Page 7 - Annual Report to Parishioners RTP 2023 - 8 Page

Parish Life

As we hear in Acts 2:42-44 “They devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers….All who believed were together and had all things in common.”
Our Parish Life is returning full force and more, Praise God. We have had many celebrations during the year and
all due to the gifts that God has poured out upon us. We returned to full funeral receptions in the Social Hall
hosted by our Women’s Guild who lovingly serve the guests and
families of those who had their funerals in the church. Our
celebrations of Simbang Gabi & Our Lady of LaVang were started
again with the help and direction of many volunteers.
We returned in great numbers to our Saturday Night Socials in the
Narthex and in the Social Hall, including our special celebrations of
Birthdays & Anniversaries of our Priests. Coffee & Donuts were
hosted by many different ministries as an opportunity to serve our
parish family and promote their ministries. We have been in the
Plaza and Narthex most of the year.

This year we were blessed to have our Confirmation Mass on Pentecost Sunday!! What a gift for our parish family!
We celebrated the morning Masses with volunteers from different cultures reading the Intercessory Prayers, most
wearing their native attire. Then in fitting with the Confirmation Mass in the evening that Sunday, afterwards we
hosted a large reception in the social hall. What a gathering we had!! Joy, laughter, and fabulous food were in
great supply!! The different cultures came together to pray and worship our Lord and then break bread together
with many volunteers hosting, cooking, serving, and cleaning. It was truly a Parish Celebration! Thanks be to God
for this vibrant year of Parish Life with our parishioners sharing their talents with us and all who visit our church.

Liturgy

~ Isaiah 56:7c
St. Stephen the Martyr is a place of unceasing prayer. Our weekend Masses are reverent and alive with faithful
people coming to encounter Christ, give glory to God, receive strength for the week ahead, and connect with our
Christian community. More than 50 volunteers each week make the weekend liturgies possible. Our weekday Mass
attendance is strong, and attendance often exceeds 100 people on a weekday.

Outside of regularly scheduled Mass times we maintained perpetual adoration for our first
full year June 2022 – June 2023 thanks to our volunteer Adoration Coordinators. Adoration
continued uninterrupted through holidays, snow, ice, and windstorms because people were
always able, willing, and desiring to be in the presence of Jesus. We have seen an increase
in visitors to our adoration chapel including travelers from out of state.
To enhance the beauty of our Masses and other liturgies, Niña DeJesus was hired in fall of
2022 for the position of Choir Director. Under her direction choir members are learning how
to read and sing Gregorian chant melodies, an important part of our Catholic worship
heritage. Niña has recruited new members for the adult choir and has also revived the youth
choir for children and teens. Our
combined choirs made the 2023 Easter Vigil Mass a glorious
crowning event of the liturgical year.
Trained prayer teams have found a place in the life of our
parish consisting of graduates from the Encounter School of
Ministry and other volunteers who have received training
elsewhere. Those coming for prayer have encountered the
love of Jesus and received encouragement, comfort, and even
healing!