Confessions for the Altar Guild
An old custom at St. Stephen’s, that has probably not been communicated to the younger generation of guild members or to the parish in some time, is a privilege for altar servers to “cut the line” for confessions before Mass. This is to allow them the opportunity for confession, which otherwise might not be possible for them, as usually the confessors have left the box by the time Mass is concluded and the servers have finished their duties at the altar. Servers, after they have completed preparing the altar, may go to the confessional area and stand by the pew ahead of those currently in line. They should be vested in cassock, but not surplice. I do encourage families bringing members of the guild for their assigned Masses to arrive early enough to facilitate both setting up the altar and going to confession. Side servers that wish to go to confession should not invoke this privilege; at Masses that they want to go to confession, they should refrain from side serving and wait in the confessional line as usual.
Bulletin Boards
New bulletin boards have been posted in the sacristy, breezeway, and classrooms. These are to prevent flyers from being taped up in various places, which is often causing damage to painted walls or leaving adhesive film on windows. The key for the breezeway bulletin boards is available in the bookstore. I remind everyone that flyers are not to be posted without my permission.
Father/Daughter Dance
A number of fathers have approached me regarding the possibility of a Father/Daughter Dance at St. Stephen’s. A date has been established for this: Saturday, July 11, from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. The late start is to allow fathers to bring their daughters to dinner somewhere prior to the dance. We hope to have a waltz instructor that will provide instruction for approximately one hour. Those interested in assisting with or participating at the dance can reach out to Lisa da Silva at 209-595-5205.
Change to the Lenten Mission
Some unforeseen circumstance arose that will prevent Fr. Joel Pinto, FSSP from coming for the parish Lenten mission. I am trying to work out an alternative solution and should have more information next week for you.
Parish Signal Groups
We have a number of Signal groups that we use for communication with and between parishioners. The most important of these is the Volunteer group, to which only the priests can post. In addition to requests for volunteers (which will usually be directed to a lead volunteer), the priests often post photos or other announcements pertinent to parish life or the faith in general. Many of these are smaller items that may not make their way into the bulletin.
Other groups pertain to the Altar Guild, Ushers, Coffee & Donuts, Priest Tuesday & Thursday Meals, and Home-schooling. There are also two groups dedicated to men and women in the parish, respectively. QR codes for the groups are available in the parish book-store. I have made a note of them on the front page of the bulletin; it would be good to direct newer parishioners to them to help them get involved and meet people.
