Palm Sunday...Lay your palms in front of Christ...

Memorare to Saint Joseph

Remember, O most chaste spouse of the

Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession was left unassisted.

Full of confidence in your power I fly unto you and beg your protection. Despise not O

Guardian of the Redeemer my humble

supplication, but in your bounty, hear

and answer me. Amen.

ATTENTION!

Please scroll to the bottom to see the changes made

to this week's mass schedule and confession times.

Palm Sunday

There is a limited amount of palms this year.

Please be sure to bring your own palms for all of the masses for Palm Sunday.

Saturday, March 27 at 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 28 at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m.

Here is how to do it!

Cut your fond carefully with shears around the core.

Separate the spears.

Bring the palms on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.

Thank you!

We would like to thank the 7th and 8th graders at St. Stephen Catholic School

for preparing us for Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

They helped to prepare face masks, candles, and some palms.

Help, a traffic signal is needed!

St. Stephen Catholic Church continues to request that a traffic signal be

placed at the intersection of Boyette Rd and St. Stephen Circle/Carr Rd.

Join us in prayer as we pray for a neighbor who passed away early this

month due to an accident at this intersection.

Please help us to keep our parishioners safe as they leave mass

and our families safe as they leave the school.

If you would like to help please visit

https://ststephencatholic.org/traffic-light-need

Download this template as well (click download)

Help us to make the right turn!

Participate in Spiritual Adoption?!

Get Ready to Pray

Spiritual Adoption

March 25 to December 25

Join this incredible Spiritual Work of Mercy that can change hearts and save lives and souls! Pray the following prayer for mothers in difficult pregnancies and their unborn babies each day from March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation) through December 25 (Christmas Day).

This prayer journey mirrors the 9 months that the Blessed Virgin Mary nurtured Jesus

in her womb.

Spiritual Adoption Prayer

Lord Jesus, we love you very much. We ask You to bless and protect all unborn children in their mothers' wombs. Help us to see that although these babies are hidden from our sight, they are not hidden from God. Amen.

Read an inspiring story! Click here to download!

Click here to follow the development of the child!

Seeking foster families!

St. Stephen is hoping to initiate a family advocacy ministry, Joyful Hearts, supporting foster families within the parish and in our community. To help this ministry set its vision and goals, we are seeking foster families in our parish who would be willing to speak with us. Please help up to identify the needs and types of support that would be most beneficial to foster families. Your role in the lives of foster children and the foundation of joy and love you provide, is an example for all of us. We would like to know more about the

challenges you face and how we can assist with those challenges. If you are a

foster family, or know of any foster family in our community who would be willing to speak with us, please call or e-mail Rosemary DeMarco or Nathan Wiles.

rdemarco6917@gmail.com or nwiles33@yahoo.com

“The openness of our hearts and minds can be measured by

how wide we draw the circle of what we call family.”

-Mother Teresa

Annual Pastoral Appeal

$226,513 pledged thus far.

Thank you!

We would like to thank Christian Galvan for coming to St. Stephen Catholic Church

this past weekend to talk about his religious journey.

We thank you and your mother for sharing the informational video. Hearing the two of you

talk about how the annual pastoral appeal has allowed you to follow Christ

was inspiring. According to Rosie, Galvan's mother, “I wanted my son to

know that my love for him overflows from my heart. However, God loves him more."

According to Galvan, “seminarians and those in priestly and religious formation

are grateful for your support through the annual pastoral appeal.” Help others like

Galvan live out their vocation! This appeal helps the formation of the future clergy.

According to Galvan, there are "11 men right now, and more in the application process."

‌

Giving does not have to be a large sacrifice. Next time you are in the Chick-fil-A line, or ordering your daily Starbucks coffee, can you give that up? Once, maybe twice? Encourage your family and friends to do the same! We are all in this together.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Please find an envelope on the right wall of the narthex. Help your diocese to reach 11 million by helping your parish reach $385,325!

Thank you for donating to the

Deanery Initiative Food Bank!

Read a personal thank you from Fr. Tapp below!

Dear Sisters and Brothers of St. Stephen Parish,

I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to preach at your parish on March 13^thand 14^thabout our deanery initiative for Courageously Living the Gospel. Bishop Parkes asked the parishes in our deanery to do something which represented our bold faith and deep trust in the Lord. Our Food Bank initiative embraces those qualities

St. Stephen Parish was warm and welcoming to me – as you are, I am sure, with all who walk through the doors of your church. You are also incredibly generous, as you showed with the financial sacrifice you made to this project.

May God bless you for your kindness and your expression of Courageously Living the Gospel. May the joy of Easter which we celebrate over these next few weeks, always remain in your heart. Know that you have a special place in my prayers each day.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. John Tapp, Pastor

Nativity Catholic Church

Brandon, FL

Holy Week

We welcome you to mass during Holy Week!

Here's what you need to know...

Palm Sunday - There will be no procession into the church. Parishioners are invited to "Bring Your Own Palms" and be seated as if attending a regular Sunday Mass.

Daily Mass - There is no daily Mass or morning prayer from Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday.

Holy Thursday - There will not be a procession at the end of Mass on Holy Thursday. The priests and altar servers will process to the FLC, while the choir sings in the church. Once the clergy leave the FLC, the faithful are invited to travel to the FLC to reverence our Lord.

Veneration of the Cross - There will be no Adoration of the Holy Cross during the liturgy, Fr. Dermot will reverence the cross on behalf of the parishioners.

Easter Sunday - There will be no 5:30pm Mass on Easter Sunday. Seating will begin in the church with overflow going into the Family Life Center. Church doors will close five minutes before Mass starts. Those arriving after the doors close should proceed directly to the Family Life Center.

Thank you all for patience and understanding during these unique and challenging times as we work to maintain a welcoming yet safe environment for all who worship.

Divine Mercy Novena

The Divine Mercy Ministry invites you to join them as they pray the Divine Mercy Novena daily:

April 2- 10, 2021

3:00 p.m., Chapel

April 11, 2021

Holy Hour

3:00 - 4:00 p.m., Church

Never prayed the Divine Mercy before, don't worry, we will have pamphlets available to assist you. We look forward to seeing you there. Jesus, I trust in you!

Looking for a new job?

St. Stephen Catholic Church

We have Part-Time openings at the Parish.

Maintenance ( 2 Part-Time Positions)

If interested, download the application and email to

Tom@ststephencatholic.org.

Looking for a daily relationship with God?

Magnificat

Magnificat is a spiritual guide to help you develop your prayer life, and grow in your spiritual life.

Any Magnificat has an order form. Fill it out and mail it. Or share the order form with a friend and encourage them to order one!

If you do not have a current Magnificat, please visit https://us.magnificat.net/.

Daily Subscriptions

There a daily catholic

e-newsletters. Every morning you can receive

a quote and reflection.

Get this inspiration today!

Subscribe by visiting a website and entering your email address. For example, there is the Catholic Company, and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

https://www.morningoffering.com

https://www.usccb.org/subscribe/email

Or find other options!

Apps

There are also catholic apps which facilitate devotion. These apps share daily prayers, the saint of the day, prayers, daily readings, and much more.

Download today!

A good app to download is Laudate. Simply go to your app store and search Laudate, then download.

It's free!

Hear what a fellow parishioner, Rowena Preszler, does!

Read her statement below!

“For the past 17 years, I have been having "Good morning, Lord, how are you?" on my 30-minute drive to work. I first thank Him for the blessings of a good night's rest, keeping our friends and families safe, and a nice nutritious breakfast. Since I pass by many trees, grass, flowers, I thank Him for the rain to water the vegetation to provide clean air, food for the cows, goats, etc., and beautiful flowers to admire and make us smile. After I give thanks is when I ask for protection for our military, police, children, animals, babies in utero, expecting mothers, those unemployed, homeless, the religious who are praying on our behalf, the conversion of hearts of those who want ill will, etc. Having these "conversations" with Jesus is like having a conversation with one of my parents; I thank them for their guidance, and I share my concerns.”