Author: Fr. Joshua Curtis, FSSP

  The Order of Penitent Knights of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Sorrowful Mother of God (Knights Penitent) is an organization of Catholic men at St. Stephen the First Martyr. They are comprised of men from all walks of life, who feel called to a greater level of sacrifice, service, and prayer in service of Holy Mother Church and the salvation of souls.   They are bound together by three aims: first, to atone and make reparation for our sins and those of the whole world; second, to …

  I am in the process of editing, reformatting, and re-publishing the devotional materials used by the parish. The first of these – prayers after Mass for First Friday and First Saturday – should arrive early next week. I have used a laminated solution this time, to make sure the cards stay in good working condition for as long as possible. If this proves to be a good solution, I will begin ordering the other cards and booklets (including for Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which we have been short …

  On September 11, the St. Stephen’s Youth Group will resume. It meets twice a month during the academic year, generally on second and fourth Friday, in the evening. Its primary purpose is the continuing Catholic education of high school students in our parish. The secondary purpose of the group is to help the youth form and keep good Catholic friendships amongst one another. The group assists at the evening Mass, afterwards moving to one of the classrooms for a short meal and social time. Then one of the priests, …

North American Province Plenary Meeting   This week, from Monday to Friday, Fr. Franco and Fr. Lopez will be away from the parish attending a plenary meeting in New York. The Mass and confession schedule will remain unchanged, but I do ask parishioners to bear in mind that we will be very understaffed. Altar Guild   We currently have 111 young men involved in the Altar Guild. If you have a son interested in the Guild, you can acquire a registration from the bookstore, or contact Mike Solton (916-832-2859) directly. …

  As several of these were only recently announced, I want to call your attention particularly to them. Parish Hall Chant Workshop   This Saturday! Join us on Saturday, August 22, from 9:30 am to noon, in the parish hall. Our parish music director, Keven Smith, will teach some of the ordinary chants and hymns of our Catholic patrimony so that you’ll be better prepared to sing along at sung Masses. Keven will also help you read Gregorian notation and cover the basics of healthy singing technique. We will then …

  In order to reach one of the priests for anything of a serious nature (e.g. setting up a meeting, seeking counsel, starting marriage preparation, establishing a day and time for the Baptism of a child), it is most effective to send an e-mail to one of us, using the e-mails listed in the bulletin.   Speaking personally, there are about ten different ways to reach me, between the various phone numbers, e-mails, texting apps, and physical mailboxes. It is a challenge to stay on top of all of these …