St. Stephen Parish. May 1, 2016 Sixth Sunday of Easter

Transcription

1 St. Stephen Parish May 1, 2016 Sixth Sunday of Easter J esus said to his disciples: Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, I am going away and I will come back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. John 14:23-29 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, May 2 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Joann Clark Cook Tuesday, May 3 8:00a.m.Fr. Warren:Celia & George Marania Sp. Int. Wednesday May 4 8:00 a.m. Fr. Warren: Alan Dougherty Sp. Int. Thursday, May 5 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Nancy McGarvey Friday, May 6 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Patrick Linehan Saturday, May 7 8:00 a.m. Fr. Strange: Rita A. O Mahoney 3:30 p.m. Fr. Warren: Reconciliation 4:30 p.m. Fr. Warren: Margaret Smith Sunday, May 8 8:00 a.m. Fr. Warren: Malvina Farrell 9:30 a.m. Fr. Warren: Barbara Frost 11:30 a.m. Fr. Warren: Michael Gragnani 6:45 p.m. Fr. Strange: Lourdes dela Cruz Sixth Sunday of Easter May 1, 2016 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! Bold Indicates Mass Intentions Second Collection Next Weekend A second collection will be taken at all masses May 7 and 8 for New Building Loan Payment Psalm 67:6 TODAY S READINGS First Reading The question of whether circumcision is necessary for salvation (Acts 15:1-2, 22-29). Psalm O God, let all the nations praise you! (Psalm 67). Second Reading John envisions the holy city, the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23) or Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20. Gospel The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in Jesus name, will teach us everything (John 14:23-29) or John 17: The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. St Stephen Events Calendar Monday 3:00 p.m. Play Rehearsal/Hall 3:30 p.m. Faith Formation/Church & Parish Office 7:00 p.m. Liturgy Mtg./Parish Office Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Scripture Sharing/Marian Room 11:30 a.m. School Lunch/Hall Wednesday 8:30 a.m. School Board/Parish Conf. Rm. 11:30 a.m. School Lunch/Hall 5:30 p.m. Play Rehearsal/Hall 7:00 p.m. Women s Guild Dinner/Hall 7:30 p.m. On Eagle s Wings/EC Thursday 11:30 a.m. School Lunch/Hall 3:00 p.m. Play Rehearsal/Hall Friday 12:00 p.m. Men s Club Golf Tournament 7:00 p.m. G.A. Closed Meeting/EC 7:00 p.m. Men s Club Saturday 10:00 a.m. Baptism Preparation/Marian Room Sunday 7:00 p.m. Adult Volleyball/Gym SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Julian Calendar Easter Monday: St. Athanasius Tuesday: Ss. Philip and James Thursday: The Ascension of the Lord(unless transferred to Sunday); Yom Ha-Shoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day) National Day of Prayer; Cinco de Mayo Friday: First Friday Saturday: 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.

3 Dear Parishioners of St. Stephen: Pope Francis speaks simply and directly. It is easy to listen and understand. This is one of the reasons he is so popular. Last week the Vatican saw one of its largest events of this Holy Year, this Jubilee of Mercy. It was a pilgrimage for teenagers which drew over 100,000 young people to Rome. Apparently confessions were everywhere. Even the Pope joined in, walking into St. Peter s piazza and joining the other priests in hearing confessions of the teenagers. In the biggest Jubilee liturgy to date the Pope spoke to the young folk sounding, as one commentator put it, like the high-school teacher he once was than any kind of high-church exegesis. His homily drew from last Sunday s Gospel reading: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (Jn 13:35). Here is a small excerpt from his homily: Before all else, love is beautiful, it is the path to happiness. But it is not an easy path. It is demanding and it requires effort. Think, for example, of when we receive a gift. It makes us happy, but receiving a gift means that someone generous has invested time and effort; by their gift they also give us a bit of themselves, a sacrifice they have made. Think too of the gift that your parents and group leaders have given you in allowing you to come to Rome for this Jubilee day dedicated to you. They planned, organized, and prepared everything for you, and this made them happy, even if it meant that they had to give up a trip for themselves. This is putting love into action. To love means to give, not only something material, but also something of one s self: one s own time, one s friendship, one s own abilities. And again, later, in the same address he said: Dear young friends, at this stage in your lives you have a growing desire to demonstrate and receive affection. The Lord, if you let him teach you, will show you how to make tenderness and affection even more beautiful. He will guide your hearts to love without being possessive, to love others without trying to own them but letting them be free. Because love is free! There is no true love that is not free! The freedom that the Lord gives to us is his love for us. He is always close to each one of us. There is always a temptation to let our affections be tainted by an instinctive desire to have to have what we find pleasing; this is selfishness. Our consumerist culture reinforces this tendency. Yet when we hold on too tightly to something, it fades, it dies, and then we feel confused, empty inside. The Lord, if you listen to his voice, will reveal to you the secret of love. It is caring for others, respecting them, protecting them and waiting for them. This is putting tenderness and love into action. He speaks as much to each one of us as he does to the teenagers gathered in Rome. Wishing you and your family God s continued blessings, I am sincerely yours in Christ, Your pastor Father Paul F. Warren

4 Our Building Improvement Program We are nearing completion of a major re-lamping project of the interior and exterior of our church. This have been a work in progress behind the scenes inside our church for a number of months. Over the past two weeks, you may have notice significant interior work was performed. We have now replaced over 95% of our lighting with long lasting, energy efficient LED products. Not only will this reduce power consumption and maintenance, it will improve our interior church environment and increase safety around the perimeter of our campus. Thank you for your patience. ATTENTION: LITURGICAL MINISTERS Our Parish Ministry Schedulers are getting ready to prepare the schedule for the months of July through September. If you know of certain times and dates that you do not want to be scheduled during those months, please contact your Mass scheduler and let them know. THE DEADLINE FOR THESE REQUESTS IS MAY 16th. After months of work, our new church website is up and running! Visit it today and keep up-to-date with parish happenings. Drop in Care for Seniors Available at SF Adult Day Services Catholic Charities CYO s San Francisco Adult Day Services offers drop-in care for seniors. After completing a pre-admittance assessment, caregivers may drop their loved one at the facility on an as-needed basis. Services include social, therapeutic, exercise classes, educational sessions, snacks, lunch, and counseling/referrals for those who care for loved ones with dementia/alzheimer s. San Francisco Adult Day services are provided for a fee, with a sliding scale available, based on the ability to pay. Please call to arrange a pre-admittance assessment or for additional information. HOSPITALITY MINISTERS for our 9:30 a.m. Mass Today, May 1 - Bob Anthony s Team Sunday, May 8 - Vicky Francisco Sunday, May 15 - Louise Fambrini ALL THE ADVANTAGES We want to give our children what we didn t have; but let s make sure we give them what we did have: our faith. Anonymous

5 Divorce Support Group May 4, 7:30-9:00 pm St. Stephen Church, O Reilly Parish Center, 451 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco Fr. Al Grosskopf, S.J Support groups are part of the Separated and Divorced Catholic Ministry in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This group meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Gatherings begin with prayer, introductions, sharing around what is going on in everyone s lives, and closing with prayer. It is a drop-in support group. Please contact Fr. Al Grosskopf, S.J., with any questions, see above. 2nd Annual Interfaith Ride Sunday, May 22 (1-p.m., Location TBD) Celebrate the environment, the community, and general health by joining likeminded citizens of different faiths to tour our beautiful city by bicycle! Last year we had over 40 riders and visited eight congregations. The Interfaith Ride welcomes people who bike from your congregation to ride together, visiting different faith communities around San Francisco, and ending in Golden Gate Park for a closing celebration. The purpose here is to celebrate the diversity of San Francisco s faith communities. We ll visit a variety of historic and architecturally interesting sites, hear from leaders and members, and enjoy a fun and freewheeling bicycle liturgy along the way. RSVP: sfbike.org/worship This is a reminder that our next marriage prep date is May 7 th, 2016 We have room for all couples wishing to attend. It will take place at St. Mary s Cathedral at Gough and Geary Streets in San Francisco. Listed below are our remaining dates for 2016: May 7 th, 2016 August 6 th, 2016 October 15 th, 2016 Engaged couples can register for any date at Or, if they prefer, the registration form can be printed out from the website and mailed in. The website has our complete schedule, resource information about engagement and marriage as well as nuts and bolts info about the preparation sessions. Marriage for Life is an approved marriage preparation program option in the San Francisco Archdiocese. Our format is one day, all day, and we are still holding the cost to $ per couple Friday, May 6 St. Mary s Cathedral 45th Anniversary Gala Celebrate 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. (Deacon Christoph Sandoval rcs7777@comcast.net) Our Altar Servers Our special thanks to our student Altar Servers who faithfully continue to volunteer their time and talent to our parish. Our Altar Servers for April 18 thru 24 were: Weekday Masses Mericel Tao, Bianca Hallinan, Melissa Hua, Sarah Krauss, Molly Linehan, Antonio Maffei, Patrick Linehan, Hannah Morello and Catherine Morello. Weekend Masses Isabella Ritchie, Frankie Ryan, Antonio Maffei, Cian O Donoghue, Luca Del Carlo, Aidan Flocchini, Annalise Jear, Miguel Guzman, Caroline Wong, Stephen Wong, Siobhan Linehan, Emily Schmitt, Christopher Bautista, Catherine Morello, Daniela Cerrri, Gianna Rocca, Mikel Villamayorn, Gino Andrini, Genevieve Davey and Desi Ongpin. Thank You!

6 Learning to Live as Easter People Exploring the Easter Gospels as a road map for our spiritual journey. Scripture sharing with Sr. Toni Lynn Gallagher. Tuesday, May 3, 9:00-10:00 a.m., in Marian Room of St. Stephen Church Free. ALL are welcome. THE GIFT OF PEACE We are offered another vision in today s second reading, a vision of the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:10). Read between the lines describing the radiant city, and we find that the greatest beauty revealed is the beauty of perfect symmetry and order, a city founded on the faith of the twelve tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles, lit only by the glory of God. The first reading and the Gospel are linked to this idealized description of the New Jerusalem. In both we read of distress and disturbance countered by the gift of peace. [M]y peace I give to you, Jesus assures his disciples at the Last Supper (John 14:27). In keeping with that gift, the apostles and elders, in the reading from Acts, decide not to disturb the peace of new Gentile believers. The undue burden of circumcision will not be imposed on them. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. A parishioner has asked that this prayer be included in the bulletin. The parishioner felt it would be a great comfort for those afflicted with cancer. It is the payer of St. Peregrine whose feast day is May 4. Prayer to St. Peregrine: O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty", "The Wonder Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you. (Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying.) Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen. (Say 3 Hail Marys, 3 Glorias, and 3 Our Fathers) TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION ne ancient Roman custom that was approved O by the church was the veiling of the bride. When a single woman pledged her life to Christ, in a way of life not dissimilar to today s religious women, the outward sign of this commitment was a veiling. In ancient Rome, a woman with uncovered head was unmarried, and a veiled woman was off limits to suitors. It was one small step to decide that a bride should receive a veil from the hands of the church as a sign of her new state in life. The prayer that accompanied the veiling was beautiful, and sung, a kind of consecratory prayer that was very similar to the prayer of ordination, or the prayers for blessing holy water or chrism. The nuptial blessing originally mentioned only the woman, although we know that the veil was often extended to cover the husband s shoulders also. The blessing was located before the kiss of peace, which the priest gave to the husband, and the husband to his new bride. Remember that this is in the early centuries, long before the kiss of peace virtually disappeared from liturgy. The veiling and blessing was required when priests or deacons married, was recommended to laypersons, but forbidden for certain public sinners and second marriages. The veiling of the couple was preserved in England until the Reformation, and is returning to practice among Swedish Lutherans after having fallen into disuse about seventy-five years ago. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. CONCERTS St. Mary s Cathedral 1111 Gough St. at Geary , ext. 213 StMaryCathedralSF.org The following Sunday Recitals are free to the public and begin at 4:00 pm unless otherwise indicated, with ample free parking: 5/1 Las Vegas Academy of the Arts; Bella Voz advanced women s choir and Konzert Chorale advanced con cert choir 5/8 Cathedral 45th Anniversary Concert, Cathedral Choir & Orchestra Our 20,000 Square Foot Parish Center is Available to Rent for Special Occasions Call Shay Ingelfinger at ext. 33 for information regarding the hourly rate available for our parishioners.

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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