Christ the King - St. Stephen Parish

www.ctkph.org

www.saintstephenparish.org

Parish Newsletter

"Staying Connected"

March 13, 2024

Dear Friends,

This Monday, March 11th we welcomed Winter Nights homeless families into our church campus. There are….people living with us, and I am so grateful to John Alonso and his team of volunteers for ministering to these precious families. We currently have 4 families, with the youngest being a 2 month old infant. I know that many of you have volunteered to cook, to teach or just be there for these families. Thank you.

In 2018, one of our parishioners, Craig Lazzeretti, wrote the following article titled, “Every child in our country should sleep in a warm bed” in the Mercury News, which I would like to share with you.

“Each year, my parish in Pleasant Hill takes part in a wonderful program in Contra Costa that houses homeless families at local churches. For two weeks, families pitch tents in our church gymnasium while members of the church community take turns preparing meals and offering spiritual and material sustenance. At the end of the two weeks, the families pack up and move on to another local church.

I took part recently in the Winter Nights program at Christ the King Catholic Church, where I had the privilege of helping serve a Mexican-themed meal to the families, who, despite their challenging circumstances, smiled broadly and expressed a degree of gratitude that I found moving.

As rewarding as the experience was, it was also troubling and difficult to see children without a permanent place to call home. This just wasn’t right. Every child in our country should lie down to sleep at night in a warm bed, not in sleeping bags in a church gym or worse. As the richest state in the richest society in the world, we can and must do better.

As I talked to the program director over dinner, I saw a portrait of the homeless in our community that flew in the face of preconceptions I’ve often had over the years. In many cases, these are hard-working, dedicated parents who either have jobs or want them and yet they simply don’t have the resources to put a roof over their head. While it’s easy to associate the homeless with mental illness or substance abuse, an increasing number are victims of the cruel lack of affordable housing in the Bay Area.

It’s not uncommon, I was told, for parents to have stable jobs but be relegated to living out of their cars because their incomes simply can’t pay for the sky-high rents in the area. One bad break in life can leave them and their children on the streets.

As we talked, I felt angry thinking about how much could be done to solve this problem if only we committed to building sufficient affordable housing in our communities...

It’s a shame that those who so vigorously fight attempts to bring low-income housing into their communities don’t see first-hand the results of their actions: families living in cars or in tents in church gymnasiums. If they witnessed what I witnessed during the Winter Nights program, I wonder if they might have a change of heart?

Maybe, maybe not. In so many arenas today, entrenched ideology and beliefs seem to have trumped compassion and pragmatism. The sad reality is that too many people in our communities are afraid of the impact affordable housing will have on their quality of life.

Then again, there’s no better way to spark action than to put a human face on a problem. If children sleeping in tents in church gymnasiums isn’t enough to bring about change, I’m not sure what will.”



I spoke to Craig recently, and he told me how much he was inspired and transformed by the Winter Nights program. May Jesus who was born in a manger and lived in exile as a child, bring blessings upon all who work to bring JOY to the poor and the needy. 

Compassion. Resilience. Determination. Three words to describe one of the greatest women of the 19th and 20th centuries with an inspiring film running in theatres from Angel Studios, Cabrini. 

I invite you to watch the movie in one of our theatres near you; her rags-to-riches story as she rose to entrepreneurship; her mission to lift the poor and orphaned; her fight against misogyny, bigotry, and classicism; and why this stunning biopic will be one of the most inspiring watches of the decade. Who was the titular character of Cabrini? Cabrini’s real name is Francesca Xavier Cabrini (also referred to as Frances Cabrini.) A nun serving under Pope Leo XIII, and the daughter of a farmer from Lombard, Cabrini hailed from Italy and immigrated to New York, where she completed the bulk of her service. After her death, Cabrini attained sainthood as an American citizen, and has hereafter become known as Mother Cabrini or the Patron Saint of Immigrants. (Taken from Angel studios).

Fr. Paulson

You are invited to attend our Lenten

Reconciliation Services in the church

CTK: Saturday, March 16 at 3pm

St. Stephen: Friday, March 15 at 6pm

Come and experience the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

as we journey together during Lent.

The Hospitality Ministry invites you to

celebrate St. Patrick on Saturday, March 16th,

following the 4pm mass, outside on the patio.

Let's gather together for

fellowship, food and fun!

All are welcome! 

Christ the King Church

Please join us on Fridays in Lent to pray

The Stations of the Cross

 6:30pm

St. Stephen Church

Please join us on Fridays for 12pm

Stations of the Cross in the church.

We are also open for self-guided outdoor stations on

Fridays 12pm to 6pm and Mon. & Wed. 11am-2pm

Holy Thursday - March 28

   7pm Mass

 St. Stephen Church - 7pm Mass

Good Friday - March 29

12pm - Taize Prayer Around the Cross

1pm - Preaching on the Passion

1:10pm - Stations of the Cross

1:50pm - Preaching on the Passion

2pm - Liturgy of the Lord's Passion

6pm - Liturgy of the Lord's Passion (repeat of the 2pm)

St. Stephen Church - Stations of the Cross - 6pm

      Easter Vigil - Saturday, March 30

7:30pm Mass

St. Stephen Church - 7:30pm Mass

      Easter Sunday Masses - March 31

                                7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am - In the church

               9am & 10:30am - Children/Family Mass - Outdoors

         No 4pm Mass

St. Stephen Church - 9:30am

At CTK Please bring your own chairs for the

Easter outdoor masses. (9am & 10:30am)

Livestreaming links to our services can be found at ctkph.org.

10:30am Easter Sunday Indoor Mass will

be livestreamed.

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt is back again this year

Saturday, March 30 - CTK's Lawn

The Knights of Columbus are holding their CTK Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30th, so come join us for a morning of fun and excitement on the lawn. 

Admission is Free. 

The Easter Bunny will be arriving at 10am and the Easter Egg Hunt will

follow our usual schedule: 

   10:15 am for 1-4 years old

 10:45am, for 5-7 years old

 11:15am for 8-10 years old

Bring your Easter baskets, get a picture with the Easter Bunny, participate in the

Easter Egg Hunt, and enjoy free refreshments and games as we

celebrate Easter weekend.  

Please bring a canned good to donate to charity.   

Dear CTK Religious Education Families,

A beautiful CTK RE Easter tradition is the flowered cross. It is displayed at outdoor Easter masses, and then inside the church for as long as the flowers last. The best part about the cross is that it is created by YOU! RE CTK families provide multi-colored roses, Gerber daisies and sunflowers that reflect the beauty of God’s entire creation. (Please bring only these varieties, as thicker stems are needed for proper attachment to the cross.)

This beautiful activity lends itself to the involvement of children, who bring and attach their favorite flowers to the cross. When children proudly show others the flowers that they have attached, it is a moment of joy and of prayer for all.

Please bring your flowers, multi colored roses, Gerber daisies or sunflowers on Holy Saturday, March 30^th, from 9:00-10:00 AM. The “bare” cross will be on the patio in front of the church, waiting for you to attach your floral contributions.



See you on Holy Saturday morning!

The next CLOW is this Sunday, March 17!  

At the 9:00am mass, children will have the opportunity to join other children in a special Children's Liturgy. Children will listen to the readings of the day in an interactive, child-friendly way so they can better understand God's Word and strengthen their faith.

CLOW Details

Time: Sundays at 9:00 a.m. Mass

Ages: Kindergarten - 4th Grade

Upcoming Dates: March 17, April 14, April 21, May 5, May 19

No registration necessary. Children will be called forward at the start of mass, and will return to the church to present the Gifts and sit near the Altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. They will return to their families during Peace be with You. CLOW is optional, children may participate if they'd like, or remain with their families throughout mass in the church. Questions? Please contact Heidi Nuti.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Welcome to our weekly reflections on

the Sunday Scriptures.



A number of foreigners (called “Greeks” only because of the language they spoke) converted to the Jewish faith. Though they did not observe all the Jewish laws, they

were accepted in the Temple of Jerusalem—but only within a segregated courtyard. In this particular instance, some of these “Greeks” asked to speak with Jesus..  Read More

The Crayon Initiative Fundraiser

Donate your old, broken and used crayons

See flyer for more details here

Scholastic Book Fair

Encourage reading by letting kids shop

for books they want to read. 

Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them on their journey to becoming lifelong readers. As always – purchases benefit

CTK Catholic School  

Held in the school Library and Media Center from March 17 – 21. 

Visit our Book Fair Website for more details.  

The Karilagan/Kultura Dance Group -

a Filipino cultural dance group is excitedly

opening its doors to all new members.

Our mission is to give tribute to Philippine heritage as well as international culture by preserving & promoting ethnic attire, music & dance through research, practices & performances. We aim to serve as a bridge inspiring & connecting Filipinos to their roots to give them a sense of pride & identity while educating diverse communities to foster awareness & appreciation of the Philippine culture.

We will have a table outside the church on Sunday, March 17 after the 9am mass if you’re interested in this wonderful opportunity. For inquiries, pls. contact Ms. Cynthia Novero at (760) 831- 6538 or Ms. Belle Ross (925) 768-3099.

To donate a one-time/on-line donation.

Or regular and/or second collections.

CTK Weekday Masses

Monday - Friday

9am Mass

(9am Masses will be livestreamed)

CTK Weekend Masses

Saturday

9am and 4pm Vigil

(Saturday 4pm Mass will be livestreamed)

CTK Sunday Masses

7:30am, 9am, 10:30am and 4pm

(10:30am Mass will be livestreamed).

Readings for Sunday Mass Here Year B.

Links to our services (livestreamed or archived) can be found at ctkph.org

or by clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.

Ongoing Services at CTK & St. Stephen

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Private Confessions every Saturday from 3pm to 3:30pm at CTK and Saturday before the 5pm mass at St. Stephen.

CTK Thursday Morning Mass - 9am - Honoring our Mother of Perpetual Help, Worship Aide Here (Also livestreamed).

St. Patrick & St. Joseph - Pray For Us

St. Patrick (387-493) was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, to Roman-British parents. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen and sold as a slave to a Druid high priest. He worked as a shepherd and spent much time in prayer as he labored in the fields. He also acquired a perfect knowledge of the Celtic language and the Druid cult, which later enabled him to evangelize the Celtic people. After six years of slavery, an angel told him to flee his oppressive master and return to his native land. Upon returning to Britain, Patrick desired to devote himself to God's service. He went to France and placed himself under the direction of St. Germain, who ordained him a priest and sent him to evangelize the pagans in Ireland. St. Patrick devoted the rest of his life to converting the island to Christianity. He was ordained a bishop and himself ordained many priests. He divided the country into dioceses, held local Church councils, founded monasteries, and urged the people to greater holiness. He suffered much opposition from the Druids and occult magicians, who, threatened by Christianity, conjured demonic power to defy Patrick. However, the prayer, faith, fearlessness, and episcopal authority of Patrick triumphed, and he was so successful in his endeavor that in the Middle Ages Ireland became known as the Land of Saints, and himself the "Apostle of Ireland." Later, the missionaries sent from Ireland to Europe were largely responsible for the Christianizing of the continent.

St. Patrick's feast day is March 17th.

St. Joseph (1st c.) was a descendant of Israel’s King David and a carpenter by trade. Scripture tells us that he was a just and virtuous man who was betrothed to wed the young Blessed Virgin Mary. Upon finding her pregnant with the Son of God, Joseph, after a time of uncertainty, was encouraged by an angel to continue with the marriage plans. Because of his complete faithfulness and obedience to the will of God, St. Joseph was chosen to become the spouse of the Mother of God and the adoptive father of Jesus Christ. As the divinely-appointed earthly guardian and protector of the Holy Family, St. Joseph provided and cared for the material needs of Mary and the Child Jesus. St. Joseph is the patron saint of many causes, especially fathers, families, married couples, children, pregnant women, workers, craftsmen, against doubt, the dying, and a happy and holy death. He is also the guardian and protector of the Universal Church.

He has two feast days: St. Joseph the Husband of Mary on March 19th, and St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st. However, when St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19th falls on a Sunday it is moved to the Monday and celebrated on March 20th.