November 30, 2025 — First Sunday of Advent

St. Stephen’s Church, Stephen

515 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 507, Stephen, MN 56757

Phone: 218-478-2231 ststephens@wiktel.com www.wiktel.net/ststephens

Pastor: Father Luis Buitron lbuitron@wiktel.com Phone: 218-242-5689

Parish Secretary: Priscilla Steinke

Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday — 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

(closed all holy days of obligation and holidays)

Pastoral Council: Kristin Gajeski, Katrina Halfmann, Autumn Schindele, and Danika Sundby

Finance Council: Alex Anderson, Daniel Gerszewski, and Darrin Kowalski

Trustees: Todd Chwialkowski and Paul Rogus

Diocesan Victim Assistance If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual misconduct on the part of a priest, deacon, or individual representing the Diocese of Crookston, its parishes, or its schools, your first call should be to law enforcement. In addition, the diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator is available at 218-281-7895 (24-hour confidential number).

Project Rachel Ministry: Healing After Abortion The Project Rachel ministry is offered to women and men who have had a past experience with abortion and wish to seek healing and reconciliation. A trained counselor can be reached through this confidential phone number (218‑470‑0112) on Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-Noon.

New to the area? Please contact the parish office to register. Change of address/phone number. Please contact the parish office.

Knights of Columbus members: If you have insurance questions, please contact Field Agent Aaron Kaiser at 218-280-4707 or by email at Aaron.kaiser@kofc.org.

Mission Statement of St. Stephen’s Church

We the community of St Stephen’s are believers in Jesus Christ; striving to proclaim His Gospel in word and in deed. Through worship, evangelization, formation and service we invite our brothers and sisters to know the Lord.

The Sacramental Life

Baptism: Pre-baptism class is required for parents.

Reconciliation: available before Saturday evening Mass: 4:30-5:00 p.m.; before Sunday 8:30 a.m. Mass: 8:00-8:30 a.m.; or call a priest for an appointment. No Reconciliation before 10:30 a.m. Mass. If you are homebound or handicapped, call Father Luis for an in-home appointment.

Marriage: All Catholics who have made a decision to enter into marriage must meet with a priest six months before the proposed wedding date. If a Catholic is contemplating marriage to a non-Catholic, the Catholic must still contact a priest to fill the requirements of the Catholic Church for the marriage to be validly recognized by the Catholic Church.

Pastoral Visit/Anointing of the Sick: If you or a family member would like to receive a home visit, the Holy Eucharist for the homebound, or the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, please call Father Luis.

St. Stephen’s Church Mass Schedule

Wednesday, December 3, at 8:30 a.m. — Mass for †DeAnna Woinarowicz by Ted & Juliet Rogus

Sunday, December 7, at 8:30 a.m. — Mass for †Leonard Jacobson by Rick & Priscilla Steinke

(Rosary at 8:00 a.m.)

Monday, December 8 (Immaculate Conception), at 8:30 a.m. — Mass for †Richard Delaney by David & Carol Sunsdahl

Eucharistic Adoration: December 7 from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Liturgical Ministry

Special Prayers For

Sue Anderson, Ron Jensen, and David Wesolowski

To add a name to the prayer list — ask their permission first, then contact the parish office. Names are left on the list for four weeks. If you want a name kept on the prayer list, call the parish office for an additional four weeks.

Prayer Chain Please call the parish office with prayer requests.

Prayer Blankets Please contact Theresa Kuznia if you know of anyone who needs comfort and prayers and would like a prayer blanket from the Ladies Aid.

Stewardship of Treasure

November 23: $1,923.80 Adults: $1,835.00 Youth: $4.80 Plate: $84.00

Catholic Campaign for Human Development: $264.00 Thanksgiving: $25.00 Children’s Altar Donations: $9.00

2025-2026 Budget for Sunday Offertory: $101,630 / 52 weeks = $1,954.42

Donations while away for the weekend When you are away from Stephen for weekend Mass, you can still give to your home parish by dropping your donation envelope in the collection basket at the church where you are attending Mass, and it will be mailed back to St. Stephen’s. OR Did you know that St. Stephen’s Church has the option for automatic debit from a checking or savings account? Contact the parish office at 218‑478‑2231 to set this up.

2025 DAA as of November 19 St. Stephen’s Goal: $9,730.00 Committed: $11,115.00 (114.23% of our goal!) Have you made a commitment to the 2025 DAA? If you have, thank you! If not, you can make a donation by placing it in a DAA envelope located in the vestibule and dropping it in the mail or in the Sunday collection, or you can donate online at www.crookston.org/DAA. Help the Diocese of Crookston reach their goal. Thank you!

Building Repair Fund If you wish to make a donation or memorial, we have the Building Repair Fund. Funds are used to maintain and make repairs and updates in the church, rectory and grounds.

The St. Mary’s Mission Appeal collection is today. Thank you for your generous gift to the ministry and mission of St. Mary’s Mission on the Red Lake Reservation. Your gift helps students grow in wisdom, virtue, and faith. The lives of children and their families are meaningfully impacted through your prayers and support. You may continue to give through the parish, the mailing you received, or online at www.northlandccf.org/SMMA.

Other Items and Future Events

Advent Gift Giving Project We will once again be donating to the Saint Gianna & Pietro Molla Maternity Home in Minto, ND. This Christmas season they will likely have three moms, each with a baby, and they are going to do as much outreach to former moms as they can to really try uplift them and make them feel loved this Christmas. They would be so grateful for any donation that may help them this Holiday season. Some ways that you could help them would be with gift cards for things like haircuts, nails, gas, groceries, Walmart, Target, Hugo's, Hornbacher's or restaurants. Any gift cards or monetary donations should be placed in an envelope marked “Saint Gianna & Pietro Molla Maternity Home Gift Giving Project” and placed in the vestibule donations box or in the Sunday collection basket. Thank you in advance for the gift of giving.

2026 Donation Envelopes and Calendars are now available in the vestibule. Please pick yours up today!

Real Presence Radio Fundraising Banquets Come enjoy a night of faith and fellowship at Real Presence Radio’s Fundraising Banquets! Join them in Grand Forks with Keynote Speaker Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers on Thursday, December 2, 2025, or in Fargo with Keynote Speaker Dr. David Andes on Monday, February 2, 2026. Reserve your spot today by scanning the QR code on the flyer in vestibule or call Sunshine Diem at 701-960-0453 for details!

Church Decorating at St. Stephen’s for Christmas We will gather after Mass on December 14 to decorate. All are invited to help!

Pope Leo’s Prayer Intention for December For Christians in areas of conflict. Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation, and hope.

“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:42

People who have had health issues or near-death experiences generally have a greater appreciation for each day being a gift from God. The rest of us usually take for granted that we will be around tomorrow. But when you start to look at each day as a gift, you realize all the little miracles that happen daily and you begin to see God’s active presence in your life. You grow in gratitude, each day, for all that we have been given.

Tri-Parish Holy Days of Obligation/Holiday Schedule:

December 8, Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – St. Stephen’s at 8:30 a.m.; St. Rose at 5:00 p.m.; Assumption at 7:00 p.m.

December 17, Tri-Parish Advent Penance Service – St. Rose at 7:00 p.m.

December 24, Christmas Eve – St. Rose at 5:00 p.m.; St. Stephen’s at 7:00 p.m.; Assumption at 9:30 p.m.

December 25, Christmas – St. Stephen’s at 10:00 a.m.

December 26, Feast of St. Stephen – St. Stephen’s at 8:30 a.m.

December 31, Solemnity of Mary Eve – Assumption at 5:00 p.m.; St. Stephen’s at 7:00 p.m.

January 1, Solemnity of Mary – St. Rose at 10:00 a.m.

Ladies Aid

As time is flying by, our December parish activities will soon be here. Dates and activities:

North Star Manor Birthday Party in Warren on December 12 at 2 p.m. Our Ladies Aid will host the December Birthday Party for residents there. All are welcome to join in. Rides will be organized and provided (leaving Stephen at 1 p.m. — Call Marlys Halfman at 218-991-2579 or 218-478-3021 or Marilyn Kuznia at 218-478-4273 or 218-478-2776).
Parish gift bags and visits for our shut-ins will be done once again this Advent/Christmas Season by St. Stephen’s and the Knights of Columbus Council #3385. Parishioners are asked to bring items to fill them ASAP and place them in the labeled container in the vestibule. Examples: juice boxes, fruit cups, snack cracker packets, small Kleenex packets, etc.
Christmas program and potluck brunch on December 21.

December Ladies Aid Leaders – Sue Anderson, Mindy Gerszewski, Brooke Grochowski, Mary Gryskiewicz, Amy Kowalski, Holly Kowalski, Mary Kowalski, Brittney Kuznia, Marilyn Kuznia, Sarah Marquis & Danielle Szklarski

Diocese of Crookston

Bemidji March for Life The St. Gianna’s Group of St. Philip’s in Bemidji will be hosting the annual Bemidji March for Life on Saturday, January 24, 2026, beginning at Noon in front of the Beltrami County Courthouse. The local March for Life is sponsored by the St. Gianna’s ministry and the Bemidji Knights of Columbus.

Mercy Hour for Individuals and Families Join Bishop Andrew Cozzens for this hour of adoration and prayer, culminating in an intimate moment of Eucharistic encounter offered for you as an individual, a couple, or as a family. All are welcome. Next Mercy Hour with Bishop Cozzens: January 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Oklee, Minnesota.

Mercy Hour for Middle-School & High School Youth: January 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.