June 4, 2021
Eucharistic Procession This Sunday, June 6th
Join our Eucharistic Procession on Sunday to praise, thank, honor, worship, and proclaim the real presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist! We will start with a short walk to the Marian grotto after the 11 AM Mass. Families with children, meet on the plaza immediately after receiving Communion and toss flower petals to make a fragrant and beautiful path for Jesus. Then, after a short break to make preparations, our procession will go off-site at around 1:30 PM for a 5-mile loop through a nearby neighborhood (see below). Walk the full 5-miles or meet up with the Procession along the way. We will stop and pray at three Adoration stations marked B, C, and D.
REGISTRATION FULL for Holy Relics Exposition Friday, June 11
St. Stephen the Martyr Parish hosts to a teaching and exposition of Sacred Relics. Over 150 relics will be shown, some as old as 2,000 years. Among the treasures will be relics of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Joseph, St. Maria Goretti, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Faustina Kowalska. There will also be a fragment of the Veil that belonged to Our Lady and some of the largest remaining pieces of the Wood of the True Cross in the world.
Due to Covid-19 policies, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. and is NOW FULL. Click the image above for more details.
Due to Covid-19 policies, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. and is NOW FULL. Click the image above for more details.
Annual Catholic Appeal Progress
Our parish is off to a promising start for this year's appeal! Our assigned goal for the Archdiocese this year is $174,732. Our extended goal of $185,000 would provide funding for the construction of a special gazebo for prayer and social activities on our parish grounds. At this time we are off to a good start with pledges totaling $128,000! If you gave last year, please consider increasing your gift by 5% this year. If you did not give last year, would you consider a gift of a dollar a day ($365)?
Gifts of any amount and one time gifts are welcome, and your gift will make a big impact on many lives - Thank you!
To make a donation click here.
Important News Regarding Mass Attendance
Health safety guidance for Washington State, the Archdiocese of Seattle and King County are all rapidly changing. As things change, information being communicated may be confusing and or even contradictory.
Our goal at St. Stephens is to have as many people as possible to attend Mass to receive Jesus. The new guidelines outlined below, is a step towards this goal.
After scrutinizing the data available, the Archdiocese of Seattle is requesting all parishes to continue wearing masks for everyone's continued health and safety. While it may be erring on the side of caution, we want to protect everyone in our assembly.
With all parishes now in Phase 3, we no longer require 6 feet of social distancing. At the same time, we recognize that some will want to continue to sit distanced, so we will provide areas for that as well.
Live-streaming and the Underground Church will continue. Registration is still required for attendance at weekend Masses. Please continue to pray for an end to this pandemic.
Respect Life
Don’t let our government force you to pay for the deaths of unborn children. Last Friday, President Biden proposed a national budget that would take away the Hyde Amendment. Without the Hyde Amendment and related policies, billions of taxpayer dollars could be used to pay for abortion in the United States and throughout the world. Go to https://www.notaxpayerabortion.com and contact the President and Congress. Even if you've already contacted Congress about this, they need to hear from you again! TAKE ACTION NOW
Youth Summer Service / Steubenville Retreat
This summer there will not be a Yakima Mission Week or the Steubenville NW Catholic Youth St. Conference in Spokane, WA. So three parishes from South King County Deanery (St. Stephen the Martyr, Holy Spirit in Kent and Holy Family in Auburn) are coming together for a Summer Event right here in our area.
This event will be for youth currently in grades 8 - 12
Tuesday, July 6th through Saturday, July 10, 2021
The event will begin on Tuesday at Holy Spirit in Kent (9:00 – 4:00) where the youth will have time to get to know one another and have a walking tour of Social Service Agencies where they will learn about the Social Justice teachings of the Catholic and the kinds of services available in our area.
Wednesday, (9:00 – 4:00) the youth will have the opportunity to serve at the Auburn Food Bank and learn about the importance of Food Banks and how we can serve the poor today.
Thursday, (9:00 – 4:00) the youth will work in small groups on services projects at their own parish and in their parish neighborhoods.
Friday (1:00 – 9:00pm) the youth will work on a plan to continue serving in their own parish and community and have time for fun and activities together prior to the Steubenville Retreat.
Friday evening the teens will join Catholic teens from across the country on the LIVE STREAM Steubenville Conference from Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH. The night will include a time of Adoration live at St. Stephen the Martyr Church.
Saturday (1:00 -9:00) the teens will come together to continue the Live Stream of the Steubenville Retreat at St. Stephen’s. Saturday evening they will participate together in a live, special time of Praise and Worship and Adoration at St. Stephen’s.
For more information or to register contact Debbie Blomquist at sstm.youth@gmail.com. Registration forms are available now and due by June 1st. You can pick up a registration form from the Youth Ministry Cart located in the narthex or by contacting Debbie Blomquist.
Help Us Update Our Records!
It has become evident that our parish database is in dire need of an update! So many folks have changed their contact information or had children that our records are now inaccurate or incomplete. Please click the image to go directly to our online update form.
St Stephen's Now Livestreaming on Vimeo!
Our livestream broadcasts have recently been upgraded with the addition of the video hosting service, Vimeo. Click the image above or visit https://www.ststephenslife.com/holy-mass-live-stream where you can enjoy Mass and devotions live, within a media player right on our parish website (yes, you can expand to full screen). Want to watch yesterday's Mass? In our new Vimeo player the liturgy won't be interrupted with commercials! Still a big Facebook or Youtube fan? No worries; our liturgies will continue to be simulcast to those platforms as well.
Little Saints Preschool
Although it has been a challenging year for all of us in many ways, we have been blessed to be open this year. Our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have been AMAZING as they adapted schedules and made sure their children arrived ready to go each day. THANK YOU! If you are interested in registering your child or grandchild for Fall, 2021 please contact Abbie Nelson: sstm.littlesaints@gmail.com
Please Continue Your Financial Support
The restrictions on public Masses have seriously impacted our weekly collections. Like most parishes, 90% of our revenue comes from the generous support of our faith community. This generosity supports the many ministries of the church as well as maintenance of the building and grounds, utilities, insurance, and payroll. Please remember our parish in your prayers and by making your regular donation. You may donate through the mail or via electronic giving by clicking here.
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
If your loved one is in need of anointing, please call the St. Stephens parish office to make arrangements for Fr. Ed to visit. If the person in need of anointing has or is suspected of having COVID-19, we will assist you in connecting with one of the dedicated Priests the Archdiocese has commissioned to administer sacraments to COVID-19 patients.
Want to Learn More?
Click the image on the left to see our weekly bulletins