Christ the King - St. Stephen Parish

www.ctkph.org

www.saintstephenparish.org

Parish Newsletter

"Staying Connected"

May 24, 2023

Dear Friends,

This weekend we will be celebrating the feast of Pentecost, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the day that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church’s mission to the world. In the Gospel according to John

(Jn 14:26) in which Jesus tells His disciples: “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all I have said to you.” Remember, “The Spirit makes us see everything in a new way, with the eyes of Jesus.”

Speaking about Pentecost, Pope Francis reminds us: “Let us sit at the school of the Holy Spirit, so that he can teach us all things. Let us invoke him each day, so that he can remind us to make God’s gaze upon us our starting point, to make decisions by listening to his voice, and to journey together as Church, docile to him and open to the world.”

The Lord Jesus, whilst appearing as the Risen One to the disciples, gives them an invitation in the form of a clear directive: “do not depart from Jerusalem.” He also makes them a promise: “in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.” Today we must listen to the Lord’s invitation: “Do not go far from Jerusalem”: that is, do not distance yourselves from the Mystery that you contemplated and celebrated at Easter.

Fr. Luke Gregory states the importance of staying close to the mysteries of our faith: “Immersed in the lifestyle of the world, we seem always to be in a hurry and oftentimes in pursuit of deceptive novelties, hungry for things that immediately saturate the desire for fullness and perceived truths, and yet by that same lifestyle we risk trivializing the fundamental events of our life of faith, reducing them to fleeting emotional experiences.”

“Staying in Jerusalem” means choosing to dwell in the Heart of Jesus; allowing ourselves to be educated by His sweet and merciful presence, learning from His gestures and His living words, for in the Father we see the quality of His Love and the beauty of the salvation He has given us. “To remain” in Gospel language is not a static verb, but refers to a dynamic of ever growing and leading to a deeper communion between Jesus and His disciple, between Jesus and His Church.

As I reflected with you last Sunday, let us pray for one another especially the family that we intend to evangelize this year. We are the hands, the feet, the eyes of Jesus in the world. We have His work to do. Whatever we do, do not focus on guilt. Shame has no place for us who love Christ and His Bride, the Church. Reaching out to someone who you would like to see come back isn't an invitation to take them on a guilt trip. It's an opportunity to share the love of Christ with someone who needs it more than ever.

Simply let them know they are loved, missed, and valued. Far better that they be loved back into the church than guilted back into it. If you feel your heart aching over the rising number of sheep wandering from the fold especially your own loved ones, take comfort in knowing that Christ's heart aches all the more. You have a Savior that understands your pain and longs for the same thing you do.

May God bless our community of Christ the King – St. Stephen! To those of you who are graduating this year, hearty congratulations. To our 8th graders, I am so proud of you. Congratulations on graduating! Your hard work, determination, and perseverance have paid off.

Fr. Paulson

The Feast of Pentecost!



Join us this weekend, May 27 & 28

at all masses and you are invited to wear red!

The color red symbolizes joy

and the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost is the feast day when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian Church, and the start of the Church's mission to the world.

Monday, May 29 - Memorial Day

Our Parish Offices both at Christ the King and St. Stephen will be closed on Monday, May 29th in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday.

Thank you to all of you who attended our Town Hall Meeting last night. We had a wonderful discussion on ways our community can support our neighbors in need going forward. We will keep you updated on our progress regarding St. Vincent de Paul.

Religious Education Grades K-6

Registration Now OPEN

School Year 2023-2024

Be sure to sign-in to REALM as a PARENT then register your child(ren) for Religious Education.

Families new to Christ the King - St. Stephen Religious Education must create a REALM account FIRST. Click on the Create a REALM account button below.



Click on the link below to be taken to the registration page. All information about days and times of classes can be found on the registration page.

Register for R.E.

Create a REALM Account

The International Rosary that was scheduled for

Thursday, May 25th is cancelled.

We will try and reschedule it for the fall.

Thank you for your understanding.

End of Life Decisions Teaching

Tuesday, May 30^th at 7:00pm

New Location: St. Stephen Parish Hall

Everyone involved in a patient’s care should understand how a person’s history and cultural and religious background may influence expectations, needs, and choices at the end of life. The natural law and the Fifth Commandment require that all ordinary means be used to preserve life, such as food, water, exercise, and medical care.

The following will be addressed at this meeting:

• Catholic Teaching on End-of-Life decisions – Fr. Paulson
• Preparing an Advanced Medical Directive with Forms supplied – Dr. Terry Heywood
• Preparing for one’s funeral – Forms supplied – Sr. Dominic
• How to go about taking care of your loved one, after he/she dies – Donna Bradshaw

“For Such a Time as This"

Monday, June 26th, at 7pm

CTK Parish Hall

Speaker: Kathy Roberts

“Who knows that you have been called…

for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

This verse resonates from ancient days into our own time. There have always been challenging “times,” and it helps to know that the Bible gives us both insight and practical advice as we face them.

Come for an evening of sharing some ways that we

can count on God’s Word to give us hope in trying times!

Parish Festival at Christ the King

Friday, June 2nd - 5pm to 9pm

and Saturday, June 3rd - 2pm to 9pm

Our theme will be "Let's Rock n' Roll CTK"

and it is sure to be a 'Rockin' good time! 

Games, Food, Entertainment, Family Fun!

Raising money for our ministries and our school!

CTKFestival.org

Visit our Facebook Page at Christ the King Festival

for our entertainment line-up and food vendors!

Donations Needed:

Starbooks: books in good condition (no textbooks), CDs, and DVDs (no VHS) can be placed in the designated bin in front of the school by May 31^st. We also need copy paper/office storage boxes with lids for book storage. Contact Suellen Noland at [email protected] with questions.

Wine: for the wine toss can be dropped off in front of Room C after weekend masses or at the school office during the week by May 30th.

Kid- focused prizes for gift baskets: contact Madeira Fountaine at [email protected] for more information.

Baked Goods (Nut Free) for Cake Walk: Contact Jacqueline Hanley   [email protected] for more information.

Sponsorships: Contact Stacy York at [email protected]

Volunteers Needed:

Starbooks: help sort books before Festival. Contact Suellen Noland at [email protected] to volunteer.

Game booths, ticket sales, set up, clean up: signup.com/go/rfDzScz

Pre-Orders:

Pre-order wristbands and wine tickets at a reduced rate and game tickets and KOC’s Ball Tip Combo Meal on our website: ctkfestival.org. Pre-order discount ends May 27th . NO CASH will be accepted at Festival for wristbands or tickets. Skip the line and pre-order! Food vendors will accept cash.

Abel Chevrolet Win a Vehicle Raffle Tickets: buy raffle tickets for your chance to be one of up to 3 winners to Toss a Nerf Football and Win a Vehicle! $25 per Ticket or 5 for $100. Buy tickets at CTKfestival.org or at Festival. Drawing held Sat, June 3 at 7:30pm. Must be 18 or older. Must be present to win. More details at the

Truck Booth.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

This was our second weekend celebrating First Eucharist, we want to congratulate our First Communicants who celebrated their First Holy Communion on Saturday. We are grateful to Deacon John Ashmore, Julie Ashmore, Rosa Panelli, and the catechists who together worked to prepare them for this very special day on their journey of faith.

Congratulations to Luke Hanley on his Eagle Scout Award.

The Feast of Pentecost

Welcome to our weekly reflections on

the Sunday Scriptures.



This passage from John’s gospel transports us back 50 days to Jesus’ first post Resurrection manifestation. Jesus bypassed their defenses and stood among his once bold but now terrified disciples. Read More

The June 2023 Issue of the Catholic Voice is now is online.

• Important information on chapter 11 filing can be found here.

To donate a one-time/on-line donation.

Or regular and/or second collections.

Readings for Sunday Mass Here

Links to our services (live or archived) can be found at ctkph.org

or by clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.

Ongoing Services

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Private Confessions every Saturday from 3pm to 3:30pm at CTK and 4:30pm at St. Stephen.

Drive-Thru Holy Communion - Every Sunday 11:30am to 12 noon, in front of the church at CTK and by request at St. Stephen.

CTK Thursday Mass - 6pm - Honoring our Mother of Perpetual Help, Rosary begins at 5:40pm, in the church. Worship Aide Here (Also livestreamed).

St. Bede (672–735 A.D.), also known as the Venerable Bede, was born to a wealthy family in England. At the age of seven he was sent to the Benedictine monastery to be educated by the monks. He discerned a vocation to the monastic life, and devoted himself to prayer and to the study of Sacred Scripture and Church history. After being ordained at the age of thirty, he went on to become a prolific writer and teacher. He was considered to be a genius and was widely famous for his theological works and knowledge of ecclesiastical history. He was also well-versed in all the natural sciences known in his day, making him an extraordinary scholar whose influence spread throughout Europe for centuries. During his life he was also considered to be a saint, and his writings were so filled with heavenly wisdom that a Church council ordered them to be read publicly in the churches. Bede was given the name Venerable not long after his death, and centuries later was named a Doctor of the Church. St. Bede's feast day is celebrated on May 25th.