August 28th, 2011

A Message from Fr. Brian

I thought that it was time to share with you as it has been quite a while since you have heard from me. I am home after my second stay in the hospital. Unfortunately, I am still dealing with some complications, which are delaying my recovery. Hopefully, that will change soon. I sincerely want to thank you all for your overwhelming care and support in whatever form it has taken. Words cannot really express what that means for me. Hopefully, I will be back with you all soon.
Blessings - Fr. Brian

Employment Opportunity Do you like meeting people and helping them? Do you like coordinating activities, multi-tasking, and working in teams? Are you a creative self-starter with a positive and optimistic attitude? If so you may want to explore applying for a new part-time position on our pastoral team: Steward for Talents (a.k.a. volunteer coordinator). Visit www.StStephensLife.com for full details and an application.

Mark Your Calendars NOW!
Faith Formation Class Registration will be the weekend of Sept. 10/11 after All Masses!

Parents of 1st Grade Students:
Classes are required this year to be eligible for First Sacraments in 2nd Grade!

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a process designed to welcome adults into the Catholic Church and is also a great teaching tool for those who do not feel confident in their knowledgeof the Church. (Those who are “cradle Catholics” and baptized as infants may never have experienced as adults the richness of learning the wonder of being Catholic.) Participants learn about the Mass, Sacraments, moral and Catholic social teaching, and much more. If you would like to enrich your faith, RCIA will be starting on Thursday, September 8th at 7:00 PM (an Information Meeting is this Thursday, September 1 at 7:00 PM). Come with a friend, Catholic or not, and let your faith grow! Contact Cynde Bosshart to sign-up.

Who is a "Returning Catholic"?
Do you have a friend who asks you questions about the Catholic Church and you don't know the answers? Did you grow up before or with Vatican II but feel no clarity on how it impacts your beliefs?
Many people are raised Catholic, but for a variety of reasons, quit attending Church. In order to feel better connected and to update them on current Church teaching, we have a process called “Returning Catholics”. This class also serves to prepare those who wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation as an adult. Our next series begins on Wednesday, September 14 at 7:00 PM in the Outreach Annex. Contact Cynde Bosshart to sign up (contact info on the last page of the bulletin).

If you are considering having your wedding at St. Stephen’s, please contact Sara Hoffman in the Faith Formation Offices as soon as possible. There is a significant amount of preparation, including classes that you will need to attend and documents that may take some time to gather. You will need to contact St. Stephen’s no later than 8 months before your wedding to ensure everything gets done on time!

Calling Boys and Girls, Ages 10-14 The Knights of Columbus will be holding our annual Soccer “Penalty-Kick” Challenge. Please join us Saturday, September 17 at 9:30 AM at Renton High School soccer field for our Council Championship, and Saturday, September 24 at 9:30 AM at St. Stephen the Martyr Church campus for our District Championship. Please call Deputy Grand Knight Bob Lowenstein at 206-890-5251 to register. Thank you.

Childcare during Mass Good news! We will be re-opening the Nursery for the Sunday 5:30 PM Mass beginning September 18. Thank you to Cheryl, Libby and Diana for their dedication to keep the nursery open all summer and also to all my young volunteers- we appreciate every moment you spend in our Nursery! Volunteers (18 and older) are still needed for all Sunday Masses and many events throughout the year. If you are interested, please contact Brigitte Gonzales at 425-351-5518 or ststephenschildcare@gmail.com.
24-Hour Adoration/Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place the first Friday-Saturday of every month. The next opportunity is from 9 AM on Friday, September 2 until 3 PM on Saturday, September 3. Everyone is invited to attend. We all come to Jesus with our praises, our thanksgivings, and our needs. Please sign-up for your favorite time(s) on the board by the Chapel doors. Questions? Contact Bernie Wittgens (253-631-5560).

The St. Stephen Honduras Mission team still has openings for our February 2012 trip to Honduras. If you are interested or would like more information about our trip, please contact Patrick Flanigan at 206-718-3607 or Debbie Dullenty at 206-755-6628.

See how the events in the Old Testament are fulfilled in the New Testament Join us for The Bible Timeline Series: The Story of Salvation and gain a greater appreciation for the Scripture readings you hear during Mass and much more! For more info, contact Mary Ann Cullivan at mjcullivan@comcast.net or 425-413-4994. Registration after all Masses this weekend (Aug 27/28).
The Motherhood Ministry at St. Stephen is Evolving! Here at St. Stephen, over 100 moms have participated in the self-reflective study program called MOMS (Ministry of Mothers Sharing). Many friendships were formed and many women continued to meet after the 8-week program ended. Now, after over a decade with that program, we’re excited to evolve our parish’s motherhood ministry. The new program is called beC.O.M.E. (Calling of Motherhood Explored). With a new name, new material, and new mission, we think you’ll be excited, too! Whether or not you’ve participated in the 8-week program in the past, we hope that moms with children of all ages and stages will join us. Starting September 14, we’ll meet on Wednesdays from 10:00 - 11:30 AM; childcare is available starting at 9:00 AM, for those who are able to attend Adoration in the Chapel beforehand. An annual $30 member fee contributes to the cost of materials and guest speakers. Stay tuned for details, or contact Abbie DeRuyter to learn more now (abbiederuyter@gmail.com or 253-277-3891).
If you are a parishioner in need school supplies, please contact Irene Davies at 253-856-7649 or ropeit0024@hotmail.com.

Socks! Socks! Socks! The Terrific Tuesday Guests and the men in the homeless shelters are requesting socks. Please bring new socks to the Outreach Annex or leave them in the wicker baskets with the food donations in the Narthex. Thank you!

The St. Stephen Job Assistance Ministry is gearing-up to help our fellow parishioners with career counseling and help returning to the work force.This is a new, permanent ministry being formed now to offer a job bank and resume services, and will provide education on topics including how to understand the job search process, use the internet to find jobs, and handle interviews. We will also provide networking opportunities, mentoring, and support (including prayer support). We need volunteers with experience in any of the above areas to help us get this program up and running. For more info, contact Darlene at 253-631-1940, x119 or darsimpson@gmail.com.

Donations Wanted Please contact us if you have an automobile or truck or an adult bicycle that you can donate (tax receipt available).

Volunteers Wanted Park Orchard School needs volunteers once a month for 1 hour from October thru May.This is an art docent program sponsored by Green River College. Volunteer would need to take 2 ½ hrs. basic training before starting. All teaching aids and program are provided. Please contact Darlene if you are available at 253-631-1940, x119 or darsimpson@gmail.com.

Great News! A Hoveround (riding chair) and electric hospital bed have been donated to St. Stephens and are available for use. If interested in borrowing, contact Darlene at 253-631-1940, x119 or darsimpson@gmail.com.

REPORT: St. Stephen's Direct Aid Funds (fiscal year ending 6/30/11)
Utilities for 156 families $18,836.49
Medical Aid for 5 people 201.25
Rental Aid for 60 families 16,602.47
Food for Food Bank 991.19
Pregnancy Aid for 2 people 404.90
Other Aid for 14 families 3,881.93
Emergency Housing for 17 families 7,060.43

Total (254 families served) $ 46,175.89
(These funds are from the blue CSA envelopes and other donations to Outreach.)

Additionally, food donated to the parish Food Bank provided 3,854 bags of food, which have been given to families in need. The average value of each bag was $35, totaling $134,890 worth of food. (Last year we gave out $48,370.00 worth of food- what an increase!)
St. Stephen Housing Association would love your support! This is the time of year when many employers hold their Annual Giving Campaigns and many companies have a gift-matching program. Please consider making a one-time gift or even authorizing a regular payroll deduction. We are a 501(c)3 program, so your donation is tax-deductible. Did you know on an average night over 8,000 men, women, and children are homeless in King County alone? SSHA offers affordable housing to homeless families with children. Together, we can make a difference by designating your gift to the St. Stephen Housing Association. For those of you who are already giving, we appreciate your continued support! Questions? Please call our office at 253-638-9798
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace on Sunday, September 18 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at the Peace & Spirituality Center (1663 Killarney Way, Bellevue). Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. RSVP by September 13 to 425-635-3600 or peace@csjp-olp.org. Freewill offering to support the Peace and Spirituality Ministry.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God.” Don’t let the world’s way tear your marriage apart. Plan to attend one of the upcoming WWME Weekends on Sept 9 - 11 in Centralia (contact John and Martha Ryland at 253-859-9174 or jmryland@comcast.net) or Oct 7 - 9 in Seattle (contact Rory and Dawn Myers at 206-772-2344 or seattlewwme@yahoo.com).

August 29 Monday
8:30a – 9:00a Morning Prayer and Rosary
5:30p – 6:00p Evening Prayer
6:30p – 7:00p MASS
7:00p – 8:00p Eucharistic Adoration
7:00p – 8:30p Boy Scout Troop 714

August 30 Tuesday
8:30a – 9:00a Morning Prayer and Rosary
9:00a – 3:00p Eucharistic Adoration
6:00p – 6:30p Terrific Tuesday Dinner
6:30p – 8:30p Fil-Am Choir

August 31 Wednesday
8:30a – 9:00a Morning Prayer and Rosary
9:00a – 3:00p Eucharistic Adoration
5:30p – 6:00p Evening Prayer
6:30p – 7:00p MASS
7:15p – 9:00p Choir Practice

September 1 Thursday
8:30a – 9:00a MASS
9:00a – 3:00p Eucharistic Adoration
11:00a – 1:00p Our Lady of Lourdes Prayer Group
7:00p – 7:45p Our Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
7:00p – 9:00p RCIA Info Night
7:00p – 9:00p Pastoral Council

September 2 First Friday
8:30a – 9:15a MASS
9:00a – 10:00a Reconciliation
9:00a–3:00p SatEucharistic Adoration

September 3 First Saturday
7:30a – 8:00a Morning Prayer
8:00a – 10:00a SSM Men's Group
8:10a – 8:20a Benediction
8:30a – 9:00a MASS
9:00a Fri–3:00 Eucharistic Adoration
10:00a –11:30a Council of Catholic Women
3:00p – 4:00p Reconciliation
5:00p – 6:00p Vigil MASS

September 4 Sunday
8:30a – 9:30a MASS (Nursery open)
11:00a – 12:00p MASS (Nursery open)
7:00p – 8:00p MASS (Nursery closed)
6:30p – 9:00p Charismatic Prayer Group