St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church
A National Historic Landmark ~ Founded April 1869 Celebrating 150 Years of Tradition
1930 West 54th Street • Cleveland, Ohio 44102 Parish Office: 216-631-5633 Fax: 216-631-5634 Website: ststephencleveland.org Email: [email protected] Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord— April 4, 2021
Parish Office Hours
Parish Staff
Church Secretary:
Bap sm The bap sm of infants and children under 1st Friday 6:30pm / 1st Saturday 9:30am the age of seven is celebrated monthly.
Call the Parish Office to Register.
Marriage Weddings should be arranged with the Pastor at least 6 months in advance.
This Week’s Church Services MASS SCHEDULE CELEBRANT SCHEDULE
We welcome all Parishioners and Visitors to Mass at St. Stephen. Easter Vigil 8:30PM Easter Sunday 11:00AM
The Confession schedule is as follows— April 3 & 4 Fr. Benjamin Fr. Franz ______Saturday: 4:15—4:45 pm — Club Room (parking lot entrance) Saturday Sunday 5PM Sunday 8AM Sunday 11AM Sunday: before 9:30 am Mass—Room behind St. Joseph’s Altar March 10 & 11 Fr. Benjamin Fr. Franz Fr. Caroli Please call the Parish Office if you wish to scheduled a private All Sundays at 9:30am & Holy Days: Rev. Bede Kotlinski Confession.
______LITURGICAL MINISTRIES — April 3 & 4 Saturday, April 3, 2021—Church The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night Easter Vigil 8:30PM Easter Sunday 11AM 8:30 PM Parishioners Lector Diana Lipfird/Russ Nieling Robert Filippi
______Glenn Sneed E.M.: Liz Filippi Sunday, April 4, 2021—Church Easter Sunday of the Resurrec on of the Lord LITURGICAL MINISTRIES —April 10 & 11 8:00 AM Cancelled Saturday 5PM Sunday 8AM Sunday 11AM 9:00 AM Pray the Holy Rosary; Confession Cancelled Lector Fred Courtright Evelyn Trucks Ma Minarik 9:30 AM Triden ne La n Mass — Parishioners 11:00 AM German* (Bilingual) — Parishioners READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 4 5:00 PM Triden ne La n Mass - Cancelled Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Ps 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11;Mt 28:8-15
______Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41; Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; Jn 20:11-18
Monday, April 5, 2021—Church Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Lk 24:13-35 Monday Within the Octave of Easter Thursday: Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8:2ab, 5-9; Lk 24:35-48 10:00 AM Special Inten on—Jennifer Friday: Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2, 4, 22-27a; Jn 21:1-14
______Saturday: Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:1, 14-15ab, 16-21;
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 Mk 16:9-15 Tuesday Within the Octave of Easter Sunday: Acts 4:32-35; Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20:19-31 6:45 AM Triden ne La n Mass (Easter Tuesday) (Church) — † Joseph John Lonardo SAINTS/OBSERVANCES — WEEK OF APRIL 4 6:30 PM (Rectory Chapel) Frank Jankowski, Jr. Sunday: Easter Sunday of the Resurrec on of the Lord
______Monday: Monday within the Octave of Easter
Wednesday, April 7, 2021—Church Tuesday: Tuesday within the Octave of Easter Easter Wednesday Wednesday: Wednesday within the Octave of Easter 6:30 PM Triden ne La n Mass — †† Stanley & Mildred Lipnos Thursday: Thursday within the Octave of Easter Friday: Friday in the Octave of Easter 7:00-8:00 PM Tenebrae, Confession, Holy Hour, Benedic on
______Saturday: Saturday within the Octave of Easter
Thursday, April 8, 2021—Church Easter Thursday PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING: 6:30 PM † Fr. Timothy Buyansky, OSB Walter Allen Larry Haynes Mark Reynolds
______Luann Ashby Barb Helon Randy Rollins Friday, April 9, 2021—Rectory Chapel Willie Averyhart Catherine Henry Alberta Scroll Friday Within the Octave of Easter Victoria Bailey Cecilia Hoefer Bruce Schirhart 6:30 PM † Chrisann Blankenship, † Dawn Tucker, Deceased Tom Beercheck Agnes Hogan Ken Schneider Members of the Smith Family, Living & Deceased Burley Blankenship Michael James Adriane Simovic Members of the Bewley Family Lawrence Blasius Milan Kovatch Glenn Sneed
______Barbara Bradley Betsy Kraus Sharon Sneed
Saturday, April 10, 2021—Church Patricia Burfield Fred Krisch Ann Stromp Vigil of the Second Sunday of Easter / Sunday of Divine Mercy Ann Caldwell Roger Lipfird Isabel Guadiz Tobey 5:00 PM The Smith & Leary Families Fr. Joseph Callahan Inis Lustri Evelyn Trucks
______Fran Corbin Ann Malone Tina Vehar
Sunday, April 11, 2021—Church Deacon Moisés Cruz Tracy Mar n Fr. Albert Veigas Second Sunday of Easter / Sunday of Divine Mercy Rebecca D’Andrea Jennifer Mar nc Noel Walters 8:00 AM † Terry Shannon, † Ed Duritsky William Fry Maureen Masterson Karin Whyde 9:00 AM Pray the Holy Rosary; Confession Cancelled Wanda Eland Ben McDonald Verona Family Alberta Gall Steve McElroy John Young 9:30 AM Triden ne La n Mass (Low Sunday) (Divine Mercy Mike Gallo Patricia McGonegal Jim Zinkan Sunday) — † Cole a Spuhler Roger Gregory C. McQuaide Family 11:00 AM Alumni — Living & Deceased Members of the Susan Ha a Elizabeth Niehaus St. Stephen Alumni Associa on Abbé Nicholas Johanni—Voca on of Priesthood Sister Rose-Marie (Rose Johanni) of the Passion of the Royal Heart, Contact the Parish Office at 216-631-5633 to schedule a Burning Furnace of Mercy Mass inten on. The customary s pend (offering) is $10.00. First Responders—Officer Chris Larson, and Lt. Timothy Maffo-Judd Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
EASTER MESSAGE 2021 TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION It has been said that the most convincing sign of the Risen I am thrilled to begin my Easter message this year with a Christ is the Risen Chris an. Today, in parishes around the famous quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “Unless there is a world, new life is drawn from the waters of bap sm, and new Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday.” These Chris ans are thrilled to see the crowds pour in to join in the are words of encouragement and consola on to all of us feast. On Easter, we do not say the Creed, but rather renew our Chris ans par cularly during this unprecedented me of the bap smal promises with hearty responses. We are taking the Coronavirus pandemic. This year’s Easter echoes unequivocally first joyful steps on a fi y-day-long celebra on. In the southern the significance of the Passion, Death and the Resurrec on of hemisphere, the world is slipping into winter, but for us in North America, the earth itself seems to sing hymns to Christ’s Christ and how it resonates so well to our lives today. victory. Look this morning for the fresh paschal candle standing Regardless of what is happening today, we should and must be near the bap smal waters. It was consecrated in the hours of grateful to God for his love, mercy, guidance and protec on the night, will burn brightly for fi y days whenever we gather throughout the Lenten season. I am advising that we personal- for prayer, and will glow again at every bap sm and every fu- ize this Easter celebra on. Recalling the Easter reality in the life neral in the year ahead. Even though we may be gathered of Christ, we can acknowledge that, by the gi of faith, we have around the candle someday in sadness, today’s joy at Christ’s been able to pick a winner. But the hidden reality and the victory over death will shine through. source of unspeakable Easter joy is the fact that a winner has —James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. chosen us! This is victory day, this Easter Sunday. The triumph S S . M M is Christ’s, of course, but he has chosen to share that victory A er the paschal vigil of Holy Saturday at the Lateran the with us and make winners of us all. How can we not be happy first basilica to be visited is that of the Mother of God on the today? How can we not be grateful? Esquiline, for it is fi ng that to her, before any other, the joys of the Resurrec on should be announced, to her who more Easter is absolutely the perfect me to rethink the road we are in mately than any other shared in the Passion of Jesus. .... on, where it is leading, and whether it is where we want to go. The Introit is derived from Psalm 138, which extols the know- We’re all-natural born pilgrims, but since we’re not homing ledge and the presence of God that pervade the innermost pigeons, we don’t have a natural sense of direc on or internal part of our being. The an phon has, however, been adapted to GPS. We know we are moving through steps in our lives, we the paschal solemnity. Truly Christ fell asleep upon the cross, are just not sure we know where we are and where we are having yielded up His spirit to His Father, and now He awakens in the loving arms of the Almighty, who has accepted the spot- going! Easter is a signpost invi ng us to get our bearings and less vic m spontaneously offered to Him, and, pressing Him to travel a new way to a new place to live a new kind of life. His bosom, has revived within Him the spark of His own divine Par cularly during this me of the COVID -19 Pandemic, we life. Christ has indeed arisen from the dead. should realize that there is a lot that is “new” about Easter ~ The Liturgical Year-by the Very Dom Prosper Guéranger, Abbot of which may turn some of us Chris ans off and irritated. It Solesmes always has and always will. But the one who has travelled this way before gave us a clue about what we might expect. His Pro-Life Corner name is Jesus, and his narra ve is nothing less than miraculous. “Have no fear. The outcome of the ba le for life is already May the Easter message of Jesus, “Peace be with you!” be the decided, even though the struggle goes on against great odds and with much suffering… Christ is now raised from the dead, gi your families and friends celebrate with each other, the gi the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep ... so in Christ all we celebrate with each other and the gi that together we will come to life again" (1 Cor. 15:2022). The paradox of the breathe into all we meet. Chris an message is this: Christ - the head - has already con- quered sin and death. Christ in his body - the pilgrim people of “HE IS TRULY RISEN ALLELUIA ALLELUIA!” God - con nually suffers the onslaught of the Evil One and all the evil which sinful humanity is capable of. HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL ”The libera ng message of the Gospel of life has been put into ~ Fr. Caroli Shao, A.J. your hands. And the mission of proclaiming it to the ends of the earth is now passing to your genera on. Like the great apostle Paul, you too must feel the full urgency of the task: "Woe to me if I do not evangelize" (1 Cor. 9:16). Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life. The church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals, in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people's hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civiliza- on of true jus ce and love.” – Pope John Paul II to Youth, August 15, 1993, Denver, Colorado. PriestsforLife.org Parish Announcements Outreach Ministry News
Reminder: The Sunday, 5:00 pm Triden ne La n Mass—the ST. STEPHEN PARISH OUTREACH MINISTRY addi onal Mass added to Sunday to accommodate the social UPDATE distancing requirements mandated by our Bishop — has been Due to the Pandemic, our outreach services have been reduced. discon nued. The Sunday 9:30 am Triden ne La n Mass will The following is a summary of services in opera on since the accommodate all those who would like to a end with the social shutdown in March 2020. distancing requirements s ll in place. FOOD PANTRY On Easter Monday, April 5th, Mass will be celebrated at The Food Pantry was in opera on at full capacity open every 10:00 am in the Church. Please note that the Parish Office will Thursday of the month to residents in our designated area. be closed. Clients presented ID’s showing current address and photo ID’s for all members of the family un l March 2020. MARCH 14th—MARCH 28th OFFERTORY COLLECTIONS FOOD: Meat, eggs, canned goods, cereal, bread, laundry/dish General Collec on: $3,126.00 Children: $2.24 detergent and personal items were given determined by the Ecclesia Nostra: $2,603.24 | U li es: $30.00 number of people in each family. Food Pantry: $50.00 | General Dona on: $921.00 For the months of January, February and March of 2020 we ser- Christmas Appeal: $100.00 | Penny for St. Stephen: $25.00 viced approximately 100 people per month for a total of 300 Easter Flowers: $189.12 | Black/Indian Missions: $62.00 people. Central/Eastern Europe Collec on: $1.00 The pantry was suspended and in the beginning of April, 2020 all Thank you all for your generosity! remaining items and food were packed in bags and distributed on a first come basis with no ID’s required. MEETINGS/ACTIVITIES WEEK OF APRIL 4, 2021 We reopened the food pantry on a limited basis in October 2020 All Meetings and Activities—Cancelled on the third Thursday of the month. Because of the high de- mand for food during this difficult me, we suspended the ID Music Ministry News and area requirements to obtain assistance. Clients are given three (3) bags of food per person. MARCH LETTER FROM YOUR MUSIC MINISTRY The total of people served for the months (once a month) of October, November and December 2020 was approximately 100 Lent is a me for reflec on on many things: our lives, our faith, people. Since we do not know how many people are in each our salva on history. Jesus Christ came to drain ‘to the lees’ family, we cannot determine exactly how many individuals have the bi er dregs of the curse that resulted from sin. We are thus been served. freed from having to do so unless, through persistent, unre- pentant sin, we actually chose to do so. Through Him, death THANKSGIVING and hell, the dread consequences of sin, become for us a per- For the Thanksgiving Holiday, frozen turkeys and Dave’s gi sonal choice rather than a direct consignment by God. God cards were distributed to all Food Pantry clients and those in our wishes all to be with Him in eternity. neighborhood and parish who asked for help. Our Lenten music tells of our Lord’s Jus ce and Mercy toward CHRISTMAS us through His Passion and Death; it also speaks of the Divine Adopt a Family Program: In conjunc on with St. Bernade e Hope of Resurrec on to eternal life. At Mass, melody and Parish, a total of 15 families were given Giant Eagle and Walmart words join to tell His story in a par cular way drawing from gi cards and hams. Gi cards were also given to all Food scripture and Catholic tradi on. The words in the hymns and Pantry clients. the Mass parts are important to read and understand. They LENTEN FISH FRY speak of ideas that, as Catholics, we should readily know and Last year the annual Fish Fry lasted only the first three weeks of embrace. It is easy to let the words slip by and to simply listen Lent. Closed because of City/State restric ons. The outreach to a familiar musical se ng. But the message in the words is at ministry staffs the Fish Fry with volunteers from the Parish for least as important as the message in the music. set-up, cooking, serving and cleanup. The Fish Fries are always We therefore challenge you carefully to follow the singing dur- well a ended. ing Mass, concentra ng par cularly on the words, even to the The Outreach Ministry also provides a meal for the House of point of learning to use them for private prayer and medita on. Champions once a month. The Ministry also aids the St. Vincent Doing so will enrich your Catholic experience and lead to a DePaul Society in providing financial help to their clients. more profound understanding of the Mass and of your Faith. With the advent of the vaccine, we are hoping to resume more May God bless and keep every one of you, of our programs in the near future. PROGRAMS: The St. Stephen Music Team — Parish picnic Joe Kolecki Expand Food Pantry to twice a month Nathan Marinchick Fish Fry Ma hew Tirabassi Free Haircut Program The Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet Jesus asked St. Faus na that the Feast THE CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a 1. Make the Sign of the Cross Novena to the Divine Mercy which would 2. Opening Prayer (Repeat three mes) begin on Good Friday, April 2, 2021.
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. In Rome, on August 30, 2000, Pope O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the St. John Paul II canonized Sister Faus na whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. Kowalska of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy of Poland, ra fying one of the O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You! most hopeful messages ever given to the Universal Church. 3. Our Father Sister Faus na was a mys c who re- Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy ceived extraordinary graces from God, including visits from Our kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, our Blessed Mother, the angels and the saints. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not Jesus told St. Faus na that this Feast would be a day when “all into tempta on, but deliver us from evil, Amen. the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened.” (Diary 699). 4. Hail Mary Jesus made a great promise to all those who would go to Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art Confession and receive Holy Communion on the second Sunday thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and of Easter, saying: at the hour of our death, Amen. “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy 5. The Apostles’ Creed Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (699) I want to grant a complete I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. under Pon us Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He (Diary 1109) descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the Jesus gave St. Faus na an inten on to pray for on each day of dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right the Novena. For instance, on the last day, Jesus asked her to hand of God the Father almighty; from thence He shall come pray for the “lukewarm and indifferent” of whom He said: to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the for- "‘These souls cause Me more suffering than any others…’ giveness of sins, the resurrec on of the body, and life ever- The last hope of salva on for them is to flee to My las ng. Amen. Mercy." 6. The Eternal Father In her diary, St. Faus na noted that Jesus told her: Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and "On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, different group of souls and you will immerse them in in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My 7. On the 10 Small Beads of Each Decade Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and these souls." on the whole world. The novena is typically nine days of prayer in prepara on of a 8. Repeat for the remaining decades celebra on of a feast day. At the Na onal Shrine of The Divine Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Novena is recited perpetu- Saying the "Eternal Father..." (see 6. above) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful ally at the Hour of Great Mercy — the three o'clock hour. Passion..." (see 7. above) on the following "Hail Mary" beads. The Chaplet can be said any me, but the Lord specifically asked 9. Conclude with that it be recited as a novena. He promised, "By this Novena (of Chaplets), I will grant every possible grace to souls.“ Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat three mes) Please take advantage of this extraordinary grace — 10. Closing Prayers the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment by approach- ing the “fount of Mercy,” Holy Communion on that Sunday and Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury the sacrament of reconcilia on with true compunc on, some- of compassion — inexhaus ble, look kindly upon us and me between now and the Feast day. In these very troubled increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we mes, “it is important that we trust in the whole message that might not despair nor become despondent, but with great comes to us from the word of God on this 2nd Sunday of East- confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love er… - Pope John Paul II, Pope John Paull II, 4/30/2020 and Mercy itself. Jesus, I trust in You.