St. Stephen Parish. March 27, 2016 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

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1 St. Stephen Parish March 27, 2016 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord O n the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don t know where they put him. So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. John 20:1-9 Our Mission Statement We are a Catholic Community that is called by God to follow Jesus Christ. We believe that we are called to worship God together, to lead God's people along the path of hope laid down by Jesus, to share his message through preaching, through the education and formation of our people, young and old, and through caring service and sensitive outreach to those in need Rev. Paul F. Warren - Pastor Weekday Mass: 8:00 a.m. Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 p.m. or by appt. Vigil Mass: (Saturday) 4:30 p.m. Sunday Mass: 8:00, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. & 6:45 p.m. SaintStephenSF.org 451 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco CA Church Fax School

2 Our Liturgical Week Monday, Mar. 28 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Padraig Pearse Tuesday, Mar. 29 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Paulina Grajera Wednesday Mar. 30 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Barbara O Malley Thursday, Mar. 31 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: O Malley Family Friday, Apr. 1 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: O Malley Family Saturday, Apr. 2 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Michael Coppinger 3:30 p.m. Fr. Warren: Reconciliation 4:30 p.m. Fr. Warren: John & Bridged Doyle Sunday, Apr. 3 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Marie Coulihan 9:30 a.m. Fr. Warren: Naty Chen 11:30 a.m. Fr. Grosskoph: Kathleen Boden 3:30 p.m. WKICU 6:45 p.m. Strange: Marie Costa Bold Indicates Mass Intentions Easter Sunday To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:43 TODAY S READINGS First Reading Peter is an eyewitness: The Lord is risen (Acts 10:34a, 37-43). Psalm This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad (Psalm 118). (1) Second Reading All who are baptized, set your hearts in heaven (Colossians 3:1-4) or (2) Second Reading - Christ our Passover is sacrificed; therefore let us celebrate (Corinthians 5:6b-8). Gospel Three witnesses, Mary, Peter, and John; each responds to the empty tomb (John 20:1-9) or Luke 24:1-12 (or, at an afternoon or evening Mass, Luke 24:13-35). Second Collection Next Weekend A second collection will be taken at all masses April 2 and 3 for St. Stephen Building Maintenance & Repair St Stephen Events Calendar Monday Parish Office Closed 6:00 p.m. Play Rehearsal/Hall Tuesday 5:00 p.m. Phil. Orchestra/Hall Wednesday 5:30 p.m. Play Rehearsal/Hall Thursday 3:00 p.m. Play Rehearsal/Hall Friday 7:00 p.m. G.A. Closed Meeting/EC Saturday 10:00 a.m. Baptism Prep./Marian Room Sunday 3:30 p.m. WKICU/EC 7:00 p.m. Adult Volleyball/Gym SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Monday: Monday within the Octave of Easter Tuesday: Tuesday within the Octave of Easter Wednesday: Wednesday within the Octave of Easter Thursday: Thursday within the Octave of Easter Friday: Friday within the Octave of Easter; First Friday Saturday: Saturday within the Octave of Easter; First Saturday Please pray for the sick and homebound of our community and for all those written in our book of the sick. May they know the healing touch of Jesus. Larry Barbiere, Marybeth Barrett, Eden Finn, Carol Dominguez, Dick Dunn, Al Gragnani, Emma Hock, Honora Lowe, Maria Matthews, Juan Pablo Grover-Paez, Nenita Sangalang, Jovita & Richard Thompson, Dorothy Medlin, Albert Chris Magie, Patricia Sullivan, and Robert Xavier. Please call the office for names of people that we should pray for or remain on this list.

3 Dear Parishioners of St. Stephen: Alleluia! He is Risen. He is Risen indeed! This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Happy Easter to one and all. May your family celebration of this great Pascal Feast bring you and your loved ones deep peace and joy. That life, truth, and the good have been declared victorious over death, deceit, and the evil is not limited to a past event in Jerusalem. To declare the victory of Easter is to share in the new life Christ has promised us today. After all, we were baptized into his death so that we might share in his Resurrection. The "letting go" required of Good Friday melds into a hope in new life, over and over again. Be not afraid, open your eyes, and notice the signs of hope and new life all around you. For those who have eyes to see such signs are everywhere. Looking for the risen Christ means being attentive to wounded soldiers walking again, the divorced feeling comfort again, refugees returning home again, the lost being reunited again, the addict feeling freedom again, the fearful sensing joy again. Listen to the words of a great Old Testament scholar: "Easter is not just an ancient oddity. Easter is an unsettling way in a world that continues to have socioeconomic, political, and human implications. Easter is not a "spiritual"event, but a surging of power that touches all of life. The Easter question for us is not whether you can get your mind around the resurrection, because you cannot. Rather the question is whether you can permit in your horizon new healing power, new surging possibility, new gestures to the lame, new ways of power in an armed, fearful world, new risk, new life, leaping, dancing, singing, praising the power beyond all our controlled powers." (Walter Brueggemann, The Threat of Life) Wishing you and your family God s continued blessings, I am sincerely yours in Christ, Your pastor Father Paul F. Warren TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Our tradition has a way of honoring age-old customs, and is patient with how practices unfold in different places. The name of today s feast illustrates this well. English is a Germanic language, and our word Easter, or German Oester, points back to the pagan goddess Eoestre, the star of the vernal equinox feast. The Greek title Pasch reaches back in a more helpful manner to the Hebrew Pesach, or Passover. Paschal Triduum may be slow to replace Easter in our vocabulary, but it is clearer about the mystery we celebrate today, the culmination of three days laden with mystery and meaning. You can hear the older term, and the resistance to English influence, in the Irish Casca and Scottish Pask. Romance languages stay close to the deep paschal tradition, with the French Pâques, Spanish Pascua and Italian Pasqua. Memories of our pagan past with Oester will not soon fade away: even Japanese Christians are under her spell, for today s feast is called I-suta. Swahili, a young language, takes the more traditional route with Pasaka. Each language yields a rich insight into the feast. Spanish includes a sense that today is a big Sunday by adding the designation Pascua to the greatest feasts, such as Pascua de la Natividad (Christmas). Once Christ is risen, every step of life s journey is illuminated by the light of the Pasch! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co.

4 Happy Easter Welcome to St. Stephen for Easter. We celebrate today the fact that Jesus Christ who rose from the dead is alive and living in the body of the faithful. We are not alone. He is with us. Congratulations and Blessings for our RCIA Candidates. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they continue their journey in the Catholic Faith. At our Easter Vigil Joclynn Ransom was Baptized into the Catholic Church. Sean Lukins, Betsy Serrano, Kirsten Nikki Damian, and Kimberly Daourn were Sealed with the Holy Spirit when they were Confirmed at our Easter Vigil. HOSPITALITY MINISTERS for our 9:30 a.m. Mass Today, Mar.27 - Katya Minnick Sunday, Apr. 3 - Bob Anthony s Team Sunday, Apr.10 - Julia Martin ATTENTION LITURGICAL MINISTERS: The April - June schedule is ready! Hard copies of the schedule are available in the vestibule of the church. Please note that these copies are only for those who do not have internet access. EASTER ENERGY On Easter morning when the disciples saw the evidence of the Resurrection, they did not at first grasp it. John reports that "they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead." We, on the other hand, have both Scripture and Church tradition to teach us. Jesus Christ's resurrection is at the core of our Christian faith. All of today's readings tell us how compelling this event was for the first Christians. There is great energy in all the readings. Peter preaches with authority and conviction. Paul calls for Christians to change their lives. In the Gospel reading we see Peter and John in a footrace to reach Jesus' tomb and see with their own eyes the evidence that they still could not understand or completely believe. How can some of this Easter energy be restored to us today? Do we let the astonishing news of the Resurrection touch us now? Does it call us to action? To deeper faith? To conversion? What new life will be reborn in us and our parish community this Easter morning? (c) Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.

5 Dick Dunn Long time Saint Stephen parishioner Dick Dunn is moving to Phoenix, Arizona to live with his son Greg. We wish him well and sincerely thank him for all he has done for St. Stephen Parish throughout these many years. The Dunn s housekeeper and personal family assistant is available for housekeeping, shopping and to assist in your home Tuesday - Fridays in the afternoons and on Saturdays and Sundays. For references and contact information please call Dick s daughter Missy/Marianne at Save the Date: Friday, May 6 St. Mary s Cathedral 45th Anniversary Gala St. Mary s Cathedral, 1111 Gough St., San Francisco Deacon Christoph Sandoval rcs7777@comcast.net Mark your calendar now for this special evening celebrating the blessing and legacy of our cathedral, including Vespers with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, dinner, exquisite music and more. Headlining the night s entertainment is Franc D Ambrosio, best known for his portrayal of Phantom in the award-winning musical The Phantom of the Opera. Don t miss this opportunity to celebrate 45 years of ministers and ministry at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. For more information contact Deacon Christoph Sandoval, Event Chair, see above. Catholic TV Mass Monsignor Harry Schlitt has celebrated Mass on TV for many years. With the help of his Not for Profit organization God Squad Productions, his Board of Advisors, and the Archdiocese of San Francisco, he is able to bring the Mass to those who are unable to attend their Parish Church for whatever reason. JOIN US!! The Catholic TV Mass may be seen on Channel 26 KTSF & Channel 20 KOFY in the San Francisco Bay Area and Comcast Channels 8 & 20 For More information you can contact The Catholic TV Mass One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA attn: Jan Schachern ( ) or janschachern@gmail.com. Happenings Around the Archdiocese. Mary Molly Mullaney Reflections on the Unknowable Talk by Fr. Terry Ryan, CSP Saturday, April 16, 9:00 am 12:00 pm (repeated April 17 following 9:00 am Mass) Old St. Mary s Paulist Center, 614 Grant Ave., San Francisco Thomas Keating, OCSO, the founder of Contemplative Outreach, wrote a book recently, Reflections on the Unknowable. In these short chapters Keating reflects on various subjects having to do with the contemplative experience. Fr. Ryan will comment on these reflections and try to help us to deepen our own spiritual journey. Did you ever think of silence as quiet? They are not the same. Silence, in deep prayer, is consciousness without content. Come learn more. All are welcome. Vatican International Exhibition: Eucharistic Miracles of the World April 2-3 Star of the Sea Parish, 4420 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, or Star of the Sea parish will host an international exhibition, Eucharistic Miracles of the World, in April. The Vatican exhibit of 70 panels covering 1800 years of miracles will be open on Saturday, April 2, from 3:00 to 7:00 pm, and on Sunday, April 3, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. In addition to the exhibit, slide show presentations will be done before and after each Mass. All are welcome. Praise Nights at St. Patrick s Seminary Fridays, April 15, May 6, 8:00pm St. Patrick's Seminary, 320 Middlefield Rd, Menlo Park Leelamma or leelamma.sebastian@stpsu.org Praise nights are held monthly at St. Patrick s Seminary in Menlo Park. All are welcome for an evening of compline, contemporary adoration music, reconciliation and fellowship. As St. Patrick's Seminary is a Holy Door site for the Year of Mercy, come enter into this evening of prayer with Jesus as your companion, your healer and your source for life. Concerts at St. Mary s Cathedral 1111 Gough St. at Geary , ext. 213 or StMaryCathedralSF.org The following Sunday Recitals are free to the public and begin at 4:00 pm unless otherwise indicated. 3/27 Christoph Tietze, Organist 4/3 Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen, Organist (Denmark) with Jochen Brusch, Violin (Germany) 4/10 4:00 pm: Christoph Tietze, Organist 7:00 pm: Lamb of God Oratorio

6 REJOICE AND BE GLAD During the first three or four centuries of Christianity, if you asked a Christian to name the feast days of the church, your answer would have been a puzzled stare, for there was only one feast: the Resurrection of the Lord. Every Sunday was a feast celebrating the one great feast. Even though our calendar now has many beautiful and holy feasts, we must continually be called back to the fact that all these other feasts exist because of the feast of Christ s Passover from death to life. The psalm today proclaims this message well: This is the day. It is not one of many days, but it is the day of all days, the one that gives all the others their origin, purpose, meaning, and destiny. Listen carefully to Peter s speech in Acts with its recollection of the Passion, to the words of the apostle Paul, and to the account of Mary Magdalene, John, and Peter finding the empty tomb, and you will hear the many wonderful works that God has done for us through Christ. Rejoice and be glad! Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. EASTER EGG HUNT Today! Sunday, March 27, 2016 Rolph Nicol Playground After the 9:30 a.m. Mass Box Tops for Education Please support St. Stephen School by clipping and collecting Box Tops from items in your pantry! Box Tops are located on hundreds of products, everything from Cheerios to Ziploc bags. Box Tops can be turned into the school office, dropped in the parish center mailbox or handed directly to Shawna Stecher at the 9:30 mass. Questions? Shawna can be reached at For a complete list of products that have a Box Top, go to Thank you! TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Fifty years or so ago, it was popular to teach that every Sunday is a Little Easter. Today, after several decades of intense liturgical reform, it is more proper to think of today as a Big Sunday. On every Sunday of the year, the Church is obliged to assemble, keeping the day holy. In most places, we hardly attain the goal of gathering all who are in Christ by baptism. Look around today and see what a Big Sunday looks like! Our tradition speaks of remembering, anamnesis, as the antidote to amnesia, the tragic forgetting of who God is and who we are as God s most beloved creation. On this Easter day, we are at our very best. We remember who God is, and we remember who we are in God s eyes: beloved sons and daughters, reborn to eternal life in baptismal waters. We rekindle our candles and reclaim our baptismal promises. As a Big Sunday, today also reflects the character of festivity and leisure that should mark every Lord s Day. We wear Sunday best today, and we may take some time, especially in the northern states, to stroll through a budding garden. It is truly a Big Sunday, and how different our lives would be if we took its values and traditions forward into all the Sundays of our lives. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co.

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8 PASTORAL STAFF Rev. Paul F. Warren Pastor Rev. Michael Strange, PSS Retired - In Residence Rev. Mr. Rory Desmond Permanent Deacon Janelle O Malley Coordinator of Liturgy & Music Mary Molly Mullaney Faith Formation Coordinator Mrs. Sharon McCarthy Allen School Principal Jim Cook Parish Manager Shay Ingelfinger Event Center Coordinator Jan Almeida Bookkeeper ST STEPHEN PARISH ORGANIZATION/MINISTRY CONTACT PERSON Altar Servers Giovanna Hrvatin Altar Society Joan Leehane Bridge Group Helen Perlite Caritas Nellie Hizon Church Hospitality Mary Molly Mullaney Communion Ministers Janelle O Malley Faith Formation Mary Molly Mullaney Fifty Plus Club Helga D Arcy Finance Council Laura Birsinger Grief Support Clergy Lectors Janelle O Malley Liturgy Committee Janelle O Malley Marriage Preparation Clergy Men s Club John Bankovitch Matt Miller Music Janelle O Malley Parish Council Vicky Francisco RCIA Mary Molly Mullaney St. Stephen Book Club Veronica Wong St. Vincent de Paul Julie O Callaghan Ushers Bob Anthony Women s Guild Sylvia Flores- Komarmy Our warmest welcome to all who celebrate with us. You can sign up or update your information by completing this form & placing it in the collection basket, by mailing it to the Parish Office, by phone at or online at Name Address City/Zip Phone Our parishioners receive the Archdiocese weekly newspaper Catholic San Francisco. I am interested in assisting with the Parish in the following way(s): Acolyte/Altar Service Altar Society Children s Liturgy of the Word Choir Greeter/Usher Hospitality after Mass/Special Events Holy Communion Ministers to the Homebound Lector/Holy Communion Ministers Music/Choir