January 7, 2022
Speaker Ralph Martin Tonight, Friday, January 7th
Encountering Christ with Ralph Martin - an evening of infused wisdom and insight as he shares on the topic: Living as Catholics in Challenging Times! Join the Seattle Campus Encounter School of Ministry and St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church on Friday, January 7, 6:30-9:00 PM. All are welcome! Ralph Martin is the president of Renewal Ministries and the host of the weekly Catholic television program "The Choices We Face." He holds a doctorate in theology and is the director of Graduate Theology Programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Ralph is the author of the widely read, A Church in Crisis; Pathways Forward and The Fulfillment of All Desire: A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints.
Tonight's program will be live-streamed at https://vimeo.com/event/643565 or within our website at https://ststephenslife.com/holy-mass-live-stream
Please note: the archived files will only be available to view through this weekend.
Sunday Night Mass!
We are excited to be offering Sunday evening Masses in January at 5:00 PM! The music will be contemporary, to keep consistent with with the Life Teen tradition we've had at St Stephen’s for so many years. If you've been waiting for this Mass to return we'll see you Sunday night!
Adult Confirmation
Are you a Baptized Catholic Who has Never Received Confirmation?
Wouldn’t it be a great blessing to receive the Supernatural GIFTS of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation?
Adult Confirmation Sessions Begin January 18th, 7:00-9:00 PM, in the Social Hall with safe social distancing and masks. Learn more about our Adult Confirmation Program (adults over the age of 19 years) OR if you are interested in Becoming a Catholic; call or email Anne Merklin, 253-480-7108, ext. 126, or at sstmassociate@gmail.com.
Wouldn’t it be a great blessing to receive the Supernatural GIFTS of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation?
Adult Confirmation Sessions Begin January 18th, 7:00-9:00 PM, in the Social Hall with safe social distancing and masks. Learn more about our Adult Confirmation Program (adults over the age of 19 years) OR if you are interested in Becoming a Catholic; call or email Anne Merklin, 253-480-7108, ext. 126, or at sstmassociate@gmail.com.
Special Speaker Fr. Paul Heric - Friday, January 14th
Experiencing the abundance of God’s love and blessing in our lives is beautiful but sometimes the difficulties, hardships, and loss we face inhibit us from walking in the fullness of Christ. These trials can become stumbling blocks to the healing
God wants for those who love him and are called by His name. If you desire greater clarity and healing of heart, join the Seattle Campus Encounter School of Ministry for a Night of Transformation with Fr. Paul Heric at St. Stephen the Martyr from 6-9PM on January 14, 2022. All are welcome, bring a friend. Father Paul Heric is a priest from the diocese of Spokane, Washington. He currently serves as Director of the St. Thomas More Catholic Student Center at Washington State University and is the pastor at both, St. Boniface and St. Gall parishes. For the last 25 years, Fr. Paul, a dynamic preacher and teacher has ministered to high school and college age students, with a particular emphasis on healing and restoration of their hearts to God. Fr. Paul has experienced firsthand the healing power of Christ, and witnessed the glory of God come alive in his own life through students and parishioners. Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever. Psalms 73:26
St Stephen's Welcomes Sister Sabina
Welcome Sister Sabina and her new Convent located in our parish neighborhood.
Please help support the Sisters of Mary of Kakamega, Kenya and their Mission.
St. Mary’s Convent, Sisters of Mary of Kakamega
19408 138th SE
Renton, WA 98058
Sabinambenge16@gmail.com
Her order is the Sisters of Mary of Kakamega, Kenya. Donated funds will support the sister's mission in Kakamega as well as support the Convent's local, Renton Wa. expenses. Mission information: https://smkakamega.org/introduction.html
Grief Ministry
If you are grieving the death of a loved one, come find strength and compassion with the St. Stephen’s Virtual Grief Support Meeting on Sunday, January 16th from 1:00-2:30 pm. Our topic will be “Life on Hold / Returning to Normal”. For more information and to register, please contact Sharon Rasmussen at srasmussen910@yahoo.com. The Lord heals the brokenhearted, binds up their wounds. Psalm 147, 2-3
Covid-19 Update
Please, out of care for those most vulnerable among us, if you have any symptom of illness please do not come to church. To help distinguish what your symptoms could be, here is a chart from the Washington State Department of Health:
Masks Are Required at all Masses and Throughout Church Buildings.
This universal indoor mask mandate is now in effect. This means:
- All employees, volunteers and visitors must wear a mask while inside any building on a parish campus.
- All teachers, staff, volunteers, students, and visitors must wear a mask while inside any school building.
- All parishioners must wear a mask during all indoor Masses.
- Please note, anyone with a medical exemption will not be turned away.
Please keep in mind that some people are exempt from wearing a mask due to a medical condition.
For more information on COVID-19 guidance and other pandemic related topics, please see our website at https://ststephenslife.com/covid-screening
Agape Prayer Ministry
God encourages us to intercede in prayer for others. As we lift up our burdens in prayer, we begin to experience how compassionate and merciful our God truly is. We invite you to join us every Saturday after 5 pm Mass in the chapel, as we pray for the deep desires of our hearts, the needs of our families, friends, and our parish community. Come and experience the love God has for us as we see our prayers answered and our needs met. Join our Flocknote group: Agape Prayer Ministry. Opportunities include: Prayer ministers available first 30 minutes, Rosary, Gospel reading, Lectio Divina, Intercessory Prayers, Thanksgiving.
Liturgy Matters
Seating Solutions at Weekend Masses
Did you know we offer a distanced seating section at every weekend Mass? If you are medically vulnerable make sure to arrive early to secure a spot in this section. Sunday at 11 o'clock is reliably our most crowded weekend Mass. If you desire a smaller Mass crowd consider attending one of our 5 PM Masses on Saturdays or Sundays (beginning December 12th), or check out the underground church seating at the 8:30 AM Mass.
Wednesday evenings after 6:30pm Mass, Adoration and Confessions are available until 9pm. Come spend some time with Jesus. Signups are not necessary.
Adult Bible Study Winter 2022
Our winter study called Romans: The Gospel of Salvation begins January 11, 2022. We have two sessions meeting Tuesday morning at 9:20 am, one on Zoom and one at church. We also have one session meeting Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm at church. Each session lasts approximately two hours. Registration opens December 1, 2021. Register online by January 2, 2022 and the cost is $35.00. If you register late between January 3-5, 2022, the cost is $40.00. (We cannot guarantee a book by January 11 if you register late). Registration is closed after January 5, 2022. To access the online registration form, go to https://ststephenslife.com/bible-study. For more information, contact: Karen Buchert at kasbuchert@comcast.net or the Faith Formation office at 253-631-6175.
How to Receive Holy Communion
Did you ever ask yourself, "Am I doing it right?" Catholics of all ages will enjoy this entertaining and informative video that answers common questions about receiving Holy Communion in the hand and on the tongue. The video is under 5 minutes and you just might learn something new! Click the image above or visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdGkTdv4Dt4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdGkTdv4Dt4
Family Fun August 8
Records Update!
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 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.
Want to Learn More?
Click the image on the left to see our weekly bulletins