St. Stephen Catholic Community

06/01/2026

At his trial before the Roman prefect Rusticus, St. Justin debated with great skill and eloquence. But his most perfect witness was the shedding of his blood, in imitation of his Lord and for the benefit of the Church, including us here today at St. Stephen.

06/01/2026

32 of us on our way to Covecrest summer camp for the 20th year!!!!
Pray for us. We are praying for you!

05/31/2026

Think of the best father-son relationship you know of. Think of the love and even shared sense of identity that defines it. Then take that idea and multiply it by infinity. Whatever result you have, it still falls utterly and entirely short of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. Because as Jesus says, He and the Father truly are "one"-one God, even while being distinct persons.
⁣
Why does this matter? Because today, on Trinity Sunday, we reflect not only on the nature of God, but also his Trinitarian action in human history. Especially the sending of the Son by the Father.
⁣
Take a moment today to ponder how utterly incredible this mystery is. Because Jesus is fully human, we sometimes lose sight of his divinity. But he is God indeed. And restating his saving mission in these terms can be helpful: God became man; God endured torture and humiliation on our behalf; God was crucified; and God died. Not in his essence, but in the human nature that truly belonged to the Son.
⁣
God truly suffered for us. And what's more, he didn't need to. At all. Because he needs us for nothing. But he loves us. Fiercely and fully. And on Trinity Sunday, we ponder this mystery anew and ask how here at St. Stephen we can carry that same mission of divine love into the world.

05/31/2026

Welcome to our St. Stephen Live stream.

05/29/2026

Time and time again, the People of God have had their backs to the wall, and then, suddenly, God makes a way for them. If he wills it, it's going to happen!

05/28/2026

Today is National Hamburger Day. But before anyone starts criticizing the idea of devoting a day to celebrating a cherished dish, let's go to Sacred Scripture to see what it says about tasty food!
⁣
Scripture uses images of delicious meals to indicate God's blessings: We read that the promised land is "a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:7-9). Meanwhile, the delight that comes from wisdom is compared to dressed meat and mixed wine (Proverbs 9:1-5). And heaven, of course, is compared to a feast, where the Lord will provide "rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines" (Isaiah 25:6).
⁣
See? Food isn't bad. It's a gift from God. So if you happen to be scarfing down a burger today, give thanks to the Lord. And remember that the tastiness of food is merely a hint of the delight that God truly has in store for us!

05/27/2026

When you hear "St. Augustine," you probably think of the 5th-century bishop from North Africa. And for good reason: St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the most important saints in history, a profound theologian whose writings continue to shape the Church today (just ask Pope Leo XIV, a member of the religious order inspired by him).
⁣
But that St. Augustine isn't the only one. There's also St. Augustine of Canterbury, today's saint, who is worth celebrating in his own right. In 597 AD, he reintroduced Christianity to England after the fall of the Roman Empire. St. Augustine evangelized the Anglo-Saxons, purifying their practices and rituals when possible rather than abolishing them. Through his missionary work, England became a center of medieval Christianity.
⁣
Come celebrate the "other" St. Augustine today at daily Mass, Monday - Friday - 8:00am, Wednesday - 6:00pm, Friday 12:00pm.

05/26/2026

St. Philip Neri founded the first of these communities in Rome in 1575. Today, there are about 90 communities in about 20 countries. St. Phillip Neri, pray for all of us at St. Stephen, that we may follow in your way of joyful service to Christ!

05/25/2026

05/24/2026

What does it mean to be a Christian? Certainly, it means to believe in Jesus Christ; that he is the Son of God, that he was crucified and rose from the dead, and that he is the savior of all mankind.
⁣
But in today's Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that Christianity is about more than just believing in him. It is about becoming like him. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Being a Christian literally means being committed to the same mission of Jesus: bringing salvation to the world.
⁣
But can we, mere humans after all, truly carry on Christ's work under our own power? Of course, we can't, which is why he doesn't leave us alone. He sends us his very Spirit.

It is no coincidence that today, on Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate both the descent of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Church. Why? Because they are inseparable. The Church's core identity is to be on mission, to evangelize, to spread the Gospel, and the Holy Spirit is the person who animates this great work.
⁣
So today, St. Stephen family, let's pray not only for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Let's also pray that we respond by carrying on Christ's mission.