From Monday, August 24 through Friday, August 28 the Chapel will be closed for painting. All events normally held in the Chapel will instead occur in the main Church.
Sign up now! SPACE IS LIMITED
SIGN-UP CLOSES AUGUST 26, 2026.
Join us on September 18-20 for the first ever Youth Ministry Retreat. We will be going to St. Leo’s Abbey near Tampa. This year’s theme is “One Body in Christ.” This retreat is for youth ages 14-18.
Sign up Here
St. Leo Abbey Youth Retreat Expectations
- Dress respectfully: Please dress respectfully for the duration of the retreat. We will attend several sessions with the Monks at the Abbey including Mass.
- Abbey Church: Ladies and Gentlemen – No shorts. No T-shirts with phrases or pictures. No tank tops. No short skirts or short dresses. No clothing that exposes the midriff.
- No alcohol or illegal drugs: Possession, consumption, or use will result in immediate dismissal from the Retreat Center.
- Show respect: Treat retreat leaders, volunteers, staff, and fellow participants with courtesy and respect. Look for opportunities to show kindness and appreciation.
- Use respectful language: Cursing, insults, bullying, and demeaning comments have no place at St. Leo Abbey.
- Keep the Abbey clean: Help us care for the Retreat Center by keeping dorms and facilities neat and clean. Our actions help determine whether we can return for future retreats.
- Be responsible for damages: Participants and their families are responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing anything damaged through their actions.
- Dorm food & drinks: Water only is permitted in the dorms.
Thank you for helping us represent St. Stephen Catholic Church with respect, reverence, and pride!
We also are looking for Chaperones for the event.
For more info, contact:
Luis R. Cortes Jr.
lcortes@st-stephen.com
407.699.5683 x251
More Space is Available!
Continue reading “Set Your House in Order Bible Study”
Our new cruets were blessed on August 16th at the 9 am Mass.
Donated by Philip Howell, the handmade crystal set was crafted by St. Jude Shop, Inc. in Poland.
A cruet is a small vessel used in mass to hold the water and wine required for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. During the Holy Sacrifice, the water is added to the wine. The water is Christ’s humanity, and the wine his divinity. Thus, their mingling in the chalice symbolizes Christ’s incarnation. It is also significant because when Christ’s side was pierced during the Passion, a mixture of water and blood poured out.
The Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception was founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 1847. The Congregation has spread to five other countries: Kenya, Ireland, Nigeria and the USA.
Their active mission and ministries are in Kenya and Nigeria, where the sisters work with people living in extreme poverty. The poor living in the sub-regions, where the Franciscan Sisters work, rely solely on the help of the sisters.
While their numbers are small, their impact in the lives of the people they help is large. Please join the Franciscan sisters, through your generous donations in their important work to extend to the poor the same life we share in common mission in Christ Jesus.
Click here to donate.
The next Saint Vincent de Paul membership meeting will be held on Monday, August 24, at 7:00 pm in Room 111. All are welcome.
Our new doors were blessed during the 11 am Mass on Sunday, August 9.
Made of rich mahogany, the new doors feature a prominent Greek Cross, also known as a St. George or Benedictine cross. Unlike a Latin cross—which is longer on the lower arm than the upper, and whose vertical and horizontal arms are of unequal length– the Greek cross is equal-armed, that is, all four arms are of equal length. This evokes many symbolic associations: resurrection/victory, the meeting of heaven and earth, the Four Gospels/Evangelists, the embrace of Christ’s love and salvation, peace, creation/the universe, the four cardinal directions/winds (east, west, north, south), order, balance, fullness, eternal life —to name a few. The Benedictine form usually includes the word Pax, or Peace. Thus, some call it the Peace cross.
St. Stephen Music Ministry is currently welcoming volunteer singers of all voice parts!
No experience is necessary, just an ability to match pitch, and a desire to learn.
Choir rehearsals are Wednesdays at 7 pm, beginning August 19th, but differing options of participation are available to accommodate your schedule.
Prospective instrumentalists should contact Nathan Cicero to discuss whether their instrument and experience level is a good fit.
Contact Nathan Cicero at nathanc@st-stephen.com for more information.
Beginning Wednesday September 2 at 6pm in Room 111 Conference Center.
Join Fr. George for a seven-week examination of Fr. Blake Britton’s Reclaiming Vatican II.
The book is available on Amazon, wordonfire.com, and elsewhere.