1544 Battlefield Boulevard South Chesapeake, Virginia

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2 1544 Battlefield Boulevard South Chesapeake, Virginia Phone: Fax: website: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 9/10, 2019 St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA Page 2

3 2018 Tax Statements Lenten Lessons With Fr. Brian The 2018 Tax Statements have been released on My Own Church. Follow these easy steps to access your tax statement. Log into your My Own Church account (If you have not created an account yet, please visit our website, for directions.) Click on My Offering Click on Giving History Click on Electronic Statement Download Click on Statement A dialog box will appear and then print. If you have questions, please contact the office at ssm@ssmrcc.org or SSM Sweatshirts Are Back! Join Fr. Brian Thursday s starting March 7 and running through April 11 from 7:00-9:30pm for our Lenten Lessons. The topic this year will be The Apostles Creed. We will discover the meaning and beauty! Save the dates! If you have additional questions please Carol at carol.ehrbar@gmail.com. KOC Mulch Sales The Knights of Columbus Council will be selling mulch starting Sunday, February 24 through Sunday, March 17. The Knights will be available after each weekend Mass to take your order. Prices per bag: $3.50- You pick up. $4.50- We deliver to you. $5.50- We deliver it and spread it for you. Order your Limited Edition SSM sweatshirt in the Commons after all Masses every weekend during the month of February or On-line at Events, SSM Sweatshirt Order Form. We will NOT offer youth sizes this time. Adult Crew Necks will be $20. Zipper and Plain Hoodies will be $25. Please add $5 to all styles for 2X and 3X. Order Now! Don t be left out in the cold. Cash, Check or Credit Cards are accepted. We sold out last year so please don t wait! Pick up or delivery is Saturday, March 30 with a rain date of Saturday, April 6 if needed. If you have any questions please contact Rob Anderson at or randerson@ahelevator.com or Larry Bittner at ltbittner@verizon.net. Baptism Of The Lord - January 12/13, 2019 St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA Page 3 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 9/10, 2019 St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA Page 3

4 9 Days For Life Pro-Life Novena Chastity Is For Lovers Join the Knights and Fr. Brian as they continue to commit Friday evenings to praying for the pro-life message to spread through our church, community, state and country. Friday s through March 1 they will meet at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary to pray a rosary and novena. This will be followed by 7:30pm Mass, for the intentions of the Pro-Life Movement. There are 4,000 abortions per day in the United States. Please join us in prayer to save some of those lives Annual Diocesan Appeal Building Our Family of Faith All are invited to join our Youth Ministry, Sunday February 17 following the 5:00pm Mass to listen to renown speaker Arleen Spenceley, author of "Chastity is for Lovers" share her story! Welcome to the 2019 Annual Diocesan Appeal. With a goal of over $3.2 million for the Diocese, the 2019 Appeal will provide critical funding to three key areas for the Richmond Diocese: "Promoting chastity and virginity is almost impossible. Not only does Arleen have the courage, she does it successfully with solid theology, personal wisdom and the tremendous gift of humor." -Sr. Clare Hunter, F.S.E., Director of the Respect Life Office for the Diocese of Arlington in VA Advancing Social Justice Cultivating Catholic Leadership Empowering Parish Communities This week and into next week, many of you will receive a letter from Bishop Knestout asking for your support of the 2019 Annual Diocesan Appeal. It is our sincere hope that you will answer our Bishop s request and make a generous pledge to this effort. As you may know, St. Stephen, Martyr receives a portion back to support our parish. We look forward to sharing with you more about the Appeal and its impact in the very near future. Women's Retreat You re Worth It! Danielle Bean has been a featured speaker at hundreds of Catholic conferences and retreats for women, couples and families. She is the author of several books and a contributor at The Catholic Church of St. Mark located at 1505 Kempsville Rd. Virginia Beach, Va is offering a ladies retreat Saturday, February 23 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. The cost is $10 which includes lunch and materials. Childcare is offered if you preregister. Please visit to pre-register and purchase tickets. Fifth Sunday in St. Ordinary Stephen, Time Martyr - February Chesapeake, 9/10, 2019 VA Page St. Stephen, 4 Martyr Chesapeake, VA Page 4

5 Liturgical Ministries Need Your Help! Are you looking to get more involved? Then join a Ministry at St. Stephen, Martyr! We need volunteers to help support the ministries that provide assistance during Masses each weekend. It takes 90 volunteers each weekend to fill all ministries! Please prayerfully consider being trained in one of the ministries listed below. Eucharistic Minister: Distribute the Precious Body and Blood during Communion. Assist with washing of holy vessels after Mass as needed. Lector: Read announcements prior to Mass. Process in with the Book of the Gospels prior to Mass. Stand at the ambo during the Liturgy of the Word, and proclaim the Gospel. Hospitality: Pass the collection baskets for first and second collections. Stand at end of each row and que people to go forward for Communion. Greet people as they enter the worship space for Mass, keep count of how many people are at Mass. Give bulletins to parishioners as they leave Mass. Man the Welcome table. Mass Coordinator: Make all preparations for the Mass: examples include lights, wine, hosts, credence table and etc. Remind altar servers of their jobs. Account for all ministry positions-get subs if necessary. Direct any processions into the Sanctuary as needed. Duties after Mass. Carrier: After Mass, pack and transport the collection to the bank. Altar Server: Process in with Father and Deacon. Assist at the altar during Liturgy of the Eucharist. If you are a Censer, you will process in and out of the Sanctuary with a censer, which holds hot coals. Cross Bearers, will lead the process in and out of the Sanctuary, carrying the large crucifix. The next opportunity for training is Thursday, February 21 at the times listed below: 7:00-8:00pm Altar Servers (start in the Sanctuary with Fr. Brian). 7:30-8:00pm Eucharistic Ministers in the Sanctuary. 7:00-8:00pm Mass Coordinators in the Sacristy. 8:00-8:30pm Lectors and Hospitality in the Sanctuary. Future training dates are Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, June 13. Times will be posted closer to the training dates. If you have any additional questions please Marge at marge@ssmrcc.org. Fifth Baptism Sunday Of The in Ordinary Lord - January Time - 12/13, February 2019/10, 2019 St. St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA VA Page Page 5 5

6 Adult Faith Formation The Life of David Join Dr. Jack Buchner as he leads a bible study on 1 Samuel, The Life of David. This study will meet on Tuesday, February 3 at 9:15am and then repeat at 7:00pm in room 1. Please join us. Upper Room Prayer Fellowship Exalt In Adoration! EXALT! "If we really loved the good God, we should make it our joy and happiness to come and spend a few moments to adore Him, and ask Him for the grace of forgiveness; and we should regard those moments as the happiest of our lives." - St. John Vianney (on Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament). The SSM choir along with the Upper Room Prayer Fellowship will join together in the Sanctuary for Eucharistic Adoration with Exalt! All are welcome to join us Tuesday, February 12 from 7:00-8:30pm. We will begin our worship by singing Fr. Kevin McGoldrick s Divine Mercy Chaplet, followed by a time of prayer, song and reflection with the exposition of the Eucharist. What a wonderful time of both corporal praise and personal reflection with our Lord Jesus! We hope to see you and your family there! If you have questions, please contact the Adult Faith Office at scott@ssmrcc.org or Lenten Mission Dr. Peter Kreeft converted to Catholicism during his college years. One of the key turning points was when he was asked by a Calvinist professor to investigate the claims of the Catholic Church and how it traced itself to the early Church. He said that he discovered in the early Church such Catholic elements as the centrality of the Eucharist, the Real Presence, prayers to saints, devotion to Mary, an insistence on visible unity, and apostolic succession." The central and deciding factor for his conversion was the Church's claim to be the one Church historically founded by Christ." He reportedly applied C. S. Lewis's trilemma; Was Jesus a liar, lunatic or Lord? Just as Jesus made a claim about His identity that forces us into one of only two camps; so the Catholic Church s claim to be the one true Church, the Church Christ founded, forces us to say either that this is the most arrogant, blasphemous and wicked claim imaginable, if untrue, or else that She is just what She claims to be. Dr. Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and The King's College. He has written over 76 books, and claims to be a Boston Red Sox fan! Please save the date and join us in the Sanctuary, Saturday, March 23, where Dr. Kreeft will present three "key" fascinating, yet challenging topics reflecting on the question, "Why are we Catholic Christians?" The topics to be presented are: 9:30am: Angels and Demons 11:00am: Towards reuniting the Church - 70X7 reasons to be both Catholic and Protestant. 1:00pm: Whether there is any real difference between living as an atheist and living as a "cultural catholic"? We will serve light breakfast type foods/snacks, juice and coffee directly after the, prior to the 9:30am presentation. We will break from 12:00-1:00pm for lunch. Please bring your own lunch or venture out to the several restaurants/fast food locations close to our parish. This Lenten Mission is FREE, for the entire family! Donations will be greatly appreciated. Fifth Baptism Sunday Of The in Ordinary Lord - January Time - 12/13, February 2019/10, 2019 St. St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA VA Page 6 6

7 Thank you HER Shelter Donations Food Volunteers Collection Needed Weekend As the winter season continues, please help those in need with warm foods. We are currently in need of hearty soups, beef stew, hot chocolate, complete meals, canned meats (chicken, ham, Spam/Treet), tuna, canned potatoes, carrots, mixed vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, cereal and 2 pound bags of sugar. We will collect all items the weekend of February 16/17. Thank you for your continued caring and concern for the poor. Many, many thanks to everyone who so generously contributed cosmetics for women at the HER Shelter. These items will be put to good use to help women recover, even in a small way, from the violence in their lives. Also, if you are a Facebook user, please visit the HER Shelter page. They make requests for items almost daily and you may have an unused item or two that they can desperately use. Once again, Thank you and God bless you! Rita R. Hughes Memorial Prayer Garden There will be a prayer service at the Memorial Prayer Garden on Saturday, May 25 to pray for those who are remembered in the Memorial Walkway. If you are considering purchasing a paver for your loved one(s) now is the time to ensure that the brass dedication plate will be installed prior to the prayer service. Order forms are available at About, Memorial Prayer Garden, in the Commons, and at the parish office. The cost is still $50 per plate and payment is due at the time of order. The Prayer Garden is located next to the rectory and is a quiet and peaceful place to pray. Fifth Baptism Sunday Of The in Ordinary Lord - January Time - 12/13, February 2019/10, 2019 St. St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA VA Page 7 7

8 Prayer for Our Troops Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need, and bring them home safely. May their sacrifices bring about a lasting and just peace in all lands. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. Amen. Announcements NO RCIA/RCIC NO classes will be held Thursday, February 14 (Valentine's Day) for adults and older children. Classes will resume on Thursday February 21. Eucharistic Minister Training The next training for new Eucharistic Ministers will be held on Monday, February 11 at 7:00pm. For more information please Linda Curran at mlmsme@gmail.com. E-Giving You can use E-Giving to donate to the church instead of using envelopes. This is a great way to simplify your weekly offerings. Step 1: Go to Step 2: Click on the link E-GIVING. Step 3: Follow the easy directions to set up recurring or one time donations. You can still reflect your E-Giving on your envelope and place it in the basket if you wish. CATHOLIC QUOTES Words To Inspire The Faithful "Community is a sign that love is possible..." -Jean Vanier Fifth Baptism Sunday Of The in Ordinary Lord - January Time - 12/13, February 2019/10, 2019 St. St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA VA Page 8 8

9 Our Gifts To The Lord The offertory numbers will be in the weekly this week. Monday, February 11 Tuesday, February 12 Mass Intentions Wednesday, February 13 6:30am Mass PARISH STAFF Pastor: Rev. Brian Rafferty Deacon Keith Fournier Deacon Kevin Trail Business Manager: Crystal Anderson Office Manager: Maura Waggoner Communication Director: Zoe Barnette Facility Manager: Alex Shuflat Liturgy: Marge Marino Music Director: Jessica Kohan Religious Education: (K-5 grade) Traci Baker Religious Education: (6-12 grade) Ashley Weaver Adult Faith Formation & Social Ministry: Scott Turbitt Evangelization: Dr. Jack Buchner Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time February 16/17, 2019 Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-8 1 Corinthians 15:12, Luke 6:17, Thursday, February 14 6:30pm Mass (David Aldridge) Friday, February 15 6:30pm Novena/Rosary 7:30pm Mass Saturday, February 16 5:00pm Mass (Jack Allton) Sunday, February 17 7:00am Mass (Holy Souls in Purgatory) (Parish of St. Stephen, Martyr) 11:30am Mass (Nerina Scire) 5:00pm Mass (Mike Florek) Your Prayers are Cherished for Loved Ones Inside our Parish Tony Cieslewicz Tudy Gibson Dylan Linehan Your Prayers are Cherished for Loved Ones Outside our Parish Tom Guinane Ronnie Shively James Walter Downey Rob Burger Jack Culhane Sheila Brobston Rest In Peace Lonnie Loonam Michael Mondrzejewski Fifth Baptism Sunday Of The in Ordinary Lord - January Time - 12/13, February 2019/10, 2019 St. St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA VA Page 9 9

10 Gospel Meditation Encourage A Deeper Understanding Of Scripture Do you have enough? Many of us come from a nation of material abundance. We have all the things we could possibly need not only to survive, but to thrive - food, shelter, mental ability, income, access to medical care. Most people in human history lived with far less than we. So why are we so dissatisfied? Some Christians can be drawn to the "prosperity Gospel." This is the idea that following God will bring us material abundance in this life. That surely seems to be the story of today's Gospel! Peter and his friends chose - with some faith - to put out their nets a final time at Jesus' command. "They caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking." What gift! What abundance! What prosperity! Peter and his friends caught more fish than they'd ever seen. Yet what is their response to this material abundance, this gift from God? They leave it behind. "When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him." Praying for God to meet our physical, material needs is not a bad thing! Jesus himself includes "give us this day our daily bread" in the prayer he teaches his disciples. The question is, how do we respond when our prayers are answered? Do we thank God briefly, or perhaps ignore Him completely and move on with our lives? Or do we respond as Peter did? "God? You showed up in an area that has no bearing on my eternal salvation. You gave me a gift I didn't even really need. You love me! You really do love me." Is our gratitude only surface level? Or do we allow ourselves, like Peter did, to respond with wonder, awe, and deeper discipleship? Why Do We Do That? What kind of religious practices should we begin, once we marry, to help us practice our faith each day? Your spiritual life as a couple is important. The sacrament of Marriage is a gift and a grace, but living it well isn't always easy! It requires intentionality and perseverance. Growing your spiritual life as a couple also requires a plan. Life can be incredibly busy. There's never "enough time" for everything we want to do. But we can live by our priorities. If we don't prioritize prayer, we'll find it slowly disappear from our lives. If you're not already praying individually, that's a good place to start. If your schedules are similar, take some quiet time at the same time to help hold each other accountable. Praying together is also important! You could start by looking at the religious practices of your family and of families around you that you respect. Talk with your spouse about the ones who make the deepest impression on you or were most meaningful when you were young. Think about what you want your future children to experience. Making faith a commitment now will mean it is engrained habit when you grow your family. Ultimately, these faith practices should help us grow in our love for God and for one another. Baptism Fifth Sunday Of The in Ordinary Lord - January Time - 12/13, February 2019/10, 2019 St. St. Stephen, Martyr Chesapeake, VA VA Page 10 10