Saint Stephen Catholic Parish First Sunday of Advent November 30th, 2008 - Bulletin
		Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
		— Mark 13:33

	Our Liturgical Week Monday, December 1 8:00 a.m. Fr. Walsh / Francis Hsu Tuesday, December 2 8:00 a.m. Fr. Calegari / Al Nardi 5:00 p.m. SI Concert Wednesday, December 3 8:00 a.m. Fr. Murray / Lourdes A. Torres Thursday, December 4 9:30 a.m. Fr. Calegari / Emma Johnson 5:00 p.m. SI Concert Friday, December 5 8:00a.m. Fr. Walsh / Daniel Patrick Murphy Saturday, December 6 8:00 a.m. Fr. Murray / Charles Beitling 3:30 p.m. Fr. Walsh / Reconciliation 4:30 p.m. Fr. Walsh / —————— 6:00 p.m. SI Concert Sunday, December 7 8:00 a.m. Fr. Calegari / —————— 9:30 a.m. Fr. Walsh / For the Parish 11:30 a.m. Fr. Sauer / —————— 2:30 p.m./WKICU Mass 6:45 p.m. Fr. Murray / —————— Red indicates Mass intentions
	TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — We are the clay and you, O Lord, are the potter: we are the work of your hands (Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7). Psalm — Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved (Psalm 80). Second Reading — God is faithful; by God you were called to fellowship with the Son (1 Corinthians 1:3-9). Gospel — Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:33-37). OUR WEEK AT A GLANCE Monday, December 1 Religious Education 3:45 p.m./Parish Office Men’s Club 6:45 p.m./Temp. Bldg. Tuesday, December 2 Youth Group 6:00 p.m./Parish Office Grief Support Group 7:00 p.m./Parish Office Wednesday, December 3 Hot Lunch 11:45 a.m./Temp. Bldg. Sep. and Divorce Group 7:00 p.m./Conf. Rm. Thursday, December 4 RCIA Group/7:00 p.m./Conf. Rm. Friday, December 5 Gamblers Anonymous 8:00 p.m./Parish Office & EC Saturday, December 6 Bible Study 8:30 a.m./Marian Room Sunday, December 7 WKICU Fellowship/Temp. Bldg. Youth Group 4:00 p.m./Temp. Bldg. SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Wednesday: St. Francis Xavier Thursday: St. John of Damascus Friday: First Friday Saturday: St. Nicholas First Saturday Special Collection Next Weekend A second collection will be taken at all masses next weekend, December 7 and 8 for St. Stephen Buildings & Grounds, Maintenance & Repair Please pray for the sick and homebound of our community, for all those in the book of the sick. May they know the healing touch of Jesus. William Applegate, Natividad Austria, Elena Carr, Mario Cid, Kevin Cleary, David Douglas, Betty Francesconi, Art Hazlett, Mary Elizabeth Henry, Nellie Jocson, Elizabeth Kauss, Tim Lew, Miguel Mendoza, Maggie McDonald, Irin Mullen, Mercy Newman, Stephanie Patty, Joyce Peterson, Sister Pat Phelan, Marsha Potolo, James Roach, Delores Robinson, Ian Taylor, Robert Thoel, Loretta Tribulato, Maria Elena Varela, Richard Voyles, and Mary Windrow. Dear Parishioners, November 30, 2008 Whichever presidential candidate we backed, we heard some common messages during their campaigns. Their suggested goals and the ways to achieve them may have differed, but both candidates and their parties called for: help for the millions suffering from the economic downturn and the home mortgage crisis; and end to the war; healthcare for the uninsured; uniting our splintered nation; less rancor in the halls of government and between the political parties; educational opportunities for the poor; better relations with other nations; a commitment to fairness and equality for all citizens; religious and racial accord..... These may have been the topics of political debates, commercials and newspaper editorials, but for Christians beginning Advent, they aren't merely political topics for debates. We hear in them the sounds of Advent; the sounds of our frustration and the sounds of our hope, longing and expectation. In Advent we raise our minds and hearts in hope to our God who alone can bring to fulfillment our deepest and best longings. Our leaders can bring us only so far. We need God to bring their efforts to fulfillment. Longing for God and for a world where people live in harmony and community isn't just a prayer we Christians turn to during Advent. It is a year-round prayer we share with our sisters and brothers of all faiths. Today's first reading from the book of Isaiah was originally addressed to people who were faced with the near-impossible task of rebuilding their land, their Temple, their community, their economy. We pray with Isaiah on behalf of our country and our world as our leaders face the Herculean task of rebuilding that which has recently collapsed in our midst. Isaiah reminds us that we are not alone; God is disposed towards us and is ready to hear or prayer of hope for renewal and rebuilding this Advent. Did we have fun, or what, at last Saturday's Women's Guild Fashion Show at the Lakeside Olympic Club!! To the wonderful ladies who organized the event, the parents and kids who participated, and all our friends who came to enjoy the show and support our school, a gigantic THANK YOU! Next Sunday, December 7th, our Men's Club Annual Pancake Breakfast will take place down at the Janet Pomeroy Center near the Zoo. This facility can hold a larger crowd than our temporary pre-fab, and it has a great kitchen. Next year's Pancake Breakfast will be one of the first events to be held in our new building. Your Pastor, Fr. Joe Presidential Election "President-elect Obama's victory has been described as historic in many quarters. For U.S. Catholics some of the 'historic' elements may include: + what seems to be a shift back to the Democratic party after years of a more recent trend of Catholics voting Republican; + remarkable partisan support for the Republican candidate by a minority but outspoken group of Catholic bishops; + a public stance of the U.S. Bishops (98%) that Catholics should not be single-issue voters and should carefully form their own voting conscience; + a significant number of bishops and priests telling Catholics exactly what their vote must be; + and the majority of Catholic voters (54%) choosing to do otherwise. For those of us who cast our first votes in the Kennedy era, when candidates, bishops and Catholics made it clear that political positions would never be dictated by one's Church, it can all be a bit confusing." - Fr. Brian Joyce Catholic Social Justice "My approach to social justice is captured in Catholic social teaching, a series of principles laid out by the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Bishops, which outline the role of the Church and of Catholics in political and economic life. The doctrine embraces the inherent dignity of the person, the right and responsibility of each one of us to build community and work for the common good. It asserts that the moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members and demands that we look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. It calls for the protection of human rights, including both political and economic rights. It insists that people have a right and a duty to participate in the political process. It recognizes economic justice, the right to a living wage, the right to form unions. It demands that we protect the environment, promote peace, work for disarmament, and pursue global justice." - Kerry Kennedy in her NYT bestseller , BEING CATHOLIC NOW, p xxxiv. Mark Your Calendar TODAY! Sunday November 30, 2008 - Last day to submit your vote for our 2009 Anchor Parishioners. December 7, 2008 - Men’s Club Annual Pancake Breakfast. This year’s breakfast will be held at the Janet Pomeroy Center. See page 4 of this bulletin for details December 13, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. Simbang Gabi Commissioning and Mass that will take place at St. Mary's Cathedral. The Most Rev. George Niederauer, Archbishop of San Francisco will be the Principal Celebrant, to usher in Simbang Gabi, a novena of Masses held in several parishes starting Dec. 15. December 14, 2008 - Giving Day Final day to return your gifts for the St. Stephen Giving Tree to help make a child smile this Christmas. December 18, 2008 – Last day to order poinsettas to be placed in the church for Christmas. January 7, 2008 - Last day to turn in an application for next August’s St. Stephen School’s Kindergarten Class. January 24, 2009 – Final day to turn in register receipts for Lucky Store’s “Apples for Students” program and exchange them for education awards. January 24, 2009 – Walk for Life – West Coast 2009! Join upwards of 25,000 pro-lifers for the 5th Annual Walk for Life. To contact them or for more information go to info@walkforlifewc.com or www.walkforlifewc.com. January 27, 2009 – 50+ Club trip to the River Rock Casino in the beautiful Alexander Valley. Bus will leave at 1:00 p.m.; cost $22.00. February 21, 2009 - The St. Stephen Women's Guild Live and Silent Auction, "A Night to Bond", will be held at the Olympic Club, Lakeside. OFFERTORY COLLECTIONS Weekly collection goal $ 8,000 Past weekend collection (8/10) $ 6,771 Year to Date Goal $168,000 Year to Date $145,293 Thank you! Your continued generosity to our Parish is critical and never goes unnoticed. October 2008 Stewardship, A Way of Life Thank you for your generous support of our parish.. Income This Year Last Year Collections/Sacraments $28,603 e-contributions/Collections $ 3,169 Monthly Maintenance $ 2,782 Other Unrestricted $ 26,110 Total $60,664 $37,556 Expenses Salaries & Benefits $35,561 Heating, Lighting & Power $ 1,637 Telephone $ 1,060 Refuse $ 1,936 Property Maintenance $ 5,825 Worship & Parish Life $ 5,308 General & Administration $ 3,671 Total $55,000 $97,779 Net $5,664 ($56,223) Annual Appeal 2008 - Thru October 31, 2008 Goal $69,900 Pledges $45,377 65% of goal Donors to AAA 165 Registered Parishioners 1081 Amount we are short of our goal: $24,523. HOSPITALITY MINISTERS for the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Today, Sunday, Nov. 30 - Youth Group Sunday, Dec. 7 - St. Vincent de Paul Sunday, Dec. 14 - Women’s Guild St. Stephen 50+ Club Our next meeting is Monday, December 8, at 12:30 p.m. We will meet in our Temporary Building. (Contact: Helga D’Arcy at 731-8211). Grief Support Group November, December and January can be very difficult months for those who are grieving the death(s) of loved ones. Deacon Dan and Dr. Ruby are forming an eight week "Weekly Grief Support Group" to provide information on the grieving process, strategies for "getting through" the holiday season and support. If you are interested in joining the Grief Support Group, please see Deacon Dan and Dr. Ruby after Mass. POINSETTIAS As we prepare for the solemnity of Christmas, we look forward to the joy of the birth of Christ. We hope to express our joy by filling the church with a bountiful display of Poinsettias. If you would like to have one or more Poinsettia placed in the church in memory of loved ones, or to honor someone special, please fill out this form and return to the O’Reilly Parish Center by - Thursday, December 18. I would like to have a Poinsettia placed in the church in loving memory of: ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ I would like to have a Poinsettia placed in the church in honor of: ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ My name ____________________________________ My telephone # ____________________________________ Enclosed is $10.00 to cover the cost of each Poinsettia.
	St. Stephen Altar Servers Our special “thanks” to our student Altar Servers who faithfully continue to volunteer their time and talent to our parish. Our Altar Servers for November 17 thru November 23 were: Danielle Tioyao, Gavin Clark, Patrick Newland, Adriana Suarez, Michael Desmond, Allison Veronello, Emilia Holl, Nicole Patricio, Peter Goudy, Jake Cleary, Logan White, Leo McCaffrey, Casey Stuart, Sammy Baker, Brian Cleary, Mikayla Minnick, Olivia Abad, Stephanie McCarthy, and Erin Lithgow. This month we remember, in a special way, persons in our parish family who have died this past year. Ann Alberigi Dorothy Helen Applegate Mary Harriett Blake Richard Buckley Jack Carpentier Joseph Chiarani Adriana Choy William Coen John Crowley Joan Keane Crotty Carole Irene Deeb John Charles Faliano Gary Del Fante Ben Hennig Byran M. Holl Iva Hsu Sofia Fontanilla Jacalne Nancy Geddes Janowski Margaret Leith Margaret Mary Little Lola Lommori Sister Nancy McLaughlin WAlbert Ralph Lopez William F. McCarthy Dorothy Olga Maggio Marion Maroney Renato Menses Jr. Catherine Muller Dr. Edward J. Mullins Dan Murphy Raymond Nelson Robert “Bob” O'Malley Eileen O’Neill Fr. Joseph P. O'Reilly Agnes Piccetti Maureen Ann Pool Pia Petri John Petrin Col. Frank Quesada Tish Ellen Railton June Marie Ramson Frank Ryan Sr. Thelma Samuelson Jay Sotunen Florence Marie Wassler Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them O Lord And May the Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them. May They Rest in Peace. St. Stephen Men’s Club Annual Pancake Breakfast SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2008 10:30a.m. at the Janet Pomeroy Center ADULTS $10 - CHILDREN (13 & UNDER) $5 For reservations, questions and/or to volunteer to help call Sean White at 415 260-7559.
	e-Contributions makes giving easy! e-Contributions allows St. Stephen to accept regular and special contributions via the Internet. Log onto www.e-paluch.com for details.
	ST STEPHEN PARISH 2008-2009 ORGANIZATION/MINISTRY CONTACT PERSON Altar Servers Mrs. Katya Minnick Altar Society Helen Perlite Bridge Group Helen Perlite Choir Director Angela Zullinger Church Hospitality Veronica Wong Fifty Plus Club Helga D'Arcy Finance Council Dan Linehan Grief Support Ruby Buffin Lectors T.J. Perlite Liturgy Committee Ruby Buffin Marriage Preparation Clergy Men's Club Tony Maffei Music Director Griselda MacDonald Parish Council Patrick Smith Religious Education Veronica Wong RCIA Ruby Buffin Stewardship Kathleen Bruno St Vincent de Paul Julie O'Callaghan Ushers Bob Anthony Women's Guild Fionnuala McElligott Youth Group Christian Fernandez
	Parish Council Information If you would like to contact the Parish Council regarding our upcoming meetings please deliver your message to the Parish Center, or you may telephone or send an email to the following Parish Council members: Patty Murphy at (415) 681-3543 or mac4murph@gmail.com Patrick Smith at (415) 759-6731 or wearepatkat@sbcglobal.net
	Eucharistic Ministers/Lectors Check our web site to review your assignments. www.saintstephenSF.org.
	Bulletin Announcements Send your bulletin announcements via e-mail to: Bulletin@SaintStephenSF.org
	Our warmest welcome to all who celebrate with us. Our warmest welcome to all who celebrate with us. If you are new to our parish, we invite you to register and learn more about our many parish ministries and organizations. You may phone the Parish Center at 681-2444, complete this form and return it to the Parish Center; drop it in the collection basket during mass or register online at: www.ststephenSF.org! Our parishioners receive the weekly newspaper “Catholic San Francisco.”   Name: ___________________________________ Address: _________________________________ Telephone: ______________________________ E-mail address: ___________________________