The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary...

St. Stephen Catholic Church

Spreading the Light of Jesus Christ

The Cornerstone

Prayer to St. Joseph

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Parish Picnic

Farewell Bernie Kalle

This Sunday, after the 11:30 a.m. Mass, come to the Family Life Center for a BBQ picnic in honor of Bernie Kalle. Unfortunately, due to the weather forecast for this weekend, we had to cancel our plans for the inflatable waterslide. We will still have a BBQ picnic in the Family Life Center, rain or shine! We could use your help with the menu.

Please bring the following items to the parish picnic depending on your family name:

A-I: Side dishes (ex: baked beans, pasta salads, etc.)

J-Q: Green salads and chips.

R-Z: Desserts (ex: cookies, brownies, etc.)

Thank you for your help. Please drop off your food item between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on the morning of August 15to the Family Life Center.

Youth and Young Adult

EDGE Night

EDGE is fellowship for Middle School students. Join us for our last summer EDGE night on Saturday, August 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Stay tuned for our next gathering!

Life Teen Night

Life Teen is fellowship for High School students. Join us August 15 for Life Night after the 5:30 p.m. Mass. We will meet in the Family Life Center for food and then join together in the Youth Room for fellowship.

We are currently seeking volunteers to provide meals for Life Night. Find the St. Stephen Life Night food sign up on our website at https://ststephencatholic.org/highschool.

XLT Praise and Worship

Join us for adoration and more on Friday, September 10 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. XLT Praise and Worship will happen in the St. Stephen chapel.

28th Annual St. Stephen Men’s Club Golf Scramble

The 28th Annual St. Stephen Men’s Club Golf Scramble is scheduled on November 6, 2021 at the Summerfield Crossings Golf Club, located just off Big Bend Road in Riverview, Florida.

Below, you will find information about sponsorship opportunities and event registration. Please consider supporting this worthwhile event through sponsorship and we will help you gain exposure for your business to a large group of members of the local community.

The Men’s Club is an organization within St. Stephen Catholic Church whose mission is not only to provide fellowship for the men of the Parish within a Christian setting, but also to raise funds to support Parish programs, capital improvements, and charity causes.

The proceeds from Men’s Club Golf Scramble benefit youth education and local charities. The tournament is the primary fundraising event for the Men’s Club Scholarship program, which since its inception, has awarded over $35,000 in scholarships to our most promising young students.

If a sponsorship is not practical for you currently, please consider joining us for a round of golf. It is a $75 entry fee ($300 for a foursome) and includes a basket of range balls to get the bad shots out of your system before the real fun starts. This includes a round of golf, lunch, dinner, beverages and a gift pack. Wow, what a deal!!

Please do not hesitate to contact Dan Gang at (813) 494-3722 or Dgang53@gmail.com, if you have any questions.

Click here for the registration form!

Click here for the sponsorship form!

Community For Women

BINGO

Join us for BINGO on Tuesday, August 24, at the Family Life Center. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the games start at 6:30 p.m. It is $20 to play and you have the chance to win cash prizes. The proceeds go towards those in need in our parish and the surrounding community. For more information, click here!

St. Vincent de Paul Annual Tea

For more information about being a hostess, click here!

Ladies, reserve your table today, click here!

If you cannot attend this event but would like to donate, click here!

Silver Rose Prayer Service

Join us for a spiritually heart-warming event. We will pray to Our Lady to strengthen our efforts to restore the culture of life in our society. The prayer service starts at 7:00 p.m. However, feel free to join us at Mary's Garden at 6:30 p.m. to participate in the community procession of roses.

Click here for a digital booklet which explains the Silver Rose!

Respect Life Ministry

Join the Respect Life Ministry this Saturday, August 14 (and every second Saturday of each month), to pray for the unborn in danger of abortion and mothers in unplanned and difficult pregnancies.

There are two main ways to participate….

1. Some are called to be prayer warriors on the front lines of the abortion mill - All Women’s Health Center, at 3330 Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa from 8:15 to 10 AM.

2. Others are called to pray the Rosary together after 8:30 a.m. Mass in the chapel.

The power of prayer can change hearts and save lives!

For more details, email us at Respect_Life@StStephenCatholic.org.

Altar Server Training

If you are a current altar server or interested in becoming an altar server, please join us for our training weekend. Come to our training on August 14 and 15. We meet in the main church sanctuary. The training on August 14 is from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on August 15. Our purpose of the training is to refocus those who are already altar servers and to initiate the new applicants.

Volunteer at Faith Formation

Please consider sharing your time and talent with our K-8 children this year! You can help lead them to Christ! We are in need of lead teachers, assistant teachers, youth volunteers and hall monitors during our Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. Please contact Kim Davis at the Office of Faith Formation if you are available for any of the below volunteer positions,

(813) 671-4434 or Kim@ststephencatholic.org.

For more information about volunteer positions, click here!

Volunteer Testimonials

Joan — Kindergarten Teacher

“Besides enjoying being with the kids, it is a great feeling when you see them realize a point which you are addressing. It is rewarding when they continue to apply what you have discussed/covered. In all my years of 'teaching' I have also found out that I have learned more about the Catholic Church than I ever knew—a sideline reward!”

Rosanna — 2nd Grade

“I was blessed with a grandfather, a Brother before he married, who shared his love and knowledge of God with me during every visit. He passed away a year after my First Communion. I never forgot what he taught me. I first started volunteering to get the hours for school, but through that experience I found I enjoyed working with children and sharing what my grandfather taught me about God's love.

I also enjoy learning. The beauty of being a catechist is that I did not have to study theology. The guide books and teaching references have lots of information and the answers. It is a refresher in my own Faith Formation every year.

Teaching also has many rewarding moments that keep me coming back. For example, seeing the children I prepared for First Communion receive their Confirmation and then continue to be involved in the parish. The kids reaffirm my love for teaching every year.”

Annual Pastoral Appeal

We have reached 93.60%

$360,633.12 pledged!

$321,334.06 paid!

Thank you!

Help your parish serve in Christ’s name by donating.

“Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.”

-Colossians 3:23-24

You can make an online donation by clicking here!

Help your diocese reach 11 million by helping your parish reach $385,325.

Clergy Calendar

The clergy calendars for August and September are posted on the St. Stephen Catholic Church website. Click this link!

Click here to download the clergy calendar for August 2021.

Click here to download the clergy calendar for September 2021.

Financial Summary

Click here to download the St. Stephen Parish Financial Scorecard as of May 31, 2021.

Last Week At St. Stephen

Back to School

This Week at St. Stephen

Sanctuary Lamp

August 14 to 20, 2021

In loving memory of Joseph Orama.

If you are interested in having the sanctuary lamp burn in honor or in memory of a loved one, please call (813) 689-4900.

Friday, August 13

Mass (church)

8:30 a.m. (chapel and livestreamed) Pray for Joseph Zacharzewski (RIP).

Confessions (chapel) After the 8:30 am Mass till no one is in line.

12:00 p.m. Funeral Mass (church) Pray for the repose of the soul of Catherine Kennelly.

Saturday, August 14

Mass (church)

8:30 a.m. (chapel and livestreamed) Pray for Victoria Lala (RIP).

12:30 p.m. Funeral Mass (chapel) Pray for the repose of the soul of James Angellini Jr.

2:45 Confessions (chapel) till no one is in line.

4:30 p.m. (church) Pray for the parishioners.

Sunday, August 15

Mass (church)

7:30 a.m. Pray for Marie and Louie Bergeron (RIP).

9:30 a.m. Pray for Marty Dorio (RIP).

11:30 a.m. (church and livestreamed) Pray for Moises Contreras (RIP).

5:30 p.m. Pray for Carol Kalinowski (RIP).

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"The Falling Asleep of the Mother of God"

"Since the Church understands death to be a consequence of the first sin and believes that Mary was conceive without original sin, some theologians have wondered if Mary died or simply was assumed into heaven without dying. The Catechism of the Catholic Church doesn't answer the question, but says, "The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken body and soul into the glory of heaven..." In fact it is said that, "Mary died in the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later on the request of St. Thomas, was found empty, and thus the apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven." -The Catholic Source Book