St. Stephen Parish SaintStephenSF.org | 451 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco CA 94132 | Church 415 681-2444
SaintStephenSchoolSF.org | 401 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco 94132 | School 415 664-8331 Weekday Mass: 8:00 a.m. Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 p.m. or by appt. Sunday Mass: Vigil Saturday 4:30 p.m.,8:00, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. & 6:45 p.m.
August 20, 2017 Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
August 27, 2017
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20
A message from the pastor on this week’s Scripture:
Handing over a set of keys is a symbolic gesture, even in our world today. Handing over the car keys to a new driver expresses trust in them, even though they are inexperienced and it may be frightening to do so. Handing over the keys to your home may mean you trust someone else to care for it responsibly for a short time, or that you are ready to relinquish ownership of it to them completely.
The symbolism of keys and authority guides our readings today. In the first reading, we hear Isaiah proclaiming God’s judgement on Shebna’s poor leadership. Shebna was King Hezekiah’s chief of staff, and was taking advantage of his position to build an impressive tomb for himself. He also en-couraged the king to rely on human wisdom rather than trusting God’s wisdom. Shebna personified the behavior of the wealthier people of his time: conspicuous consumption, while ignoring the needs of the poor. So God fires Shebna, and chooses Eliakim to replace him. He places the key of the House of David [Jesus’ lineage] on Eliakim's shoulder.
Isaiah’s message to him, and to the Jewish people, is clear: God gives authority to those who lead according to his commandments. God removes authority from those who put their own interests first, while neglecting and exploiting the needs of the most vulnerable.
In the Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Simon Peter proclaims, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus blesses him and reveals that Peter’s awareness of who Jesus is comes from his Father. Jesus tells him that he will be the rock on which his Church is built, and says, I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
When Jesus blesses Peter for acknowledging that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, he is not only elevating Peter, but the whole community of disciples, as the “rock-solid” foundation of the Church that will carry on his mission. Like God with Eliakim, he is entrusting them with the keys that ensure God will be the source of wisdom for their decisions.
We too are entrusted with keys – keys to one another’s hearts; keys to one another’s vulner-abilities; and by the grace of God and our baptism, keys to our portion of building the kingdom of God. Let us be worthy of and faithful to that trust.
Thanks for being with us today and have a blessed, safe week.
Father Tony
SAVE THE DATE
“Immaculate Heart of Mary” The Archbishop will consecrate our Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 7, 2017. This will coincide with the Centennial Celebrations commemorating the Apparitions of Our La-dy of Fatima. This is also the same day of the Archdiocesan Annual Rosary Rally. More details will be coming soon – but save the date for this important and spiritual event.
Our Liturgical Week Monday, Aug. 28 8:00 a.m. † Elisa Lasa Maffei (By: Lalo Ruehle)
Tuesday, Aug. 29 8:00 a.m. Mass of Thanksgiving (By: Anonymous)
Wednesday, Aug. 30 8:00 a.m. † Julie West (By: Ramon Marquez) V
Thursday, Aug. 31 8:00 a.m. † Teresa Collins (By: Shiela & Denis McCarthy)ˑ
Friday, Sep. 1 8:00 a.m. † Consolacion Salera (By: Becky Parini)
Saturday, Sep. 2 8:00 a.m. † Mary Cody (By: Bernie & Tony Hennessy) 3:30 p.m. Reconciliation 4:30 p.m. † Diana Cerchiai (By: Jeannette & Peter Santini)
Sunday, Sep. 3 8:00 a.m. † Lorin, Dorothy & Paul Medlin (By: Jane Medlin) 9:30 a.m. † Celevina Hizon (By: N. Hizon) 11:30 a.m. † Alfred Barrzoloski (By: Maria Barzoloski) 6:45 p.m. † Vivian Erickson
(By: Morley Family)
Bold Indicates Mass Intentions P lease pray for the sick and homebound of our
community and for all those written in our book of the
sick. May they know the healing touch of Jesus.
Larry Barbiere, Edileide Jose Barbosa, Maureen Conley, Ed Cummings,
Carol Dominguez, Eden Finn, Emma Lew, Al Gragnani, Maria Matthews,
Juan Pablo Grover-Paez, Nenita Sangalang, Anna Macalino Thompson, Betty Rodriguez,
Jovita & Richard Thompson, and Patricia Sullivan.
Please call the office for names of people that we should pray for or remain on this list.
Second Collection Next Weekend
A second collection will be taken September 2 & 3 for:
St. Stephen Building Maintenance & Repair
St Stephen Events Calendar
Monday 12:00 p.m. 50+ Club/Hall 7:00 p.m. Liturgy Meeting/Rectory Thursday 11:30 a.m. Athletic Bar-B-Que/Hall 6:00 p.m. Back to School Night/Church Friday 6:00 p.m. School Room Parent Meeting/Hall 7:00 p.m. G.A. Closed Meeting/EC Sunday 7:00 p.m. Adult Volleyball/Gym
Our online website includes a community events cal-endar.
TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — Eliakim is destined by God to be a father to those who live in Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:19-23). Psalm — Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands (Psalm 138). Second Reading — How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! (Romans 11:33-36). Gospel — Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20).
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time August 27, 2017 “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”— Matthew 16:19
SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Sunday: Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Monday: St. Augustine Tuesday: The Passion of St. John the Baptist Friday: World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation; First Friday Saturday: Blessed Virgin Mary; First Saturday
HAPPY PEOPLE The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of every-thing. —Anonymous
Our Mission Statement We are a Catholic Community that is called by God to follow Jesus Christ. We believe that we are called to worship God together, to lead God's people along the path of hope laid down by Jesus, to share his message through preaching, through the education and formation of our people, young and old, and through caring ser-vice and sensitive outreach to those in need Rev. Tony P. LaTorre - Pastor
SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS! With one week “under-our-belt” the 2017-18 school year is well on its way. Last week we welcomed back our Saint Stephen school community. The building itself underwent a major seismic retrofit project over the summer and met its deadline and work is completed. Class-rooms are now safer in case of an earthquake, bathrooms have been remodeled and rooms and halls have new paint and carpet. All because of the care and hard work of our principal, Mrs. Allen, and the many laborers and the generosity of our parents. All that aside, welcome back teachers, parents and most importantly, our students and a special welcome to our new fami-lies. On this special day, I offer the following prayers:
A Prayer for our Teachers . . . .
Dear God, Thank you for the amazing teachers who have given their lives to serve our chil-dren. As they prepare for the new year fill them with strength to lead, grace to guide and hope to thrive in their classroom. Bless them beyond measure for their
willingness to pour into the next generation through education. In Jesus’ name – Amen!
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A Prayer for our Students . . .
Dear God, Thank you for the gift of education in every form. As our children prepare to
start a new year, may confidence be their foundation, may grace be their guide and may hope be their compass toward a bright future. I pray they would have eyes to see the needs of those around them and a heart to love well. May they
face each day with positivity knowing that no matter what comes their way, they don’t have to face it alone.
In Jesus’ name – Amen!
Welcome back everyone! Father Tony
HOSPITALITY MINISTERS for our 9:30 a.m. Mass
Today, Aug. 27 - Parish Council Sunday, Sep. 3 - Altar Society Sunday, Sep. 10 - Charlotte Bautista
Please note! Coffee and donuts will not be served until the completion of mass.
Our Altar Server’s Schedule
This Week
Saturday, Aug. 26 8:00 a.m. D. Miller, E. Ramsey 4:30 p. m. S. Franco, A. Flores
Sunday, Aug. 27 8:00 a.m. M. Hua, B. Scheg 9:30 p.m. A. Fambrini, E. O’Driscoll, S. Mueck 11:30 a.m. J. Brooks, O. & T. Bankovitch 6:45p.m. C. Patanker
Monday: A. O’Callaghan, M. Onken Tuesday: M. Tao, C. Anderson Wednesday: E. Daly, A. Dugan Thursday: C. Davey, B. Hallinan Friday: C. O’Donoghue, J. Pashby Saturday O. Schot, S. Tuvo 4:30 p.m. G. Zevallos
Our special “thanks” to our student Altar Servers who faithfully continue to volunteer their time and talent to our parish.
RCIA 2017 - 18 Is there someone in your life who is wondering what Catholic faith is, or is thinking about becoming a Catholic? Perhaps that someone just needs a little push from you to embark on this faith searching journey. The RCIA Program - the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults - welcomes anyone who is inter-ested in learning more about the Catholic faith or would like to receive the sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. The pro-gram begins in late September. Participants will re-ceive the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil in April, 2018. For details, please call Mary Molly Mullaney at 415-681-2444 ext. 27.
Volunteer opportunity with Faith Formation Program.
Do you like working with youth and teaching the Catholic Faith? The St. Stephen Parish Faith For-mation program and Children’s Liturgy is in need of volunteer teachers for this coming school year. Faith Formation meets on Monday afternoons, 4:00-5:15pm. The Children’s Liturgy is at the 9:30 Mass on Sundays. Please contact Mary Molly Mullaney in the parish office if you are interested in helping out or just want more information.
Phone: (415) 681-2444 x27 E-mail: [email protected]
NEW PARISH MANAGER NAMED
We are delighted to announce that we have conclud-ed our search for a new Parish Manager and wel-come, Carol Cagalingan to the staff of Saint Ste-phens’ Parish (effective, September 1). Carol is a human resource management professional for twen-ty-five years whose diverse experience includes more than twenty years in government financing institution overseas before she moved on to working with non-profit organizations across the Bay then the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Carol believes in giving back to the Catholic community in which she is most active and is a current member of Saint Emydius Parish here in San Francisco. Carol has a double major undergraduate degree in the field of Social Sciences from the University of the Philip-pines and a post graduate diploma in Industrial Re-lations in Human Resource Management from the same university. Carol comes to us from the finance and parish offices of Saint Philips’ Parish here in the City. We are fortunate to have someone with such a diverse background join our staff – Welcome, Car-ol! (Fr. Tony)
BEEN ON VACATION? It’s great to see so many families back in church with vacations winding down. Welcome back! But you know what happens during the summer months? Our collections go down with your absence. And our bills keep coming in (electricity, gas, phones, and salaries). It’s great that families can travel and get away from their normal routines. It would also be great if you could help us with our summer deficit. How about that “extra” something over the next month to help us “catch-up.” Thanks, as always. (Fr. Tony).
Religious Education for 1st to 8th Grade Students Attending non-Catholic
Schools Would you like your children to learn more about our Catholic faith, or to
receive First Holy Communion or Confirmation? St. Stephen Parish Faith Formation Program is now en-rolling students in 1st through 8th grades.
The Faith Formation Program runs from September 11 to May 14. They meet once a week on Monday afternoons, 4:00 pm to 5:15 pm (except holidays).
This program is supported by a group of experienced and dedicated religious education teachers.
For more information, please call Mary Molly Mul-laney at St. Stephen Parish Office (415) 681-2444, x27 or email: [email protected] Registration forms available online or paper forms in vestibule.
Want to contribute to a specific need? Please take a look at our wish list!
St Stephen Pastor Wish List
1. Fifty New Monthly Donors ($100/month) 2.Repair/Clean-out Church Rain Gutters $25,000 3.Install Outdoor Church Sign ($25,000) 4. Replace Church Carpet ($30,000) 5. Re-Paint Church Interior ($100,000)
Want to make a difference? Contact Fr. Tony at [email protected].
Thank you!
Stewardship: A Way of Life Sunday Collection: 08/20/17 $5,415
2nd Collection: Annual Appeal $2,082
Feast of the Assumption $1,276
We thank our parishioners who return their gifts with a loving and generous increase to God.
A BIT OF SCRIPTURAL “HUMOR”
Three of the clergy—a Lutheran, a Catholic, and an Episcopalian—ended up at the Pearly Gates one day. It was St. Peter’s day off, so Jesus was administering the entrance exam. “The question is sim-ple,” he said. “Who do you say that I am?" The Lutheran stepped forward and began, “The Bible says . . . ” but Jesus interrupted and said, “I know what the Bible says; who do you say that I am?” The Lutheran said, “I don’t know,” and fell through a trap-door to that other place. The Catholic stepped forward and began, “The Pope says . . . ” But Jesus interrupted him and said, “I know what the Pope says; who do you say that I am?” “I’m not sure,” said the Catholic, and promptly fell through the trap-door to that other place. Jesus turned to the Episcopalian and asked, “Who do you say that I am?” The Episcopalian replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" Then, just as Jesus smiled and gestured for the Pearly Gates to be opened, the Episcopalian continued, “but on the other hand..."
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MEMORIAL MASS/HEALING LITURGY IN REMEMBRNACE OF CHILDREN
Parents, families, and all interested persons are invited to a Memorial Mass and Healing Liturgy in memory of babies and young children who have died before, during, and shortly after birth from any cause at the Holy Cross Mausoleum in Holy Cross Cemetery, near Rachel Knoll, Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will be the principal celebrant of the bilin-gual Spanish and English Mass and will be joined by other priests of the Archdiocese. A Healing Lit-urgy will follow at the nearby Rachel Shrine. The liturgy is a touching and spiritual experience for those who are parents of young children, as well as their families and friends. All are welcome to a gathering and a light luncheon following the ceremony, which is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Post Abortion Ministry and Holy Cross Cemetery. For further information please call the Respect Life
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PASTORAL STAFF
Rev. Tony P. LaTorre Pastor ext.25
Rev. Mr. Olet Abad
Rev. Mr. Rory Desmond Permanent Deacon
Rhonda Smith
Coordinator of Music & Liturgy ext. 32
Mary Molly Mullaney
Faith Formation Coordinator ext.27
Mrs. Sharon McCarthy Allen School Principal
(Vacant)
Parish Manager ext.23
Shay Ingelfinger Event Center Coordinator ext.33
Jan Almeida
Bookkeeper ext.29
ST STEPHEN PARISH 2016-2017
ORGANIZATION/MINISTRY CONTACT PERSON
• Altar Servers Giovanna Hrvatin
• Altar Society Joan Leehane
• Bridge Group Helen Perlite
• Caritas Nellie Hizon
• Church Hospitality Mary Molly Mullaney
• Communion Ministers Rhonda Smith
• Faith Formation Mary Molly Mullaney
• Fifty Plus Club Helga D’Arcy • Finance Council Laura Birsinger
• Grief Support Clergy
• Lectors Rhonda Smith
• Liturgy Committee Fr. Tony
• Marriage Preparation Clergy
• Men’s Club Andrew Hazard
• Music Rhonda Smith • Parish Council Vicky Francisco
• RCIA Mary Molly Mullaney
• St. Stephen Book Club Veronica Wong
• St. Vincent de Paul Julie O’Callaghan
• Ushers Bob Anthony
• Women’s Guild Lydia Flocchini
Our warmest welcome to all who celebrate with us.
You can sign up or update your information by completing this form & placing it in the collection basket, by mailing it to the Parish Office, by phone at 681-2444 or online at www.saintstephensf.org!
Name ______________________________________ Address ___________________________________
City/Zip _____________________ Phone ________________________ Email _____________________
Our parishioners receive the Archdiocese weekly newspaper “Catholic San Francisco.”
I am interested in assisting with the Parish in the following way(s):
• Acolyte/Altar Service • Altar Society • Children’s Liturgy of the Word Choir • Greeter/Usher
• Holy Communion Ministers to the Homebound • Lector/Holy Communion Ministers • Music/Choir
