Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
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Parish Newsletter
March 10, 2021
Staying Connected
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A Letter from our Pastor ~ Fr. Paulson
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Dear Friends,
It has been so edifying for me to follow the visit of Pope Francis to Iraq. The Pope urged Iraqi Christians not to lose hope and not to seek vengeance over their suffering during the brutal Islamic State regime. Beginning March 7 Pope Francis made a pair of poignant and dramatic visits to churches that were desecrated and destroyed by the terrorist militant group. Standing amid piles of the sand-colored brick rubble of four churches in a square in Mosul, under ISIS control from 2014 to 2017, the pontiff lamented the "tragic consequences of war and hostility," but said the desire for peace "can never be silenced by the blood spilled by those who pervert the name of God." "Now is the time to rebuild and to start afresh," said the pontiff, promising: "You are not alone! The entire church is close to you." In response to many Christians who spoke to him about their harrowing experience of pain and death, he said, “What is needed is the ability to forgive, but also the courage not to give up." We need to hear these words often, so that like Christ we too can give witness to the world what love truly means.
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Feast of St. Joseph: All his life, Pope Francis had a great devotion to St Joseph. One of his first decisions as Pope was to include a reference to St Joseph, Mary's Chaste Spouse, in all Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass. He concludes his Apostolic Letter by encouraging all of us to pray to St Joseph together: “Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted His only Son, in you Mary placed her trust, with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too show yourself a father, and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. AMEN.”
We will be having 4 Novena Masses starting next Monday, March 15 through Thursday, March 18 at 7.00pm. Masses at CTK will be indoors. At St. Stephen there will be one Mass (indoors) on Thursday March 18 at 7.00pm. Masses will include special prayers i.e., Litany to St. Joseph, prayers for the Pope's intentions and other Novena prayers. In order to obtain special graces and indulgences promised for this special year, these acts must be accompanied by sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the pope’s intentions (the usual conditions to obtain any plenary indulgence). In order to assist you in this quest for grace and freedom from temporal punishment due to sin, we priests will offer you the sacrament of reconciliation from 6.30pm to 7.00pm under the tent before mass. Confessions at St. Stephen will be before mass on Thursday March 18. We invite everyone to the special Solemn Mass of St. Joseph on Friday March 19 at 6.00pm at CTK (outdoors) and 7.00pm St. Stephen (indoors). I am grateful to ICF and Filipino society for stepping up to assist with the celebrations.
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500 years of Christianity in the Philippines: Catholicism in the Philippines is believed to have arrived in 1521 when renowned Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan first set foot in what is now Cebu province. Pope Francis has granted a jubilee year with the inherent plenary indulgence for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. Our Filipino community will celebrate this special occasion on the Solemnity of St. Joseph. On behalf of our communities, I would like to wish our sisters and brothers from the Philippines special blessings and graces.
Moving Sunday 4pm Mass to outdoors through Easter Sunday. Many of you have asked us to continue celebrating the evening mass outdoors as the weather is good.
We will move more masses indoors after Easter.
Fr. Paulson
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Lenten Reconciliation Service |
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Parish Reconciliation Service
Tuesday, March 16 at 6pm In Person/Church
(Also Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube)
Service followed by Individual Confessions that evening
Individual Confessions
Saturday, March 20 at 3pm/Outdoors
St. Stephen—Saturday, March 20 at 10:00am
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Novena Masses in Honor of St. Joseph |
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In preparation of the
Feast of St. Joseph
we will have Novena Masses
Monday - Thursday, March 15-18
at 7pm in the church
St. Stephen - Thursday, March 18 - 7pm/Indoors
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Join us Friday, March 19th
6pm Mass - Outdoors
as we celebrate
The Feast of St. Joseph
(Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube)
St. Stephen Church - 7pm Mass/Indoors
At this mass we will also celebrate the 500 year anniversary of
Christianity in the the Philippines.
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Novena to St. Joseph via Zoom |
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9 Day Novena beginning March 10
March 19 is the feast day of St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Workers and Patron of the Universal Church in Roman Catholicism. Please join members of the Filipino Society of Christ the King and Our Lord of Pardon Prayer Group for a nine-day zoom novena in his honor to be held from Wednesday, March 10, through Thursday, March 18 beginning at 7 pm. May each of us honor and cherish the example of St. Joseph, trusting in his prayers to help us in the path of salvation. For additional information, contact Efrain Salvosa at 698-6530 or Imelda Santos at 623-7340. Link for the zoom novena is ID: 78102895383, Password: 1993.
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Day Light Savings Time - Spring Forward |
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Don't forget to adjust your clocks this weekend for daylight saving time
The days are getting longer as we inch closer to the official start of spring, but this weekend we'll lose an hour of sleep when we set our clocks forward.
Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 14 at 2am. The change brings back extended daylight during the evening hours.
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Congratulations to the children who received the Sacrament of Baptism.
We welcome you to our Christ the King and St. Stephen Family!
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Parents: Michelle & Omar
Baby: Shea Annabelle
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Parents: Allisen & Lucas
Baby: Brynn Olivia
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Parents: Katie & Lucas
Child: Hailey
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Parents: Catherine & Ernesto
Baby: Jeremiah Ness
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Fr. Timoney Receives his Second Vaccination |
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Fr. Timoney received his second Covid-19 vaccination shot last week.
Pictured is Fr. Timoney with Fr. Lee and Fr. Paulson just after his final shot - celebrating this milestone.
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Come join us for our
Thursday - Lenten Reflection
Speaker Series
Thursday, March 11th
6:30pm in the church
You can watch in person or on-line.
This week's speakers: Emily Kent and Jennifer Orteaga
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St. Stephen Church
Stations of the Cross/Outdoors
All are welcome!!
Prayed privately on church grounds
at 1101 Keaveny Ct., Walnut Creek
Mondays & Wednesdays 12pm to 2pm
Fridays 12pm to 6pm
Follow a guided audio experience
on your smart phone or tablet in
English or Spanish at
Stations of the Cross led by one of our clergy
Join us at 1pm every Friday outdoors at St. Stephen Church.
All are Welcome!
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Lenten Study Series
via Zoom
It's not too late to join us for Part 2 of our weekly Lenten Study Series. For more information and to sign up click Here
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Weekly Reflections on Sunday Readings |
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Fourth Sunday of Lent
Welcome to our weekly reflections on
the Sunday Scriptures.
John’s Gospel unfolds in a different manner than the other three. Jesus’ activity in Galilee occupied a major part of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Read More
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Pope Francis concludes his
Apostolic Journey to Iraq
It was a visit that took him to six cities
and historical sites.
He comforted the people, especially Catholics and Christians, harshly tried by sectarian violence and terrorism, and appealed for tolerance, fraternity, hope and peace.
Read more at the Vatican News web portal: Here
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Formed.org - Pick of the Week |
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The Catholic Faith
On Demand
Get thousands of movies, programs, audio and books instantly.
Our parish has a FORMED subscription.
Follow the steps. Search for
Christ the King/St. Stephen
Registration is Free!
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No Reservations or Sign Ups Required
Mass will take place on our lawn area
(Our Large Tent is also available to sit under)
Please note some masses are now celebrated in the church
Mass will take place rain or shine!
Bring your own chairs
Face Masks are required
Or continue to stay in the comfort of your car - tune into FM 106.7
Or watch from your smart phone/tablet
Wifi ID: CTK Streaming Password: outdoor1
Only the 4pm Saturday Mass and the 9am Sunday Mass will be livestreamed both on Facebook and YouTube
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Weekday Mass
9am - Monday-Friday Indoors/Church (New)
(Masses will still be livestreamed)
6pm - Thursdays - Indoors/Church (New)
Weekend Masses:
Saturday:
9am - Indoors/Church (New)
4pm - Remains Outdoors
Sunday:
7:30am - Indoors/Church (New)
9 am,10:30am, 12noon (Spanish) - Remains Outdoors
4pm - Back outdoors (New)
Song Sheet for March 13/14 Masses Here
Spanish Mass Worship Aide/Guía de Adoración Here
Readings for Sunday Mass Here
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Drive-Thru Holy Communion
Every Sunday
11:30am to 12 noon
In front of the church
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9am - Daily Mass
Monday - Saturday
In Person/Church
Mass will continue to be Livestremed
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Thursdays, 6pm - Indoor Mass
Honoring Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Mass will not be livestreamed
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5:40pm - Holy Rosary
Mondays, Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Fridays
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Sacrament of Reconciliation
Private Confessions will continue every Saturday from
3pm to 3:30pm.
Please meet in front of the church.
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St. Stephen Church - Outdoor Mass |
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St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek 94597
Sunday - Mass at 9:30am - Outdoors
First Saturday of the month at 4pm - Outdoors
Drive Thru Holy Communion - 10:10am
Masses at St. Stephen are now being live-streamed on the St. Stephen Facebook page. If you are unable to attend with us in person, please join us through Facebook. A link is on our web site: saintstephenparish.org.
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Thank You for Your Continued Financial Support to CTK and St. Stephen Church |
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On-Line Giving: (click button below)
We depend upon your contributions!
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Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Rd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
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Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
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"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference" |
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