Pastor’s Column

WELCOME FR EVAN SCHWAB

We are very pleased to welcome one of our newly ordained priests, Fr. Evan Schwab, to St. Stephen the First Martyr. Some of you may remember Father from his seminary days; he was assigned to our parish in the summer of 2019 and assisted with Camp Sacred Heart that year. He will be offering first blessings today after all the Masses. Depending on the weather you will be able to find him in the courtyard or in one of the classrooms.

ADULT CATECHISM

This fall we will be starting up our adult catechism series again. Fr. Curtis will be teaching the class, which will generally be meeting on second and fourth Thursdays of the month from August until Easter (the only exceptions will be November and December, on account of Thanksgiving and Christmas). The classes meet at 7 pm, in the parish hall, and run about an hour and a half.

I encourage all parishioners to reach out to family members, friends, and co-workers that might be interested in learning about the Catholic faith. An excellent opener is: “Have you ever thought about becoming Catholic?” Or, “I’m going to be attending catechism classes at my parish, would you have any interest in joining me?” Depending on the response you get, you might assure the person that showing up for the classes – and even registering – does not represent any firm commitment towards becoming Catholic; it is normal for people to attend the classes even if they are merely curious about or investigating the faith.

Our first class is Thursday, August 10 at 7 pm. Those interested in registering or in the full schedule can contact me by e-mail at frcurtis@fssp.com.