The Angelic Spirits: Adorers, Messengers, Guardians – by Father John Horgan. The world of the Angels in relationship to the Holy Trinity and the Mission of the Church: What does the presence of the Angels reveal to us in the pages of Scripture and the Tradition of the Church? How can they assist me in my own spiritual journey? In this talk, Fr. Horgan will introduce participants to the “deeper importance” of the angels in the life of the Church and in our individual life of faith. June 19, 7 to 8:30 pm, will  be a Zoom webinar. Questions? Please contact Frederena at fho@rcav.org for registration inquiries. Sponsored by Catholic Cemeteries  Archdiocese of Vancouver. Please register here.

PROJECT ADVANCE 2020 – has some key changes this year. Archdiocesan funding priorities from this year’s appeal will be directed to a newly established Crisis Response Fund, to help vulnerable individuals and families during this time of pandemic, alongside other ministries of evangelization and outreach. The Archdiocesan goal has been reduced to $ 1.625 million and St. Stephen’s target has been reduced from $ 35,000 to $ 17,500. The Appeal will officially launch in early June when past supporters can expect to receive a letter from the Archbishop.  Thank you for your donation & support.

The First Friday Mass will be on Friday, June 5 at 8:30am. Please call the office to reserve your place at Mass.  The celebration will be held at the Parish Hall, and there will be no Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of our former Pastor, Father Peter Chiang, who died peacefully early Saturday morning, May 23, 2020. The Funeral Mass, which was Live-streamed, was held on Saturday, May 30th at 10:30 am at Holy Rosary Cathedral.

All the faithful in the Archdiocese of Vancouver remain dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass during this initial reopening phase. Furthermore, you are not required to attend a weekday Mass in place of the Sunday Liturgy. Please read the notes carefully, sent out by Father Mark, for more details on those who must stay home or are encouraged to stay home for the sake of the wider community.

For more information on the list of parishes streaming Masses in the Archdiocese of Vancouver as well as other information during this time, you may visit http://www.rcav.org The Prayer for Spiritual Communion as well as other prayers are also included.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly, Catholics are encouraged to sign up for email updates from the Archdiocese, so that you are informed of further developments as they occur. Please sign up here: https://rcav.org/corona.

Our former parish priest, Father Peter Chiang, passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, May 23rd. His funeral Mass will be Live streamed from Holy Rosary Cathedral on Saturday morning, May 30th at 10:30 am. We ask all parishioners to please pray for his eternal rest.

Guidelines for the Reopening of Masses with a Congregation have been sent out to all parishioners, along with a letter from Father Mark, earlier this week. In order to determine the 50 person maximum at each Mass, parishioners are requested to contact the parish office by phone or email, at least 24 hours prior, to make a booking. This number will include the lector and ushers assigned at each Mass. Please call or email the parish office each week to reserve your seat. No Altar servers and no choir for congregational singing at this time, till further notice.

• Masses are presently being held in the parish hall due to church renovations.
• Washrooms will remain closed as they need to be sanitized after each person uses them.
• Please ensure physical distancing is strictly observed everywhere on the premises.
• Please bring your own mask if you wish to use one.

Collection baskets will not be passed around. These will be placed in the entrance for everyone to deposit their offering envelopes. The ushers will hand out individual bulletins, and they will observe the necessary guidelines for all to be safe.

There is an employment opportunity from the RCAV website: Visiting Scholar in Ethics, Providence Health Care/St. Mark’s College. St. Mark’s College and Providence Health Care have entered into a partnership to promote the study and understanding of Catholic health care ethics at the College and through Clinical Services at Providence Health Care. This joint undertaking takes place within a broader partnership with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver around Catholic Health Care Ethics. Interested candidates should submit their curriculum vitae to hr@corpuschristi.ca clearly indicating their subject area of interest.

Looking for : Sessional Instructors, Corpus Christi College – Corpus Christi College invites applications for Sessional instructors to teach the following subject areas: English, Psychology, Languages (French, Spanish, etc.), Business, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Computer Science, History. Interested candidates should submit their curriculum vitae to hr@stmarkscollege.ca.

SECOND COLLECTION –for the Pope’s Pastoral Works –has been moved from May 17th to October 4th 2020. Thank you to those who have already dropped off donations.

PARISH DONATIONS – If you have queries about weekly donations or second collection
envelopes at this time, please contact the parish office on weekdays. You are encouraged to give directly to the parish. Please call 604-985-1962 for more details.

Your prayers are requested for Jim Alden, Virgil Billesberger, Meliton Carolino, Gaetana Di Francesco, Maria Dos Santos, Anne Edwards, Thelma Fairleigh, Margaret Geraghty, Mark Hamilton, Frank Kilian, Cecilia Lam, John Magee, Cecily McLarnin, Ariel Nonan, Diego Nunez, Leo O’Neill, Jeff Patterson, Philip Sakhrani, Desi Santos, John Toljanich & Jarrod Wiesner.

Please remember in your prayers, our former Pastor, Father Peter Chiang, who has been hospitalized last week.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mrs. Helen Allen of our parish who died recently. Please keep her family in your prayers too.

Celebrate your Milestone Anniversary with the Archdiocese!
Date: Sunday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m.
Location: Streamed live from Holy Rosary Cathedral

This Mother’s Day (May 10), Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, will be honouring couples celebrating their: 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th & 60th+ years of marriage. All are welcome to witness and celebrate the milestone anniversaries of others!

Couples who register will receive a certificate from Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB. We will send certificates after our offices reopen.

We have extended the deadline to receive a signed certificate to May 15 and we will let you know when the certificates will be ready.

New Ministry to Divorced and Separated – They Understand Because They’ve Been There — Catholic Saints Who Have Lived Through Divorce. Divorce is painful no matter what, but as a Catholic, divorce can feel especially isolating. There are several Catholic saints who have lived through divorce and witness to living holy lives in the midst of the struggle. All are welcome to get to know some of these Saints in a presentation by Father John Horgan, Pastor of Saint Pius X Parish in North Vancouver. This free event will take place over Zoom on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Register online at https://rcav.org/calendar/ This presentation is the launch of the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s Ministry to Divorced and Separated and will be the first in a series of online presentations, small group discussions and community prayer.

ARCHDIOCESAN NEWS – Mass Services at St. Stpehens continues to be closed to the public until further notice, in order to fulfill the provincial medical requirements. Alternatively, please attend Mass on television or online at http://www.dailytvmass.com. Also, services are available at the National Catholic Broadcasting Council, Salt+Light or EWTN (please refer to links below).
https://dailytvmass.com/
http://saltandlighttv.org/live/waystowatch
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

For more information on the list of parishes streaming Masses in the Archdiocese of Vancouver and for the Readings of the day as well as other information during this time, you may visit www.rcav.org and go to COVID-19 Virus resources. The Prayer for Spiritual Communion as well as other prayers are also included.

PLEASE NOTE – The church will be closed for renovations since April 27th, and until further notice.  The parish hall is set up for anyone wishing to spend some time in prayer. Please come to the parish office to be let into the hall.

PARISH DONATIONS – If you have queries about weekly donations or second collection envelopes at this time, please contact the parish office on weekdays. You are encouraged to give directly to the parish. Please call 604-985-1962 for more details. Thank you for your continuous generosity.