All women of the parish are encouraged to come join the SSCCW, St. Stephen Council of
Catholic Women ministry. Women in SSCCW work through Spirituality, Service and
Leadership to provide programs that respond with Gospel values to the needs of the
Church and society in the modern world. Membership is $20 annually.

This year our theme is: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if serving the Lord” (Ephesians 6:7).

Our first meeting of the year will be on Thursday, September 12, from 7:00pm – 8:30pm in EC-1. The topic will be “Mary and Martha, Sisters Serving”. You do not have to be a member to attend any of our meetings, however we pray you will. Please visit us at the table out in the courtyard for more information and to sign up.

Council of Catholic Women also presents: “Visions of Mary” by Toya Martin.

Two Presentations in one!
The first part focuses on Mary, the Mother of Jesus, providing personal information about
her life. The second part highlights various instances where Mary has appeared to the
people of the world.

Saturday, September 28
Tickets are $5 (Cash or check only)
From 9:00am – 11:30am, a light breakfast will be served.
Tickets will be on sale in the courtyard after Mass on:
Aug. 24/25, 31, & Sept. 7/8, 14/15 21/22

Tickets also on sale at Eventbrite.com (Search: Visions of Mary)

Please read the letter from our pastor Fr. George Nursey on the relocation of the cross in the church.

We are starting up a new feature to be included regularly in our bulletins called “Ask Father George!” Parishioners are invited to ask Fr. George Nursey any questions about the Catholic faith—pastoral, theological, spiritual. We will publish Fr. George’s answers in the bulletin.

The Search from FORMED is a video-based journey that tackles the key questions of every human heart. In seven beautifully filmed episodes, Chris Stefanick and experts from the fields of science, medicine, psychology, art, and religion examine our place in the larger story of existence. Watch the trailer here.

Parishioners can access the entire seven-part series on FORMED for free on www.formed.org.

Inquiry meetings are in EC-1 Room 107 from 5:00 – 6:15 pm. If you are interested or have any questions/concerns, please contact Vera Howard at VeraH@St-Stephen.com.

Wednesday July 10:               Episode 1—What Do You Seek?

Wednesday July 17:               Episode 2—Who Are You?

Wednesday July 24:               Episode 3—Why a God?

Wednesday July 31: Episode 4—What’s Our Story?

Wednesday August 7:            Episode 5—Who Is Jesus?

Wednesday August 14:          Episode 6—Am I Saved?

Wednesday August 21:          Episode 7—Why a Church?

A proposed amendment to our state constitution that seeks to legalize abortion through the third trimester will appear on the November 2024 ballot. While Catholic opposition to abortion is well known, even our friends and neighbors who would tolerate abortion to some degree are finding the proposed amendment too extreme and even deceptive. Additionally, Amendment 4 is being heavily bankrolled by out-of-state special interest groups. Please read below and take some time to learn what the Amendment really proposes, so you can make a well-informed decision at the voting booths this November.

At our Town Hall meeting in March, we discussed the critical fixes and rejuvenation project that need to be done on the church building. As the project begins in mid-April, we will be keeping parishioners aware on the latest work and costs. Check our “Church Restoration Project” page (under the main menu tab “Our Parish”) on our parish website for new updates.

The St. Stephen Knights of Columbus want to thank everyone involved with the Scholarship Fundraiser. The generosity of our parishioners is truly humbling, and the level of volunteering is amazing. Thanks to the 125 guests who attended the Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. Dinner. The can-can dancers were a big hit! Thanks to Dominick’s Italian Restaurant and the Kitchen Ministry for all their help as well. Another thank you goes out to all who offered cash donations for the fundraiser.

We are able to award 2 scholarships of $1,250.00 each for one young lady and one young man who are recently graduated high school seniors. The form needed to qualify can be found in the church Narthex starting this weekend. The cutoff date is July 31, 2024. You can mail in the form to St. Stephen, care of KofC, or drop it off at the parish office during business hours.

Come to St. Stephen in EC-1 on Thursday, August 1st, from 7-9 PM for an evening of music, art, and coffee. Bring your musical talents, performance art, and visual art to showcase for our parish community. All ages and abilities are welcome! (Pianos will be available) You are also welcome to simply view our parishioners’ art and hear their performances. Join us in supporting our parish artists!

For more information, please contact Phillip Revekant at phillipr@st-stephen.com.

“An extremely grave amendment has been placed on the November 2024 ballot that seeks to erase pro-life protections by inserting language into the Florida Constitution banning regulation of abortion. The amendment would allow late-term abortion, including when the baby is capable of feeling pain, and would eliminate laws requiring parental consent and safety protocols for women. The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is working hard to oppose this dangerous and deception amendment and urges all Floridians to vote ‘no’ on Amendment 4.” (https://flaccb.org/abortion-amendment)

On Friday, June 7, our pastor Father George Nursey will consecrate our St. Stephen parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on its feast day. Parishioners are invited to attend the 7:00 AM Mass in the chapel and stay for the prayers of consecration afterward.

When we consecrate something to the Sacred Heart, we place that thing (ourselves, our family, finances, etc.) totally under the loving care of Jesus. We trust that God will remain close to us, and become reminded of this special relationship we have made with consecration.

We invite you to also join in the 9-day novena to the Sacred Heart leading up to the feast day at your homes. For the novena, please pray daily the Act of Consecration linked below, starting on May 30 through June 7.