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Monthly Newsletter
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Youth Ministry Update (for youth in grades 6-12)
November/December Service Project Update: Thank you to our teens that participated in our November/December Service Project. Over 30 teens from our school and faith formation families, along with teens from other Harford area parishes, made scarves, baked cookies, decorated gift bags and ornaments and made cards for the needy. The finished projects supported the Sharing Table at Prince of Peace, Outreach Center of St, Mark’s and the Outreach Food Pantry of St Francis de Sales. Our teens are awesome!
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Sacramental Notices
Confirmation:
Confirmation 2022 Enrollment Rite – Unfortunately, due to the recent surge in COVID, we postponed our Enrollment Masses scheduled in January. We will update our families when we are able to reschedule.
Confirmation 2022 Small Groups – Our small groups start in February. If you have not yet signed up for your small group through the Sign-Up Genius, it is not too late. Register now!
Confirmation Save the Date – Tuesday, May 11 or Wednesday May 12 are Confirmation at St. Stephen. Masses will begin at 5:30pm. No further details are available at this time.
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Faith Formation Notices
Sacramental Prep Reminder: The guidelines from the Archdiocese of Baltimore require that a student MUST have regular attendance in Faith Formation for one year prior to AND the year celebrating each/any Sacrament in a Faith Formation Catechesis program or at a Catholic School. If you are interested in more information or would like a registration form, please contact Yvonne Malick at 410-592-8666 or yvonne@ssparish.org
8th Grade Faith Formation Notes - Last day of Faith Formation sessions for 8th graders was Jan 30, 2022. Confirmation Immediate Prep in small groups has begun. -
General Notices
Feb 24 Walking with Moms in Need – Our next Walking with Mom’s in Need meeting is Thursday, February 24 at 5pm at Holy Spirit Church, 540 Joppa Farm Rd, Joppa, MD 21085 (It may be more convenient to park in the small, side parking lot and enter by the west side doors.) Do you have a heart for women who are pregnant and parenting and need help? Perhaps you’ve been there yourself, or maybe you’ve helped someone else in the past. We invite you to join us as we embark on an effort to serve mothers in need in our parishes and our neighborhoods. As Pope Francis reminds us, our parishes need to be “islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.” In order to assess, expand, and better communicate resources to local pregnant moms, couples, and families in need, our parish is joining a nationwide effort entitled: “Walking with Moms in Need.” Our next step is to identify resources and see where gaps may exist. For more information, and to ensure you receive news and updates, please contact Cathy Nichols at cathynichols317@gmail.com or Raquel Muneses at rockycdm@gmail.com.
Our initiative at St. Stephen was recently mentioned in the January Catholic Review. You may read the full story here.
Feb 27 - Community Sunday, 4th Sunday of the month: Join us for a gathering of parish family and friends each month, following the 11am Hall Mass. Light refreshments will be provided
Save the Date for the next Baltimore Catholic Engaged Encounter - Baltimore Catholic Engaged Encounter is offering THREE In-Person retreats in 2022!!! Spaces are limited so be sure to visit our website and register you and your fiancé TODAY! The Next In-Person Engaged Encounter commuter (no overnight accommodations) retreat is taking place at Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Middle River on Saturday and Sunday April 2nd and 3rd, 2022. You can find more details about this retreat, as well as the Summer and Fall retreats, and register for these weekends on our website: https://baltimore.engagedencounter.com/. These weekends will fill quickly so register soon!
Parents & Grandparents of college students away from home: If you would like a care package sent, please submit the name and specific mailing address of your college student to us by Feb 27. Please be as detailed as possible. Contact Robin at 410-592-7294 or robin@ssparish.org. If you would like to volunteer with this ministry and help prepare care packages, please let us know!
Know a Parishioner who needs a Friendly Call - Please help us identify those who are isolated and homebound and need someone to pray with and talk to on a recurring basis. If you are aware of a parishioner who is alone, alert our Parish office at 410-592-7071 with their name and phone number. A ministry volunteer will reach out and offer them a friendly voice! Thanks in advance for helping us better serve our parish family.
Winter Weather Closings - If Baltimore County Schools are closed or have a 2 hour delay due to weather, there will be no daily 7:30 AM Mass.
Musicians Needed Want to share your musical gifts? We are always looking for talented and reliable individuals who are interested. Join the choir? Cantoring a Mass? Play a musical instrument? Perhaps join the Contemporary Music Group? If interested, please contact our Director of Music, Rob Hott, at 443-691-4084 and let's set up an audition! Remember, "singing is praying twice!"
Wanted: Volunteers for Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) – we are in need of volunteers to help create digital (powerpoint) presentations that will be sent to our Children’s Ministry Flock Note group. A training session will be provided, you contribute your creativity and a little research to supplement the Sunday readings! Please contact Mrs. Robin if you are interested robin@ssparish.org.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word: is available in PDF form to use with your children at home! To receive a weekly Flock Note with this resource and other news about children’s ministries, please sign up for flock notes at www.ssparish.org/flocknote and select the Children’s Ministry group along with any other groups of interest to you!
Courage and EnCourage Ministries - Courage is a ministry to people with same-sex attractions who are looking for support to live chaste lives according to the teachings of the Church. For information, go to their website, www.couragerc.net. Msgr. James Farmer is the local Courage chaplain. He is available for confidential inquiries or conversations at (410) 444-6500. Voice mail messages should include a first name and a private number to return the call.EnCourage is an apostolate which provides pastoral care for families and friends of people who experience same-sex attractions and/or gender dysphoria. In many cases, their loved ones have adopted the LGBTQ label, and may have moved away from actively practicing their faith. Through local chapters and online support, our members receive help and encouragement to understand the experience of their loved ones more deeply, to foster healthy relationships within their families, and to deepen their own relationship with Christ. For the Baltimore area chapter, contact: Pat Phebus at (410) 302-4641 or e-mail her at: pgphebus@gmail.com. Father Raymond Harris is the EnCourage Spiritual Director. He can be reached at (410) 922-3800, ext. 6 or email: rharris@archbalt.org
Kenya Day Postponed - Due to the current COVID situation and not knowing the condition from week from week, the Kenya Committee will be postponing the Kenya Day event on MARCH 27, 2022. It is our hope to reschedule this special event in honor of our sister parish in Kenya when the COVID situation is more predictable.
Thank you for your continued support of all the Kenya events and all you do for our sister parish. May the Holy Spirit inspire us to come together in prayer and guide us to form a Kenyan prayer group within our committee and parish. Please consider joining our Kenya Committee and become part of our team in developing our partnership. Please call Mary Bauer at 443-456-3498 for more details.
Though we are not yet sure when we will be able to gather again in person, we hope to set a Kenya Event date in the near future to come together to celebrate! More info will be forthcoming. In the meantime, let us continue to pray for the end of COVID while keeping our brothers and sisters in Kenya in our prayers.
Communion for the sick/homebound: If you are aware of a homebound parishioner who is in need of a regular visit to receive the Eucharist, please alert our parish center at 410-592-7071 with their name, phone number, and address if available, so we may try to match them with an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. Thanks in advance for helping us better serve our parish family.