PARISH OFFICE 3949 Wilmington, St. Louis, MO 63116 Sts. Mary & Joseph Chapel 6304 Minnesota, St. Louis, MO 63111 www.saintstephenstl.org @sspstl @stsmaryandjosephchapel @StStephenProtomartyr @StStephenSTL @sspstl

Father Ronald J. Hopmeir, Pastor — info@saintstephenstl.org 314-481-1133, #1

Mary Regan, Pastoral Associate — mary.regan@saintstephenstl.org 314-481-1133, #2

June Tessin, Office Manager / Bookkeeper — june.tessin@saintstephenstl.org 314-481-1133, #3

Mary Paule, Child Safety Coordinator / Secretary — mary.paule@saintstephenstl.org 314-481-1133, #4 Stephen E. Jones, Music Director — stephen.jones@saintstephenstl.org Bob Wiley, Facilities Manager — bob.wiley@saintstephenstl.org

Stephanie Wobbe, Communications & Marketing Coordinator — stephanie.wobbe@saintstephenstl.org 314-660-1548

Denise Dowd, Sts. Mary & Joseph Chapel Wedding Venue — weddings.stsmaryandjoseph@gmail.com 314-517-3998

SCHOOL OFFICE 3929 Wilmington, St. Louis, MO 63116 www.saintstephenstl.org/school @SSPCatholicSchool

Greg Sturgill, Principal — greg.sturgill@saintstephenstl.org 314-752-4700

Amanda Quinn, Administrative Assistant — amanda.quinn@saintstephenstl.org 314-752-4700

The Communion of Saints, detail, John Nava

If you are new to St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish or just visiting — WELCOME!

For more information or to register in the parish, please call or email the parish office.

ST. STEPHEN PROTOMARTYR PARISH November 1, 2020 Solemnity of All Saints

STEWARDSHIP: SHARING TIME, TALENT, TREASURE, and PRAYER

“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.” — Matthew 5:11

We are all at different points on the path to holiness, on getting to Heaven and becoming a saint. Part of the journey is being mocked and ridiculed by others. When this happens, how do you respond?

Do you become silent? Do you react in anger, or do you react with love? Fortunately, as one Body of Christ, we are united with the saints already in Heaven. Ask your favorite saint for guidance in defending the Faith.

St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish www.saintstephenstl.org

SUNDAY CONTRIBUTION THIS WEEK’S READINGS

Monday, All Souls: Wis 3:1-9; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Rom 6:3-9; Jn 6:37-40

Tuesday: Phil 2:5-11; 22:26b-27, 28-30ab, 30e,

31-32; Lk 14:15-24 Wednesday, St. Charles Borromeo: Phil 2:12-18; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Lk 14:25-33 Thursday: Phil 3:3-8a; Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Lk 15:1-10 Friday: Phil 3:17—4:1; Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5; Lk 16:1-8 Saturday: Phil 4:10-19; Ps 112:1b-2, 5-6, 8a & 9; Lk 16:9-15 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wis 6:12-16; Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13

October 25 Contribution $ 2,238.00 Online giving contribution $ 2,259.00 Total weekly contribution $ 4,497.00

R & I $ 130.00 Tuition Assistance $ 165.00

St. Vincent de Paul, SSP $ 60.00 World Mission Sunday $ 362.00 Permanent Diaconate $ 160.00 Campaign for Human Development $ 25.00 Retired Religious $ 25.00

Special collections in November are for the Retired Religious and the Campaign for Human Development.

LOOKING AHEAD

Nov. 11 .................................PTO Board Meeting

Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 ......Parish Retreat

Dec. 2 ...................................Board of Education Meeting

Dec. 10 .................................First Reconciliation

Dec. 17-23 ...........................Novenas

Dec. 18 .................................Concert at SSMJ

FEAST OF ALL SOULS

At our 9 a.m. Mass on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, we will celebrate the Feast of All Souls by naming those from our parish who have died in the past year. Note: We ask that you please sign up for this Mass in the same way that you would for a weekend Mass.

Monday November 2

Tuesday November 3

Wednesday November 4

Thursday November 5

Friday November 6

Saturday November 7

Sunday November 8

Mass 9 a.m. Mass 8 a.m. Perpetual Help

Devotions

Mass With Students 8 a.m.

Board of Education 7 p.m.

Mass 8 a.m. Mass With Students 8 a.m.

Mass 4 p.m.

Mass 9 a.m.

THIS WEEK AT ST. STEPHEN PROTOMARTYR

FAITHFUL DEPARTED

In the charity of your prayers, please remember Dulla Rammacher and the mother of Jamie Appelbaum, who died recently. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

PARISH MISSION STATEMENT

Following the example of our patron St. Stephen, we are called to be witnesses of God’s love and to be a faith-filled, reconciling parish.

November 1, 2020 Solemnity of All Saints

THANK YOU, GIRL SCOUTS

Thank you to the Girl Scouts who brought Halloween goodies on a rainy Sunday. I am grateful to them and to the moms who helped take the girls around.

Madge P rzeboski

THE GIVING TREE

Due to stay-at-home and quarantine orders, there has unfortunately been a rise in domestic violence cases. And the downturn in the economy has resulted in an increase in the number of families asking for food assistance. Since we have not all returned to church yet, we wanted to offer you some different options if you choose to participate in the Giving Tree program. The tree will still be in the back of church for you to pick a leaf beginning on Saturday, Nov. 7. You can place your donation under the tree as you have in the past. Or you can choose from the list below. Cindy Asinger will be on the bell tower parking lot on Sunday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. to collect your donations. Should you choose to donate a gift card, you can either drop it in the collection basket in an envelope marked “Giving Tree,” or you can mail it to Cindy at 4130 Malcolm Drive, St. Louis, MO 63125. Your sacrifice and generosity have always been appreciated by St. Martha’s Hall for Abused Women and Children and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

Toilet paper

Paper towels

Kleenex

Trash bags (13, 39, 55 gallon)

Lysol disinfectant spray

Pine Sol (original formula)

Clorox wipes

Dawn dish soap

Bleach

Laundry detergent (powder)

Pledge furniture polish

Nitrile gloves (no latex)

Walmart gift cards*

Target gift cards*

Aldi gift cards

Amazon gift cards*

Non-perishable items for food pantry

*Consider purchasing these cards through our ACE program! (See next page.)

MUSICAL NEWS

Our music director Stephen Jones's original composition "Zephyr" (for piano and violin) will be featured in "Rays of Resilience" on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. The event includes dance, live music, written word, still watercolors, and true stories. Stephen's music will be performed by pianist David Grelle. Socially distanced in-person attendance is available at the First Christian Church of Florissant; the event will also stream live. For more information, visit www.centralstudiostl.com/special-events/rays-of-resilience.

OFFICE HOURS

The parish office is now open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and on Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT

On Saturday, parishioner and Chaminade freshman Aidan Jenney (SSP Class of ’20) -- with the assistance of fellow members of Boy Scout Pack 104 -- installed a GaGa ball pit on the Livingston Lot as part of his Eagle Scout project. GaGa ball has become popular as a "kinder" version of dodge ball and is sure to be a hit with our students and others in the neighborhood.

ADVENT RETREAT

Our semi-virtual fall retreat, using materials from Dan Schutte, is a go! Look for details in next week’s bulletin.

St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish www.saintstephenstl.org

LITURGY NEWS

We’d like to share a few developments after the latest meeting of the Liturgy Committee:

• Hymnals available: In June, when we resumed in-person Masses, we invited you to take home one of our hymnals for your own personal use. Because there are quite a few people who have (re)joined us in person for the first time over the last several weeks, we would like to reiterate the offer. There will be plenty of hymnals in the back of church at both weekend Masses. You are invited to take one home and bring it with you to Mass each week.

• Be prepared: Air circulation and ventilation are key to reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne illnesses. With the change in weather, all of us will be spending increased time indoors. In the interest of maximum safety, we will be opening a few doors and windows in church during all Masses to allow for as much air circulation as we can. We are fortunate to have openable windows and plenty of space above and around the congregation. Please dress with the expectation that it may be cooler than usual in the building.

• You asked for it: We have created a new section on our website's home page where you can find pertinent information about the next weekend's Mass, including hymn numbers, readings, and any special collections or happenings. There is also a link to a worship aid in PDF form, in the event you would like to print it or follow along on a phone or a tablet, either at home or in church. We hope you find this helpful.

• Christmas Mass survey: It is necessary for us to get a sense of how much interest there is attending Christmas Mass so that we can plan and adjust accordingly. We would very much appreciate your response to our survey on the facing page (or online).

After a long, uncertain spring, it has been wonderful to worship together this summer (and that includes those who are joining us from home via live stream). Let's continue to foster this spirit of cooperation and care for one another, while we pray for an end to the pandemic. Liturgy Committee: Father Ron, Mary Regan, Stephen Jones, Anne Borgmeyer, David Borgmeyer, Gail Buckman, Sandy Gaydos, Katie Holley, Cathy Kveton, Peggy Maguire, Betsy Stoff, Gary Stoff, Stephanie Wobbe

ACE CARDS

We want to remind you that we have a variety of ACE gift cards available and in stock at the parish office. Because of the introduction of the RaiseRight app and our hold on selling cards after Masses, we find ourselves with an accumulation of cards on hand. In order to be better stewards of this program, we will not be replenishing gift cards to keep in the office until our current inventory has been reduced. At that time, we will reevaluate which cards to keep on hand for immediate purchase. To this end, we encourage you to visit www.saintstephenstl.org/ace-cards for an up-to-date list of all the cards currently in stock and available for immediate purchase. Gift cards make great gifts and stocking stuffers for all ages, and your purchases benefit our school! Any cards can be ordered online at any time, using the RaiseRight App or by completing the enclosed order form. (The form can also be found on our website.) Any ACE orders received by Monday at 9 a.m. will be available for pickup no later than Thursday of that week. Please understand, all cards must be paid for in full before the order can be made. The deadline to order any cards in time for Christmas will be on Monday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. Any cards ordered would be available for pick up at the church office later that week, depending on the delivery schedule with Scrip, who administers the program. Please know your purchases of the gift cards make a difference! Here are a few statistics that you might be interested in:

• We currently have 72 families with an electronic/online account with the RaiseRight app. (See our website for information about the app.)

• We have 29 families who have linked a bank account to their online account and receive electronic gift cards which are immediately available to them. (You can purchase these while in the checkout line!)

• Since offering online access via the RaiseRight app in February 2020, our monthly revenue from ACE card purchases has increased 445 percent! Thank you to everyone who supports the ACE gift card program!

If you have any questions regarding the program and how it works, please contact June Tessin at 314-481-1133, #3, or june.tessin@saintstephenstl.org. Special thanks to SSP ACE card coordinators Larry Driscoll and Nancy Grimaud!

November 1, 2020 Solemnity of All Saints

Survey: Christmas Mass at St. Stephen

St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish www.saintstephenstl.org

What’s the difference?

What's the difference between a cross and a crucifix? A cross is the instrument of torture and execution made of two planks of wood and used by the Romans. A crucifix is a cross with an image of the crucified Christ on it. What’s the difference between mass and Mass? A mass (small m) is a large body of matter with no definite shape or a large group of people. Mass (capital M) is the celebration of the Eucharist. What’s the difference between a sacrament and a sacramental? A sacrament is "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." (Remember the Baltimore Catechism definition?) There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick. A sacramental is a sacred sign such as a religious medal, holy water, an Advent wreath, rosaries, holy cards, and the like. If you have a question about the Catholic faith you would like addressed, contact Mary Regan at314-481-1133, #2, or mary.regan@saintstephenstl.org. If Mary doesn't know the answer, she’ll try to find it. All questions will respect the privacy of the questioner, who will remain anonymous.

“THE POWER AND THE GLORY”

In Graham Greene’s novel The Power and the Glory, a priest is about to be executed by the anti-Catholic junta ruling 19th century Mexico. Greene describes the “whisky” priest’s last hours: When he woke up it was dawn. He woke with a huge feeling of hope which suddenly and completely left him at the first sight of the prison yard. It was the morning of his death. He crouched on the floor with the empty brandy-flask in his hand trying to remember an Act of Contrition. “O God, I am sorry and beg pardon for all my sins ... crucified ... worthy of thy dreadful punishments.” He was confused, his mind was on other things: it was not the good death for which one always prayed. He caught sight of his own shadow on the cell wall; it had a look of surprise and grotesque unimportance. What a fool he had been to think that he was strong enough to stay when others fled. What an impossible fellow I am, he thought, and how useless. I have done nothing for anybody. I might just as well have never lived. ... He felt only an immense disappointment because he had to go to God empty-handed, with nothing done at all. It seemed to him, at that moment, that it would have been quite easy to have been a saint. It would only have needed a little self-restraint and a little courage. He felt like someone who has missed happiness by seconds at an appointed place. He knew now that at the end there was only one thing that counted — to be a saint. We don’t think of ourselves as potential saints. We can’t help but feel that the extraordinary “holiness” of the saints we read about is well beyond us and the lives we live in the times and place we live them. But sainthood is as simple as the condemned priest in Graham Greene’s novel comes to understand: the resolve not to come to God “empty-handed,” but to come before God at the end of our lives with offerings of justice and mercy, of peace-building and compassion — small and ordinary, perhaps, but all our sincerest attempts to mirror the love of God in which we were created. Today we celebrate all the saints who now dwell with God: both the heralded saints of the Church calendar and the mostly unknown saints whose presence has blessed our lives. Let our prayer this All Saints Day be that we may seek to be among their company one day, that the object and purpose of our lives is to come before God at the end not “empty-handed” but with the humble offering of a life lived in the spirit of the Beatitudes.

Connections, November 2020

Please contact the parish office if you would like to pray privately in the church.

Parish Office Hours 314-481-1133 Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Closed Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays Bulletin Article Deadline Monday at 12 p.m. prior to the weekend bulletin. Sacramental Celebrations

Eucharist Make a reservation to attend weekend Masses via the link on our parish website or call Mary at 314-481-1133, option 2 Saturday: Mass, 4 p.m. Sunday: Mass, 9 a.m. Tuesday-Friday: Mass, 8 a.m. (no reservations required)

Reconciliation Please call Father Ron to make an appointment.

Infant and Child Baptism Baptisms are celebrated after any weekend Mass. Parents are asked to call Mary Regan at 314-481-1133, #2, to arrange a date and time.

Adult Initiation / Reception into the Catholic Church Any adult who would like to know more about our Catholic faith, and/or who is interested in becoming a member of the Catholic Church, please call the parish office.

Marriage Please contact at least six months prior to the planned date of marriage.

Anointing of the Sick We have a communal celebration of this sacrament at the weekend liturgies in the fall and in the spring. If you would like to be anointed before entering the hospital or if you are homebound, please call the office.

Parish School of Religion PSR formal classes in our Catholic Faith Children: 4 yrs. through 8th grade and high school Located on the campus of St. John the Baptist Parish. Call the PSR Director at 314-773-3070.

for our sick and recovering ...

MASS INTENTIONS

PLEASE PRAY

DEVOTIONS

Joshua Aasgaard Suzie Beck Liz Bentrup Ann Dosenbach Beverly Gardner Harley Gardner

Steve Gaydos Jim Gunter Jan Haffer Paul Heidbrier Tim Krueger Thomas Lorenz

Lois McClellan Steve Moylan Grace Phillips Charlene Sidorski Virginia Zenthoefer

for our homebound ... Jack Heffernan Albertine Honious Art Petersen

for family members serving in the military ... Derek Hirtz Sam May Tristan Moylan

Ryan O’Neil Brian Schoellhorn Chris Schrader

Dylan Schulte Mitch Sollmann

Monday, November 2 9 a.m. — Ulrich Family

Tuesday, November 3 8 a.m. — Hoh Family

Wednesday, November 4 8 a.m. — Lechner Family

Thursday, November 5 8 a.m. — David Zitko

Friday, November 6 8 a.m. — Magdalen Mike

Saturday, November 7 4 p.m. — Anne Johnson / Marty Bickel

Sunday, November 8 9 a.m. — Roland Keeton / Our Parishioners

November 1, 2020 Solemnity of All Saints

ConsiderRememberingYour Parish in

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please call the Parish Office.

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