VA.
- Decades-long tradition of adult-faith talks, including visits by the late Fr. Richard McBrien.
- Fr. Robert French (former pastor, d. 2016) arranged the on-site apartment complex to underwrite outreach and formation.
- Fr. Sean Prince (2013–~2018) pioneered the Bishop Keane Institute lecture series.
- 2019: The Catholic Virginian profiled the parish as 'community, welcoming, diverse.'
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Team
The parish is led by Rev. John A. Grace, who was ordained for the Diocese of Richmond in May 1979. Before coming to Immaculate Conception, Fr. John served at Blessed Sacrament in Norfolk and at St. Nicholas in Virginia, and spent years in campus ministry at James Madison University and Virginia Tech. He holds a BA in history from St. Meinrad College and an MDiv from St. Meinrad School of Theology. A lay pastoral team supports his ministry: a Director of Religious Education, a Music Coordinator, a Communications Specialist, a Pastoral Associate, a Finance Manager/Custodian, and a Director of Evangelization.
- Rev. John A. Grace — Pastor ([email protected])
- Jean Hawley — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Mark Hoggard — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
- Katarina Hackney — Music Coordinator ([email protected])
- Andrea Lemieux — Communications Specialist (mass intentions)
- Angel Chesney — Finance Manager / Custodian
- Cass Hooker — Director of Evangelization
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Under Director of Religious Education Jean Hawley, the parish runs a cradle-through-graduation faith-formation program organized around whole-parish community catechesis called G.I.F.T. (Generations In Faith Together). Sacramental prep is run alongside religious education for Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, with first Eucharist typically in 2nd grade and Confirmation currently scheduled for 10th-grade teens in the Diocese of Richmond.
- G.I.F.T. — Generations In Faith Together (whole-parish community catechesis)
- Religious Education Infancy–Grade 12
- Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Wine & Wonder presentations
- Walking with Purpose (women's Scripture study)
- 4th Soil Parent Initiative Project
- Middle school and high school fellowship
- Thriving Parish Project
- VIRTUS & Catechist trainings
The Bishop Keane Institute (Lecture Series)
The Bishop Keane Institute is the parish's Catholic lecture series, launched around 2015 under Fr. Sean Prince and named for Bishop John Keane — fifth Bishop of Richmond and first rector of the Catholic University of America. Run today with director of evangelization Cass Hooker and a parishioner committee (with diocesan review), Keane is partnered with the Kelly Forum at St. Mary Catholic Church in Richmond: about 85% of Keane speakers also address the Kelly audience the next morning, and the two parishes split travel and lodging costs. The series has drawn Cardinal Blase Cupich, Fr. James Martin S.J., Bishop Robert Barron, Fr. Tom Reese S.J., George Weigel, Sr. Helen Prejean (C.S.J.), Fr. Greg Boyle S.J., John Allen, Massimo Faggioli, and Fr. Ron Rolheiser O.M.I., among others, and was called 'visionary' by NCR for a parish of its size.
- Launched ~2015 under Fr. Sean Prince
- Named for Bishop John Keane (5th Bishop of Richmond; first rector of Catholic University)
- Partnered with the Kelly Forum at St. Mary, Richmond (split travel costs)
- Past speakers include Cardinal Cupich, Fr. James Martin S.J., Bishop Barron, Sr. Helen Prejean, Fr. Greg Boyle S.J., George Weigel, Fr. Tom Reese S.J., Massimo Faggioli, John Allen, Fr. Ron Rolheiser O.M.I.
- Lectures vetted internally and approved by the diocese
ICC Food Ministry & Outreach
Immaculate Conception runs one of the more active food ministries on the Peninsula. Through Sunday Suppers, a Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday Food Pantry, and weekend distributions, ICC serves Hampton neighbors beyond its own parishioners. The outreach work is funded in part by the parish's foundation, originally seeded by revenue from the on-site apartment complex arranged under Fr. Robert French.
- Sunday Supper — 2nd and 4th Sundays, 2:00–3:30 PM
- Food Pantry — Tues/Wed/Thu, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Saturday Food Distribution — 2nd Saturday of the month
- Monday Food Distribution — 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Music, Liturgy & Worship
Music at Immaculate Conception is coordinated by Katarina Hackney. In 2023, the Bishop Keane Institute's Black Catholic history day closed with music and a prayer service in the spirit of African libation sung by the choir of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in neighboring Norfolk, a small sign of the parish's connection to the wider diocesan worship life.
- Music Coordinator: Katarina Hackney ([email protected])
- Sunday 11:00 AM Mass live-streamed on Facebook
Becoming Catholic (RCIA)
Adults and families exploring the Catholic faith are invited to begin a conversation with Pastoral Associate Mark Hoggard. The parish describes the Seven Sacraments — Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), Healing (Penance, Anointing of the Sick), and at the Service of Communion (Marriage, Holy Orders) — as the framework for that conversation.
- Contact: Mark Hoggard, Pastoral Associate — 757-826-0393 / [email protected]
Sacramental Preparation
Immaculate Conception offers parish-based sacramental preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, in keeping with diocesan practice that sacramental prep happen in the parish rather than in school (Catholic-school students still prepare and receive sacraments in their home parish).
- First Eucharist — typically 2nd grade or later; parent/child sessions required
- Confirmation — 10th-grade teens; four in-person 2.25-hour sessions; Sponsor Attestation form
- Baptism — preparation through the parish (DRE)
- Marriage & Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Immaculate Conception Columbarium (Parish Cemetery)
The parish maintains the Immaculate Conception Columbarium on its grounds at 2150 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, VA 23666, and can be reached through the parish office at (757) 826-0393.
- Immaculate Conception Columbarium
- Location: 2150 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, VA 23666
- Phone: (757) 826-0393
Visiting & Contact
Immaculate Conception welcomes visitors at 2150 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, VA 23666, four blocks from the heart of Hampton on Virginia's southeastern coast. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, and the church is open for individual private prayer during those same hours. Mass Intentions are arranged through Communications Specialist Andrea Lemieux.
- Address: 2150 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, VA 23666
- Phone: (757) 826-0393
- Fax: (757) 825-0855
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.icchampton.org
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Mass Intentions: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Robert Perkins
Former pastor; in 2019 recalled the parish's long tradition of adult-faith formation and occasional speaker events, including visits from Fr. Richard McBrien.
- Fr. Robert French
Former pastor (d. 2016); arranged the real-estate deal that built the on-site apartment complex and created a revenue stream for senior outreach and adult formation.
- Fr. Sean Prince2013 to ~2018
Pioneered the Bishop Keane Institute speaker series starting around 2015; later became secretary to Bishop Barry Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond.
- Rev. John A. Grace
Current pastor; ordained May 1979 for the Diocese of Richmond; previously served at Blessed Sacrament (Norfolk) and St. Nicholas (Virginia), and worked in campus/young-adult ministry at JMU and Virginia Tech.