Saint Steven’s Catholic Church

Dear Parishioners,

Summer has come in time to really feel like those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer, to celebrate the 4th of July weekend.  Fr. Jim has arrived to join us for his 1st weekend with us.  We thank God for all our blessings. Especially the freedom won for us by many of our parishioners and others who have died, so we can live our faith freely and proudly.  We display our flag proudly as we express gratitude for all we have and for the sacrifices made to allow us to keep what we have.

As good stewards of the gifts of God, we also ask the Lord to keep us responsible for our ongoing stewardship.  Every one of us who is alive knows that one day we are going to die and that we are not dead yet.  The space between those two points of being alive and not being alive is filled with infinite importance.  Now is our interval of time and we must be deciding what to do with it.  We all have 24 hours a day of time.  The differences come in our stewardship…..what we do with this vital dimension of our being.  The question really is never, “Do I have time?” but “What do I have time for?”

Many people commonly view their time as their own and we hear expressions like,  “It’s nobody’s business what I do with my time”….or “time is the most personal possession I have and who but me should be in charge of it”?  This attitude denies the Christian insight that time is life and life is God’s fundamental gift to his children…a gift that deserves not only the response of gratitude but of a responsible use of what we’ve been given.  What kind of stewards will we be if this precious gift of time left this year or next?  Can we begin this year with our upcoming stewardship retreat in September, to develop more awareness of how we use our time for God, our family, and our friends.  How do we distribute our resources to God through our Church community in financial support and volunteering and our presence (participation)?  We give for the health of our spirits and because we have a need to express gratitude for all we receive.  The Church community is often the last place we consider to participate responsibly.  Lord, open our hearts and our minds and allow us to be good stewards.

Again, during these summer months, please dress comfortably but modestly when you come to worship at Mass and even more so if your are serving  at the altar, in any capacity.  Thank you for staying until the end of Mass to receive your blessing to go out to be disciples and good stewards of the Lord.  Please continue to be thoughtful of those entering the pews where you are already seated.  Remember the Golden Rule applies: Do to others as you would want them to do to you.

God bless you

Fr. Pierre

Look under Quarterly News to find the most recent Quarterly Newsletter in PDF format

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Thank you so much for your generous response to our first collection.

As we begin our work here, we are strengthened by your outpouring of encouragement and thankful for your prayers and donations.

The plight of those in need is even more acute at this time of global uncertainty. Recognizing that each part of our society is impacted, we don’t have to look far to find an impoverished and struggling person or family.

God always looks after His children, but He does so through mankind. If someone starves to death or struggles alone with illness or poverty, it isn’t because God didn’t watch over them; it is because we did not respond to His call to help them. The poor are truly the hope of the world because we demonstrate our love for our Lord by serving them with His mercy and compassion. Perhaps, many of us can say “There but for the Grace of God, go I”, and then use that understanding and Divine Grace to impel us to a life of humbly serving Him and to share our many blessings with a sincere heart.

We will be giving you updates and insights into our efforts here, and we hope that you will continue to remember us in your prayers.

God bless you all,

Your St. Steven’s Vincentian family.

More than Silver or Gold,  St. Steven’s Stewardship Mission

September 20th - 22nd

Stewardship builds happy, healthy families. Stewardship renews Christ’s Church.