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May 28, 2017 Vol. 35 No. 42
St. Stephen’s Catholic Church 4601 Neely Avenue Midland, Texas 79707 (432) 520-7394 Fax (432) 520-7395
www.ststephensmidlandtx.com
Monsignor James P. Bridges, Pastor Assistant Pastor: Fr. Bala Anthony
Deacons: Leonard Hendon, Luis Mata, Fidel Saldivar, Larry Salazar Sisters: Gertrudis Muñoz, Leonila Torres
Youth Director: Deacon Larry Salazar Director of Religious Education: Gretchen Lara
Music Director: Gabriel Salgado
Dearly Beloved, When I fell in love with Jesus Christ He immediately invited me to
become a member of His family, His bride, the Church. I felt so unworthy but
so proud to be a Catholic. I was simply overwhelmed. What a delight to
follow His family’s steps through 2000 years of history as she grew to be the
largest religion on the face of the earth. My whole interest was everything
Catholic. I was in love. I judged the best way to express my love for my
beloved was to become a priest. But how? The seminaries were full.
Dioceses all over the country had more than enough priests. I was a 22 year old High School
dropout. Preparation for priesthood required eight years of College. Plus, in those days there
was no GED. If you didn’t finish the 12th
grade you had to finish it before being accepted in
College. I went to see the Bishop. I knew he was a good guy because when he Confirmed
me I noticed he drove a Packard and I was told his dog was a Boston Terrier. He listened to
my plea. With much kindness he expressed deep regrets. But then he asked me, “Jimmy
should you become a priest what gift do you have for the people of God?” My way of
answering questions which I didn’t really know how to answer was to just start talking. I told
the Bishop that I was raised with three Sisters who were the most effeminate creatures on the
planet. Somehow their femininity must have rubbed off on me cause when I started to school
the bullies started calling me sissy and others joined the chorus. I hated school. No coach
would have anything to do with me. At school my only claim to fame was to go up and stand
on the first level of the outside fire escape and tell stories. Most of the time a large group
gathered below. Even when it rained teachers from other homerooms would ask my
homeroom teacher, “Can Jimmy Bridges come to my homeroom and tell stories because its
too wet to play outside?” I told the Bishop, “I can tell a story”. The Bishop paused as if in
deep prayer but finally raised his bowed head and said, “Thank you Jimmy! We have the
greatest story of all time, namely, God love for us. We really need a story teller. You may
begin your studies”. After nine years, one to finish High School and eight years of college I
knelt before Cardinal Aegidi Vagnozzi on May the 26th
1962 and stood up a Priest of Jesus
Christ saying to you, “I take you to be my beloved. I promise to be true to you in good times
and in bad, in sickness and in health: I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”
Joyfully yours in the Risen Lord,
Msgr. James P. Bridges
May 28 Larry Amador Maria Flores Larry Galindo
Stetson Gonzalez Gabriel Moreno Steve Mueller Holly Waugh
May 29 Lluvia Loya
Ace Marquez Richard Mast
Sophia Olivarez Kathryn Orth Caitlin Pause
Sonya Santiago Matthew Stice Keith Trasko
May 30 Zavyan Alvarado
Gina Kollar Mirella Mendoza
May 31 Armando Acosta
Bobby Amalla Angel Gonzales Debra Gonzales
Art Lopez Kimberleigh Lujan Madalyn Maquez
Jo Ann Viney
June 1 Joseph Brosig Susan Burns
Miguel Castillo Jr. Joel Damron Blake Higgins Nancy Leung
Jennifer Vidana Kemberly Villegas
June 2 Martin Alva
Richard Gutierrez Adam Ortega
Victor Sanchez Kimberly Sosa
Chuck Sturgeon Mackenzie White
June 3 Peter Hallmeyer
Alliana Luna Billy Lynn
June 4 Carmen Damron Alan Espinoza Stuart Mizzles
Yvonne Salazar Barney Seidenberger
Kelsi Sentena Alyssa Sotelo Elena Tavas
Alejandra Tejeda
Max Mendoza, Kenneth Bernard Jones, Jaden Marmolejo, Mayra Favela, Tameron Ramon, Ines Rodriguez, Maria Luisa Rodriguez, Josefina Alvarez, Javier Florez, Eiddie & Maria Laing, Jim Brimer, Alicia S., Noah Stone, Elia Gonzalez, IsaiahV., Vanessa V., Dina Angay, Reginald Odima, Mason Allen, Olga,
Anthony, Eva Talamantez, Potsy Sotelo, Jaelynn G. Garcia, Jose Luis Pando, Beatriz Pacheco, Bea Herrera, Acosta Family, Julio Orozco, Maria Orozco, Sandra Orozco, Yolanda Rodriguez, Dina Harper, Larry White, Arian Mendoza, Gina Angay, Dolores Higgins, Palmer Ann Anderson, Bob Field, Dorothy Markey, Helene Naydock, William Bernreuther, Bonnie Lentner, Gina Angay, Arian Mendoza, Jessie Castillas, Pepe Lopez, Cynthia & Christy, Margaret Robson, Juanita Avalos, Jesus Munoz, Anita Morin, Joe Munoz III, Bertha Renteria, Bill Hobbs, Michelle Rizo, Nora Lujan, Mary Ramirez, Enedina Gonzales, Morales Family, Olga Rodriguez, Joseph Young, Margarita Cereceres, Kaely Munoz, Alejandro Munoz, Jr., Jesse Julius Garcia, Dayton Martinez, Juanita Muniz, Brigido & Alma Garza & Family, Raymond Swafford, Bill Swafford, Isaiah Vasquez, Gracie Mata, Suzette Flores, Alexa Hernandez, Cristina Camagong, Angelo Camagong, Ernesto Camagong, Jessica Sears
Email [email protected] or call the office at 520-7394 to be added to the prayer list
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God has a special place for each
of us to serve and you have chosen
to follow His path. You have been the hands,
the feet, the voice, and the love of God
expressed in many different ways.
You have chosen to honor Him as you have served
in His name. Thank you for your willingness to give of yourself
and be used where God has placed you.
Congratulation on your 55th Priestly Ordination
Monsignor James P.
Bridges
ST. STEPHEN’S CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Monday - Friday 6:45 am - 7:00 am; 12 noon - 12:15 pm;
& 5:00 - 5:30 pm
Saturday
7:45 am - 8:00 am; 4:00 - 4:45 pm
Sunday 20 minutes prior to each Mass And anytime, by appointment
Upcoming Baptismal Classes:
June 4th & June 11th July 2nd & July 9th
English : 2:00 - 4:30 Spanish: 2:30 - 5:00
Please Call Parish Office to Register (432) 520–7394
Sunday, May 28 - 7th Sunday of Easter
Monday, May 29 - Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 30
Wednesday, May 31 - The Visitation of The Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday, June 1 - St. Justin
Friday, June 2 - Sts. Marcellinus and Peter
Saturday, June 3 - Sts. Charles Lwanga and Companions
Sunday, June 4 - Pentecost Sunday
Mass Schedule & Intentions
For the week of May 28th
Last Week’s Collection - 26,762.46
Regular $24,012.61 Building Fund $ 60.00 Catholic Communications $ 2,689.85
Financial reports are available in the parish office.
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In observance of Memorial Day,
Monday, May 30th the office will be closed! We will re-open on Tuesday 8:30 a.m.
Special Collection this weekend
will be for the Poor Parish Mission Assistance. Thank you
for your generous donation.
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(Domingo VII de Pascua) - Ciclo A - Fiesta Solemne. “La Ascensión del Señor a los cielos”
Con su Ascensión al Cielo, Jesús nos abre las puertas para que podamos seguirle. La Ascensión es para todos los cristianos un símbolo de esperanza, pues sabemos que Cristo está sentado a la derecha del Padre, intercediendo por nosotros y que un día podremos llegar con Él a gozar de la felicidad eterna. JESÚS al ascender a los cielos, confía su misión a los apóstoles. El Espíritu Santo les dará la fuerza para dar testimonio de Cristo en todo el mundo. Pablo escribe que Cristo es ahora el Señor glorioso que vive en la Iglesia. Ojalá sintamos en nuestro corazón su Espíritu y experimentemos a Dios en nuestras vidas. Los invito queridos hermanos a luchar por ser perfectos y buenos hijos de Dios para poder ir al Cielo con Jesús. Él vivió como todos nosotros su proyecto y lo fue
perfeccionando día a día. Su proyecto no terminó con la Muerte, sino que siguió con su Resurrección y su
AVISOS:
El 10 de junio despedimos al padre Tonito a las 7:00 PM en el salon parroquial. We will have Fr. Bala Anthony’s going away party on June 10th
at 7:00 pm in the Parish Hall. All are invited!
Entrenamiento Para los Monaguillos Para
Spanish and English Mass Servers
El privilegio de servir en el altar, en el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa es un muy especial ministerio. Nosotros, en la Parroquia de San Esteban estámos orgullosos de todos los monaguillos y estamos agradecidos por su dedicación. Este es un hermoso ministerio para la juventud femenina y masculina. Se requiere compromiso a largo plazo en términos de formación, crecimiento espiritual y de servicio. Si usted ha recibido su primera comunión y sentir un llamado a unirse a nuestra comunidad monaguillo le invitamos a asistir a la capacitación. Los padres, le animamos a que asista a la misma.el diácono Lorenzo Salazar estará ofreciendo esta capacitación para ambos servidores en inglés y en español. Es imprescindible para todos los servidores, independientemente de si son nuevos o experimentados. La capacitación es un proceso continuo y necesario para todos los servidores. Tendremos pizza después del entrenamiento.
Cuando: Lunes, Junio 5 Hora: 6:00 - 8:00 pm Donde: Sanctuary of the Church
Si Tiene preguntas llamar a: Anne Hobbs 432-934-3192, Cindy Lujan 806-392-3714, Bianca Gonzales 432-894-9554
Del Padre Toñito
Frutos del Espiritu
Ya dieron inicio las registraciones en la oficina de la inglesia para la escuelita biblica vacacional en español
para los ninos en la edad de 5-12 anos . $25. Sera Junio 19-23 de las 8am-12pm. Los esperamos! Se divertiran y aprenderan de la biblia!
Habrá una Misa de graduación honrar a todos los graduados de preparatoria de domingo, 04 de junio de 2017 @ 17:00 Si le gustaría participar en la Misa de graduación,
por favor póngase en contacto con Kathleen Molina en (432) 528-3324 para obtener más información. Gracias y felicitaciones a los
En observación del Día Conmemorativo, el lunes día 30 de mayo la oficina estar cerrada. Volveremos abrir el martes a las
8:30 de la mañana.
El Santísimo Sacramento será reposado debido Memorial Day empezando el sábado 27 de
mayo después de la Misa de las 8:00 AM hasta después de la misa de las 7:00 AM el martes 30 de
mayo.
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Vacation Bible School will be June 12-16th 2017 from 8am—12pm! Send your kids on an imaginative, impacting adventure this summer at St. Stephen’s! At Maker Fun Factory VBS, kids discover
not only that God made them the way they are, but for a purpose too! Register now!
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Gretchen @ (432)520-7394.
New Deacon Class? What is a deacon?
The Come & See sessions will help answer your questions. These informational sessions
are being presented in Midland, Big Spring, Abilene and San Angelo. The inquiry period
begins in September 2017. The Big Spring meeting is scheduled for June 3rd at Holy Trinity Church from 10:00-
11:30 pm. For more information call or email Deacon Freddy Medina
325-651-7500 [email protected]
Seminaian for the Month Thomas Shows
• 3rd year Theology – St. Mary’s Seminary, Houston
• Birthday: July 12, 1989
• From: Abilene, TX
• Favorite Food: Indian food and Rosa’s Café
• Likes Playing Video Games, running, making model miniatures,
• and practicing the harmonica
Pray for Thomas!
Altar Server Training For
Spanish and English Mass Servers
The privilege of serving on the altar at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a very special
ministry. We at St. Stephen’s Parish are so proud of all the altar servers and we are grateful for their dedication. This is a beautiful ministry for female and male youth. It requires long term commitment in terms of training, spiritual growth, and service. If you have received your first communion and feel a calling to join our altar server community we invite you to come to the training. Parents, we encourage you to attend as well. Deacon Lorenzo Salazar will be offering this training for both English and Spanish servers. This is a must for all servers – whether you are new or experienced. Training is ongoing and required for all servers. We will have pizza after the training.
When: Mon., June 5 Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm Where: Sanctuary of the Church
If you have questions, please contact: Anne Hobbs 432-934-3192 Cindy Lujan 806-392-3714 Bianca Gonzales 432-894-9554
COME LIGHT THE FIRE WITHIN - a Life-in-the-Spirit Seminar on June 2-3 at Christ the King Retreat Center celebrating the glorious coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Sisters from the Disciples of the Lord Jesus (dljc.org) will be the presenters. The seminar will be from 6 pm-9:30pm Friday and Saturday from 8am-6:30pm closing with Mass. Fees are $15 for an individual and $30 for a family. Overnight stay at the retreat center is available for a fee and must be pre-arranged through CKRC 325-651-5352. Seminar registration may be made on-line at SanAngeloHeartofMercy.com or [email protected] or call 325-656-5550.
ATTENTION ST. STEPHENS YOUTH: Are you going to 9th Grade this Fall 2017, then you can join us for Steubenville Lone Star Conference (Irving, TX) this summer. Incoming Freshmen and graduating Seniors 2017 under the age of 18 can attend. We only have room for 14 more so hurry and reserve your spot before they are all gone. You can come by parish office for an application. The fee is $100.00 and the dates are Friday, June 23, 2017 through Sunday, June 25, 2017. For more information email Deacon Larry Salazar at [email protected] or leave a message at the parish office (432) 520-7394.
Wolfe in Cloth Sheep's Cloth The storey of Saul Alinsky author of Rules for Radicals which outlines the progressive movement in America and the Church will be shown at CHOOSE LIFE MIDLAND on June 1, 2017 at 6:30 PM. There is no charge and refreshments will be served at the movie. Invite your friends this is a must see by all.
Questions please call 432-695-6955.
ATTENTION CLASS OF 2017 GRADUATES!
There will be a Graduation Mass honoring all St. Stephens 2017 High School Graduates on Sunday, June 4, 2017 @ 5:00 p.m. If you would like to participate in the Graduation Mass, please contact Kathleen Molina at (432) 528-3324 for more information. Thank you and Congratulations to 2017 Graduating Seniors!
The Blessed Sacrament will be reposed due to Memorial Day on Saturday, May 27rd
after 8:00 AM Mass until Tuesday, May 30th after 7:00 AM Mass.
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A few weeks ago we highlighted several cases that we handled that left people in financial crises due to automobile accidents. Today we focus on some cases we handled this past week that were medical in nature: Laurie had a complicated pregnancy which caused her to be put on bed rest in November. Of course she could not work but her husband was able to support them by taking on a second, part-time job. The baby was born in March however it did not survive. Laurie developed complications and ended up having surgery three weeks ago. With no medical insurance, burial expenses to be paid, and Laurie still not being able to return to work (not to mention the grief of losing their baby), the couple felt overwhelmed and gave us a call. When we met with them we found that she would be released to go back to work in two weeks. We paid two months of their rent to give them time to get back on their feet. Iris is a massage therapist who sprained her back in a car accident in April. She is also unable to work and is seeing a doctor and undergoing physical therapy. She maxed out her credit cards to pay for her May rent however she is worried about June. She is not sure how long it will be before she will be able to return to work as a massage therapist and she is looking for some kind of work that she can do while she waits for her back to heal. We helped her with her rent for June. Saul got behind on his April rent because of time missed from work. He and his wife discovered that their unborn baby has Downs Syndrome. He had to stay home and care for their four other children while she made the countless doctors’ visits to confirm the baby’s condition. At the same time their 3-year-old daughter was found to have a spot on her brain which requires frequent visits to a neurologist in Lubbock. Saul’s employer is working with him but while he can hold Saul’s job for him, he cannot pay him for time that he is not working. He had made partial payments on his April rent and we gladly got that caught up, plus we paid his May and June rent to help get the family through this critical time. Rose works as a sorter at a mail center. She recently had surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome and will not be released to return to work for another month. She receives no sick pay. We helped her with her May and June rent which should cover her until she gets back to work. All of these people were put into devastating conditions over which they had no control. How
grateful we are to be able to help them through their trying times. And how grateful we are to all of you
whose support makes it possible for us to help these families in need. God bless you!
Helping Hands
of Midland
1301 Brinson Lane
(432) 520-8900
Because we feel it is important that you know how and where your donations to Helping Hands are spent, here is what was done last week: Electric 3 families $ 1,010.46 Rent 33 families $ 24,114.58 Home Repairs 1 family $ 269.17 Medical 1 family $ 148.00 TOTAL $ 25,542.21
www.helpinghandsmidland.com
ST. JOSEPH'S HOME HEALTH, INC, MR. & MRS. SEAN CARROLL, DR. SARA E SIRUTA, MR. & MRS. THOMAS G MIDKIFF, DOYLE HARTMAN OIL OPERATOR, MR. & MRS. RANDALL L. ROUSE, MR. & MRS. DARREL WIESMAN, BASIN ROOFING, NC STURGEON, CHERYL MAY JONES, NANCY BEAL, GASKET SERVICE, RECOVERY HOME THERAPY, KAYSER, JOHN SPENSOR, ALLIED WIRELINE, FARMERS INSURANCE PENDING, JOSEPH SCHWALBACH, CINDY ACOSTA, JEMINA TRUE, FARMERS INSURANCE, REGGIE LAWRENCE, MIKE GLENN, MR. & MRS. DOUGLAS MAY, MR.& MRS. SHAWN ADAMS, MR. & MRS. CARL KOVACICH, MS. LINDA FOSTER, MS. JOSIE BRENNER, MR. & MRS. ROY GUERRA, MR. & MRS. CEPERO, MR. & MRS. RICHARD KIEKBUSCH, MR. LOUIS BEIQUE, MR. & MRS. RICHARD GRENVIK, MR. & MRS. PEDRO VASQUEZ, MR. & MRS. STEPHEN R. FANNING, MR. & MRS. RICKY NGUYEN, MS. GLORIA DAGDAG, MR. & MRS. BARRY S. CRISWELL, DANNY URIAS, JOHN WHITE AND DIANE TRUE, MR. & MRS. TRAVIS STICE, MR. & MRS. JOSE A. CISNEROS, MR. & MRS. WILLIAM BERRY, MR. & MRS. RAMON DOMINGO, MR. OCTAVIO VILLANUEVA, MS. MARY HELEN SMITH, MR. & MRS. SILVANO APORTELA, MR. JAMES T. WILLIAMS, MR. & MRS. DAN BROWN, AND ALL PRIVATE DONORS
We would like to thank you and appreciate you for your generous
donations towards Kermesse Family Fun Fair
