St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr We are a Stewardship Parish October 23, 2016 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, October 25 at 7pm in Church Archdiocesan Consultation Meeting for selecting a new pastor to succeed Fr. Jay as he retires next year.

Liturgy Schedule: Mon.—Sat. 8 am; Mass of Anticipation, Saturday, 5 pm; Sunday 7 am, 8:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 6:15 pm, and Polish at 1 pm Reconciliation: Saturday 8:45 am—9:30 am

Our Parish Mission

Our Staff

St. Stephen is a Catholic community of faith striving to witness to the Gospel. Our Baptism and Confirmation call us to bring Christ’s Love to our families, our work places, and our community. Grateful for God’s gifts, we seek to nurture those gifts and to give back to the Lord by sharing our time, talent, and material treasure. In all of our parish activities we seek to develop a personal relationship with the Lord who directs our lives and a vision that sees the world with the eyes of Christ and that leads to a commitment to justice. We seek a sense of unity in Christ that leads us to be an open and welcoming people and a sense of joy in being graced by the gifts of God’s Love.

Rev. James Finno, Pastor Rev. Grzegorz Warmuz, Associate Pastor Deacons:

Robert Conlin

Joseph Stalcup

William Engler

Pete Van Merkestyn

Chuck McFarland Kenneth Zawadzki William Schultz

Sacraments

Karen Opyd, Administrative Assistant to Pastor Mark Gorka, Music Minister Kyle Groves, Youth/Young Adult Minister Dave Prete, Maintenance Director

Baptisms are celebrated every Sunday at 3pm in English and 1pm in Polish. Please contact Deacon Ken in the parish office for the necessary preparations. Sacrament of Reconciliation is available on Saturdays from 8:45am—9:30am in the church or by appointment.

Parish Office Address: 17500 S. 84th Avenue, Tinley Park, IL 60487 Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:30am-8pm; Fri 8:30am-6pm; Sat Noon-5pm; Closed Mon-Friday from 12:30pm-1pm Office Phone: 708.342.2400 Office Fax: 708.342.1545 Website: www.ststephentinley.com Email: [email protected]

Funerals can be arranged with the parish office. Marriages—St. Stephen Parish welcomes the celebration of the weddings of both registered parishioners and the children of registered parishioners. Information is available from one of the priests or deacons. Communion for the sick, elderly, handicapped, or homebound parishioners can be arranged by calling Fr. Greg at the parish office or Barbara Black at 708-466-9962.

Bulletins: Email articles to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday for the following week’s bulletin.

Religious Education Office Director of Religious Education—Sandi Morgan Assoc. Director of Religious Education—Leslie Krauledis Admin. Assistant for Religious Education—Joann Buryj Religious Education Secretary—Patti Parker Phone: 708.342.1544

Our Parish School—Cardinal Bernardin Principal—Ms. Mary Iannucilli Address: 9250 W. 167th Street Orland Hills, IL 60487 School Phone: 708.403.6525 School Fax: 708.403.8621 Website: cjbschool.org Email: [email protected]

For those in need... 







Counseling services are available at St. Stephen through the Holbrook Counseling Center of Catholic Charities. Appointments with our parish counselor Michele L. Nowak, LCPC, can be made at 312-655-7725. For crisis counseling and veteran concerns, please contact Deacon Pete Van Merkestyn at the parish office. For parishioners struggling and in need of help, please contact St. Stephen’s St. Vincent de Paul ministry through the parish office. For those seeking help through a twelve-step program, St. Stephen offers English and Polish support groups. Please contact the parish office for more information.

New Parishioner Registration 



After the 10 AM Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month By appointment on Mondays at 2pm, Tuesdays at 11am, Wednesdays at 8:30am or Thursdays at 6:45pm. Please contact the parish office.

Stewardship: Sharing Our Treasure August 2016 Year to Date Actual

$106,814

$236,251

Budget

$117,875

$254,750

Surplus / (Shortfall)

($11,061)

($18,499)

Thank you for your continued Stewardship in support of St. Stephen. Please remember that our monthly mortgage payment to the Archdiocese of $41,500 is paid from our monthly collections. Please consider electronic giving through Give Central. Go to our website ststephentinley.com and click on Online Giving to sign up. Online donations can be scheduled at the frequency you choose through your bank or credit card.

Collections Will be available next week

Please consider remembering your parish when preparing your will.

From Our Pastor

D

ear People of St. Stephen,

Congratulations to Karen Opyd of our parish who will receive the Christifidelis award at Holy Name Cathedral this Sunday afternoon. The Christifidelis award is an annual award given to one member or a couple of every parish in the Archdiocese that nominates someone. The award is bestowed upon an individual Catholic layperson or couple who has demonstrated by participation in parish life the personal and ministerial renewal called for by the Papal Exhortation “Christifidelis Laici”, calling the laity to the vocation of responsibility for the Church’s life springing from the gift and mission of their baptism. Karen was nominated by our staff for her work in St. Stephen from our beginnings. As our parish administrative assistant, she is the friendly and knowledgeable voice that has welcomed people to our parish. She has served as a lector, in our bereavement ministry, in our religious education program, and many other parish activities. Her faith, caring nature, skills, and commitment are gifts to our parish. Our previous parish Christifidelis Award winners were Keith and Sharon Grill, Kevin and Tina Bugos, Barbara Black, John and Pat Lisicich, Diane Kotovsky, Toni Rafferty, Elaine Lindenmeyer, Bern Daley, and Jim Free. We thank Karen for all she has done to assist our parish over the years. This week we will begin adding some more time for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in our daily chapel. In addition to Thursdays when adoration goes from after the 8 AM Mass until Benediction at 6:30 PM, we will have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and adoration on Mondays and Fridays from 9:30am until 3:30 PM. On Mondays and

Fridays the Eucharist will be returned to the tabernacle at the end of the adoration time. Benediction will not be prayed on Mondays and Fridays. More information on these increased opportunities for adoration is elsewhere in the bulletin. You have likely noticed the more open area in front of our church. A week ago Thursday and Friday, the flower boxes and the several inches of concrete underneath them were removed. Let me share some background. When the church was built, the original design had an overhang going out from the doors near the religious education and parish offices and across the front of the church. The architectural idea was to have a gradual revealing of the building as people approached it - seeing first the overhang, then the daily chapel, and finally the main church. This aspect of the design was not constructed so that we could meet the budget that the Archdiocese had set for our original construction that turned a farm field into our buildings, our parking lot, and our grounds. The contractor put in cement supports for a possible overhang, so we had cement sticking up on the sidewalks in front of the building. The cement for the possible supports was covered by the wooden flower boxes generously built by Don Daley. These boxes served us well for 13 years, with many parishioners planting flowers annually in them. With the beauty of the building, the more open entrance to the building seemed preferable to any overhang hiding the building in some way. We did not anticipate building the overhang at any time. Our finance committee and staff made the decision to remove the concrete foundations and the flower boxes and thus to open up our entrance area. This will greatly help our maintenance staff in their snow removal work during the winter. We

have some small concrete patching work to do to complete this work. Finally, I invite everyone to the consultation town hall meeting this Tuesday evening at 7 PM in church. At this meeting Bishop Wypych, our area Dean Fr. Corcoran, and two representatives from the Priest Placement Board will invite our parishioners’ input and ideas for the search for a new pastor for St. Stephen. I did serve on this Placement Board a number of years ago in the late 1980s, so I know that the input from this consultation meeting is something that is seriously considered in the process. More information on the consultation meeting is elsewhere in this bulletin. I will be praying for all those involved in the process as we look toward the future of St. Stephen parish. May God bless you and your loved ones. Fr. Jay

THE PROCESS OF SELECTING A NEW PASTOR FOR ST. STEPHEN, DEACON AND MARTYR PARISH The process of determining where a priest will serve as a pastor in the Archdiocese of Chicago is prayerfully and carefully facilitated by the Archbishop, the Vicar Bishops of each Vicariate, the Deans, a priest who coordinates priest placement activities full-time and the Priests’ Placement Board which consists of eight Archdiocesan priests. Members of the Priests’ Placement Board meet weekly from September through June to assess the needs of parishes in light of placing pastors and associate pastors at parishes. Careful attention is given to determine how the Holy Spirit is calling particular priests to serve the needs of specific parishes in the Archdiocese. The process is focused on assessing each prospective pastor’s talents and skills and matching them with the needs of specific parishes. The input of the staff, lay leadership and parishioners of each parish is extremely valuable to the process.

The process is outlined in brief below: A Parish Consultation has been scheduled at St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr for Tuesday, October 25, 2016. Two members of the Priests Placement Board, the Bishop, and the Dean will have three separate meetings with the following groups in your parish to gather input about the qualities needed in your new pastor: 4pm – meeting with the Parish Staff, Permanent Deacons, and School Principal 5pm – break for a light meal with staff and/or the parish leadership 6pm – meeting with parish leadership (members of Parish Council, Finance Committee, etc.) 7pm – meeting with all interested parishioners in a Town Hall format to discuss the strengths and challenges of the parish and the qualities needed in their next pastor. Input from parishioners is very important in the process. The present pastor and current staff members are asked not to attend this session so as to allow people to express their opinions openly. A Parish Profile is compiled from information received at the parish meetings along with information regarding the parish’s mission statement, ministries, finances and other facts about the parish. Prospective pastors who are interested in the parish get a copy of this parish profile to help them in their discernment. Priests who are pursuing a pastorate complete a profile outlining their specific talents and skills and how the Holy Spirit is calling them to serve at their next assignment. Members of the Priests Placement Board will interview specific prospective pastors to determine their eligibility for being pastor of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr. After sessions of formal prayer and several weeks of discernment the Priest Placement Board will make a recommendation to Bishop Wypych and Archbishop Cupich on which priest they recommend to become the next pastor of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr. In a consultative manner, Archbishop Cupich will make the final decision about who he will appoint as the next pastor of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr. This will happen in the Spring. If you have any further questions regarding the priest placement process please contact the Priests’ Placement Office at 312-534-5270. Please pray for the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit in the process of selecting a new pastor for your parish. Please know that your input is profoundly needed and will be taken very seriously!

TOWN HALL MEETING AT ST. STEPHEN, DEACON AND MARTYR PARISH Location: Church Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 7:00pm Officials of the Archdiocese will be here at St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr to seek input from parishioners on the qualities needed in our next pastor. Please come to this meeting and provide information which will be used to select the next pastor of our parish.

Spiritual Life World Mission Sunday This weekend we celebrate World Mission Sunday. The theme of this year is “Mercy Changes the World.” Pope Francis invites the entire Church to support the young mission dioceses in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe where priests, religious and lay leaders serve some of the poorest of the poor. Please keep the missions in your prayers. As a parish we will no longer have an actual second collection for this need, but as a parish we will send a contribution based on previous years’ contributions. So we ask you to increase your regular donations which become part of our parish’s donation to the World Mission Sunday Collection and other eliminated second contributions. The work of the World Missions of the Church is important and they are grateful for our financial help.

St. Damian Parish Mission Host: Fr. Rick Simon Sunday, October 23 - Tuesday, October 25 5300 W. 155th Street, Oak Forest 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm in the Church St. Damian Parish invites you to our Mission presented by Fr. Richard Simon, pastor of St. Lambert’s in Skokie, Illinois. Fr. Simon is better known to Relevant Radio 950AM listeners as “The Reverend Know-It-All”, and host of Father Simon Says weekdays at 10 am and 6 pm. Fr. Simon’s expertise is in apologetics with a concentration on the early Christians. If you want to grow in faith and become a smarter Catholic - then you should listen to what Fr. Simon says! Call (708)687-1370 for more information.

The Holy Family Flowers were donated in memory of Bruno & Stella Opyd for the week of October 23, 2016 Sponsored by Children & Grandchildren

New Ways to Honor or Remember a Loved One If you would like to sponsor the Sanctuary candle or the Holy Family flowers for a special occasion or for a memorial, please stop by the parish office. Reservations are now open through December 2017. A recommended donation of $50 is requested. Weekly bouquets will be seasonal, fresh-cut flowers provided by Hearts and Flowers Florist in Tinley Park. If you have any questions, please contact Karen or Stacy in the parish office at 708-342-2400. Sorrowful Mother Novena Starts Tuesday October 25 after the 8:30 AM Mass Our Lady of the Woods Day Chapel 10731 W. 131st Street The Sorrowful Mother Novena has a special Chicago history starting at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in the 1940s. It has found a 21st century home at Our Lady of the Woods. Anyone with a devotion to Our Lady is invited to become a part of building this special dedication to Our Lady. Mass of Remembrance—October 24

Mass to End Domestic Violence Archbishop Blase Cupich Celebrates Mass to End Domestic Violence When: Saturday, October 29, 2016, 5:15 p.m. Mass Where: Holy Name Cathedral,730 N. Wabash Ave., The Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach Ministry invites everyone to the First Archdiocesan Mass on Domestic Violence. For more information, contact Jan Burdulis 773-841-3956 or [email protected] or visit www.archchicago.org scroll down the homepage to Domestic Violence Outreach. Preacher/Presider Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, Archdiocese of Chicago Concelebrant, Father Charles W. Dahm, O.P.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish invites all to a Mass of Remembrance for those who have lost children of any age on Monday, October 24 at 7 PM. St. Francis is located at 15050 South Wolf Road in Orland Park.

Marriage Banns III Banns II Banns I

Robert Kalmes & Allison Solo Anthony Kierna & Danielle Galardi Anthony Hicks & Megan Schapiro Joseph Szwab & Dogmara Iglar Michael Fitzpatrick & Ashley Forster

Spiritual Life An Hour of Power or A Few Holy Moments It’s still October; the month of Our Lady and the Rosary. St. Stephen Daily Chapel is a great place to spend some quiet time with Our Blessed Mother and Her Son, Jesus. Beginning the week of Oct. 24 we will be expanding the hours of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Currently we have Adoration on Thursdays from 8:30a.m.-6:30p.m. with Benediction. We will be adding Mondays and Fridays from 9:30a.m. to 3:30p.m.; on these days just ring the bell near the far right hand entrance to the church and the office will buzz you in. With the addition of these hours, we would like to create a schedule of some regular, consistent “Power Hour” adorers. These are folks who would visit each week at their regularly scheduled time. Of course you can visit the chapel any other time in addition to this hour. Mondays and Fridays the hours are: 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30. The Chapel will close at 3:30. On Thursdays additional hours are available: 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30. If you would like to set a regular, consistent weekly day and time to visit the chapel please call the parish office and leave your name, phone number and preferred day and hour. We will do our best to meet your request. This is a great time of year to renew or deepen your personal relationship with Our Lord by spending quiet time with Him at home or in the chapel. Matthew Kelly reminds us, “ we need some silence and solitude to sit with God and work out who we are, what we are here for, and what matters most, so we can make great decisions in our lives.” God wants to fill us with hope and joy so that we can bring these to others around us. Spend some quality time with your BEST Friend, Jesus!! Book of Remembrance for the Feast of All Souls It has been a custom here at St. Stephen to put a Book of Remembrance out prior to the Feast of All Souls for those who wish to write the names of their dear ones to be remembered at our All Souls Mass. This book will be on the Baptismal Font side of Church beginning this weekend October 22/23 up to and including the Feast of All Souls. We will have a special Mass of Remembrance on Sunday, November 6 at the 6:15pm Mass for those who were buried from our parish this past year and for all the deceased. We invite everyone to this special Mass which will be followed by a small reception in the large meeting room.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion In every celebration of the Eucharist, there should be a sufficient number of ministers of Holy Communion so that it may be distributed in a reverent and orderly manner. Bishops, priests and deacons distribute Holy Communion by virtue of their office as ordinary ministers of the Body and Blood of the Lord. When the size of the congregation requires it, the celebrant may be assisted by other bishops, priests, or deacons. If such ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are not present, “the priest may call upon extraordinary ministers to assist him” thus, known at St. Stephen as Eucharistic Ministers. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should receive sufficient spiritual practical preparation to fulfill their role with knowledge and reverence. All ministers of Holy Communion should show the greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist by their demeanor, their attire, and the manner in which they handle the consecrated bread or wine. Please consider becoming a Eucharistic Minister at Mass for St. Stephen. Call or email Deacon Ken Zawadzki at (708) 342-2400 ext.136 or [email protected] for more information. Join The Team of Ushers The mission of the ushers of St. Stephen Parish is that of hospitality. Our service is to make parishioners and guests feel welcome and comfortable as we gather for our Eucharistic celebration. Our ushers are able to see the presence of Christ in each person as they arrive. Ushers serve the congregation by assisting during the celebration of the Eucharist on weekends and holydays. They greet people upon arrival at the church and see that they are comfortably seated and tend to any special needs. The ushers collect the offering, assure the orderly movement of worshipers during Communion and distribute the bulletins at the end of the Liturgy. The ministry is open to all parishioners, men, women, senior citizens, parents and teenagers. We have a special need at all masses, especially 8:30am, 11:30am and 6:15pm on Sundays. Ushers can serve every other weekend or on an alternate basis. If you would like to join our team or have any questions, please contact Rich Frain at 708-532-1696.

Parish Life Cleaners Needed for Church Cleaning

Elizabeth Ministry

We are looking for willing hands to help us clean the inside of our Church on Mondays after the 8am Mass….all cleaning rags, buckets, etc. will be provided….we just need eager hands to help. We clean every other Monday and a schedule will be sent to you if you would like to join this wonderful group. If you are interested, please contact Karen Opyd in the parish office at 708-342-2400.Thank you and God bless!

The Elizabeth Ministry has been providing meals to new Mothers and families in difficult situations since St. Stephen became a parish over 16 years ago. During most of this time, we have given out about 200 pillows a year as a keepsake or to provide comfort to the babies.

Hearing Assist System Our church is equipped with a Williams Sound hearing assist system. Tied into our sound system, the system has four receivers that can help those with hearing difficulties. Receivers are available form the ushers; please return them to the ushers after Mass. The receivers are battery operated. If the battery is low, please ask an usher to contact one of our staff. The system also has two neck loops designed to work with the hearing aid equipped with a telephone coil (T-Switch). These neck loops are also available from the ushers. We have been told by the installing company that some people may want to purchase a receiver for their personal use. If you are interested in purchasing a receiver, please contact Fr. Jay.

Now these young people are making their First Communion, Confirmation and are in high school! However, we are still having Baptisms, so our work is not finished. If you are an expectant or new mother, or if we can help you in a trying time, please contact the parish office and we will be in touch. God Bless you and your little ones.

Seniors Young @ Heart

Men's Club Annual Christmas Wreath Sale

The October 31st lunch falls on Halloween, and only if you wish, you may come in a costume. It is not mandatory. The lunch consists of Fried Chicken, BBQ Beef, Western Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Creamy Cole Slaw, Choice of Hamburger Buns or Italian Bread, and chocolate fudge cake for desert. The cost for all the fun is only $14.

The St. Stephen Men's Club annual Christmas Wreath Sale is coming October 22-23 and 29-30! Members of the Men's Club will be taking orders after masses on these weekends. This year, we have added coffee, hot cocoa and a fire starter basket to our sales. Take a look at the information on the brochures during our sale, or check the St. Stephen website for PDF versions of the order forms. When writing a check, please make it payable to the St. Stephen Men's Club. All orders must be made by October 30th. Any questions can be sent to [email protected].

Any questions, please call Bernie Valderrama at 708-444-7949.

2017 Golden Opportunities Coupon Books Golden Opportunities Coupon Books are available for $25 in the parish office. If you have any questions, please call Connie Lambke at 708-263-0441.

Human Concerns St. Vincent de Paul Society Confidentiality & compassion are the cornerstones of our ministry. In this Sunday’s Gospel, the tax collector’s prayer allows God to be God and so allows God to pour mercy into his heart. When we pray and give alms to the poor, we allow God’s mercy to be poured into their hearts. Through your gift to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul you also can give God’s mercy to your neighbor who is hungry, hopeless, alone and frightened Are you struggling and in need of help? Please contact our parish office at 708-342-2400, ask for the SVdP hotline, and leave a message when you are connected to the voicemail box. Be sure to leave your name and a phone number where you can be reached. Someone from our SVdP ministry group will contact you. Silent Witness/ Survivor Speak Out Sacred Heart Church Domestic Violence Outreach Ministry and Pastor Jacek Wrona invite you to attend the second annual Silent Witness/Survivor Speak Out, brought to you by Pillars’ Constance Morris House

“Joseph Cardinal Bernardin” Seeking Common Ground”… October is pro-life month. One of the Archdiocese’s greatest life advocates was the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. His “Seamless Garment” teaching on life issues, from conception through death, wisely and artfully linked the Catholic Church’s stand on all life issues. Cardinal Bernardin died twenty years ago, on November 14th, 1996. In honor of the anniversary of his death our neighboring parish in the deanery, St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, has invited Professor Steven Millies, a Political Science Professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken, to speak on Thursday , November 3rd at 7:00P.M. in the Parish Life Center, 9300 West 167th street in Orland Hills. Professor Millies has just published a well received new book “ Joseph Bernardin: Seeking Common Ground”. In his presentation, he will share an overview of the late Cardinal‘s views and ideas, and a few illuminating and amusing stories about his life. Please plan on attending an enlightening evening on the life of a good, wise and holy man.

This gathering will be held on Friday, October 28 Sacred Heart Church Ministry Center, 8245 W. 111th Street, Palos Hills, IL 60465. Doors open at 6:30 PM, event starts at 7 PM. Price: Free. Suggested donation of a non-perishable food item. Any questions please contact: Elizabeth Droel at 708-974-3336 x250 or [email protected] Lauren Pagán at 708-995-3649 or [email protected] Joyful Again Widowed Ministry Are you a widowed man or woman looking for a way to navigate your way through life’s changes? Hoping to find joy in living once more? There will upcoming retreats/workshops for those widowed at Our Lady of the Angels House of Prayer in Lemont on Alvernia Manor’s Campus on November 5 and 6, 2016, and January 21 & 22, 2017. Includes overnight stay and meals. Very limited space– register early. For more information, please contact the Joyful Again Widowed Ministry at 708-354-7211 or by email at [email protected]. You can also visit the ministry website at www.joyfulagain.org

Date: Sunday, November 13 Time: 5:30pm – Registration / 6:00 - 8:00pm Place: Mosque Foundation at The Zakat Foundation Unity Center Tickets on sale until Nov 2nd – $20 per person Tickets will not be sold at the door. For tickets contact Mohammed Nofal at 708-253-2834. For more information visit www.SWIFTinterfaith.org

Youth Education & Formation

Family Spaghetti Dinner Friday November 4, 2016

The Pumpkins Are Here! Please consider purchasing your fall pumpkins from the St. Stephen Teen Group pumpkin patch. We have all shapes, sizes, and varieties. Proceeds will be used toward the Teen Group’s 2017 Summer Mission Trip to Harlan, Kentucky. Hours are: Monday through Saturday 11 AM—7PM Sunday 7 AM—7 PM

Saturday, 10/29 6 PM—9 PM St. Elizabeth Seton Parking Lot Children of St. Stephen Parish Birth to Eighth Grade are invited to Trunk or Treat! This is a co-sponsored event between St. Stephen & St. Elizabeth Seton’s teen groups and will be held at St. Elizabeth Seton. More details will be published in next week’s bulletin. Parishioners—Interested in decorating your vehicle’s trunk and passing out candy? Last year we had upwards of 60 cars participate. You can register your vehicle by contacting Kyle Groves via email at [email protected] or by phone at 708-403-0101 x105. Can’t attend but still want to donate treats? Parishioners are welcome to drop off bags of individually wrapped candy to the St. Stephen Parish Office. No peanut products, please.

Come join us for an evening of good food, conversation and musical entertainment on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 5:30-8pm in St. Stephen's Education Wing. Tickets are $8.00 per person and will be available for purchase this weekend in the narthex! Tickets are also available for purchase in the Religious Ed Office and the Parish Office. We are asking for donations of bakery items for the dessert table and drinks for guests at the spaghetti dinner. If you can help us it would be most appreciated. Families with students in grades 1-4 are asked to provide baked goods to be sold at the dinner. All baked goods should be individually wrapped and labeled with ingredients. Families with students in grades 5-8 are asked to provide canned soft drinks (regular or diet) or bottled water for the guests. Please remember this is a Fundraiser that will benefit St. Stephen Church as well as the Religious Education Program. All donations should be brought to the Religious Education Office, ONLY during the week beginning Monday October 31 from 8:30am-4:30pm and Tuesday through Thursday November 1-3 from 8:30am-7:15pm. Thank you for helping make this a successful event. For any questions please contact Patti Parker at ext. 180 in the Religious Education Office.

Community News Queen of Peace High School - Peace Pasta Party Queen of Peace High School is hosting the Peace Pasta Party on October 28th at 6pm. This family friendly evening includes a delicious Italian meal, beverages (including wine and beer for a donation) and entertainment provided by Richie Z. There will be raffles, prizes and more with proceeds going to the Peace Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and students 5 and older. Reservations only. To reserve a table please contact Terry Gardas at [email protected] or 708-458-7600.

Mother McAuley Mother’s Club “Shop Under The Harvest Moon” a Vendors Fair for Ladies Night out (21 & Over ) on Friday November 11th from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at Mother McAuley High School located at 3737 W. 99th St. A Donation of $5 includes appetizers and a free McAuley Tote.

Brother Rice High School Open House’s Brother Rice High School will be hosting their open house’s on Sunday, November 6th & Sunday, December 4th from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. For more information or to set up a personal tour, please contact Tim O’Connell at 773-4294312 or toconnell&brrice.org. For additional information visit www.BrotherRice,org.

St. Laurence High School Open House’s St. Laurence High School, located at 77th Street and Central Avenue in Burbank, will hold its annual Open House on Sunday, November 6 from 10 am to noon and Sunday, December 4, from 10 am to noon. We are serving breakfast to our visitors at 9 a.m. as well. More information is available by contacting the Office of Admissions during regular school hours at 708-458-6900, extension 252

Sacred Heart Church As October is Respect Life Month, Sacred Heart Church Respect Life Ministry and their pastor Father Jacek Wrona invites you to a Respect Life presentation on Monday, October 24 at 7:00pm. The event will be held at Sacred Heart Church Ministry Center located at 8245 W. 111th St., in Palos Hills. For more information, please contact Beth Mikula at 708-974-3336 x239 or [email protected]

Celebrants, Deacons, Greeters, and Counters Date

Ministry

Sat 5 PM

Sun 7 AM

Sun 8:30 AM

Sun 10 AM

Sun 11:30 AM

Sun 1 PM Polish

10/30

Celebrant

Fr Greg

Fr Jay

Fr Greg

Fr Greg

Fr Jay

Fr Greg

Deacons

Dcn Bill E.

Dcn Bill S.

Dcn Bill S.

Dcn Pete

Dcn Pete

Greeters

Mary Tafoya Mary Berger

Bob Ridge Barb Ridge

Pauline Cotrano Anna Williams

Joan Beck B.J. Witry

Counters

Jean Coughlin Peg Schmitt 10/30

Team #2

Helen Klimek Dorothy Meyrick Helen Zimmerman Bob Meyrick 11/6 Team #3

Lynn Packert Alyssa Corona

Polish Ministry Informacje Dotyczące Duszpasterstwa w Parafii Sw. Śzczepana W ciago calego roku Msza Św. w niedziele w języku polskim jest o godz. 1PM -Pierwszy piątek miesiąca: Spowiedz of 6:30-7:30pm Msza o 7:30pm -Pierwsza sobota miesiąca: od godz. 7pm-9:30pm -Spowiedz w kazdą sobote of godz. 8:45-9:30am -Po bliższe imformajce proszę dzwonić do biura parafialnego pod numer 1(708) 342- 2400 wew 137 Faryzeusz czy celnik? . Ocena i samoocena – jakżeż trudny problem. Jakie kryteria oceny stosujemy wobec innych i wobec siebie? Czy identyczne? Patrząc na życie swoje i cudze, na wydarzenia, działania, klęski i sukcesy, każdy z nas postrzega je w inny sposób. Gdyby kazano nam ubrać w słowa to, co myślimy, powstałoby tyle wersji oceny, ilu nas jest. Jednak teraz postarajmy się skupić wyłącznie na naszym życiu i naszej wierze. Słowo, które kieruje do nas dzisiaj Pismo Święte, winno wzbogacać nasze refleksje nad tym, jak i w jaki sposób patrzymy na Boga, jak Go postrzegamy, jak Go traktujemy. Człowiek zdrowy często nie potrafi zrozumieć problemów ludzi chorych, niesprawnych, a jednak każdy z nas, zdrowy i chory, sprawny i chromy, widzący i niewidzący odczuwać powinien radość z tego, że został nam dany przywilej wiary, która pozwala odczuwać miłość, nadzieję i radość z opieki naszego Jedynego Ojca w niebie. Wiara, nasza własna wiara, nie do końca jest wiarą, którą zaszczepił w nas Jezus Chrystus, którą poprzez chrzest przekazał nam Duch Święty, której oczekuje nasz Bóg Ojciec – Stworzyciel. Jakże często opieramy się na naszej własnej interpretacji i staramy się wiarę naginać do swoich potrzeb. To nie przypadek, że właśnie dzisiaj w całej Liturgii Słowa słuchamy o dobroci Boga, o poświęceniu się dla Niego i o głębokiej wierze. Bowiem Bóg „Nie lekceważy błagania sieroty i wdowy, kiedy się skarży. Kto służy Bogu, z upodobaniem będzie przyjęty, a błaganie jego dosięgnie obłoków.” (Syr 35,14.16). U schyłku życia św. Paweł w Liście do Tymoteusza ocenił swoje życie, mówiąc: „W dobrych zawodach wystąpiłem, bieg ukończyłem, wiary ustrzegłem. Na ostatek odłożono dla mnie wieniec sprawiedliwości, który mi w owym dniu odda Pan, sprawiedliwy Sędzia, a nie tylko mnie, ale i wszystkim, którzy umiłowali pojawienie się Jego.” (2 Tm 4,7-8). Czy wiedział, czy tylko przeczuwał, jaką cenę zapłaci za miłość do Pana, trudno nam ocenić. Jednakże widząc prostą drogę do zbawienia, nie wahał się ani chwili, by głosić Ewangelię o Bogu, o Jezusie, o Wierze, która jest miłością. No i na koniec podany przez samego Jezusa Chrystusa ewangeliczny przykład dwóch rodzajów wiary – wiary faryzeusza i wiary celnika – uczy nas, jak strzec wiary i unikać fałszywej samooceny. Odpuszczenia grzechów nie sami sobie udzielamy, lecz czyni to Bóg prawdziwy, w Trójcy Jedyny. Co więcej, Bóg daje przewodników, z ludu wziętych, dla ludu powołanych – kapłanów, by ci wskazywali nam właściwą drogę. Może warto przeanalizować te czytania pod kątem naszej wiary i zastanowić się, w którym szeregu stoimy? Po co nam to wszystko? Nie dla zaszczytów i chwały ziemskiej, lecz po to, byśmy w swoim zadufaniu nie stracili widoku mety, sądząc, iż już sama przynależność do Kościoła wszystko usprawiedliwi. Spokorniejmy, by w konsekwencji cieszyć się Niebem. „Każdy bowiem, kto się wywyższa, będzie poniżony, a kto się uniża, będzie wywyższony.” (Łk 18.14b) Matko Boża Różańcowa, przez Twoje wstawiennictwo prosimy o umiejętność takiego postrzegania wiary i Kościoła, abyśmy nie zagubili właściwej drogi, abyśmy przejrzeli i poszli za Nim. Przez Chrystusa, z Chrystusem i w Chrystusie.

Military Corner Please pray for our Military men and women on a daily basis for their safe return. CPL Nicholas Cascone Lt. Amanda Griffith Tsgt. Laura Langley Capt. Anthony J. Cesaro Sgt. Evan Grober Ssgt. Carl Langley Major Vincent Cesaro Capt. Michael Gryczka Sgt. Joseph Malone Capt. Michael Chimienti Lt. Dan Kniaz Capt. Christopher Mazurek

Sgt. Dominic Messina PFC Matthew O'Boyle LCDR Marilyn Walsh Major Thomas Walsh

Parish Calendar

Day

Date

Sunday

Oct 23

Monday

Oct 24

Tuesday

Oct 25

Wednesday Oct 26

Thursday

Oct 27

Friday

Oct 28

Saturday

Oct 29

Time

After All Masses After All Masses 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:30 AM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 8:30am-3:30pm 4:15-5:30pm; 6pm-7:15pm 4:15-5:30pm; 6pm-7:15pm 10:00 AM 7:00 PM 4:15-5:30pm; 6pm-7:15pm 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM After All Masses 4:15-5:30pm; 6pm-7:15pm 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM 6:15 PM 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM 7:00 PM 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:30am-3:30pm 8:45 AM - 10:00 AM 7:00 PM After All Masses After All Masses 6:00pm -9:00pm

Sunday

Oct 30 After All Masses After All Masses 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Event

Location

Baby Nursing Men's Club Wreath Sale Spaghetti Dinner Tickets RCIA Rite of Enrollment 8th Gr. 8 Church Welcoming & Parish Reg Feast of John Paul II (bi-lingual) no 1pm Mass Baptism Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament RE Classes RE Classes Young @ Heart Board Mtg Polish Rosary RE Classes Polish Rosary Highlanders Rosary Men's Club Fundraiser Gatto's Restaurant RE Classes Moms and Tots 2nd Grade Makeup Reconciliation Adult Choir Polish Rosary Adoration of Blessed Sac with Rosary Children's Choir Bereavement Benediction followed by Divine Mercy Prayers Polish Rosary Kingdom Meeting Praise Band Baptism Prep Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Scripture Study Polish Rosary Baby Nursing Men's Club Wreath Sale Spaghetti Dinner Tickets Trunk or Treat Baby Nursing Men's Club Wreath Sale Spaghetti Dinner Tickets RCIA Children's Liturgy of The Word Baptism

#153 Narthex Narthex #125 Church LMR & #158/159 Church Church Daily Chapel Education Wing Education Wing #125 Daily Chapel Education Wing Daily Chapel #170/171/172/173 Daily Chapel Narthex Education Wing #161 Church Church Daily Chapel Daily Chapel Church #126 Daily Chapel Daily Chapel #125 Church LMR Daily Chapel #126 Daily Chapel #153 Narthex Narthex Seton #153 Narthex Narthex #125 Church Church

Minister’s Schedule Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers. Log on to the Web Terminal for the latest updated minister postings. To become part of our New Scheduling Process, please email Deacon Ken Zawadzki at [email protected] for more information.

Mass 23-Oct Sunday Requested by : 7:00am Za Dusze W. Czyscu Cierpiace Henry Michalski Dolores Michalski Bruno & Stella Opyd Children/Grandchildren Dcn Ken & Laurie Zawadzki 8:30am Ed Burns Joe Spedale Rosanne Spedale 10:00am Mike & Dorothy O'Connell Bob & Carol Hajek Susan Staunton Barb O' Connell 11:30am Teresa Sushon Kathy McNulty Dolores Dogan The Corgan Family 1:00pm Za Dusze W. Czyscu Cierpiace Walter & Mary Wozniak Robert & Emily Haynes Family 6:15pm Ann Vidinich The Family Kathy McKeon The Family 24-Oct Monday 8:00am Marusz Wloch The McKeigue Family Pat Mahaony Karen Opyd 25-Oct Tuesday 8:00am Purgatorial Society Intention of Teresa Wloch The McKeigue Family 26-Oct Wednesday 8:00am Bruno Opyd Children & Grandchildren Spec. Int. For J. Coughlin A Friend 27-Oct Thursday 8:00am Jim Stephans Charlene & Ron Yock Elmer Bucek Elaine Bucek 28-Oct Friday 8:00am H.M. Johnson Emily Johnson Estrella Norella The Deanching Family Helen Connors 29-Oct Saturday 8:00am Mrs. Gavey R.E. Staff Ray Prendergast Jean Coughlin Int. of Alex & Elizabeth 5:00pm 50th Wedding Anniversary Tyminski Steve & Ann Frejlich The Family Steve Yanko The Family Dina Vlosak The Clausen Family Lea Govert The Family Lawrence Denier The Family 30-Oct Sunday 7:00am Za Dusze W. Czyscu Cierpiace Stanley Janasek The Family 8:30am Elizabeth & Joseph Persin Barbara Black Ed Burns Dcn Joe & Linda Stalcup 10:00am Int of Susan Ann Martinez Marion Kummer Carmella Fanelli Donoto Theresa Mennella 11:30am Sylvia Castle Mother M/M Laurence O'Brien Kathy McNulty 1:00pm Za Dusze W. Czyscu Cierpiace Jan & Stanistawa Kmiecik The Family 6:15pm Joyce Martin The Martin Family Wayne Welling 1 Yr. The Family

Pray for our Sick Julie Barth Joe McCory Bill Beavan Joey Moylan Arlene Beavan Dave Newquist Grace Boblak Dana Nosek Kathie Brosius Barb & Joe Onak Ruth Bulkaski Dan Opyd Tammy Burns Pearl Paul Joanne Chess Bob Rasmussen Thomas Conners Joe & Joan Ricciuti John Cornwall Marek Rudzki John Czerniak Cynthia Ryan Bob & Sheila Dickman Nicole Siedschlag Joe Dorff Alice Betley Janice Dorff Rachel Swallow Bill Dunlap Joseph Tierney Bill Galvin Michael Vasek Caroline Grady MaryBeth Vasquez Larry Hersh Kelly Weiss Pete Horkan Ken & Patricia Weissman Bill Keating And for all for whom our parish is asked to pray To help keep the list of names read at Mass and placed in the bulletin accurate and current, we will keep the name of a non-parishioner who is an immediate family member of our parishioner on the list at Mass for two weeks and in the bulletin for two weeks. For a parishioner, we will keep the name on the list at Mass for four weeks and in the bulletin for 60 days. We ask that an immediate family member call after 4 weeks if you wish to have the name continued to be read at Mass.

Pray for Our Deceased Loren Davidson Dale Mikolajewski John O'Neil Geraldine Rovano Joyce Spano Betty Staniszewski Mary Thicoine Weekly Readings Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat

Sir 35: 12-14. 16-18/ Ps 34: 2-3 Eph 4: 32 – 5: 8/ Ps 1: 1-2. 3 Eph 5: 21-33/ Ps 128: 1-2. 3 Eph 6: 1-9/ Ps 145: 10-11 Eph 6: 10-20/ Ps 144: 1b Eph 2: 19-22/ Ps 19: 2-3 Phil 1: 18b-26/ Ps 42: 2. 3

Welcome to Our Newly Baptized Hailey Madison Bowen James Todd Gryczka Savannah Grace Limanowski Viktoria Anna Szaflarski

Thank You Advertisers E a rn $ $ $ $ f o r S t . S t e p h en ’ s Pa r i sh !

Nancy’s Pizza and St. Stephen Pizza Coupon

Have lunch or dinner at Gatto's on the 2nd or 4th Wednesday of the month and help in raising funds for St. Stephen’s parish. The parish will receive 15% of the before tax cost of your meal. Please present this coupon to your server or ask your server to write St. Stephen's Men's Club on your bill.

Nancy’s Pizza at 171st Street and 80th Avenue (in the Family Dollar Plaza) is making an offer to St. Stephen Parishioners. On any Monday through Wednesday, present this coupon and 20% of the pre-tax amount (10% if a discount coupon is used) will be donated to the St. Stephen Parish Center Fund. You can enjoy a pizza and support our parish. Nancy’s Pizza’s number is 708-614-6100.

St. Stephen Men’s Club Dine-In or Carryout nd

th

2 & 4 Wednesdays of the month

15% Donation (before tax) Present this coupon to your server

20% of the pre-tax amount (10% if a discount coupon is used) to be donated to the St. Stephen Parish Center Fund. Coupon good on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays!