St. Stephen, Deacon & Martyr We are a Stewardship Parish Lord Jesus, walk with us in our suffering and transform our lives. 4th Sunday of Lent March 15, 2015 Our Parish Mission Liturgy Schedule A Catholic community of faith striving to witness to the Gospel. Our Baptism and Confirmation calls us to bring Christ’s Love to our families, our work places and our community. Grateful for God’s gifts, we seek to nurture those gifts and to give back to the Lord by sharing our time, talent and material treasure. In all of our parish activities we seek to develop a personal relationship with the Lord who directs our lives and a vision that sees the world with the eyes of Christ and that leads to a commitment to justice. We seek a sense of unity in Christ that leads us to be an open and welcoming people and a sense of joy in being graced by the gifts of God’s Love. Monday—Saturday: 8am Mass of Anticipation: 5pm Sunday: 7am, 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am, 6:15pm; 1pm (Polish) Reconciliation: Saturdays, 8:45-9:30am St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr Catholic Church 17500 South 84th Avenue, Tinley Park, IL 60487 708-342-2400 www.ststephentinley.com Twitter @ststephentinley Our Church Parish Office 17500 South 84th Avenue Tinley Park, IL 60487 Office Hours: 8:30am-8:30pm Mon-Th; 8:30am-7pm Fri; 9am-5pm Sat Office Closed: 12:30-1pm Mon-Fri Office Phone: 708.342.2400 Office Fax: 708.342.1545 Religious Ed. Phone: 708.342.1544 Website: www.ststephentinley.com Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ststephentinley Our School Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School 9300 167th Street Orland Hills, IL 60487 School Phone: 708.403.6525 School Fax: 708.403.8621 Ms. Mary Iannucilli, Principal Our Staff Rev. James Finno, Pastor Rev. Grzegorz Warmuz, Associate Pastor William Engler, Deacon Chuck McFarland, Deacon William Schultz, Deacon Joseph Stalcup, Deacon Pete Van Merkestyn, Deacon Kenneth Zawadzki, Deacon Karen Opyd, Administrative Assistant to Pastor Mary Jeanne Pazin, Director of Religious Education Leslie Krauledis, Assoc. Director of Religious Education Tammy Burns, Admin. Assistant for Religious Education Mark Gorka, Music Minister Karen Dillon and Linda McCauley, Youth Ministers Dave Prete, Maintenance Director Parish Registration Registration of new parishioners is held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays every month after the 10am Mass. New parishioners unable to register at Sunday registration, may register at the parish office on Mondays at 2pm, Tuesdays at 11am, Wednesdays at 8:30am or Thursdays at 6:45pm. Please phone the parish office at 708.342.2400 to make an appointment. We warmly welcome new parishioners and cordially invite you to join us on our life-long journey to the Lord. Sacraments Baptisms are celebrated every Sunday at 3pm in English and 1pm in Polish. Please contact Deacon Ken in the parish office for the necessary preparations at 708-342-2400 ext. 136,. Sacrament of Reconciliation is available on Saturdays, from 8:45—9:30am in the church or by appointment. Funerals can be arranged with the parish office. Marriages St. Stephen Parish welcomes the celebration of the weddings of both registered parishioners and the children of registered parishioners. Information is available from one of the priests or deacons. Pastoral Care of the Sick can be arranged for the sick, elderly and handicapped desiring Communion by calling the parish office. Stewardship: Time, Talent and Treasure Collections For 03-07-2015 Regular $23,395.60 Kids $80.25 Sharing $90.00 CJB $22.00 Monthly Give Central Collection Regular $10,605.00 Sharing $72.00 Building Fund $1.00 Parish Center $285.00 SVDP $93.00 Holy Mother $50.00 Thank you for your continued Stewardship in support of St. Stephen. Please visit our website to find other opportunities for generosity through planned giving by remembering St. Stephen in your will or living trust. In addition to printing the collection, we are printing the Sunday and Holy Day collections from the previous month and for the fiscal year to date as well as budgeted amount needed for us to meet both our expenses and mortgage payments. Mortgage payments are $41,500 per month (interest and principal). The Archdiocese loaned us the money to start our parish and build our facilities on the basis of a commitment to Stewardship by the parish. We thank everyone whose support enables us to do the work of our parish. Last Month Year-to-Date February July 1 -February 28 Actual $ 111,880 $ 983,188 Budget $145,000 $969,100 Bulletin Submission Deadline for Bulletin articles are to be in the parish office noon on Friday for the following week’s bulletin. E-mail: [email protected] From Our Pastor Dear People of St. Stephen, St. Paul, in the second reading today, teaches us about our God “who is rich in mercy,” the God who has such great love for us and brings us life in Christ. Today’s gospel teaches us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Our theme for the 4th Sunday of Lent is “The Lord is rich in mercy.” Cardinal Walter Kasper, a German theologian and church leader, calls mercy “the essence of the Gospel and the key to Christian life.” Mercy is the gift of God’s love and compassion, a gift that invites us to respond in faith. In the Old Testament, in both the story of Abraham and the story of Moses and the Exodus, God reveals himself as a God who calls forth His people and leads them to new life. In the first reading in this weekend’s Mass, God uses the pagan king Cyrus as His instrument in leading the people of Israel back from exile to a renewed life in Jerusalem. God’s mercy and compassion are most fully revealed in Jesus who enters into our human suffering and who, by His Cross and Resurrection, leads us to new life. The renewal called forth from us during the Lenten season is founded on the Lord’s gift of His merciful love and His call to respond to that love. Like every gift of love, the mercy of God calls forth a response from us. Our merciful God calls us to live with justice, to live in the way that reflects the relationships that God desires among His people. The Lenten call to conversion demands that we take seriously the Lord’s call to live His way of love. Yet, in spite of our struggles and failures to live the Lord’s love, the merciful Lord never gives up on us, continually inviting us to accept the give of love and forgiveness that the risen Christ offers. God’s merciful love is a gift – a gift God never tires of offering to us but a gift that demands a response that expresses our commitment to live in the spirit of the Lord’s love. gift of the Lord is always present to us, but needs to be opened in our hearts. There it can transform us. One way the Lord offers this gift is through the sacrament of reconciliation. I invite you to receive the sacrament during Lent; our parish communal celebration of the sacrament will be a week from Tuesday, March 24, at 7:30 PM. As the Scriptures tell us, the Lord is rich in mercy, a merciful love meant to give life to each of us and to give us a sense of our mission as Christians and as a church to bring the Lord’s merciful love to our world. I invite you to open your hearts to the gift of God’s merciful love this Lent. It is the gift of the compassionate God who offers us His strength on our life’s journey. It is a gift from the Lord walks with us in our sufferings. It is the gift of a God who never tires of offering His love to us. What does this gift offer us? First, we are blessed with the gift of being loved and valued, not because of our achievements or success, but simply being loved as the perfect parent loves a child. The Lord’s love reaches out to us especially in our weakness, when we most need it. God’s merciful love also offers us a vision of others, who are also children of the merciful Lord. God’s love reminds us of the dignity of every person. This Fr. Jay May God bless you and your loved ones. Spiritual Life MATTHEW KELLY Living every day with PASSION AND PURPOSE Are you thriving or just surviving? Are you ready for more energy? A deeper sense of purpose? More joy? A clearer understanding of God’s plan for your life? Join us for one of our Passion and Purpose Live events. It’s not your typical church event! It has been a life-changing event for tens of thousands of people. Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose Live is presented by internationally acclaimed speaker and author Matthew Kelly and the incredibly talented musician Eliot Morris. Matthew Kelly’s presentation will be at St. Stephen Church on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at 7pm. Tickets are $39. Make checks payable to “Dynamic Catholic.” All proceeds go to support the work of Dynamic Catholic The Ticket price includes: A Hard copy of The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic (retail value $27.95) A CD copy of The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality (retail value $10) Inspirational Journal (retail Value $5.95) Dynamic Catholic pen (retail value $1.95) Mass Journal (retail Value $10) The parish has no expense other than providing the site for the presentation. Dynamic Catholic designs promotional materials & covers all travel expenses. Tickets are available at the parish office, in the Narthex or from Dynamic Catholic on line at www.DynamicCatholic.com or by phone 859-980-7900. St. Stephen is having Lenten small group faith sharing! Want to have a good Lent this year? Come and follow a simple format for faith sharing during the time your child/children attend religious education. This is open to all members of the parish; you do not have to have children enrolled in religious education in order to be part of the small group faith sharing. All parish adults are invited! Also, if you would like to facilitate a group at one of these times, please contact the parish office at 708-342-2400. Monday, March 23 Tuesday, March 24 Wednesday, March 25 4:30-5:30pm and 6:15-7:15pm These groups will meet in church for one hour. Chairs will be set up on the west side of the church in the St. Jude area. A format with readings and prayers will be provided for all participants and it is FREE, no charge for materials! Scripture Study Please join us as we study and explore Scripture. On March 20 we will begin a wonderful journey through the Gospel of John. We meet on Friday mornings in Room 126 from 8:45 AM until 10 AM. If you have been considering joining Scripture Study, this will be a very good time to do so as we are beginning a new book, and a Gospel at that. We are a very welcoming group, we learn from each other and from our facilitator, and have meaningful, interesting and at times fun discussions. This class is for you whether you are new to Scripture or not. There is no cost and you may bring whatever Bible you have. If you would like more information please contact, Tom Mitus at 708-479-6980, or e-mail: [email protected]. Traditional Washing of the Feet On Holy Thursday, April 2, 2015, at the 7:30pm Mass, we will be having the traditional Washing of the Feet as part of our Service. We invite both adults and children to participate. There is a sign-up sheet on the usher’s table in the back of the Church. Blessing of Easter Baskets On Holy Saturday, April 4, 2015, St. Stephen’s will again have their traditional blessing of the Easter Baskets. There will be two services at 11am and 12 noon. Both services will be bi-lingual . Spiritual Life Lenten Calendar 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday God is rich in mercy. Thank you, Lord for the gift of faith and your offer of eternal life. You continue to love me in spite of my transgressions and continue to save me by your immeasurable grace. March 20 Week 4 March 15 Reflection For the Day To err is human, to forgive is divine. Suggested Activity March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 21 As God is If St. Patrick had The Kingdom Stewardship is Do we ask for merciful to us, not done very St. Joseph did not of God was not more than a word. God's mercy, or do let us be hard work, would question God's will. created for It is an obligation we expect His merciful to we be celebrating Why do we? those of little of all Catholics mercy? others. him today? faith. Reconcile Give a donation to St. Joseph's Day Bring a meal to St. Patrick's with someone an organization Pray to him for someone who Day Patron of who has hurt that helps our departed souls and has been ill. Ireland you. servicemen. special needs. Pray to your guardian angel. Pray for those who are attending Kingdom Weekend. Lenten Regulations Lenten Recipe Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday by all Catholics who are 18 years of age but not yet 59. Those who are bound by this may take only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one’s needs, but eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. The special Paschal fast, as well as abstinence, are prescribed for Good Friday and encouraged for Holy Saturday. French Potato Pie 1 9’ baked pie crust 2 cups cottage cheese ½ cup sour cream 1/3 cup each Parmesan cheese and chopped chives 1 cup mashed potatoes ¼ cup cream cheese 1 tablespoon minced parsley Lenten Intention Cross We invite you to write the suffering that you or others are bearing on a paper Cross available in the narthex - the suffering that each of us wants to pray for during Lent. Please place the cross in the basket marked "“Intentions". The crosses will be brought to the altar and placed on one of the crosses in the sanctuary to remind us that we are not alone in our suffering and are joined with the Lord who suffered for us. Heat oven to 350° Beat all ingredients well and pour into cooked pie crust. Place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese and bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Guide to Catholic Prayer A guide to Catholic Prayer 8-part study will be presented by Fr. Mark Toups at St. George Parish Life Center beginning on Sunday March 15 thru May 17 from 12:45 to 2:15 pm. For a cost of $15. For more information, please contact Janelle Krzmarzick at 708-532-8234 or jkrzmarzick @ stgeorge.org. There will be No meeting on Easter Sunday or Mother’s Day. Spiritual Life The Gift of the Kingdom Kingdom Retreat 2015 The Kingdom Weekend is a spiritually uplifting gift you give to yourself. This is a special time when you get to leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life and renew, recharge and strengthen your relationship with our Lord. People just like you will share their faith journeys with the group in an intimate setting. During the weekend you will enjoy fellowship, personal reflection time, prayer services, faith sharing and Mass. There is no pressure on any of the participants to speak. You can share as little or as much as you want during the weekend. Many past participants have come out of the weekend saying that it was life-changing for them. Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 One of our current team members, Joe Hoffman says, “Need a change? Twenty years ago, my wife Joan came back from a Kingdom Weekend beaming from ear to ear. Curiosity got to me! The following year, I attended the Kingdom Weekend and my life has never been the same since. Do you need a change of some kind? Join us on Saturday, March 21 & Sunday, March 22 and experience your change. Looking forward to seeing you in the Kingdom! My personal story is that I kept putting off going to Kingdom each year because I thought I was always too busy to give up an entire weekend. And was I ever wrong! In 2012, at the last minute, I decided it was time to attend. And that was one of the best decisions of my life. I actually think it was the Holy Spirit who nudged me to make the decision. I was definitely spiritually renewed, exhilarated and reawakened to Christ in my life. Another benefit was the wonderful people I met who are dear friends to this day. I want to personally invite each of you to make this the year you experience that “Kingdom Spirit.” (Barbara Black- Kingdom Weekend Lay Leader ) The Kingdom Retreat is a great way for the adults of our community to renew and strengthen their relationship with God. It also allows you to reflect on your life priorities. You can get to know some fellow St. Stephen members. This retreat gives you time to pray, worship and participate in group activities. The registration fee is $10. There is no set cost for the retreat, but a free-will donation will be asked at the end of the retreat. There are sign up forms in the narthex and in the parish office. Please return the sign up form to the parish office and mark your envelope “Kingdom Retreat”. Over the years the Kingdom Retreat has been a renewing weekend for many parishioners of all ages. It is a special time to reflect, pray and spend time with the Lord. If you have any questions about the Kingdom retreat, please call Fr. Jay or Karen Opyd in the parish office. You arrive at 7:45am on Saturday; the retreat ends mid-afternoon on Sunday. This is not an overnight retreat. Everyone goes home Saturday evening and returns on Sunday morning at 7:30am. Mass is celebrated on Sunday at 1pm with a family dinner following. Kingdom Support Help Needed 2015 Kingdom is quickly approaching and we are in need of a few good hands to help with the support! If you have attended a kingdom retreat, this is a perfect "giveback/stewardship" opportunity with very little effort. There is need for 5 or so helpers per time slot. Please let the office know if you wish to help with support and which time/day. Time slots for helping: Saturday, March 21 7:00am to 10:00am Noon to 4:00 pm 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm Sunday, March 22 7:00 am to 11:00 am 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Praise Band The Praise Band will lead the music at the 11:30 Mass next Sunday, March 22. If you are looking for something "extra" to do during Lent -- we can use your help! Please reply favorably with a time slot! You may call the office with your requested volunteer time, contact number and email address. Parish Life St. Joseph Dinner JOIN THE TEAM OF USHERS We wish to thank the following ministries, businesses and families for their sponsorship of our St. Joseph Dinner event. The mission of the ushers of St. Stephen Parish is that of hospitality. Our service is to make parishioners and guests feel welcome and comfortable as we gather for our Eucharistic celebration. Our ushers are able to see the presence of Christ in each person as they arrive. Ushers serve the congregation by assisting during the celebration of the Eucharist on weekends and holydays. They greet people upon arrival at the church and see that they are comfortably seated and tend to any special needs. The ushers collect the offering, assure the orderly movement of worshipers during Communion and distribute the bulletins at the end of the Liturgy. The ministry is open to all parishioners, men, women, senior citizens, parents and teenagers. We have a special need at all masses, especially 11:30am and 6:15pm on Sundays. Ushers can serve every other weekend or on an alternate basis. Ministry Sponsors: Knights of Columbus, Men's Club, PADS Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul, Religious Education, Cardinal Bernardin School, Respect Life Ministry and Teens Growing in Faith. Business Sponsors: Sheehy Funeral Home, Thomas Sonneveld DDS, State Farm Patrick Murphy, McCauley Mechanical Construction, Carol's Travel, Lawn Funeral Home, Insight Family Vision Care, Orland Park Bank, McLean Video Productions, Village of Tinley Park, Heartland Funeral Home, Ted's Greenhouse, Brady Gill Funeral Home, Bettenhausen Dodge Jeep, Trace Ambulance, Animal Wellness Center of Monee, Norman's Cleaners, J O'Brien & E Darling DDS, Rizza Buick Cadillac and Estate Planning Consultants. Family Sponsors: The Allbee Family Fr. Jay Finno Laura Barajas Jane Flanagan Barbara Black Ray & Mary Garbaciak John & Susan Bogumil James & Roberta Grady The Bugos Family Keith & Sharon Grill Bill & Kathy Burke The Hughes Family The Camacho Family John & Ann Lachat Ronald Centanni Dick & Elaine Lindenmeyer Jean Coughlin Mark & Chris Losey The Cullina Family Scott & Lynlee Marhanka John Czerniak & Nancy Sprinkles Ron & Debbie Markham Deacon Chuck & Terese Ron & Sharon Danko McFarland Dave & Eugenie Darling Paul & Beth Mikula Loren & Jackie Davidson The Rafferty Family John & Karen Dillon Rick & Susan Trump Sunday Babysitting At 10am Mass PARENTS: Due to Kingdom Weekend, there will be NO 10am Mass babysitting on March 22nd. 7th Grade Confirmation Candidates: Complete some of your hours early! Signups are now open for Fall dates, starting in September. Please email Pat Mullin at [email protected] with your availability and a confirming email will be sent. If you would like to join our team or have any questions, please contact Rich Frain at 708-532-1696 Ladies Social Club Save the date of March 19, 2015, at 10am, in Rooms 125/126. Ladies come join us for a pleasant hour of coffee and fellowship. Maybe meet a new friend and bring an old friend or two. We will also have blood pressure screenings during this time. Due to February’s cancellation, we will have man’s best friend come and visit us. See the difference between service dogs and therapy dogs. Please consider joining us. Attention All Mass Greeters The Greeter’s schedule for April, May and June will be available on the first week of April in the magazine racks on the west wall of the narthex. For current greeters, if you want to make changes to your schedule please let me know by March 23rd. If you are no longer able to be a greeter please let me know. Finally, we always welcome new members to the Greeter’s Ministry; the only requirement is a great smile and welcoming attitude! Please phone me for complete details. Deacon Joe, 708-342-2400 Parish Life Stewardship Parish Center Metal Re-Cycling “To Teach Who Christ Is” Report The weekend of March 21 & 22 will be our monthly recycling drive. Our winter hours March 21 from 4:30pm to 6:15pm and Sunday March 22nd from 9am to 12:30pm. Our drives are on the third weekend of each month. Please place empty metal cans into sealed plastic garbage bags. The donations can be dropped off by the truck or van located by the garages in the back of the parking lot. An attendant will be available to assist you. Thank you for your generous recycling donations. To date we have collected over $5,710 toward the down payment on the parish center. If your having a party, family gatherings house cleaning, moving or remodeling or just getting rid of things you no longer use, please bring them to our collection. If you have items that are too large to bring (i.e. washing machines, dryers, stoves, etc.), please contact: Andy Deluca (708-606-3755) or Bill Beavan at (708-403-2073) to arrange for pickup. Progress on the Archdiocesan “To Teach Who Christ Is” drive as of February 28, 2015 is as follows: Parish Center Paper Re-Cycling We were just notified by the Paper Company who handles our re-cycling that they will no longer be giving us a rebate for the paper collected at our parish. This monthly rebate was going to our Teen Program. We will no longer be collecting papers here at St. Stephen. Please re-cycle your papers at home so that it benefits your community. Thank you for all your years of bringing paper to the re-cycle bins on behalf of the Teens at St. Stephen! Marriage BANNS III: James O’Connor & Aimee Shalvis Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass The Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass will be held on Sunday, August 30 at 2:45 pm at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 North State Street in Chicago. Couples married in 1965 interested in attending this celebration should contact their parish to register. Please call Karen in the parish office if you wish to attend. Amount Pledged: Amount Collected: $ 795,371 $ 530,341 60% of the funds from the parish remain in the parish and are designated toward saving for a parish center. 40% of the funds go toward the educational mission of the Archdiocese, with the main focus on a scholarship fund for Catholic schools in poorer areas. Additional donations for the Parish Center: $ 73,918 Second Collection for Central and Eastern Europe Archbishop Cupich sent us a letter reminding us of the needs of our brothers and sisters in Central and Eastern Europe. A second collection for the people of Central and Eastern Europe is being taken the weekend of March 14/15 in the Archdiocese of Chicago. As a parish we will no longer have an actual second collection for this need, but as a parish we will send a contribution based on the previous years’ contributions. So we ask you to increase your regular donations which become part of our parish’s donation to Central and Eastern Europe and other eliminated second contributions. Human Concerns Respect Life Ministry “You are called to stand up for life!” -Pope John Paul II St. Stephen’s Respect Life Ministry gathers for prayer and planning on the 3rd Thursday each month in room 125 of the parish office. The Respect Life Ministry focus is upon dignity of life issues. Our goal is to make concerns known, educate our faith community on the particulars, and provide support and assistance for Catholic life concerns through prayer and action. If you have any questions please contact Deacon Bill Schultz at the parish office. Human Concerns Spiritual Adoption Program COUNSELOR AVAILABLE Month Two—Developing Baby Michele L. Nowak, LCPC, is available to provide counseling to individuals and couples right here at St. Stephen parish! Michele is an experienced professional counselor who has worked with all age groups and issues. She is a staff member of The Holbrook Counseling Center of Catholic Charities. Blue Cross / Blue Shield accepted. Those without insurance are eligible for sliding scale fees based on income & number of dependents. Appointments can be made by calling (312) 655-7725. The first session is free for all who are members of St. Stephen. Your Baby is making progress developing all of his/hers external features and internal organs. His./her brain is functioning at 40 days. His/her mother can hear his/her heartbeat now on an Ultrasonic stethoscope. Milk-teeth buds are present at 6 1/2 weeks. And it has been reported that a two month old baby can suck his/her thumb. From this moment, your spiritually adopted baby grows and redefines his/her body. But everything he/she needs to survive once he/she is born is already present by the end of the eight week. Donating to St. Vincent de Paul has become easier through our new ONLINE GIVING. Go to www.ststephentinley.com and click on the ONLINE GIVING logo to the left of the screen to register and make your donation. Thank you from our St. Vincent de Paul Society. Confidentiality and Compassion are cornerstones of our SVdP ministry. Annual Friends of the Poor Benefit. Raffle and event tickets are on sale for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago’s 7th Annual Friends of the Poor® Benefit. The benefit will be held at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace on Sunday, April 19. This year’s lucky raffle winner will drive off in a brand new 2015 Chrysler 200 Limited Sedan! Net proceeds from the raffle and event will be distributed evenly among our SVdP Districts in Cook and Lake counties to grow our impact on those who come to us for help. But first, we desperately need your help in order for us to meet our fundraising goal of $100,000. Please consider buying at least one raffle ticket for $25. You can purchase raffle and event tickets right now at svdpbenefit.org. Youth Education & Formation CJB Spring Gala Fundraiser Come join the party and support your regionally sponsored parish school! Enjoy dinner, dancing, cocktails, basket raffles, auctions & more! CJB Spring 2015 Gala Fundraiser at the Tinley Park Convention Center on Saturday March 21 from 7pm – Midnight. For details contact Jennifer Kibbon at 708-465-7526 or [email protected] or Jenny Czerwonka at 708-224-6822 or [email protected]. Also, be sure to visit our event website www.cjbspringevent.org. Military Corner Please pray for our Military men and women on a daily basis for their safe return. Capt. Anthony J. Cesaro Capt. Michael Gryczka Ssgt. Carl Langley Major Vincent Cesaro Sgt. Joseph Malone PFC Matthew O'Boyle 1st Lt. Michael Chimienti Capt. Christopher Mazurek Tsgt. Stephen Vlaming Lt. Amanda Griffith Sgt. Dominic Messina LCDR Marilyn Walsh Cpl. Evan Grober Tsgt. Laura Langley Major Thomas Walsh Youth Education & Formation Teens Growing In Faith (TGIF) Youth Education and Formation If you are interested in more information about the Youth Ministry, please contact Karen Dillon at: 708-342-2400, ext. 149 or at [email protected]. LOTS OF SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES! Easter Egg Stuffing...Friday, March 20th @ 6:308:00pm in the church office. Please bring a bag or two of candy that will fit in plastic eggs. Church Easter Egg Hunt and Visit with the Easter Bunny - Saturday, March 28 @ 11:30am-2:30pm. World’s Finest Chocolate Candy Sale to Benefit Mission Trip The weekends of March 14/15 and March 20/21 we will be in the Narthex selling World’s Finest Chocolates with proceeds going to our Mission Trip. Cost is either $2 or $4 for various chocolate bars and boxes of mints, caramels, chocolate almonds, and pastel Imperial almonds. Your support is appreciated! Teens & Young Adults (Age 13-21) Wanted Attend Mission Trip 2015 To Harlan, Kentucky 7/5/15 — 7/11/15 We will be working to improve life in a small area of the Appalachian Mountains by renovating homes, new construction, landscaping, and more. Evenings are spent with our group. Interested people should contact Karen Dillon, Youth Minister as soon as possible as spaces are limited to 25. Parish Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by our Teens Donations of small candy needed for parish Easter egg hunt. Candy must fit into plastic eggs (Smarties don't fit). No peanut products please due to allergies. We will also take plastic eggs, but we are in greater need of candy donations. Please turn donations in to parish office by 3/20/15. Thank you for your help! Parish Trip to Feed My Starving Children If you want to do a rewarding project yourself or with your family or group, FMSC is always looking for volunteers. You can just go to their website www.fmsc.org to sign up. We all came back with a greater appreciation for how blessed we are to live in this country and have plenty of food. I think that the kids attending finally understand the true meaning of the phrase “I’m starving”. Polish Ministry Informacje Dotyczące Duszpasterstwa w Parafii Sw. Śzczepana W ciago calego roku Msza Św. w niedziele w języku polskim jest o godz. 1PM -Pierwszy piątek miesiąca: Spowiedz of 7-8pm Msza o 8pm -Pierwsza sobota miesiąca: od godz. 7pm-9:30pm -Spowiedz w kazdą sobote of godz. 8:45-9:30am -Po bliższe imformajce proszę dzwonić do biura parafialnego pod numer 1(708) 342- 2400 wew 137 Jak to jest? „Łaską bowiem jesteście zbawieni przez wiarę.” Czy do naszej świadomości dociera głęboki sens tego zdania? Co zrobić, by je właściwie zrozumieć? Wystarczy zastanowić się nad słowami Jezusa, zgłębić treści Jego nauczania. Jego droga przez 33-letnie życie, droga nauki, wiary, miłości i nadziei, przerodziła się w drogę szykan, złości, pogardy i złorzeczenia przez tych, którym ta nauka nie odpowiadała. Cóż by się stało, gdyby się nie spełniło to, co było zapowiadane od wieków? A jednak stało się i było naprawdę. Zapowiadane od wieków Zbawienie zeszło do nas i z nami zostało, bo tak nas Bóg umiłował. W dzisiejszych czytaniach pojawia się bardzo ważne, a jednocześnie tak trudne dla nas słowo: MIŁOSIERDZIE. Kryje się w każdym tekście dzisiejszej Liturgii Słowa, czy to w słowach skierowanych do żyjących w czasach grubo przed Chrystusem, czy do żyjących w czasach Chrystusa, czy wreszcie do nas, słuchających tego Słowa. Miłosierdzie – Caritas, czyli czyn, którego nierzadko się wstydzimy, obojętnie, czy dając, czy otrzymując. Dlaczego? Bo dając musimy skierować wzrok na tego, którego nie chcielibyśmy widzieć i zauważać, zaś otrzymując, nie mamy pomysłu na rewanż i czujemy się upokorzeni. Ale w tym wypadku nie powinniśmy mieć takich odczuć, bo przecież jakże można się wstydzić Tego, który jest samym Miłosierdziem? Sam Bóg niejednokrotnie nazywa się Miłosierdziem. Widząc co czynią mieszkańcy Judy, „Pan, Bóg ich ojców, bez wytchnienia wysyłał do nich swoich posłańców, albowiem litował się nad swym ludem i nad swym mieszkaniem.” (2 Krn 36, 15), a tym samym dawał im Nadzieję i okazywał Miłosierdzie. Aby zrozumieć i przyjąć dary dawane nam przez Boga, powinniśmy pamiętać, Komu to zawdzięczamy. Kto dla nas poświęcił się, dając Samego Siebie, abyśmy mogli cieszyć się ze swego życia, nie tylko tego dzisiejszego w poczekalni ziemskiej, lecz również z życia przyszłego – wiecznego: „Łaską bowiem jesteście zbawieni przez wiarę. A to pochodzi nie od was, lecz jest darem Boga.” (Ef 2, 8). Ten dar Boży ciągle jest dla nas dostępny, ciągle jest nam oferowany, my tylko musimy przyjąć go i w nim podążać drogą wskazaną przez Pana. Pamiętajmy, że Bóg nam wskazuje drogę i prawdę, tę jedyną prawdę, a „kto spełnia wymagania prawdy, zbliża się do światła, aby się okazało, że jego uczynki są dokonane w Bogu” (J 3, 21). Chciałbym móc powiedzieć, że spełniam wymagania prawdy, ale kto z nas może to powiedzieć? Natomiast każdy z nas może uznać to za cel, do którego będzie nieustannie dążył. Panie, pomóż nam dostrzec Twoje Miłosierdzie i pomóż nam okazywać innym nasze miłosierdzie, abyśmy z łaską Ducha Świętego umieli zrozumieć, jak mamy kroczyć drogą Chrystusa. Youth Education & Formation “Souper Bowl” for the Hungry Thank you to all parishioners and religious education students & families that donated towards the Teen Group’s “Souper Bowl” for the Hungry. With your help, we collected $2,472.01 which was donated to the St. Stephen PADS fund which gives meals and shelter to the homeless. We also collected over 1,000 cans of soup which were donated to the Tinley Park Food Pantry and the St. Lawrence O’Toole Food Pantry. Easter Egg Hunt & Visit With The Easter Bunny St. Stephen Teen Group Presents: Easter Egg Hunt & Visit With The Easter Bunny on Saturday, March 28th. Weather permitting, the eggs will be located on the west lawn of the church with the Egg Hunt starting at 1pm sharp. In case of inclement weather, the eggs will be in the Religious Education hallways. The Easter Bunny will be available immediately after the Hunt for visits and pictures until 2:15pm. Be sure to bring your own camera. Parish Calendar Sun 03-15 Mon 03-16 Tues 03-17 Wed 03-18 Thurs 03-19 Fri 03-20 Sat 03-21 Sun 03-22 Baby Nursing #153 | Narthex...Matt Kelly Tickets Narthex...TGIF Candy Sale | 8:30 AM St. Patrick's Day Mass Church 10:00 AM 7th Grade Mass Church | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Babysitting #158 10:00 AM Growing with God #162/163/164/165/166/167 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM RCIA #125 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Lamentations (Polish) Church | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Baptism| 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM Living Stations Practice RE 4:15-5:30pm; 6-7:15pm Educ. Wing | RE Confession 4:15pm and 6pm Church 10:00 AM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession | 6:45 PM - 7:45 PM 1st Comm. Prep Day Daily Chapel, #153-156 7 PM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession RE 4:15-5:30pm; 6-7:15pm Educ. Wing | RE Confession 4:15pm and 6pm Church 8:45 AM Stations of the Cross (English) Daily Chapel | 10:00 AM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession 7 PM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession RE 4:15-5:30pm; 6-7:15pm Educ. Wing | RE Confession 4:15pm and 6pm Church 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Moms & Tots #158 | 10:00 AM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession 7 PM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM Adoration of Blessed Sac Daily Chapel with Rosary @ 8:30am 10:00 AM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM St. Stephen Women's Social Club #125/126 | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Children's Choir Church 6:00 PM Bereavement #126 | 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM Benediction Daily Chapel followed by Divine Mercy Prayers 7:00 PM Bread of Life #126 | 7:00 PM Mass (English) Daily Chapel 7:00 PM Respect Life #154 | 7 PM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession| 7:30 PM Rosary Daily Chapel Kingdom Setup Education Wing | 8:45 AM - 10:00 AM Scripture Study #126 10:00 AM Polish Mission Church followed by Confession | 6:00 PM Stations of the Cross (Polish) Outside 6:30 PM Stations of the Cross (English) Church | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM TGIF Easter Eggs #125/126 | 7:30 PM Polish Mission Kingdom Weekend Education Wing: Arrive at 7:45am | Narthex...TGIF Candy Sale 8:30 AM Bldg the Kingdom Scripture Reflection cannot meet this weekend | 8:45 AM Bread of Life Daily Chapel 4:30 PM - 6:15 PM Can Do Metal Collection Parking Lot Kingdom Weekend Education Wing: Arrive at 7:30am | Narthex...TGIF Candy Sale | 11:00 AM Parish Reg #125 NO Babysitting this Sunday - Kingdom Retreat | 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM Can Collection Parking Lot 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM RCIA #125 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Lamentations (Polish) Church 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Baptism | 4:00 PM Living Stations Practice Church, Sacristy, 125/126 Minister’s Schedule Date 3/22 Ministry Lector Sat 05:00 PM Sun 07:00 AM Klein,Bill Dressel,Allan Brancato,Lisa Beaudin,Greg Dressel,Judy Eucharistic Grady,Jim Grady,Roberta Belling,Robert Ministers Czerwinski,John Lucas,June Czerwinski,Joanne Reidy,Elizabeth Vallejo,Ruben Rice,Connie Vallejo,Judi Rice,Edward Genardo,Patricia Erzinger,Ruth Franckowiak,Pam Connolly,Bill Witry,Bernard Bibzak,Ray Bibzak,Joyce Smith,Patrick Keating,Patrick Gatto, Mike Altar Wilmot,Keri Servers Lewandowski,Jackson Fr Jay Fr Jay Celebrant Dcn Joe Dcn Joe Deacons Julie Compton Greeters Bill Compton Dave Newquist Shirley Newquist Sun 08:30 AM Page,Bob Yore,Dianna Miguel,Ihidia Brouch,John Biedron,Janet Biedron,Greg Gorcowski,Kimberly Deanching,Minerva Farley,Bill Farley,Kay Dometita,Levie Hill,Rosemary Hildebrandt,Walter Crane,Sally Barth,Charlie Griffith,Maddie Masiliunas,John Fr Greg Dcn Bill E. Barb Ridge Bob Ridge Jeanne Upreti Mary Berger Sun 10:00 AM Sun 11:30 AM Bugos,Kevin Goeppner,Mike Tangney-Dillon,Lisa Pursel,Jack Piatchek,Kay Kolloway,Rita Piatchek,Rich Romano,Rose Feyerer,Barbara Bialas,Mary Feyerer,Edward Rutkowski,Kathy Dobersztyn,Joe Barnes,Geraldine Mikula,Beth Brady,Bette Rowe,Lawrence Brady,William Trump,Rick Robison,Anne Orawiec,Claire Lachat,John Brennan,Joyce Hughes,James Wernet,Guy Mangan,Melissa Richerme,Dolores Lachat,Ann Bugos,Kevin Estrada,Alexander LaPapa,Michael Estrada,Yoel Augustyniak,Peter Papa,Natalie Fr Tim Guthridge Fr Tim Guthridge Dcn Bill S. Dcn Bill S. Anna Williams Carol DeJoris Adam Shaal Joan Beck Erin Shaal B.J. Witry Nancy Darche Charlene Mueller Sun 1:00 PM Polish Sierakowski,T. Kita,Barbara Boblak,Andrej Kwiatkowski,S. Sun 3-15 Team #1 Sun 3-22 Team #2 Mass Intentions 3/15 7:00am 8:30am 10:00am 11:30am 1:00pm 6:15pm 3/16 8:00am 3/17 8:00am 3/18 8:00am 3/19 8:00am 7:00pm 3/20 8:00am 3/21 8:00am 5:00pm 3/22 7:00am 8:30am 10:00am 11:30am 1:00pm 6:15pm Sunday For the People Lottie Fornek Robert J. McClellan Lorraine Pudelek Sharon O'Malley Colleen Barkauskas req.by req.by req.by req.by req.by Willaim Rafferty req.by Patricia Pignatiello req.by Za Dusze W. Czyscu Cierpiace Peter Bialecki req.by Gus Murlasits req.by Olympia Nuevaorlanda req.by Monday Purgatorial Society Margaret& James Tobin req.by Tuesday Ed Walsh req.by Joseph Witkowski req.by Wednesday Julia Wegner req.by Thanksgiving for the Sumera Family Thursday Salvatore Lamargo req.by Peter Kiec & Joseph Gembala req.by Pray for Our Sick Albert Agresti Kristen Baldyga Noreen Galvin Julie Barth The Healy Family Arlene Beavan The Family Sue Bogumel The Family Augustina Braccolino Karen Opyd Frank Braccolino The Family Kathie Brosius Joyce Fies Tammy Burns Ed Burns Annette & Therese Matt Creen Jim & Christine Nowlan John Czerniak Bernardo & Rosita Uy Ken Delorto Janice Dorff Joe Dorff Anna Plecki John Drahos Cardinal George The Family Caroline Grady Mike & Pat Supergan Fran Grousnick Joe Hoffman Ted Wegner Sylvia Koch And for all for whom our parish is asked to pray The Family Dore Lottie Fornek req.by Aldona Brazis req.by Friday Eric Panfil req.by Joseph W. Brasky req.by Teresa Fernandez req.by Saturday Delphine Dermody req.by Lottie Fornek req.by Patricia Kordas req.by Alfonzo DeNovellis req.by Jim Dwyer req.by Christopher Maples req.by Don Daley req.by Sunday For the People req.by John E. Lisicich req.by Joseph Stalcup, Jr. Thanksgiving for the Deanching Family Eleanor Fike req.by Ed Mulhall req.by For an End to Abortion req.by Grace Gary req.by Za Dusze W. Czyscu Cierpiace Joan Fernandez Eleanor Zapolis Jan & Stanistawa Kmiecik Edith C. Graziano Raymond Norbot The Family The Graziano Family The Family req.by req.by req.by Lillian Kurzawski Debra Lanz Mary Leststarczyk Ed Owen Nathan Parry Carmen Pignatiello Anna Plecki Marek Rudzki Betty Ruzich Terry Ryan Mary Lou Schoettler Nicole Siedschlag Rachel Swallow Joseph Tierney Alex Udaykee Jane Van Duch MaryBeth Vasquez Paul Wagner Linda Wasag Kelly Weiss Terrie Lloyd Dolores Michalski Gayle Kick To help keep the list of names read at Mass and placed in the bulletin accurate and current, we will keep the name of a non-parishioner who is an immediate family member of our parishioner on the list at Mass for two weeks and in the bulletin for two weeks. For a parishioner, we will keep the name on the list at Mass for four weeks and in the bulletin for 60 days. We ask that an immediate family member call after 4 weeks if you wish to have the name continued to be read at Mass. Pray for Our Deceased The Maddix Family Eleanor Pechota The Family The Family Marilyn Dwyer Barbara Bara Bern Daley & Family The Family Dcn Joe & Linda Stalcup Barb O'Connell Barb Ahrens Tom & Tina Mahor Albina Carranza Bob Kerwin Ray Markham Marjorie Rick Flora Spagnolo Weekly Readings Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23/Eph 2:4-10 Is 65:17-21/Jn 4:43-54 Ez 47:1-9, 12/Jn 5:1-16 Is 49:8-15/Jn 5:17-30 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16/Rom 4:13, Wis 2:1a, 12-22/Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 Jer 11:18-20/Jn 7:40-53 Welcome to Our Newly Baptized Norah Rose Lockhart Erin Deborah Radnoti Gavin Matthew Thomas Calvin John Welsh E a r n $$$$ f o r St . St ep h e n’ s P ari s h! nd th Have lunch or dinner at Gatto's on the 2 or 4 Wednesday of the month and help in raising funds for St. Stephen’s parish. The parish will receive 15% of the before tax cost of your meal. Please present this coupon to your server or ask your server to write St. Stephen's Men's Club on your bill. This applies to Dine-in or Carryout!! Dine-In or Carryout St. Stephen’s Men’s Club 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the month 15% Donation (before Tax) Present this coupon to your server Nancy’s Pizza and St. Stephen Pizza Coupon Nancy’s Pizza at 171st Street and 80th Avenue (in the Family Dollar Plaza) is making an offer to St. Stephen Parishioners. On any Monday through Wednesday, present this coupon and 20% of the pre-tax amount (10% if a discount coupon is used) will be donated to the St. Stephen Parish Center Fund. You can enjoy a pizza and support our parish. Nancy’s Pizza’s number is 708-614-6100. 20% of the pre-tax amount (10% if a discount coupon is used) to be donated to the St. Stephen Parish Center Fund. Coupon good on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays! Villa Rosa Pizza and Catering Tony’s Villa Rosa Pizza & Catering at 7717 St. Francis Road is making an offer to St. Stephen Parishioners. Present this coupon and 15% of the pre-tax amount (on pick-up or delivery) of pizzas and catering, will be donated to the St. Stephen Parish Center Fund. You can enjoy delicious Italian food and support our parish at the same time. Tony’s Villa Rosa Pizza & Catering’s number is 815-464-6700 or you can go to their website at www.villarosacatering.com. They will deliver up to 159th Street. Tony’s Villa Rosa Pizza & Catering and St. Stephen Coupon 15% of the pre-tax amount (on pick-up or delivery) of pizzas and catering will be donated to the St. Stephen Parish Center
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