COVER SHEET Church name: St. Stephen the First Martyr Bulletin number: 511526 Date of publication: July26, 2020 Number of pages transmitted: 8 lnstructions: Please contact Ruthann @ cell 845-986-4028.

***50 Bulletins Please***

St. Stephen, the First Martyr Parish

To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under Heaven…

...a time to love… Please pray for all couples

who are preparing for marriage.

...a time to be born… We welcome Sean Michael Montesi, Hailey Michelle

Rosa, Lucas Emilio Estevez, and Nathan Roger Estevez, who were recently Baptized. Please pray for them and

their families.

...a time to heal... Please pray for all who are ill, especially: Aurelia Albert, Camille Balsamello, Ann Briscese, Mary Lou Carbone, Paula Cornine, Tom Coughlin, Charlie Degnan, Jerry & Antonina DeMarmels, Sr., Mary Ellen Downes, Nellie Fahy, Gemma Felice-Podwol, Maria Gabor, Robert Hogan, Jean Johnson, Ted Jolivet, John Kazmarzyk, Claire Kempinger, Jack & Lynne Koval, Jennifer Lava, Ian Laroe, Rev. Peter Madori, Annmarie Malcomson, Joanne Marinello, Fr. Flor McCarthy, Brennon Michael, Baby Charlee, Glenn Muse, Mary Nelligan, Maddie Niebanck, Kathleen O’Brien, Msgr. Joaquin Olendzki, Ryan Ostrowski, Anne Pawelek, Kaelyn Pennings, Cathy Priest, John Quinn, Todd Robbins, Bucky Ross, Sharon Scannello, Mary Schlagel, Dawn Sierra, Jean Sgrizzi, Patricia Smith, Josh & Teresa Wise, and Eric Wortman and all those suffering from the Corona Virus.

...a time for war; a time for peace... Capt. Edward Dauphin, Rev. Major Paul Anthony Halladay, Collin Layng USMC, Stephen McCall, Lt. Julian Stuart, Spc. Devin Wood.

...a time to die… Please pray for the souls of

Braetan Petraro, Armando Mastrantoni, Jose Rodriguez, Norma Buhler, Florida Roberto, Francis Puccio,

Frank Kenzik, David Marcos, Barbara Thompson-Welch, Ella Kelly, Robert Hunter, Stanley Smykowski,

Margaret Hodas, Helen Lima, Luigina Eccher, Gregory Hoover, Sr.,

William Kraham, Larry Giuliani, Anthony Sanzone, Roger Lennon,

Kevin Zugibe, Lydia Bonita, Tonina Castracane, and Jerry DeMarmels.

May the Perpetual Light shine upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Mass Intentions Only 9a.m. Masses will be Live Streamed

Saturday Vigil, July 25 5:00pm Jerome Gregoire Sunday, July 26, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:00am John Fiore Lorraine Donahue

11:30am Bonafide & Scull Families

Charlie Donnelly

For the Week of July 26 Sanctuary Lamp: Patricia Magee Flowers: Al Sanza

Monday, July 27 9:00am For Our Parishioners Msgr. Joseph P. Penna

Tuesday, July 28 9:00am Denis & Sarah Daly Gordon Brown

Wednesday, July 29, St. Martha 9:00am John Fiore

Thursday, July 30, St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 9:00am William Walker Lisa O’Connell

Friday, July 31, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest 9:00am Joseph S. Krasniewicz

Saturday, August 1, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 9:00am Helen Mahon

Saturday Vigil 5:00pm Vincent & Daniel Battista

Sunday, August 2, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:00am Florence Majewski Purgatorial Society 11:30am Raymond Rutkowski Carmelia & Pierre Basin Gladys Gomez

For the Week of August 3 Sanctuary Lamp: John A. Basile Flowers: Lydia Bonita

Important Info Regarding Bulletin Prayer Lists

If you have a loved one on the prayer list, please let us know if they should remain there.

Names of persons in need of prayer will be added to the bulletin upon the request of a family member!

Names will be listed for two months, unless the family requests their loved one’s name stay in bulletin for a longer period.

St. Stephen, the First Martyr Parish

Fr. Jack Arlotta...……………………………………..Pastor Fr. Reynor Santiago…………………….....Parochial Vicar

Deacon Daniel Byrne Deacon Thomas MacDougall

Mr.Anthony Marcella………….….………....Music Director Mrs. Mary Juliano…………...………….Business Manager Mrs. Maxine Martin………………………...…..Bookkeeper Mrs. Ruthann DiMauro, Mrs. Donna Washio...Secretaries Mr. Stephen Mandracchia, Mrs. Katie Bisaro…...Trustees

St. Stephen Religious Education Program

Mrs. Lydia vanDuynhoven…………..………..……Director Mrs. Joanie Rotar………...………….…….Office Manager

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Feast of the Assumption

This year the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven falls on a Saturday. Since it occurs on a Saturday it is NOT a holy day of obligation. Realizing that we are still dis-pensed from the obli-gation to attend Mass, I mention this to ease the concerns of some.

It would be a good opportunity though to recite the Rosary and pray for the opportunity to once again attend Mass with the larger community.

To our St. Stephen’s Family: We sincerely appreciate your continued patience, prayers and kind encouragement during this gradual time of reopening.

Only days and times are listed below for the respec-tive liturgies. All other important information is listed on the website and should be read carefully so that you will be prepared before your visit.

Reservations will be required for Mass attendance! Daily Morning Mass: Monday thru Friday at 9 a.m.

Prayer Time: Monday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Confessions: Saturdays from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday Mass Beginning June 27th: Saturdays at 5 p.m. Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Our parish clergy and staff continue to work to ensure that St. Stephen’s parishioners are ‘fed’ spiritually and kept safe throughout this difficult time. STAYING CONNECTED: Parish Website: www.ststephenchurchwarwick.org This is your best source of up-to-date information at St. Stephen’s

Phone: 845-986-4028 Phone calls to the office will be answered 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Please check the website first for routine questions

Email: For general email inquiries: info@ststephenchurchwarwick.org

Prayer Requests: for the Book of Intentions, prayerrequest@ststephenchurchwarwick.org Intentions will be forwarded to clergy

Candle Intentions for Sunday Mass: Go to the “Light A Prayer Candle” button on the website.

If you are on social media, please "Like" us on Face-book: St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish Warwick OFFERTORY: We are so grateful to those of you who have made the effort to continue your offertory giving during this time that the church is closed and no public masses are being held. The business of the church con-tinues, and we appreciate any and all efforts parishioners make to ensure that we can meet our expenses. Please see page six for information regarding mailing donations and We Share!

Thank you to all who have reached out to us with your comments, suggestions, prayers and offers to help. God Bless You,

Fr. Jack, Fr. Reynor, & Deacons Parish Staff, Religious Education Dept., Parish Trustees

The Pastor’s Desk

Religious Education Registration

While we are slowly reopening on the parish level, the big question mark still is: How are schools going to reopen come September? St. Stephen's Religious Education Department has planned an innovative and family oriented program for the upcoming year. As registration opened this past week, families are able to sign up for an on-line program that children can utilize at their own pace. A child's progress can be monitored by Mrs. Van Duynhoven. Along with several planned family events, the program would not have children attend classroom instruction. As we all deal with these uncertain times, I commend Mrs.Van Duynhoven and Mrs. Rotar to offer a pro-gram that maintains our commitment to ongoing re-ligious education, family-involved instruction and awareness of the need for safety. I, myself, have viewed the program and highly encourage its use.

To Register go to: https://saintstephenreled.org/. Families who are returning to the program received the link through Flocknotes. Families of first graders can register through the website but must submit your child's baptis-mal certificate prior to beginning the program. This can be scanned and emailed to reledoffice@gmail.com.

Upon successful registration (paid in full) you will be sent the link to the program and can begin your studies THIS SUMMER as families can use the program at their own pace!

Mary’s Meals

$21 feeds a child for the school year! In these uncertain times your generosity is needed now, more than ever so that the world’s poorest children are not forgotten. Please continue to care for these children through Mary’s Meals. You may send your donations to St. Stephen’s Religious Ed, 75 Sanfordville Rd, Warwick, NY 10990 with checks made out to Mary’s Meals.

Mary’s Meals Recycling Please continue to Drop off bottles and cans behind the school in the Mary’s Meal Shed! Every penny counts!

Bottles & Cans with NY deposit only! No Gatorade, iced tea, or Tropicana! No food cans or jars!

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A Prayer For Life

Father and maker of all, you adorn all creation

with splendor and beauty, and fashion human lives

in your image and likeness.

Awaken in every heart reverence for the work of your hands,

and renew among your people a readiness to nurture and sustain

your precious gift of life. Grant this through our Lord

Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in

the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

Amen

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of

God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and

your minds in Christ Jesus.”

~Philippians 4:6

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

An old expression admonishes, “Be careful what you wish for.” Another one warns about money “burning a hole in your pocket” as you try and determine all the possibilities about how you will spend it. If God were to grant you a wish, what would it be? Our readings are about making wise choices and following God’s ways. When Solomon is given this opportunity, he does not make a rash or selfish decision but requests an “understanding heart” so that he might better govern the people with justice. The responsorial psalm is part of a long acrostic poem about the beauty of following God’s law. Saint Paul speaks to the Romans about being God’s master plan, in which we each have a special calling and purpose. The Gospel provides several parables about the kingdom of heaven, and how we might take right action and necessary steps in order to obtain it. THE REVELATION OF YOUR WORD SHEDS LIGHT Jesus is speaking in parables and offers three different images for the kingdom of heaven. Remember that popu-lar line from a phone commercial: “Can you hear me now?” Jesus is trying to teach and basically says, “Do you understand me now? Do you get it now? Then let me explain it another way.” He is shedding light on just how very important his mission is, that the kingdom of God is the most important thing, and that we must make every choice, every effort to strive for it. To use a sports meta-phor, Jesus is telling us we must not look for immediate satisfaction, but we must “play the long game” because in the end, this is the only thing that really matters. GIVING UNDERSTANDING TO THE SIMPLE This message again seems very countercultural. We live in an age of instant gratification. Consumer debt is at an all-time high. Houses get bigger and bigger and more luxurious. Instead of saying “I can’t afford a new car,” people stretch payments out over six or seven years in an attempt to afford the unaffordable. Today we are called to put it all in perspective, to follow the “pearl of great price,” to put all things aside that we might seek the king-dom of God and reach our heavenly goal, our salvation. This may require a paradigm shift and making radical changes in our lifestyle, in how we spend our time, our money, our energy, how we define what is important to us. May each of us find the wisdom of Solomon to guide us in making the right choices.

Today’s Readings: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7–12; Ps 119:57, 72, 76–77, 127–128, 129–130; Rom 8:28–30; Mt 13:44–52 [44–46]

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

“To avoid the anxieties which may be caused by either regret for the past or fear of the future, here is the rule to follow:

The past must be left to God’s measureless mercy, the future to his loving providence; and the present must be given

wholly to his love through our fidelity to his grace.”

— Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade from Abandonment to Divine Providence

Town of Warwick Friendly Visitor Program

Volunteers provide transportation and escort to local ap-pointments, grocery shopping, home visits, clerical assis-tance, as well as other services. Volunteers are trained, insured while they are volunteering, asked to donate two to three hours per week at a convenient time, and go through a background check at not charge. For more information, please call 845-986-1124, ext. 400.

ZOOM into training with us on Tuesday, July 28th at 3:00pm. Call 845-341-1173 ext. 305 or or email Paula at: pblumenau@ijfsorange.org

Mass Intentions for 2021 Saint Stephen’s Church

75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, New York 10990 Since we do not know when the office will be open, we are going to take Mass intentions for 2021 by mail. We will limit requested Mass intentions for 2021 to 10 intentions. There are some dates that are closed for your requests. They are: Holy Thursday, April 1: Good Friday, April 2; Holy Saturday, April 3 and Easter, April 4 Mother’s Day, May 9; Father’s Day, June 20; All Souls, November 2 until November 9

Christmas Evening of December 24 and December 25 We will also take intentions for the Sanctuary Lamp in a given week. If you request flowers to be placed at the altar in memory of a loved one, we will also do that at this time. The requested offering for an announced Mass is $15. The offering for the Sanctuary Candle is $10 and the offering for flowers is $100. Mailed in requests will be honored as received – first come first served. Kindly make checks out to St. Stephen’s Church. If we cannot honor your first request, we will arrange for a Mass closest to that date. ============================================================================================= 1. _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. _________________________________________________________________________________ 5. _________________________________________________________________________________ 6. _________________________________________________________________________________ 7. _________________________________________________________________________________ 8. _________________________________________________________________________________ 9. _________________________________________________________________________________ 10.__________________________________________________________________________________ Please note below requests for Sanctuary Candles or Flowers: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Name: __________________________________________ Email____________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________

Amount enclosed for Masses, Flowers, and Sanctuary Candles: _________________ Check #_______________

Thank you for your generous gifts!

During this difficult time we are so grateful for your continued support!

We Share: To make a one time or recurring donation to St. Stephens:

If you have an Apple product - iPhone or Mac computer, WeShare is not compatible with the search engine, Safa-ri. Instead, please use Chrome. Any search engine is compatible with a PC computer.

To sign up for online giving to our parish, visit our web-site, www.ststephenchurchwarwick.org and click the "Donate here" button in the top left corner of the homep-age. From there, you are able to set up an account and choose regular donations, special donations, i.e. Easter and second collections. Donations may be made through electronic transfer through a checking or savings ac-count, or by using a credit card. Your information is stored in WeShare and a donation receipt at the end of the calendar year will be available for tax purposes.

If you have questions, email the parish office at info@ststephenchurchwarwick.org. Mail in Offertory Envelopes: If you prefer to continue to use your envelopes, please mail your contributions to:

St. Stephen’s Church 75 Sanfordville Rd., Warwick, NY 10990

Page Six

St. Stephens Parish and School participates in Great Lakes Scrips Shop With Scrip

Fundraising Program

Gift Cards are now being sold on Mondays and Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 in the church atrium.

Please see the website for more information!

Or you can enroll and purchase online: Visit www.shopwithscrip.com. If you have not previously signed up to support St. Stephens, click the blue button, top right "Join a Program". Enter the enrollment code for St. Ste-phens FD1AC86A16447. Begin Shopping: E-certificates that are able to be purchased and delivered online are designed as a ScripNow eCard. Make your purchase using a debit, credit card or electronic transfer from a checking or savings account. Please note: checks are not accepted when purchasing e-certificates and we cannot accept checks at the church, or order physical cards at this time. St. Stephens is automatically credited with your purchase based on the discount percentage of the cards you purchased.

*The funds you raise for St. Stephens, based on your purchases and the percentage/card, are tax deductible as al-lowed by law. We are here to help and assist in any way. If you have ques-tions about the Gift Card Fundraiser, please ask! Be well and stay safe, Mary Juliano mjuliano@ststephenchurchwarwick.org Kendra Percarpio tkcarp@optonline.net

A SHARE IN GOD’S KINGDOM Today concludes a three-week series of Gospel texts in which we have listened to a total of seven para-bles about the Kingdom. The believer is asked to consider the request that God made of Solomon in today’s first reading: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you” (1 Kings 3:5). Today’s parables about the treasure buried in the field and the pearl of great price should prompt us to answer, “A share in your kingdom, O God!” Today we discover that the kingdom of God is beyond value, a priceless treasure. Unfortunately, our culture bombards us with things that it believes are priceless treasures—the bigger and better SUVs, anti-aging and anti-balding creams and salves, miracle diets, and so much more. Having a share in God’s kingdom and help-ing to bring about that kingdom are the greatest treasures that we can ever hope to gain. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

SAINT MARTHA (first century) July 29 Whether you find Martha Stewart admirable or annoying, she has the perfect patron saint. Luke describes Martha—saint, not Stewart—as “burdened with much serving” (Luke 10:40). About Mary, seated, listening to Jesus, Martha complained, “Do you not care that my sis-ter has left me by myself to do the serving?” Jesus’ re-sponse, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things . . . Mary has chosen the better part” (10:41, 42), suggests to some the superiority of the contemplative life, leaving the rest of us, supporting fami-lies, earning livings, (helping others?), as second-class Christians. But Luke introduces Martha and Mary imme-diately after Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, whom Jesus recommends as a model of practical compassion, concluding, “Go and do likewise” (10:37). Go and do! Sit and listen! Discipleship is never either/or but both/and. Jesus ministered in prayerful silence and hospitable ser-vice. Monastic calendars add Martha’s sister, Mary, and brother, Lazarus, calling all three “hosts of the Lord,” recalling their welcome of Jesus to their home in Betha-ny, reminding us Whom we welcome whenever we ex-tend summertime hospitality! —Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

WISDOM Nine-tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in time. —Theodore Roosevelt

GO

Go forth and set the world on fire. —St. Ignatius of Loyola

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

All things work for good for those who love God. — Romans 8:28a

Our remaining summer festival dates have been cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. Following guidance to re-duce events with crowds, we believe this to be the best choice to protect the health of our parish and greater community.

This is truly a time when we're better safe than sorry.

Many of our local food truck partners are operating local-ly. These are small family-owned businesses and this is usually their busy season. With their partnership, we've raised significant funds over the last three years for SSSE School and organizations close to our parish communi-ty. Let's share kindness in return. Please support them as you can!

Next summer will be here before we know it, and, God willing, our 5th year will be better than ever! We’re looking forward to it already! Be well, everyone!

Page Seven

Warwick Area Migrant Committee Summer Program for Children

After consulting with our public health officials, we have de-cided to bring the Dulce Esperanza program to the camps where the families live. With the united efforts of our volun-teers and staff, we provide food, enrichment activities, reading sessions and writer’s club, and even the birthday celebration for the children in their own homes.

Teachers will bring books and materials/supplies (including arts & crafts) on twice-a-week home visits. Field trips will be held for small groups of under 10 children. Small groups of children will be brought to the school to participate in special projects. There will be a writer’s club and other academic en-richments activities. Food will be sent home each week to provide breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.

In order to do this we need your support. Donations can be made by check, made out to Warwick Area Migrant Commit-tee and sent to PO Box 607, Goshen, NY 10924 or online at https://wafarmworkers.org/wamc-summer-enrichment-program/

Thank you for your support. Kathy Brieger, Executive Director, WAMC