As we approach Pentecost, we ask the Holy Spirit to fill our lives with God’s good gifts and to renew his love in us. The Pentecost novena, or 9-days of prayer, is one such way we can ask the Lord for renewal and strength. We can spiritually unite ourselves to the time the apostles prayed and waited for the outpouring of the Spirit upon them following the Ascension of Jesus. The Pentecost novena begins on Friday, May 30, and ends on Saturday, June 7.

Use the button below to find the Holy Spirit/Pentecost Novena provided by Hallow. Come, Holy Spirit!

On Thursday, May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the next pontiff of the Catholic Church. Leo XIV was born in Chicago and worked as an Augustinian missionary in Peru. He is the first Pope from North America. We pray that his pastoral leadership will guide our Church and continue to shine the light of the Good News to all.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Lenten Alms collection. The organizations we supported were astounded by your generosity. The Culture of Life Ministry promotes the dignity of each individual from conception to natural death, whatever their situation is in life. Thanks to your support, we donated to organizations serving the disabled (mentally and physically), the elderly, the incarcerated, the homeless and the abused. You are the living embodiment of the Corporal Works of Mercy.

Message from our Bishop John Noonan on the passing of Pope Francis

Join us in our celebration of Holy Week & Easter!

Our Capital Campaign – Honoring our Past, Envisioning our Future – will help to fund the much needed repairs and renovations that we have been doing in our Church Building Envelope Project. Learn more with the link below:

This year, parishioners are invited to bring in their own palms to be distributed and used in the celebration of Palm Sunday, April 12 & 13. Like the residents of Jerusalem who picked palms to welcome Jesus into the city, let’s also collect local palms and join in praising the Messiah on Palm Sunday. We will be collecting palms starting on Saturday, April 5, at the 5pm Mass, through Wednesday, April 9.

Please follow these guidelines for bringing your palms:

1. One family can provide at least one palm stalk.
2. Be sure that the palms are pure green and have no dead spots. We do not want to use browning or yellowing palms!
3. Hose and wipe down the palms beforehand to remove any dirt or bugs. Please check twice for bugs!
4. There will be water containers outside the church March 16-20 for you to drop off your palms.

We are also asking for volunteers to help cut palms on Friday, April 11 at 1:00 PM. Please bring a pair of utility scissors and gloves!

Next year, our parish will celebrate our 40th anniversary! To help commemorate this event, we have selected Universal Church Directories to help us create a pictorial church directory. Everyone is invited to take part in this directory and become a part of our history. If you have been away or are unable to attend these sessions, please contact Jodie Tully at jodiet@st-stephen.com.

Our photography dates will be March 27-29 (booked) and May 29-31. Everyone who is photographed by Universal Church Directories will receive a complimentary 8 x 10 portrait and a directory!

To schedule online:

· Go to the Universal website, www.ucdir.com

· Click on the box to the right labeled “photography appointment scheduling login”.

· Enter our Church Code – FL990

· Enter our Church Password – photos

· If you have 6 or more in your family, please use 2 consecutive time slots.

Appointments fill up quickly, so schedule as soon as possible to secure your preferred date and time.

Opportunities for Prayer

Almsgiving

Our Lenten Alms this year will be coordinated by the new Culture of Life Ministry. We will be supporting a different organization each week, so please check out the bulletin each week for a list of needs specific to their mission. If you prefer to donate financially, you will find almsgiving envelopes on the wooden donation boxes in the Narthex.

The organizations and who they serve are:

• Magnify of Central Florida/Bishop Grady Villas Serving those with disabilities
• Kairos Outside Serving women whose loved ones are in prison
• Senior Intervention Group Serving senior citizens in Seminole County
• Samaritan Resource Center Serving the unhoused in East Orlando
• Safe House of Seminole County Serving victims of domestic violence