Parish Newsletter

February 8, 2023

Staying Connected

Dear Friends:

I was so pleased to be with our confirmation candidates last week for their retreat. Confirmation is seen as “graduation from religion,” with young Catholics not only ending their participation in any formal Catholic educational experience but, sadly, ending their participation in any Church-related activities, sacramental and otherwise. We have so few children and young people attend mass regularly. When asked why, these children in their youthful innocence and honesty simply reply, “My parents don’t go.” What is not important to and valued by parents, will not be important or valued by their children. That’s a fact. Yes, “children live what they learn,” good and bad. And the result? Catholic children grow into Catholic adults with an eighth-grade understanding (or less) of their faith.

During the two surveys that were completed in the past year, one for Synodality and the other for the Mission Alignment Process of the diocese of Oakland, there was a recurring theme for Christ the King and St. Stephen parishes. There is a need, a hunger for adult faith formation. One must admit that in various communities, the formation of adults has been taken for granted or, perhaps, carried out in connection with certain events, not infrequently in an infantile way. It is not unusual to find parishes with no adult formation program at all, beyond what can be received in Sunday homilies.   

Commonly, all catechetical concern is toward that of children, except for the group of adults in RCIA. The impact of RCIA on the parish, as a whole, is small, however, and at best, brief. We have an amazing RCIA team, and I am so grateful. The Sunday homily as a solitary vehicle for substantive and systematic catechesis is not adequate.

I am happy to report that we have constituted an Adult Faith Formation Ministry for our community under the leadership of Dr. Jeannette Holmes, with a membership of a dozen committed parishioners from St. Stephen and CTK. Dr. Jeannette worked in Catholic Education for over 55 years. She was a teacher, a school principal, associate Superintendent of Religion Curriculum/Catholic School Department and Department of Catholic Faith Formation in the diocese of Sacramento, and Superintendent of Catholic Schools in Stockton. In the diocese of Oakland, she was a coordinator of Catechetical programs. I am so happy Jeannette has volunteered to lead this important ministry. We have put together a program for this spring and summer.

In addition to the content, the Adult Faith Formation Ministry will meet together soon to study the structure, process and the timing of these programs. When do people expect to come and learn? When might they be willing to come? What factors (difficult rush hours, working mothers, no child care) limit participation? How might those factors be overcome? I am hoping we can make adult faith formation an integral part of our community going forward. I pray that we will all respond with eagerness to the clarion call to deepen our knowledge of our faith.

Lenten Theme Hymn: We will commence the season of Lent this year on February 22, Ash Wednesday. Our Music Director has chosen a “Gracious God” as our theme song for this Lent. “Lead us, Lord into the desert, Lead us through the wilderness. Through this journey we will follow, for we long to see your face. In this time of sacred struggle, in this time of sacrifice. We rejoice, for we remember that you lead us into life. Gracious God, mercy is your name. Redeeming love, you give your life away."

Kindly click here for the hymn, so that you can listen and learn the hymn from the comfort of your room.

“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all” (Gal. 6:9-10).

Fr. Paulson

Ash Wednesday

February 22

Mass Times:

 7am, 9:15am

12:05pm & 7pm

Religious Education Prayer Service - 4:15pm

St. Stephen Church 8am and 6pm

Training Meeting

Monday, February 27

7pm in the Church

We are planning a Eucharistic Minister training meeting. The training is for those interested in becoming  Eucharistic Ministers and a refresher for our existing EMs. This is a wonderful, rewarding ministry and perfect for those too busy for another commitment. Once you have attended the training, you’ll use a signup app to choose which Mass and how often you’ll serve as a Eucharistic Minister. Please contact Kieran Chan at kierankc@pacbell.net with questions. 

Christ the King/St. Stephen Church

Adult Faith Formation

Lenten Series 2023

Please see more information by clicking here

Happy Birthday Fr. Paulson!

Happy Birthday and

many blessings to our

Pastor Fr. Paulson!

Fr. Paulson celebrates his birthday on February 11th.

Happy Birthday Mr. Silveira!



Happy Birthday to our

CTK School Principal,

Joe Silveira!

Joe celebrates his birthday on February 10th.

Someone is targeting parishioners emailing and texting them pretending to be Fr. Paulson and asking for a favor and then once you reply asking to buy gift cards.

This is a scam! Please do not respond to these emails, send any gift cards or give personal information.

You can report these emails to the Federal Trade Commission by clicking here.

Congratulations to Lilli Dolan who celebrated here quinceañera on Saturday.

Congratulations to Sienna Kay & Nora Rose on your baptism!

Welcome to the Christ the King and St. Stephen Family!

Parents: Kristine and Kevin

We are BACK! Save the Date!

Come join us for the 2023 CTK CYO Crab Feed!

March 11, 2023

CTK's Gym

Tickets can be purchased here

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Welcome to our weekly reflections on

the Sunday Scriptures.



Jesus “new” law addressed to his Jewish audience made no specific reference to the Ten Commandments. He offered his listeners a new and quite different way to serve God Read More

Italian Catholic Federation Meeting

Sunday, February 12

12 Noon

All are invited to a very special meeting of the Italian Catholic Federation on Sunday afternoon, February 12 at 12 o'clock noon in Rooms A and B of the Parish Hall.

We will have a presentation about the life of St. Francesca Cabrini, the first American to be canonized a saint.

Our guest speaker will be here from Southern CA and is a renown authority on Mother Cabrini's ministry to the Italian immigrants in America. Following her talk, we will have a pot luck lunch of "finger foods," followed by a short business meeting of our ICF branch. All are welcome to join us for all or part of this event. Don't worry, it will end in plenty of time for you to watch the Superbowl!

CTK’s Italian Catholic Federation is offering a scholarship to 8th grade students wishing to attend a Catholic High School in the fall of 2023. Applications are in CTK’S and St. Stephen’s church vestibule and the CTK church office. The application deadline is March 31, 2023. Please contact Mary Ragsdale (925) 297-7169 if you have any questions.

Tour with Fr. Paulson to Africa

Join Fr. Paulson on an incredible tour of Africa (Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Nairobi, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara National Park).



There is an additional package of Madagascar for those who want to continue for another 7 days. The trip will take place in June, 2023. For more information please contact the Parish Office at 925-682-2486.

World Day of the Sick

February 11th at 11am

The Cathedral of Christ the Light

All are invited - especially all those suffering and caring for the sick, all those seeking God’s grace and a life filled with goodness, truth, and beauty.



Please share with your family, friends, parishes, and especially those in spiritual need in their time of suffering.

To register visit: rebrand.ly/worlddayofsick2023

More information can be found here

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

Or regular and/or second collections.

All Masses are Inside the Church. - Face Masks are encouraged.

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).

Our Lady of Lourdes

On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubiroux in the hollow rock of Massabielle in southern France. That year Bernadette would report a total of 18 apparitions of a woman she described as “lovelier than I have ever seen.” The woman in the vision revealed herself as the “Immaculate Conception,” in confirmation of this dogma of the Catholic faith which was infallibly defined by the Holy Father just four years previous. Our Lady told Bernadette to drink from an unseen fountain at the grotto, and called for a chapel to be built there. When Bernadette scratched at the ground, a stream of pure spring water surged forth. This stream demonstrated healing properties, and it continues to draw pilgrims to the grotto from around the globe. A basilica was built upon the rock of the Massabielle in response to Our Lady's request, and in 1876 it was consecrated as the "Church of the Rosary.” Due to the multitudes of medically documented miraculous healings, the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world.