Christ the King - St. Stephen Parish

www.ctkph.org

www.saintstephenparish.org

Parish Newsletter

April 26, 2023

Staying Connected

Dear Friends,

During this Easter season, we celebrate not only the resurrection of Jesus Christ but also great liturgies associated with Easter such as First Holy Communions and Confirmations.

Easter and the reception of First Holy Communion brings to mind how the Eucharist and the sacraments need to be the centrality of our faith. The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” With our baptism we become adopted children of God, branches grafted onto the True Vine to become part of Christ’s family. The sacraments especially Holy Communion and Confirmation are part of that sap, the lifeblood, that keeps us alive and connected in our family life in Christ. We are abiding and remaining in Christ through the daily graces of the sacraments.

For children who are preparing to receive their First Holy Communion, this is a big deal. And for all of us, no matter how many times we have received Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, it should always be a big deal. Father Roger Landry of the Diocese of Fall River in New England says, “What makes one's first Communion a truly blessed event is not the adjective but the substantive: not the 'first' but the 'communion.' Because of whom we receive, the second, third, next, and last Communion should always be as special." I want families to put the focus on Communion, and everything else we do to underscore the significance of Jesus who now is a part of their child’s life intimately.

I am proud of many of our RE and school families that attend church every weekend with our community. I am grateful to the families that engage in various church ministries, thus modeling the catholic faith to their children. There’s a famous saying, “The family that prays together stays together.” My parents had this quote on a plaque hanging on the wall in our family room. Praying together bonded us as a family. Some people might argue that anything a family does together would have the same effect, be it baseball, fishing, or anything. True to a point, but those are all natural activities. Praying goes beyond. It is supernatural.

The sacraments are an integral part of our family life, but often they can fall in the background. I know there are families that have children and young adults who are out of sequence with regards to sacraments. I have received messages like these: “My son is in the fifth grade and hasn’t received his First Holy Communion yet. How can we get started?” “Hi there! My daughter is a senior in high school and would like to be confirmed before she leaves for college. What does she have to do?” I want parents to know you are not alone, and we want to help you.

The Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation) lay the foundations of Christian life. I wonder how, without the grace of the sacraments, a child will be able to interiorize who Christ is for him/her. I understand how parents can become overwhelmed by the busy-ness of life, thereby delaying the sacraments. Remember that while you “forgot” to assist your child in responding to Christ’s call to the sacraments, Christ has never forgotten them.

I want to invite families with children, teens or young adults who have missed out on the Sacraments of initiation to a meeting in September to work out a program that is simple, easy and customized to your situation as far as possible. We can also do a hybrid program for college students.

May God bless our community abundantly as we celebrate First Communion and Confirmation.

Fr. Paulson

Happy Birthday Fr. Lee!

Many Blessings to our Associate Pastor Fr. Lee

Who celebrates his birthday,

on Monday May 1st.

Cinco De Mayo Celebration

Friday, May 5th, at 6pm

Last day to purchase tickets is April 30.

Come join us on the Christ the King lawn for our annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration!

All profits from this event will be donated to

St. Vincent De Paul at Christ the King

$30/Person $15/Children

Each ticket comes with:

*Entry to event, *Mexican cuisine,*1 Margarita ticket

*Free sodas and water, *Live entertainment with a mariachi band!

If you prefer not to purchase your tickets on-line come by the

parish office to purchase them directly.

Buy Tickets Here

Adult Faith Formation

Praying The Rosary

Monday, May 8 at 10:30am

Ministry Center Chapel

Praying the Rosary: A Complete Guide to the World's Most

Popular Form of Prayer

Join us for a discussion of Megan McKenna's book in which she explains how to pray it and explores its relevance for today. Megan prefaces each of the 20 mysteries with a selection from Scripture that identifies the prayer’s source in the Bible. Combining practical instruction with meditative reflections on the prayer’s spirituality, she reveals the Rosary’s richly contemplative nature and shows how praying the Rosary can inspire peaceful, calm attitudes, and an awareness of the universal spiritual mystery that connects all Christians.

Tuesday, May 23 6:30pm

CTK’s Parish Hall

 We are planning a Town Hall Meeting to explore ways to help the poor: 

We will explore together as a community about our calling to serve the poor and needy. If the poor cannot come to our church, then the church must go to where they are. For too long we have outsourced this compassionate ministry to our older parishioners. God is challenging us to step up. We are not a church if we do not serve the poor. So, I invite everyone, RE parents, School parents, our young adults, everyone - to work together and decide together on the immense possibilities out there. This meeting will focus only on our step forward, and nothing else. Thank you.

Thank you to Bishop Michael Barber and to everyone who attended the official merger of our two parishes at Sunday's mass.

We are now officially Christ the King - St. Stephen Parish.

Congratulations to our newly baptized!

Welcome to Christ the King - St. Stephen Family!

Parents: Laura & James

Baby: Ronan Ace 

Parents: Jackie & Matt

Baby: Mia Josephine 

4th Sunday of Easter

Welcome to our weekly reflections on

the Sunday Scriptures.



The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.  Read More

•  The May 2023 Issue of the Catholic Voice is online.

We are thrilled to announce the

Christ the King Parish Festival,

will take place this year on

Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd. 

Our theme will be "Let's Rock n' Roll CTK"

and it is sure to be a 'Rockin' good time! 

The Festival Planning Committee has already held a few meetings, and we are all super excited to bring back this beloved parish tradition! It's not too late to get involved with Festival planning, we are always looking for creative new ideas and an extra set of hands.

We will also be asking for your help in sharing family and business festival sponsorship opportunities. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Stacy York at stacyleeyork@gmail.com.

Please email christthekingfestival@gmail.com  with questions or interest.

Thank you in advance for your generous support that will help us to bring this exciting event to life. Get ready to have a Rock n' Roll of a Time!  

To donate a one-time/on-line donation.

Or regular and/or second collections.

Readings for Sunday Mass Here

Links to our services (live or archived) can be found at ctkph.org

or by clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.

Ongoing Services

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Private Confessions every Saturday from 3pm to 3:30pm, in the church.

Drive-Thru Holy Communion - Every Sunday 11:30am to 12 noon, in front of the church.

Thursday Mass - 6pm - Honoring our Mother of Perpetual Help, Rosary begins at 5:40pm, in the church. Worship Aide Here  (Also livestreamed).

St. Catherine of Siena is one of only four women who were named doctor of the church, meaning that her writings, including the mystical The Dialogue and her prayers and letters, have special authority in Roman Catholicism. She was an important defender of the papacy and is a patron saint of Europe and of Italy.