May 29, 2020

Public Masses are Coming Soon!

As we move forward to summer we are excited to announce that the opportunity to gather for public Masses is very near! At this time Fr Ed and our parish leadership are developing a comprehensive plan for outdoor liturgies. These Masses will require careful attention to health and safety practices and will be restricted to a limited number pre-registered attendees. Details on our liturgy plan will be communicated through the parish website and Flocknote messages. The live-streaming of Masses will also continue. Please pray for our parish as we move forward to this exciting time!

St. Stephen the Martyr is Opening the Grounds

Dear Brothers and Sisters, given that our State Governor's Phase One of “Safe Start” order excludes Churches, we are keeping our Church closed most hours of the week in communion with the Archbishop's directives. We do have the Church OPEN for PRIVATE PRAYER on Sundays from 4:30pm - 7pm and Wednesday from 7:30pm - 9pm. I am also gradually reopening our adoration program one hour at a time. All this is being done with "best practices"; which means physical distance/handwashing/face masks. We ARE able to provide the Sacraments of Anointing, Confession and Holy Communion whenever possible. Call the office at 253-631-1940 ext 100 for information on how to access Sacraments.

Parish Offices are closed for now, but accepting phone calls 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. We are available for you, so don't hesitate to call! Staff are working from home most of the week, but will be checking emails and phone calls left on their office phones. If you have trouble reaching staff call the main office number and Betty will help you to get in touch with that staff person.
We love you, are praying for you, and miss you,
Fr Ed

Pastor's Corner

Click the image above for a direct link to Fr. Ed's weekly bulletin article.

Referendum 90 Petition

Washington children need your signature on the petition for Referendum 90!

Referendum 90 refers the new Sex Ed Law (ESSB 5395) to voters for opportunity to reject the new law, a law that demands shocking inappropriate and graphic Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) curriculum for all Washington public school K-12 students (including Kindergarteners).

Some 42,000 more valid (& legible) signatures are needed by the first week of June, to qualify Referendum 90 for the November ballot.

Signing is easy! Sign in your home:

Call the message line TODAY 253-260-3642, or visit https://www.parentsforsafeschools.com/petition ,

and leave your mailing address to have a petition with signing instructions and return envelope sent to your USPS mailbox. (It is okay to return a petition with only one signature; your signature counts!)

OR sign in your car:

Drive through St. Stephen's parking lot

Saturday, May 23rd, 2:00 – 4:00 or

Sunday, May 24th, 2:00 – 4:30. A volunteer wearing gloves and mask will bring a petition to your car.

If you are not able to come on Saturday please visit

https://www.parentsforsafeschools.com/petition to request a petition. You can also request one by phone by dialing 253-260-3642. Once you receive the petition, simply sign it, and follow the instructions for returning your signature before June 2nd.

Another option: See the list of drive-thru signing sites at informedparentsofwashington.com

Please act TODAY to be sure your petition is returned to the sponsors’ Kirkland office by June 2nd. Find additional information posted on our website by clicking the image above and looking under the “STOP Radical Sex Ed Law“ sign.

Celebration Songs: Steve Olson & Patty Swedberg

During the time of Covid-Crisis Steve Olson and Patty Swedberg of our Sunday Night Life Teen Band contribute to the "Celebration Songs" with a collection of favorites. Click the image above for the video.

Homemade Masks Available

Cloth masks are available in the Narthex. Please take one per person. These are reusable. Please bring it with you on each visit.

If you need a larger quantity of masks please contact Beth Nieva at sstm.assistym@gmail.com

The St. Stephen’s mask making group has been very busy sewing. If you would like help, donate supplies (fabric or elastic) or need supplies, please contact Beth Nieva sstm.assistym@gmail.com .

Livestreamed Masses

During this time period when we are restricted from celebrating Mass publicly, St. Stephens is live-streaming daily Mass. You can find links by clicking here

The current Mass schedule is: Sunday at 9:00 AM; Monday – Thursday 6:30 PM; Friday & Saturday 8:30 AM

You can find the readings for Mass here.

Please pray with our whole parish the weekly Prayers of the Faithful.

Please Continue Your Financial Support

The suspension of public Masses will seriously impact our weekly collection. 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 Consider signing up for electronic giving by clicking here.

Outreach is in Need of Your Support!

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic many people have lost their jobs or their livelihoods. Our Outreach ministry provides financial assistance for rent, utilities, or other assistance to parishioners in need. Non-parishioners are helped by our St. Vincent de Paul Conference. Our Food Bank continues to help folks in need. This past Wednesday alone, groceries were distributed 102 people!

If you can Donate: please make out your Check to St. Stephen the Martyr and put on the Memo line "Outreach." You can mail your Donations to Church or you can bring them to the Food Bank, in an envelope marked "Outreach," during scheduled hours, or whenever the Church is open for Private Prayer, and put them in the Narthex baskets. Thank you for your Support!

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 or Fr. Jockim 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.

Need Some Help? The Parish's Reach Out Ministry is Here for You!

Parish Staff and Volunteers have built support teams to help people during the Covid-19 pandemic. Life has gotten more challenging for all of us. Do you need help with shopping for groceries or running errands? Would you like a parishioner to call you to check-in with you or pray with you? Would you like to be part of a small group of families/singles who want to walk with other parishioners? (Using phone, Zoom, skype, etc.) This is something simple and friendly, and a great chance to build community, especially with others who are far from family or live alone. Are running short on food due to job loss or pay reduction? Come to our Parish's Food Bank and get free bags of food during Food Bank hours. To find out more about how the Reach Out Ministry can help you; call the parish office, at (253) 631-1940, Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and you can get connected!

Altaration - Online Video Series on the Mass

Have you ever wondered why we do what we do at Mass and what does it mean? In the Altaration video series we will take a look at "The Why Behind the What" the things we do at Mass. This series on the Mass will help us to better understand and appreciate the Holy Mass and the Eucharist. And when we are able to gather together and receive our Lord once again, we will be prepared to enter more deeply into and participate more fully in these gifts that Jesus himself gave to us. Click the image above for the link to the video series. Note:These videos are only available to us until June 30th.

A Virtual Retreat with Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR

Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR and President of Franciscan University of Steubenville, produced a 14 part series shot in various locations from Niagara Falls to the California desert, titled The Wild Goose. "Wild Goose" was a term that the ancient Celts had for the Holy Spirit. In the series, Fr. Pivonka invites viewers to an encounter, or a renewed encounter, with the Holy Spirit and to let their lives be transformed by that encounter. The Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center is excited to transform this high-quality series into a free virtual retreat. Register on our website and we will send an example retreat schedule that you can follow, a study guide with reflection questions for each presentation, and links to all of the videos. Please consider joining us for this inspiring virtual retreat with Fr. Dave Pivonka. Visit
http://palisadesretreatcenter.org/retreat-details/?retreat=1657

Archdiocesan Survey

All practicing lay Catholics in the Archdiocese are invited to complete an online survey that seeks to better understand the experiences, beliefs, needs, desires and faith trajectories of Catholics throughout western Washington. Please plan on taking between 15 - 30 minutes to complete the survey. Click here for the link to the survey. Click here for Archbishop Etienne's video announcement.

Want to Learn More?

Click the image on the left to see our weekly bulletins