ST. STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR PARISH 845-986-4028

ststephenchurchwarwick.org

To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose

under Heaven…

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

...a time to be born…

Please pray for all children, born and unborn.

...a time to heal...

Please pray for all who are ill, especially: Aurelia Albert, Maria Bacan, Camille Balsamello, Ann Briscese, Ian Clark, Paula Cornine, Tom Coughlin, Antonina DeMarmels, Mary Ellen Downes, Jean Marie Fay, Nellie Fahy, Gemma Felice-Podwol, Nicholas Ferrucci, Tim Ferry, Maria Gabor, Robert Hogan, Jean Johnson, John Kazmarzyk, Claire Kempinger, Jack & Lynne Koval, Jennifer Lava, Ian Laroe, Patricia MacDougall, Rev. Peter Madori, Annmarie Malcomson, Joanne Marinello, Leo McCarey, Fr. Flor McCarthy, Brennon Michael, Baby Charlee, Glenn Muse, Mary Nelligan, Maddie Niebanck, Kathleen O’Brien, Msgr. Joaquin Olendzki, Ashley Oettinger, Ryan Ostrowski, Kaelyn Pennings, Cathy Priest, John Quinn, George Reilly, Todd Robbins, Bucky Ross, Sharon Scannello, Mary Schlagel, Dawn Sierra, Jean Sgrizzi, Patricia Smith, Josh & Teresa Wise, Eric Wortman and all those suffering from the Corona Virus and other debilitating diseases.

...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, Rev. Captain Alec Bruce Scott.

...a time to die…

Please pray for the souls Gladys LaForge, Antoinette Pullen,

William David Youngblood and Janet Buttofuoco.

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord; and let 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

Saturday Vigil, December 12 5:00pm Eva Karas

Sun., December 13, Third Sunday of Advent 7:30am Mary Glorie 9:00am John & Leona Coleman 11:00am Deceased members of the Wendel Family Deceased members of the Dempsey Family For the Week of December 13 Sanctuary Lamp: Judy Doty

Monday, December 14, St. John of the Cross, Priest & Doctor of the Church 7:00am For Our Parishioners 9:00am Ann Karas

Tuesday, December 15 7:00am Richard J. Regan, Jr. 9:00am Patty Karas Wednesday, Dec. 16 9:00am Neva Bonacci & T.J. Bonacci

Thurs., December 17 7:00am Mary & Eelke Glorie 9:00am William Wendel, Jr.

Friday, December 18 9:00am Laurice J. Fadel

Saturday, December 19 9:00am Nancy Burghardt

Saturday Vigil 5:00pm Gibbons & McHugh Families Sunday, December 20, Fourth Sunday of Advent 7:30am Gerald Burgio 9:00am Joan Dehm & Sandra Cronk 11:00am Bryant Chavez & Juan Pablo Chavez McBride & McCartin Families For the Week of December 20 Sanctuary Lamp: George Brandin & Catherine Dempsey

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

Altar Society Appointments

December 14 - Mary Ann Eggler

December 21 - Pat Costello

December 28 - Carolyn DeMarmels

Purgatorial Society

Please pray for all of the souls enrolled in the Purgatorial Society throughout the year.

Page Three

Your continued patience, prayers and kind encouragement

during this time are sincerely appreciated!

Masks are required to enter the Church!

Daily Morning Mass Time: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday at 7a.m. Monday thru Saturday at 9 a.m.

Prayer Time: Monday thru Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

Reservations are required for Sunday Mass! Sign up on the Website Thursday and Friday!

Sunday Mass Times: Saturdays at 5 p.m. Sundays at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Spanish Mass at 5 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month. 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. The 9am Mass will continue to be live streamed each day. STAYING CONNECTED:

Parish Website: www.ststephenchurchwarwick.org This is your best source for up-to-date information at St. Stephen’s

Office Phone: 845-986-4028 The office is presently closed to all but staff! Please call the office with any questions or stop at the bench, knock on the window and someone will come out to help you. 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.

If you are on social media, please "Like" us on Face-book: St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish Warwick

The Pastor’s Desk

St. Stephen, The First Martyr Parish A Eucharistic Community, Journeying in

Knowledge, Love and Service

75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, New York 10990 845-986-4028

www.ststephenchurchwarwwick.org info@ststephenchurchwarwick.org

Fr. Jack Arlotta Fr. Reynor Santiago

St. Stephen Religious Education Program Phone: 845-986-2231

RelEdOffice@gmail.com

Mrs. Lydia vanDuynhoven Mrs. Joanie Rotar

Third Sunday Of Advent

This Sunday is "Gaudete Sunday" (Rejoice Sunday) - the halfway point in the season of Advent. We are able to rejoice in the approaching birth of the Sav-ior. Even in the midst of the pandemic, we are see-ing signs of hope as I notice more homes decorated and lit up and the response to the Catholic Charities Gift Drive and our Knights of Columbus chapter Toy Drive have been very impressive. We also have been seeing an increase in people reserving places for Mass. Let us hope and pray we can celebrate the Birth of Christ in two weeks and without very severe restrictions.

****************** This coming Friday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m., we will be conducting the Annual Memorial Service which has been organized by the Lazear-Smith & Vander Platt Memorial Home. While it will be some-what different this year from past services, it will still be an opportunity for those who have lost a loved one during this unusual year to have an opportunity to honor and remember them in a touching service. It will be live streamed and Holy Hour will not take place that night.

National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

70 Carmelite Drive, Middletown, NY

Feast of St. John of the Cross Monday, December 14, 2020 - 9:30 - 11:00am

"Lives on Fire: Thomas Merton and St. John of the Cross"

with Fr. Jim Hess, O.Carm. Cost: $15pp - conference

followed by 11:30am Feast Day Mass

4th Annual Simbang Gabi Mass Saturday, December 19, 2020

7:00pm. Misang Tagalog *scapular enrollment after Mass*

Fr. Reynor Santiago, celebrant Please call to make a reservation or visit our web-site www.ourladyofmtcarmelshrine.com for flyers. Masks are required and space is limited with social distanced pews. Call Carol Bezak, Shrine Director at 845-343-1879 or email cbezak@carmelites.com to reserve a space.

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,

Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas. We fly to you today as your beloved children.

We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother, and gain for our nation and world, and for all our families and loved ones, the

protection of your holy angels, that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted, we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.

Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful, wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing, teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.

Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence, knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,

health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection, keep us in the embrace of your arms, help us always to know the

love of your Son, Jesus. Amen

Covid 19 Update - Please read!

As cases of Covid-19 are spiking throughout the country and locally, we would like to take a moment to remind our pa-rishioners and guests of safety protocols to consider before coming to mass, either for Sunday liturgy or for weekday mass or private prayer. The safety of our parishioners and friends remains our priority. Please review the self-screening questions prior to com-ing to St. Stephens.

We encourage you to print and save a copy of these and to do a quick review prior to visiting our church. 1. Since your last visit to St. Stephens, have you had any of these symptoms? Fever (temperature of greater than 100F in the last 14 days) Persistent dry cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Chill, Repeated shaking with chills Overall body aches and pains Headache, Sore throat New loss of taste or smell 2. Have you had a positive Covid-19 test within the last 14 days? 3. Have you had close contact with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 within 14 days? 4. Have you traveled internationally or outside our tristate area in the past 14 days? Please review the NY Out of State Travel Advisory. If you have answered YES to any of these questions you are urged NOT TO COME to church. Other Covid-19 reminders for our parishioners: Hand sanitizer is located when you enter the church, in the atrium. Please sanitize your hands before entering the sanc-tuary. Masks are required while in the building and must completely cover your mouth and nose at all times. This is to protect you as well as your neighbor. Practice social distancing when you are entering the church, approaching the altar for communion and leaving the church. Thank you for taking the time to read this information and consider these guidelines. We care about your safety and the health and safety of your family members, our priests, deacons and staff.

Where to find the Mass Readings

Due to the uncertainty of the times, we have not ordered copies of the Breaking Bread for the new liturgical year.

The readings for the daily and Sunday Masses are available through various outlets.

St. Stephen Website Our Music Director, Anthony Marcella, will continue to

provide the weekly Sunday worship guide on our website. This may be printed and brought to Mass.

The Word Among Us The parish provides a limited number of copies each

month. You may also obtain your own subscription at: wau.org/subscribe/standard_edition/

Magnificat Monthly Monthly subscriptions available at: Magnificat: www.magnificat.com

USCCB Website

https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading You can sign up for a daily email of readings.

The USCCB Readings, the Magnificat and

the Word Among Us are all available in Digital forms; Please check their website.

Please call the office if you need addresses to order hard copies through the mail.

Page Six

Christmas Evergreen Sale Long lasting Evergreens from the Pacific Northwest

22” Mixed Evergreen Wreath $26.00 # _______ $_______ 28” Mixed Evergreen Wreath $35.00 # _______ $_______ 30” x 19”Noble Fir Door Swag $25.00 # _______ $_______ Total enclosed $_______

Name____________________________ Telephone______________ E-mail__________________________________ Make checks payable to: Court St. Anne. You will be notified upon arrival. Call 986-4423 for more information.

Would you like delivery to your home or to send a gift to someone else? Please see the flyers in the atrium.

Christmas Altar

The beautiful poinsettias and Christmas decorations on the altar and church each year are the generous gifts of many families and friends. Please help us beautify the altar and church again this Christmas.

I want to make an offering: $15.00 ____ $30.00 ____ $45.00 ____ Other $ ____.

You may wish to add in memory of: ____________________________________ Name __________________________Telephone ___________ Address_____________________________________________ Envelope #_____________

Please make your check payable to St. Stephen Church. Mail or leave in the church office.

Third Sunday of Advent Reasons to Rejoice

Saint Paul seems to be throwing out a handful of sayings that may sound overly optimistic, but are actually very practical. “Rejoice always? Who can do that?” It sounds absurd, but the next two lines give it context: If we pray constantly and thank God for all that happens to us, we have reason to rejoice. Whatever happens is the will of God for us. Even the bad things, things we don’t like, can be allowed by God, so that God can bring good out of them. God allows sin because it leads to forgiveness, an experience of God’s love for us. And God allows even death, because God can bring us to eternal life. The next two sayings may be a little obscure. When Paul tells us not to quench the Spirit, he means we should be open to what the Holy Spirit moves us to do. “Prophetic utterances” refer to things that other people were inspired to proclaim. If we pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17) we won’t be so distracted by the things of this world that we cannot hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us. We won’t be so critical of others that we miss what the Spirit is telling us through them. How do we know if something really is from the Spirit? The next phrase helps with that: Test everything. Retain what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Use the scriptures, the teachings of the Church, and your conscience to de-cide whether the Spirit is moving you, or if advice you hear is worthwhile. And most of all trust God to help with all this because God wants us to be holy. God will make us holy if we only allow it. Then we will be ready for the coming of the Lord, whether through the sacraments, the celebration of Christmas, or God’s final coming in glory. I’d say that’s a reason to rejoice. Tom Schmidt, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Dear Ms. Juliano, Once again, the Advisory Board of Meals on Wheels of Warwick wishes to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude for the Blizzard Bags do-nated by the parishioners of St. Stephen’s to our cli-ents to be used when inclement weather causes an interruption of the delivery of their meals. The bags provide reassurance to our clients that they will not miss a meal and that the community, namely the community of St. Stephen’s, cares. During these difficult times, Meals on Wheels of Warwick has not had any interruption of service. While our protocols have changed in order to pro-tect our clients from Covid 19, we have maintained uninterrupted delivery of freshly prepared meals by Mount Alverno every weekday thanks to our dedi-cated volunteers. We are so grateful for their efforts. Please extend our thanks to all those who helped make the Blizzard Bags and donated their time to help our neighbors and friends here in Warwick. We wish you and the parishioners of St. Stephen’s a peaceful and joyous Christmas. Carol O’Malley-Levitan Secretary—Meals on Wheels Advisory Board.

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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!

Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

Holy Hour Every Friday Night 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Contemplate Christ w

ith us in person in the church Or on the live-streamed broadcast ststephenchurchwarwick.org

Page Seven

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