PARISH NOTES
Sunday 30 December 2018
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| Anthony Van Dyke, The Martyrdom of Saint Stephen, 1623-1625. Collection of Tatton Park, North Cheshire (National Trust) |
FROM THE RECTOR
THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Saint Stephen, Deacon and Protomartyr (Transferred)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you. (We regret that there is no coffee hour following the 10 am Mass today; coffee hour will resume next Sunday.)
Feast of the Holy Name – This Tuesday, 1 January 2019, we shall keep the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus with a Sung Mass at 10 am. Fr. Nathan Humphrey will be the preacher; this celebration is in conjunction with St. John’s, Newport, whose parishioners have been invited to join us and stay to help out with the New Year’s Day Dinner (see announcement below). Do please plan to begin the New Year by coming to Mass to join in the celebration of this Principal Feast of the Church Year!
New Year’s Day Dinner – Also this Tuesday, we will offer our annual New Year’s Day Dinner for the Hungry from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. If you can help, please contact coordinator Bobby Rose via email, or contact the parish office at 421-6702 ext. 1 or via email. We welcome new scarves, mittens, hats and socks, as well as personal hygiene products such as soaps and toothbrushes. For I was hungry, and you gave me food: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you welcomed me… Matthew 25:35
Society of Mary – meets this Saturday, January 5, beginning with Holy Rosary following the 10 am Mass and a brief meeting (for coffee and bagels) to follow in the Great Hall. All are welcome and invited.
Stewardship Program – We are pleased to report that as of Wednesday, December 26th, we have received 47 pledges for 2019 totaling $101,074 (including nine new individuals / households whose pledges total $14,770). This brings us to approximately 96 per cent of our goal of $105,000. Thank you to all who have pledged! If you have not already done so, now is the time! We are grateful for all pledges received, no matter how large or small. Please consider prayerfully what you can offer; our parish is counting on our support and generosity.
Rector’s Book Group – will begin on Sunday 13 January (and not on 6 January as previously announced). The format will be an online discussion of C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce (1945)— a satiric fantasy novel of a bus ride in the Afterlife. If you would like to participate - or if you'd like to find out more about what's involved – please email Fr. John so he can include you in the distribution of necessary information on how to join the discussion. (For an excellent report on the previous book group that met this past summer and autumn, see the article by J. Jennifer Jones in the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany issue of The S. Stephen.)
Support S. Stephen’s on Amazon.Com – If you shop on Amazon through its AmazonSmile Program, you can designate 0.5% of your purchases to go to S. Stephen’s! All you need to do is visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/05-0271657, sign into your Amazon account, and confirm S. Stephen’s Church as your charity of choice (you can always switch back and forth between charities that you would like to support). This is a great opportunity to support your parish as you do your shopping throughout the year. Please be on the lookout for a resource list of additional micro-donation programs to be able to donate to the church and its ministries on a regular basis, typically without even having to lift a finger after set-up.
Nominations Committee – The following is the list of candidates who have so far agreed to be nominated for election at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 27, 2019:
Feast of the Holy Name – This Tuesday, 1 January 2019, we shall keep the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus with a Sung Mass at 10 am. Fr. Nathan Humphrey will be the preacher; this celebration is in conjunction with St. John’s, Newport, whose parishioners have been invited to join us and stay to help out with the New Year’s Day Dinner (see announcement below). Do please plan to begin the New Year by coming to Mass to join in the celebration of this Principal Feast of the Church Year!
New Year’s Day Dinner – Also this Tuesday, we will offer our annual New Year’s Day Dinner for the Hungry from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. If you can help, please contact coordinator Bobby Rose via email, or contact the parish office at 421-6702 ext. 1 or via email. We welcome new scarves, mittens, hats and socks, as well as personal hygiene products such as soaps and toothbrushes. For I was hungry, and you gave me food: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you welcomed me… Matthew 25:35
Society of Mary – meets this Saturday, January 5, beginning with Holy Rosary following the 10 am Mass and a brief meeting (for coffee and bagels) to follow in the Great Hall. All are welcome and invited.
Stewardship Program – We are pleased to report that as of Wednesday, December 26th, we have received 47 pledges for 2019 totaling $101,074 (including nine new individuals / households whose pledges total $14,770). This brings us to approximately 96 per cent of our goal of $105,000. Thank you to all who have pledged! If you have not already done so, now is the time! We are grateful for all pledges received, no matter how large or small. Please consider prayerfully what you can offer; our parish is counting on our support and generosity.
Rector’s Book Group – will begin on Sunday 13 January (and not on 6 January as previously announced). The format will be an online discussion of C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce (1945)— a satiric fantasy novel of a bus ride in the Afterlife. If you would like to participate - or if you'd like to find out more about what's involved – please email Fr. John so he can include you in the distribution of necessary information on how to join the discussion. (For an excellent report on the previous book group that met this past summer and autumn, see the article by J. Jennifer Jones in the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany issue of The S. Stephen.)
Support S. Stephen’s on Amazon.Com – If you shop on Amazon through its AmazonSmile Program, you can designate 0.5% of your purchases to go to S. Stephen’s! All you need to do is visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/05-0271657, sign into your Amazon account, and confirm S. Stephen’s Church as your charity of choice (you can always switch back and forth between charities that you would like to support). This is a great opportunity to support your parish as you do your shopping throughout the year. Please be on the lookout for a resource list of additional micro-donation programs to be able to donate to the church and its ministries on a regular basis, typically without even having to lift a finger after set-up.
Nominations Committee – The following is the list of candidates who have so far agreed to be nominated for election at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 27, 2019:
· One Vestry Member, four-year term (expires January 2023) – TBA
· One Vestry Member, two-year term (expires January 2021) – TBA
· Junior Warden, three year term (expires January 2022) – Alison Huff (to be elected by Vestry)
· Clerk (one-year term) – Molly Bledsoe Ellis
· Treasurer (one-year term) – Muriel Jobbers
· Two Diocesan Convention Delegates (one-year term) – Francesco Pisaturo, Jacob Ihnen
· Two Diocesan Convention Alternates (one-year term) – TBA
The Nominations Committee consists of: Tom Bledsoe (Chair), Phoebe Pettingell, Bobby Rose, Robyn Noble, and Karl Benziger. Please speak to any of them if you have suggestions for nominations, or indeed if you would be interested in offering yourself for one of these offices.
FOR YOUR PRAYERS
Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Norman, John, James, Shannah, Terri, Sister Carolyn, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Gregory, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.
Birthdays this week: Philip Noble (Saturday 1/5).
The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Nancy Jean Donaldson Pettingell (2 January 2010).
Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Diocese of Kyushu - (Japan): The Rt. Rev’d Luke Ken-ichi Muto; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for all the clergy and people of our Diocese.
THE SUNDAY ROTA
Acolytes – MC J Ihnen, Thurifer F Pisaturo, Crucifer L Verdelotti
Lector – P Pettingell
Ushers – Chris Martel and Joy D’Ambra
Coffee Hour – Jacob Ihnen
THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S
PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS
Tuesday 1 January
New Year’s Day Dinner for the Hungry 12 noon-1:30 pm (Great Hall)
Saturday 5 January
Society of Mary 10:30 am (Lady Chapel/Great Hall)
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Saturday 5 January
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2:30 pm (Great Hall)
LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
30 December
SAINT STEPHEN, DEACON AND PROTOMARTYR (Transferred) (R)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:10 am
Sung Mass 10 am
Daily Mass and Office Lectionaries: Christmastide, Year One
Monday 31 December
Proper for December 31 (W)
Sylvester, Bishop of Rome, 335
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Tuesday 1 January
HOLY NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
(THE CIRCUMCISION)
Sung Mass 10 am
Wednesday 2 January
Proper for January 2 (W)
Seraphim of Sarov, Monk, Spiritual Guide, 1833
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Thursday 3 January
Proper for January 3 (W)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Friday 4 January
Proper for January 4 (W)
Elizabeth Ann Seton, Founder of the American Sisters of Charity, 1821
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Saturday 5 January
Proper for January 5 (W)
Morning Prayer 9:30 am
Low Mass 10 am
Holy Rosary 10:30 am
6 January
THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:10 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
Exodus 34:1-8
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 2:15-21
NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (6 January)
The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
