Christ the King - St. Stephen Parish

www.ctkph.org

www.saintstephenparish.org

Parish Newsletter

"Staying Connected"

April 3, 2024

Our twenty CTK/SS RCIA candidates were called to complete their initiation by Bishop Barber in the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in February: Amber Balestrieri, Maria Brady, Alexa Castillo, Antonio Castillo, Patricia Castillo, Valentina Castillo, Clara Chan, Megan Denny, Jayme Gayer, Ava Hempfling (not shown), Kristy Keilen, Ian Keough, Payton Locatelli, Shaye Locatelli, Erikka Marchiano, Janay Mora, Mauricio Munoz (not shown), Tyler O’Neill, Sean Overman, and Sean Ryan.

Dear Friends,

At our Easter Vigil on March 30, we were privileged to welcome 20 people to full initiation in our community – 10 Catechumens (newly baptized into the faith), one convert (previously baptized but not in the Catholic Church), and 9 who completed full sacramental initiation by receiving First Eucharist and/or Confirmation. (See picture on the next page). This large number of new members is testimony to both the welcoming nature of Christ the King-St. Stephen community and the strength of their call to faith. We can gain inspiration in our own faith journey by learning from theirs.

The motivations for embarking on the RCIA process are almost as varied as the number of candidates. One dominant theme in the inspiration for the journey is family. For Sean Overman, it was his desire to shepherd his family. “Both of my kids have been baptized in the Catholic faith. My wife has been a devout Catholic for over 25 years. Thus, I wanted to be a shepherd for my family. Thanks to the grace of God, He put me and my wife together to bring me back into His family.” Erikka Marchiano shared her impetus: “My husband is Catholic and we are raising our children in the faith. I wanted a better understanding of the Catholic faith, the community, and the Mass.” Ian Keough was driven by a slightly different family experience. “My second child, Christian, was baptized at Christ the King. Christian was born at 27 weeks and I prayed over him every night in the NICU. After my experience with Christian coming home healthy, I knew it was my time to begin this journey.”

Janay Mora: “My children are in Catholic school and going through religious education. I wanted to be on the same journey so when they come home with questions we can talk about it as a family.” Amber Balestrieri: “I was inspired to grow in the Catholic faith along side my husband. I wanted to be with my daughter as she pursued her First Communion in second grade at CTK.”

Some were spurred by a specific experience. Clara Chan’s interest was triggered by Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire ministry, leading to a specific interest in the sacraments. Tyler O’Neill’s journey was spurred by an interest in the history of the popes. “Getting baptized and confirmed in the Church inspires me. However, baptism is just the beginning of the real journey.” Maria Brady was asked to be a godparent – and engaged in RCIA to prepare for that important role. “I was baptized as a child, but only now am finally learning more about Catholic teachings. I appreciate the RCIA team’s instruction and commitment to this process, as well as the opportunity to learn from others in the class. It has been very meaningful to share our faith journeys.”

Deep heartbreak, and God’s abiding presence and comfort, played a big part for several candidates. Jayme Gayer shared her triggering encounter: “Hitting your ‘bottom’ and being handed ‘The Gift of Desperation,’ erodes the ego and the notion that I have any clue how to navigate my life.” I learned instead to rely on “a connection with a power greater than myself and any affliction that I will ever contend with: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

For the Castillo family – Antonio, Patricia, and sisters Alexa and Valentina – the loss of their son and brother resulted in channeling their grief into their individual faith journeys. Antonio: “My pain was the call back and the beginning of my journey. My son is my angel. He not only inspires me but he got us closer to God, who has a plan for all of us.” Valentina: “When my brother passed away it was so hard to cope with this pain but something that has helped is my faith in God.” Alexa: “Over the summer I started to plan his confirmation process at CTK. Instead of planning his confirmation, I planned his funeral at CTK. Church and prayer were the only thing that brought me comfort and more than ever I felt called to receive my sacrament.”

For some, the RCIA process was long-planned or, at least, long-awaited. Kristy Keilen shared, “I have been waiting to be confirmed for over 30 years. After teaching religious education at Christ the King for 2 years, I knew it was my time to complete my Catholic journey. I was inspired to be Confirmed by my own teachings of God to my RE kids!” Shaye Locatelli-Baffert grew up in a Catholic family but was never baptized. “I was always interested in going through the sacraments and becoming confirmed. When I met Fr. Paulson this summer as I prepared to get married, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to become a Catholic.”

If you are considering your own RCIA or Adult Confirmation journey, plan to attend the information session on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00pm. Email RCIA Director Tom Bobich at RCIA@CTKPH.org to learn more.

~ Fr. Paulson

Fr. Vince Cotter and Fr. Tom Burns are currently living in the same facility in Pleasant Hill. We wish them well and good health!

We will be seeing Fr. Vince a little more as he will be helping out a bit at some of the Masses at CTK when needed.

Join us for our monthly

Exposition of the

Blessed Sacrament at CTK

Friday, April 5

5pm to 6pm

This will be a time for

quiet prayer.

Mass to follow at 6pm

Come Join us for our Annual

Cinco De Mayo Celebration!

Sunday, May 5th on CTK's Lawn

Mexican Cuisine, Margaritas and a

Live Mariachi Band!

5:00pm to 8:00pm

All profits from this event will be donated to Christ the King - St. Stephen Youth Ministry in support of their summer service trip.

Each ticket comes with:

• Entry to event, Mexican cuisine,1 Margarita ticket, Free bottled water
• Live entertainment from a mariachi band

Cost is $30 for Adults and $15 ages 3-12. To purchase tickets click here

You believe in Christ, you are worthy to serve Him!

Eucharistic ministry is a way to serve the community during your attendance at Mass. You choose how often

you’d like to serve and at which Masses.

Please consider joining us on

Monday, April 15, 7 pm in the Church at CTK.



Questions - Kieran Chan, kierankc@pacbell.net,

925-212-9035

Presentation of “Our Father”

By: Fr. Paulson

In this presentation Fr. Paulson examines the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.

This series is specifically designed for the Catholic community and will provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of this important prayer. 

On Thursdays:

April 18, 25, May 2, 9 and 16.

St. Stephen Parish Hall - 10am and

 CTK Church - 7pm

No Registration Required

Join us for a discussion of Raymond E. Brown's

 "A Once and Coming Spirit at Pentecost:

Essays on the Liturgical Readings

between Easter and Pentecost."



 Mondays: 10:30am -11:30am

April 8, Chapters 1& 2

April 15, Chapters 3 & 4

April 22, Chapter 5

Beautiful Eucharist, the free Dynamic Catholic book given at Christmas, will be discussed on Monday, April 29, 10:30am - 11:30am.

Reflections on the upcoming Sunday readings will begin on

Monday, April 8, 9:45am - 10:30am.

In May we will discuss Pope Francis's The Joy of the Gospel.

All will be held in the CTK Ministry Center Chapel.

Thank you Boy Scout Troop 221 for setting up hundreds of chairs in our gym for our Easter Sunday Masses!

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for hosting the Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Thank you to all our ministries who worked so hard to provide a meaningful

Holy Week and a glorious Easter celebration!

2nd Sunday of Easter also called

Divine Mercy Sunday

Welcome to our weekly reflections on

the Sunday Scriptures.



The twelve apostles (including Judas) received and affirmed their priestly ordination at the Last Supper. Only John remained faithful to his ordination commitment without wavering. Within hours, not just Judas but all the others had defected. Judas ended up taking his own life out of remorse. Rather than disown them, Jesus forgave them all, including his betrayer.  Read More

All parishioners and their friends are invited to attend our annual ICF Ladies' Tea Luncheon, on

Saturday, April 13

from 12-3 pm at the

St. Stephen's Parish Hall

Tickets for this elegant event are available now. Cost is $45 for adults and $20 for children under 12. Please mail checks made out to "ICF Branch 442" to Diana Mackinson, 568 Sherree Dr., Martinez, CA 94553. See flyer here



Call or email if you have any questions: 925-335-9712 or icfpleasanthill@aol.com. Space is limited so be sure to send in your reservations no later than Tuesday, April 9. 

Note from John Alonso, Winter Nights Coordinator

Dear Community of Christ the King- St. Stephen Parish,

Lent began with reminders to use the weeks before Easter to deepen our faith through attention to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The response to the Winter Nights program illustrated the ways you put those reminders into action.

Prayer: Thank you for the prayers uplifting those searching for solutions to break the cycle of homelessness.

Fasting: Thank you for fasting from your normal routines to share your time and talents to ease the journey of our guests.

Almsgiving: Thank you for your donations that allowed the Winter Nights program to successfully support their efforts on behalf of our guests.

One of the most uplifting things I observed was groups of volunteers coming together in service and having a truly “Easter Experience” with each other.

Our efforts to serve the Lord and each other can create an Easter miracle.

On behalf of the Winter Nights team, I send Easter blessings and much gratitude to all of you and to our wonderful staff.

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

Or regular and/or second collections.

2024 Bishop’s Ministries Appeal

The Bishop’s Ministries Appeal is an annual campaign to generate funds to cover the costs of the Diocese of Oakland’s ministries, programs, and services. It is a direct appeal to the people of the diocese, urging their support in the form of a pledge or a gift to supplement the ministry budget.

Envelopes and brochures are also available in the back of the church.

 You can click here to donate.

CTK Weekday Masses

Monday - Friday

9am Mass

(9am Masses will be livestreamed)

CTK Weekend Masses

Saturday

9am and 4pm Vigil

(Saturday 4pm Mass will be livestreamed)

CTK Sunday Masses

7:30am, 9am, 10:30am and 4pm

(10:30am Mass will be livestreamed).

Readings for Sunday Mass Here

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

or by clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.

Ongoing Services at CTK & St. Stephen

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Private Confessions every Saturday from 3pm to 3:30pm at CTK and Saturday before the 5pm mass at St. Stephen.

CTK Thursday Morning Mass - 9am - Honoring our Mother of Perpetual Help, Worship Aide Here (Also livestreamed).

Divine Mercy Sunday - Sunday, April 7

In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000.