From the Pastor's Corner:
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend, our parishioner, Bob Millea, was ordained to the order of deacon. I welcome Deacon Millea to our parish staff where he will join our other deacons in assisting the priest at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, performing baptisms, witnessing marriages and conducting prayer services to bury the dead. May Saint Stephen, our patron and one of the first deacons of the Church, intercede for Deacon Millea as he begins this new ministry. Congratulations!
Next Saturday, Archbishop Myers will ordain 18 men as priests for the Archdiocese of Newark. Let us pray for these new priests, that their ministry will be blessed and bear much fruit in their own lives and in the lives of those they are sent to serve.
On Thursday, I will celebrate ten years of priesthood. Of course, that also means it has been ten years since I came to this wonderful parish. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed. And yet, in these ten years, we have been able to accomplish many good things for the sake of God's kingdom. I know that we will continue to do many good things. Let's pray for each other.
As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, many of our parish families will take the opportunity to head to their Shore homes and go on vacation. Please don't forget us when you are away. Your financial support will help us meet our summer bills. For those who wish to enroll in Parish Pay, our electronic-giving program, please contact the rectory. Parish Pay allows you to set aside automatic contributions to the parish if you are away fro an extended period of time.
Yours in Christ,
Father Joe