ONLINE PARISH NOTES
2 AUGUST 2015
 |
| Juan de Juanes, Burial of St. Stephen, 1560 |
FROM THE RECTOR
This Sunday we keep our "summer patronal festival," transferred from August 3rd. In older calendars, this feast was known as the "Invention of the Relics of Saint Stephen," from the Latin invenio, "to discover, come upon, or find." I find the more contemporary usage "Finding of the Relics ..." less confusing. Oddly enough, my parish of origin in Pennsylvania was St. Stephen's, Norwood; and Fr. Yost comes to us from St. Stephen's, Sherman, Texas. Stephen is a good patron saint: one of the seven first deacons, the first martyr, and a bold preacher of the Gospel.
Within living memory, Saint Stephen's House, Oxford -- the English Anglo-Catholic seminary which is a faculty of Oxford University -- revived the celebration of the Finding of the Relics of Saint Stephen precisely because the principal feast of Stephen, on December 26, comes at a highly inconvenient time of the year for many parishes and educational institutions: the day after Christmas Day, and in the middle of the Christmas break. The beginning of August is not necessarily that much more convenient, coinciding as it does with summer vacations, but it at least affords a second chance for parishes and other institutions dedicated to St. Stephen to devote a day's celebration to our patron. Saint Stephen, Protomartyr, pray for us! -- Fr. John D. Alexander
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Finding of the Relics of Saint Stephen
Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15
Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday Mass in Lady Chapel – The Sunday 10 am Mass continues to be offered in the Lady Chapel. The work is scheduled to be completed sometime this month.
When Receiving Communion – in the Lady Chapel at the 10 am Mass during the summer, please leave a space open to the left of the altar rail on the left, so that those who have received may exit and return to their chairs via the nave aisle. Feel free to stand to receive either at the altar rail or in the space between if kneeling presents a problem.
August Year’s Mind – Departed parishioners whose anniversaries fall during August will be prayed for at the Monthly Requiem on Monday 3 August at 6 pm, preceded by Evening Prayer at 5:30. If you have any additional names to be remembered, please let Fr. Yost know.
Summer Patronal Festival – With the Bishop’s permission, his morning we keep the feast of the Finding of the Relics of St. Stephen at both Masses, which commemorates the finding of the relics of Saint Stephen in the year 415 by the priest Lucian at a place called Caphar-Gamala near Jerusalem. Churches dedicated to Saint Stephen sometimes keep this feast as a patronal festival in addition to Saint Stephen’s Day on December 26th.
Transfiguration & Assumption – This Thursday 6 August, the Feast of the Transfiguration will be kept at St. John’s Newport at Mass at 6:30 pm, as we continue to offer joint celebrations for both parishes. Fr. Yost will preach. On Saturday 15 August at 11 am, we will keep the Feast of the Assumption with Sung Mass at 11 am in our Lady Chapel. Fr. Nathan Humphrey, vicar of St. John’s, will preach. All are welcome and invited to attend.
FOR YOUR PRAYERS
Prayers have been requested for: Nicholas, Patricia, Jonno, Nancy, Townsend, Norman, Elva, Ethel, Andrea, Marion, Sue, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Gus, Harrington, Kate, Davaughn, Bernice, Ellen-Jean, Richard, Sandy, Angela, Bobby, Sally, Rhoda, Ned, Henry, James, and Dianne.
The faithful departed: Year’s mind: Theresa Jarvis (4 August 2011); Recently Departed: The Rev. Lane Davenport
Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, please pray for the Church in Renk (Sudan): The Rt. Rev’d Jospeh Garang Atem; and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, please pray for those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of our nation.
THE SUNDAY ROTA
Server – R Armidon
Lector – R G Noble
Ushers – R Viti, T Bledsoe
Coffee Hour – P Fuller, T Oakes, K Vorbeck Williams
THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S
PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Saturday 8 August
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2 pm
LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday 2 August
FINDING OF THE RELICS OF SAINT STEPHEN (R)
Morning Prayer 7:30 am
Low Mass 8 am
Sung Mass 10 am (Lady Chapel)
Daily Office & Mass Lectionary: Proper 13, Year 1
Monday 3 August
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Requiem Mass (with prayers for August departed) 6 pm
Tuesday 4 August
Jean-Baptiste Vianney, Curé d’Ars, Spiritual Guide, 1859 (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:30 am
Wednesday 5 August
Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr, 642 (R)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Thursday 6 August
TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:30 am
(High Mass at St. John the Evangelist, Newport 6:30 pm)
Friday 7 August
John Mason Neale, Priest, Scholar, Hymn Writer, 1866 (W)
Angelus 12 Noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Saturday 8 August
Dominic, Friar, Founder of the Order of Preachers, 1221 (W)
Morning Prayer 9 am
Low Mass 9:30 am
Sunday 9 August
ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (G)
Morning Prayer 7:30 am
Low Mass 8 am
Sung Mass 10 am (Lady Chapel)
NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (August 9)
Proper 14, Year B
1 Kings 19:4-8
Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:35, 41-51
