Registration will take place on Sunday, May 18 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Room 3 at the church. Please bring a copy of your child's Baptismal Certificate if you are also registering for sacrament preparation. Classes begin in September. Adults interested in becoming a fully initiated Catholic are asked to contact Rosie at the RE Office (671-4434) - classes take place year-round.
RETURNING
STUDENT REGISTRATION FOR 2008-09
Returning students will receive re-registration forms in the mail at the beginning of May. Please return the completed forms as soon as possible, to ensure your choice of class day and time.
Interested in helping out? Click on Volunteer Opportunities for suggestions of how you can be a part of our program. Many thanks to our returning catechists and support staff!
to leave your special intentions and pray for those left by others!
PLEASE NOTE: To enroll your child in a Religious Education class, you must be registered parishioners. New parishioner registration takes place every Sunday at 10:45 a.m. in Room 2 at the church building.
If you are also registering your child for sacrament preparation (First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, or Confirmation) we will need a copy of their Baptismal Certificate. If your child has not yet been baptized, and is 7 years of age or older, contact our office for information about our children's OCIC class.
Infant baptism classes are held each month for parents with a child under 7 years of age. Contact the RE Office for information.
Each week in our church bulletin we’ll provide a question for families to discuss on the way home, or during the week, about the Sunday readings. Then in Religious education class the catechists will allow time for children to share with their classmates what they discovered, and how the readings relate to their life today. It is important for children to connect going to Mass each week with their faith development. There are also many web sites we encourage your family to visit, with links for each Sunday’s gospel. One in particular we recommend is www.catholicmom.com
FIRST EUCHARIST REHEARSALS will be on Monday night, April 28 and May 5 between 6:30-7:30. Please check your sacrament calendar for your assigned time.
LAST RE CLASSES FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR
Sunday, March 16 for Preschool & OCIC
Monday, April 14 for Grades 6 & 7
Monday, April 21 for Grade 8
Wednesday, April 30 for K-5
Sunday, May 4 for K-5
EDGE FISH CAMP FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL: begins Monday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 7 upstairs at the church. All youth in grades 6-8 are invited to attend, and bring a friend! They don't have to be Catholic to come with you!
RE VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DINNER: Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the church multipurpose room. All volunteers are asked to RSVP to the RE Office by April 30 (671-4434)
8th GRADE GRADUATION: Grade 8 youth will receive a special blessing at the 6:00 Mass on Saturday, May 17. Join us at the ROC Center afterwards for food, fun & fellowship!
Service Projects
(call the Religious Ed office to sign up to help @ 671-4434)
A list of summer service projects will be posted soon. This is a great opportunity for current students in Grade 7 to get a head start on your 20 hour Confirmation service hours. For information on other Confirmation requirements, visit the Handbook.
Looking for a way to serve your community? Why not help Cardio Start pack boxes of medical supplies? They are located at 610 Hartford Street in Tampa. This is an international humanitarian organization dedicated to assisting children and adults with heart disease. The charity performs free life-saving heart and lung surgery, and orphanage assistance to underserved countries throughout the world. CardioStart has undertaken 36 overseas missions in 18 countries and provided over 500 surgeries, utilizing medical, technical and non-medical experts from around the world. If interested, contact Administrative Joanne McGuire Director at McGuireJM212@aol.com or 740-2698 for a list of dates when they need help. This is a great way for our Confirmation Candidates to get service hours, or to continue providing service to our community! Adult help is also welcome.
NOTE TO PARENTS: The Religious Education web pages have links to other websites that contain useful information, as well as suggestions and fun activities for developing your family's faith life. We encourage you to visit them. As always, we advise supervising your children when they are online.
Jason Kotecki and his wife Kim were at St. Stephen in 2006 for our Mardi Gras celebration.
Jason was the guest speaker. He has a great message to help us all avoid "adult-itis."
CLASS TIMES FOR THE 2007-08 YEAR
PRESCHOOL: Sundays 9:30AM at the church building. Please
contact the RE Office (671-4434) for more information.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Wednesdays 6:15PM at the school building. Please
contact the RE Office (671-4434) for information.
KINDERGARTEN - GRADE 5: Classes are offered at four different times at the school building: Sundays 9:00AM - 10:15AM and 11:00AM - 12:15 PM, Wednesdays 4:15PM - 5:30PM and 6:00PM - 7:15PM. Contact Kelly Gourdreau for more information
MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY: The EDGE program for Middle School youth is held 6:00PM - 7:15PM for 6-7 graders and 7:30PM - 8:45PM for 8 graders on Monday nights at the Church Building. Check the weekly church bulletin for current youth group events. Contact Kim Davis or Jeff Falanga, our Middle School Youth Ministers, (671-4434)
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY: Join us for 'Pizza Rolls and Stuff" every Wednesday Night at the ROC Center from 7-8:30pm for food, fun, and informative discussions. And join us on Sunday Nights for the 5:30pm LifeTeen Mass, followed by Life Nights at the ROC till 8:30pm. Call Ed Lugo, our High School Youth Minister, for more information (671-4434) or send him an e-mail: ELugo@ststephencatholic.org.
YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY: Come Join Us! Young adult ministry is a new group at St. Stephen Parish! We are a group for individuals out of high school through age 29. If you are interested in learning more about your faith, meeting others who share similar values to your own, or are interested in opportunities to make our community better, you've come to the right place! Currently we meet the first Friday of every month at Buffalo Wild Wings (corner of Bell Shoals and Boyette) at 7pm for a social activity, and once a month for a service activity. For details click here, or contact Jeff Falanga at the Religious Ed Office @ (813) 671-4434 or e-mail: jfalanga@ststephencatholic.org. Check the weekly church bulletin for upcoming events.
