St. Stephen Church News and Events

Baptism: Sarah Elizabeth Muneses

Deceased: Claire L. Harkins

Reminder to Parents: Should you have to leave the church with your child, the sound system in the church basement will allow you to listen to the Mass while tending to your child. An usher can show you how to access the church basement rather than going outside in the winter weather.

Hall Mass: Because or our parish Spaghetti Dinner, there will be no 10:45 am Hall Mass on Sunday, March 14th.

Second Collection: There will be a second collection on March 13th/14th for the Catholic Relief Services (includes Latin America). Please be as generous as your means allow.

Our Daily Bread casseroles are due into the parish center before Saturday, March 27th. Additional pans and recipes are located in the parish center or church vestibule.

Easter Flowers: During the upcoming Easter Season, you are invited to remember your loved ones by donating lilies in their names. The cost of a lily is $8.00.

The Light is On! The sacrament of Penance will be offered every Wednesday during Lent, except for Ash Wednesday and the Wednesday of Holy Week. Confession will be heard from 7:00 until 8:00 pm in the Church. Eucharist Adoration will take place during Confession.

Stations of the Cross will take place on the Fridays of Lent at 7:00 pm in the Church.

Fast & Abstinence from Meat During Lent: All persons who have reached their 14th birthday are bound by the law of abstinence. All adults, between 18 and 60 years of age, are bound by the law of fast. Ash Wednesday & Good Friday are days of abstinence from meat and also days of fast; that is, limited to a single full meal. The other Fridays of Lent remain days of abstinence from meat.

Scripture Study Book of Revelation: There is some interest in forming a Scripture Study on the Book of Revelation on a week day in the evening. If you would like to be part of the group, please contact Sr. Angela at 410-592-7294 or redsdef@comcast.net .

Religious Education Re-registration for Fall 2010 is now in progress. The forms will be distributed for current students during the Religious Education sessions. Classes are held from September through April on Sunday mornings for grades Pre-K through 6th and Tuesday evenings for 7th and 8th grade. The following guidelines apply in order to register early childhood students; Pre-K 3 children must turn 3 years old by September 1,2010 and be potty trained, and Pre-K 4 children must turn 4 years old by September 1, 2010 and be potty trained. The guidelines from the Archdiocese of Baltimore require that a student MUST have regular attendance in Religious Education for one year prior to AND the year celebrating each/any Sacrament in a Religious Education Catechesis Program or at a Catholic School. If you are interested in more information or would like a registration form, please contact Mrs. Pam Franke at 410-592-8666.

Vacation Bible School: We appreciate your completing and returning the Vacation Bible School survey as soon as possible. Thank You!

Missed Confirmation Session on February 21st or 28th? Please plan to attend a make-up session on Sunday, March 14th from 9:15 until 10:15 am on the second floor of the school.

Send in the Clones! Join us at 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 18th for a thought-provoking talk led by Dr. David Cloutier on the application of Catholic moral law to areas of stem cell research and cloning. The talk will be held at St. John the Evangelist parish in the Church building. Clock hours in area "D" for catechists! For more information, call Chris at 410-592-6206 x106. All are welcome!

Visit to Kenya: Longtime parishioner and "honorary" Kenya committee member, Leonard Kraus, will be traveling with his daughter, Karen Vignare, to Kenya in March. Their trip will lead them to visit our sister parish, St. Steven's in Mombasa on the 19th through the 21st of March. In honor of this special visit, the Pastor, Fr. Raphael Mutiso, and the Partnership Committee have arranged for Mr. Kraus and Karen to officially open the bell tower building with a grand dedication ceremony. They will also see first hand the new water well recently installed at St. Steven's. These accomplishments are possible due to the generosity of our parish! Please pray for safe travel and a fruitful visit to Kenya for Mr. Kraus and his daughter. Thank you again for your continued support of the partnership with our sister parish in Kenya!

Church Leadership Institute, Spring Session will be starting the week of March 15th. Classes will be at various sites throughout the Archdiocese. For more information or to register, please call Pat Ashby at 410-547-5470.

Taize' Lenten Prayer: Please join us during Lent for Prayer Around the Cross on March 14th, & 21st. Taize' prayer lends itself so well to our Lenten disciplines. Its quiet contemplative style assists us in listening to the still small voice of God who continually calls us to drink from his well of Living Water. Come and experience this deep and profound form of prayer during Lent this year. Prayer begins at 7:00 pm in the church and lasts for one hour.

Come and See Vocation Weekend: Exploring Religious Life: The Sisters of Bon Secours are hosting Come and See weekends at our Provincial House in Marriotsville MD. Join us June 26-27, and October 23rd-24th. You arrive on Saturday at 8:00 am (Friday evening arrival can be arranged if necessary). Departure is Sunday at 1:00 pm after Mass and lunch. We are located at 1525 Marriotsville Road in Marriotsville MD. There is no charge for this event. We invite single Catholic women to experience the life of the Sisters of Bon Secours and to learn more about religious life. You will have the opportunity to be with sisters as you learn about our life. You'll also meet and share with other women who are exploring religious life as an option. This weekend offers time for discussions, reflections, liturgy, relaxation and one-on-one conversations with a sister. Visit our website www.bonsecoursvocations.org for more details or online registration. Contact Sr. Pat Dowling, CBS, Vocation Director. You can call toll free 1-877-742-0277.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Perry Hall will be held on June 18th - 19th at 6:30 pm on the campus of Perry Hall Baptist Church. Find out how you can celebrate battles won against cancer, remember those we have lost and find out how you and your friends and family can fight back. For more information, call Sherry Mc Cammon at 410-933-5145 or email her at sherry.mccammon@cancer.org. You can also visit our website at www.relayforlife.org/perryhall.

Fiscal 2010 Six Month Financial Report: We recently closed our first six months of Fiscal 2010. The financial report is available on the tables in the back of the church. As compared to the six months last year, our income receipts were less, but so were our expenses. We generated operating income of $569,325 this year that was $13,000 less than last year. Our operating expenses were $560,676 this year that was $37,000 less than last year. Our total net income for the six months was $10,412 as compared to a deficit of $17,106 at the same time last year. The main cause of our reduced income was lower offertory collections this year. Our reduced expenses were due to lower heating oil costs, reduced technology expenses and lower benefit expenses than last year. We are thankful for your continued support of our parish.

Our Daily Bread Winter Needs: During these cold winter days, we serve between 500-800 people a warm and hearty lunch each and every day. We rely on your generosity! Would your parish consider donating frozen macaroni & cheese casseroles (either homemade or purchased), collecting sandwich bags or bags of sugar to donate and/or collecting gift cards to be used to purchase food and supplies? We would be so grateful for your help! For more information, please contact our volunteer line at 443-986-9031.

Helping Hands Food Pantry: The shelves of nonperishable foods are in dire need of soups, canned fruit, pork and beans at the food pantry. Of course, all nonperishable foods are needed and we appreciate whatever you can donate. Please leave them in the container on the back porch of the parish center.

Won't You Consider Helping? We are in great need of parishioners willing to give 15 minutes of their time once every 4 weeks! If you have this time available, please keep reading. Won't you consider greeting at the Sunday Mass of your choice once every 4 weeks; all Mass times need help. It is a great opportunity to get to know some parishioners you might never have had a chance to meet and is a wonderful way to make St. Stephen's the warm and welcoming parish we all know it is! Please contact Diane Endlich at 410-676-4143.

Spaghetti/Ravioli Dinner on March 14th is in need of cake donations for our cake wheel. If you can help us, please call at 410-592-5674. Cakes may be dropped off at school on Friday, March 12th through Sunday, March 14th by 12:00 pm. We appreciate your help and hope to see you at the dinner.

St Stephen Spaghetti/Ravioli Dinner will be held on March 14th from 1:00 until 5:00 pm in the school hall. Bring the whole family and enjoy pasta, homemade meatballs and desserts. Various prize wheels and a children's corner are some of the day's activities. Beer and wine will also be available. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. Carry-out is also available at the door or by calling 410-458-0633. Adults: $8 - spaghetti; $9 - ravioli; $8 - meatball sub meal. Children under 17: $4.50 - spaghetti; $5 - ravioli. Hope to see you there!

Day of Recollection at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City. Msgr. Kevin Schenning will accompany us to the Shrine where we will enjoy doughnuts and coffee, followed by a tour and speaker, Rev. Bart Karwacki. Mass will be celebrated and the Chaplets of Divine Mercy and the Rosary recited. A hot lunch will be served. Bus (with wheelchair lift) will leave St. Joseph Fullerton at 7:00 am and return at 5:00 pm on March 16th. Cost is $80, all inclusive. For more information, call 410-529-1356.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on Saturday, March 27th from 9:00 until 11:00 am. Hot breakfast served until 9:45 am. Games, Crafts, Raffles, Age Level Egg Hunt with Prizes, Door prizes. $8 per ticket ages 2 and up. Under 2 free. Call Rene' at 410-877-0698 or Mary at 410-877-3544 or email renemonaghan@hotmail.com for tickets or information. Flyers are on the table in the back of the Church and in the hallway outside the school hall.

St. Stephen School Applications & Registrations: If you are interested in more information about our school, please contact Mrs. Ginni Zachmeier at 410-592-7617. St. Stephen School begins with Pre-K 3 and continues up through the 8th grade. The 3-year olds must be 3 by September 1, 2009.

Annual Campaign for Our Students has begun and at present we have received $32,645.99. Thank you for your wonderful support for our students!

Special Thank You: Thank you to the following parishioners who were so kind and donated to the Annual Campaign for Our Students. God Bless You All! Mr. & Mrs. Robert Brandt, Mr. & Mrs. Salvatore Caltabiano, Mr. & Mrs. Tom King & Family, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Melody and Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Petruccy.

Wine & Beer Tasting on Saturday, March 20th from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. For tickets or information call Jennifer Andrychowski at 443-922-7858 or the school office at 410-592-7617.

Our Annual Spaghetti/Ravioli Dinner will be held on Sunday, March 14th from 1:00 until 5:00 pm. For information or tickets please contact the school office at 410-592-7617.

Archbishop's Annual Appeal: The 2010 Archbishop's Annual Appeal is ongoing. If you would like to contribute, there are envelopes on the tables in the back of the Church to use for that purpose. Please drop any completed donation envelopes into the Sunday collections or return to the Parish Office. Thanks for your continuing support. The 2009 Archbishop's Annual Appeal has resulted in $19,132.90 returned to the parish. The funds are used to provide Tuition Assistance to St. Stephen School, support St. Stephen Youth Ministry activities, and make donations to St. Benedict Church, our Archdiocesan Parish Partner.

Luncheon/Bingo will be held at ST. Mark's in Fallston on Wednesday, March 17th. Early birds start at 11:00 am. Basic bingo package with lunch and cards is $12. Lunch will be stuffed cabbage, potatoes, and a vegetable. Come and bring a friend. For information call 410-879-9110.

Parish Pastoral Council Election for 2010-2011: Have you wanted to give back to the community? Have you wanted to feel closer to your faith and St. Stephen? Have you ever thought about serving on our Parish Pastoral Council? If you answered yes to even one of these questions, perhaps you would be interested in standing for elections to the Parish Pastoral Council. We are looking for candidates to stand for election to fill three-year terms on the Parish Pastoral Council beginning June 2010. Qualifications: Any lay person who has attained the age of sixteen years by the date of the elections, is a baptized and officially registered member of the parish in good standing and maintains a posture not inconsistent with Church teachings, and is a contributing member of the parish. If you are interested in becoming a candidate or just want additional information, please contact Bill Cullison at 410-529-7456 or ubuandingrid@comcast.net.

Bishops' Statement on Support for Pregnant Women: One of the most powerful testimonies to the culture of life is support of pregnant women in need. In the new statement "Set Out in Haste," the Maryland bishops discuss the need to reach out to pregnant women, as well as review recent proposals that target pregnancy resource centers. These centers provide pregnant women with emotional and material support. To learn more about this issue and how you can help, please read the bishops' statement at www.mdcathcon.org.

Catholic Engaged Encounter is an international program committed to preparing couples for the sacrament of marriage. Engaged couples attend a weekend retreat that fosters openness and communication through a series of presentations, private reflection, and dialog time. Catholic Engaged Encounter is an approved marriage preparation program within the Baltimore Archdiocese. Below is a list of upcoming retreat dates: 2010 Weekends: March 12th through 14th and Mar 26th through 28th. For more information or to register for a weekend, please visit our website at www.mdcee.org or call 410-439-4217.

Always Our Children/Encourage Support Group: In offering support to parents who may be dealing with concerns that present themselves when a son or daughter informs them of a homosexual orientation, our Catholic Bishops state: "You need not face this painful time alone, without human assistance or God's grace. The Church can be an instrument of both help and healing." Parents confronting these issues for the first time, as well as those who may have journeyed through them, are welcome. The group meets on the fourth Monday of each month from 7:30 until 9:00 pm at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel meeting room, 719 Maiden Choice Lane. For information or directions, call Pat at 410-433-1610 or 410-302-4641.

Online STAND Training: We are pleased to announce that the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Safe Environment (STAND) online training is now up and running. Either the STAND video or online training fulfills the child and youth protection safe environment training requirement for all volunteers who have substantial contact with children and all employees. The online training will be available via the Internet from any computer at any time. The course takes approximately 1.5 - 2 hours to complete. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to print a certificate of completion. You will be asked to enter your name as well as the name of your parish or school. In order to receive credit for the course, you must forward to the Religious Education office a signed and dated copy of the certificate of completion. To access the online training: Go to the STAND training of the Archdiocese of Baltimore website, http://www.archbalt.org/STAND/training.cfm. Log in with the username ststephen and password archbalt. Click on the link to begin the training. Follow the directions on the website. If you have any questions, please call Pam Franke at 410-592-8666.

Byzantine Catholics: The Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy (Mass) is celebrated each Sunday evening at 5:30 pm in the Stone Chapel of the Church of St. Francis on 1450 Abingdon Road in Abingdon. The celebrant of the Liturgy is Fr. Conan H. Timoney, Pastor of Patronage Byzantine Church in Arbutus. For more information, call the Patronage Church at 410-247-4936. For further information, contact Deacon Anthony and Theresa Kotlar at 410-734-6973.

Pregnancy Center: The Center for Pregnancy Concerns and Birthright of Bel Air work very hard to provide new and expectant mothers with support and guidance. The women are offered counseling, mentoring, access to resources and limited material aid. There is an ongoing need for diapers (especially larger sizes) gently worn baby clothing and toiletry items. Sorry, we cannot take car seats or cribs. Please leave items in good condition on the parish center back porch. God bless you.

St. Vincent De Paul Clothing Boxes: Please remember that the two St. Vincent de Paul donation boxes are for clothing only. Any other items left outside the donation boxes present a very untidy appearance and must be disposed of by parish personnel in our trash gondolas. Also, please place all clothing in a plastic bag no larger than 24 inches by 20 inches - no larger than a small kitchen trash bag. Lawn size garbage bags are too large to fit through the donation bin openings and must not be used. Thank you for your cooperation.

Respect Life Programs: Pregnant, need help? Call the Gabriel Project at 1-800-ANGEL-OK. Suffering from Post-Abortion Stress? Call Project Rachel at 1-800-286-4224.

Friends of Mercy: "Single Again Friends" discussions are held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at 7:00 until 9:00 pm at the Hiss United Methodist Church in Parkville. This is open to all single, separated, divorced and widowed people. For more information call Cathy at 410-931-1668. Information line at 410-893-4584 or visit our website www.friendsofmercy.org.

Ladies of Charity January distribution of funds received from the poor boxes and other contributions: $100 - Birthright. $50 - Adelante Familia, Aids Interfaith Missions, Anna's House, Apostleship of the Sea, Beans/Bread, Birthright, Catholic Indian Missions, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Relief Services (Haiti), Christian Appalachian Project, Christopher Place, Fr Greg Gay Vincentian Missions, Franciscan Ctr., Health Care for the Homeless, Helping Hands Food Pantry, Hezekiah Movement. House of Ruth, Joseph House, Little Sisters of the Poor, Marian House, Meals On Wheels, My Sister's Place, Our Daily Bread, Pregnancy Ctr., Sarah's Hope, Sharing Table Community Kitchen, St. Stephen's Youth Building, St. Steven's-Kenya, Women's Detention Center. The next Ladies of Charity meeting will be held on March 10th at 1:00 pm in the church basement.

Looking for Smilers: If you can smile and say "Good Morning!" you're a perfect candidate for the Greeting Ministry! The parish is looking for volunteers willing to smile and greet fellow parishioners for 20 minutes before Mass. We are hoping to expand our numbers and hope you will consider helping out. The commitment is easy, one Sunday Mass every fourth week, and you will find it rewarding to meet so many fellow parishioners. If you are interested, please call Diane Endlich, 410-676-4143.

Retired? Working But Hunting For a Ministry to Help Others in Need? Seafarers visit Baltimore in over 2,000 ships every year. They are lonely, timid, poor, needing a helping hand, and a welcome. Jesus said, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." There is a great need for Catholic laiety to volunteer once a week or once every two weeks to drive a car from the seafarers center to the ships in port and pick up seafarers to bring them to the Stella Maris Center in Dundalk next to St. Rita's Church. Call Msgr John FitzGerald at 443-690-2447 to inquire.

Charismatic Prayer Meeting: Held weekly on Wednesdays at 7:45 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Registration: The use of Church Envelopes is the responsible way to support your Parish. Please register at the Parish Center to receive your Church envelopes.

Baptism: Baptisms are held every Sunday at 1:45 PM. Please call the Parish Center at 410-592-7071 for information, to register for Baptism classes and to schedule a Baptism. Parents must be registered members of St. Stephen's Parish. At least one sponsor (Godparent) must be a practicing Catholic. Both sponsors (Godparents) must be Christian. Parents and Godparents must attend the Baptism preparation Program.

Weddings: If you plan to be married by a priest or deacon affiliated with St. Stephen, you should be a registered parishioner. However, if you wish to use the church building for your wedding and you are not a registered parishioner, you may do so only if you provide your own priest or deacon and have him contact the priests at St. Stephen for permission. Please call the Parish Center at 410-592-7071 for information and to schedule a Wedding. Arrangements must be made at least six months in advance.

Ministry to the Sick: Ministry to the Sick Please notify the Rectory at 410-592-7071 when a member of the parish is in the hospital, or is unable to attend Mass and wishes to receive Holy Communion.

The Pregnancy Center, Inc. is associated with Catholic Charities and is located at 7311 Harford Road. For crisis situations and questions regarding pregnancy please phone 410-426-9992.

Top