Monday February 3rd is the feast of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr. Fr. Pat will offer Mass at 8:15 AM and will bless throats for those who wish. I will offer Blessing of Throats at our 6 PM Monday evening Mass. For those who cannot attend, “May God deliver you from every disease of throat and from every other illness; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” 🙏🏼 God bless you, Fr. Peter
In the first reading from Mass today, the prophet Nehemia says: “Today is holy to the Lord. Do not be sad and do not weep…go eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks.” Could be a wonderful reminder to come join us for our Chicken Dinner tonight from 4 to 7 PM at St. Stephen Martyr. God bless and hope you can join us 🙏🏼
6 PM Mass this evening is on as scheduled. Fr. Pat will be the celebrant. Should you wish to attend, please remember that our parking lot and walkways may still be very icy, so PLEASE be careful. May God bless you and keep you safe, Fr. Peter
Greetings all, Jason Cebe, our SSM Athletic Director asked me to share this with you: "We have quite a few more basketball scheduled games this year compared to last year and years past. This is great for increased home games of SSM teams and less travel for parents. This is also a great increase in revenue for the Athletic and Gym Departments. We could use some more volunteers to staff the gate and concessions. We have games this weekend and all week next weekend with the Christmas Tournament. Below is link to the sign up or anyone can contact the gym manager, Paul Amshoff. His email address is [email protected] and is also listed on the SSM Athletics website." That's great news for the entire SSM community. SSM athletics is a Parish ministry, not just the school alone. What a wonderful opportunity for us to get involved and help support SSM athletics! We are about to start of stretch of 8 days of games. There are a lot of days with no or limited volunteers. If you're able to help out please sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44A8AE2CABFEC70-53422167-basketball Please pitch in and help out for a couple hours and enjoy the fun and fellowship of SSM basketball. Thanks and God bless you, Fr. Peter
Greetings all, As December 8th falls on a Sunday this year, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception has been transferred to Monday. As such, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. But it is certainly a Holy Day of "OPPORTUNITY!" So we will offer two opportunities for you this Monday. We will have a simple Mass on Monday morning at 8:15 with Fr. Pat celebrating. We will have Mass with music on Monday evening at 6 PM with Fr. Peter as the celebrant. Please come join us at either one, as we honor the Lord's mother, our mother, and the patronal mother of our country.
On behalf of all of us on the staff at SSM, I wish you a happy, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving!
Greetings all, Dcn. Sylvester Nitzken, whom most of us have know more affectionately as Dcn. Syl, went home to the Lord this morning at 9:08 AM. He was surrounded by his loving family, and received his final Holy Communion (viaticum-food for the journey) from the consecrated hands of Fr. Pat. He went to the Nitzken home immediately after the 8:15 Mass this morning. Apparently he made it just in time. Within minutes after receiving Holy Communion, Dcn. Syl died. Dr. Michael Nitzken (son) said that if Fr. Pat had run into one more red light on the way over, he would not have made it in time. God’s Perfect Timing 🙏 He was called home on the eve of All Saints Day (All Hallow’s Eve, which is where we get the word Halloween.) Again, God’s Perfect Timing 🙏 Dcn. Syl was one of the first deacons ordained for the Archdiocese after the permanent diaconate was restored by the Second Vatican Council. He and his beloved wife Joan recently celebrated their 70th Anniversary with a special blessing at Mass here just a few Saturdays ago. Last Saturday evening I was blessed to celebrate his final Mass at the Nitzken home. The front pew at SSM will be a little emptier now. But heaven will soon be a little fuller. Funeral arrangements are pending. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord; let perpetual light shine upon him. Please keep Dcn. Syl, Joan, their daughter Mary, and the family in your prayers. God bless you , Fr. Peter
The annual Reverse Raffle is the biggest fundraiser for SSM. Tickets are sold out! But this year for the first time, we’re offering an online auction so that you can participate and bid without even being there. Join us for an exciting online bidding experience for our school fundraiser auction! This virtual event allows you to support our students while bidding on an array of fantastic items. Things fom unique experiences to valuable goods, there's something for everyone. Your participation not only gives you a chance to win amazing prizes but also directly contributes to enhancing our educational programs and resources. Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a difference. Click the link provided to bid generously and help us reach our fundraising goal. https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/2b505380-aa2c-434f-8819-620d1597f00e/events/vevt:39ed5653-dea8-4f23-a5f2-774b0f1220ab/home/story Please help us to make this our biggest Reverse Raffle ever 🙏🏼 Thanks and God bless you, The Reverse Raffle Team
Father Pat will have the Mass/Adoration/Confessions at 6 PM this evening. I'm afraid I've picked up a nasty little sinus/chest infection. I wanted to say thank you to all those who donated to our school family in need of lunch assistance, but as I will not be there tonight, I will say that here. THANK YOU! GOD BLESS YOU!!! Fr. Peter
Greetings all! Just a reminder that SSM is bringing back our Monthly Chicken Dinners! Come join us for food, fellowship, and fun this Sunday, and every 4th Sunday of the Month, from 4 to 7 PM in the Marteen Room (the school dining hall.) The menu includes fried chicken (fried by our awesome Men of St. Stephen, the MOSS Club,) buttered noodles, green beans, summer salad, tea and water. Please enter through the student drop off/pick up door on the north end of the school building We also need volunteers to help with food prep, cooking, setup, and cleanup. Sign up here if you can help: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyDc1cMVbVkRj4uqi2SeRYCGbyCZsYsxLMwghFZEYAHqYEzg/viewform I look forward to seeing you there, and at Mass this weekend! God bless you, Fr. Peter
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” These words from John’s Gospel provide the theme for this year’s Catholic Services Appeal. We hear similar words every Sunday: “Go forth, the Mass is ended.” In fact, the word “Mass” comes from the word “Missa,” which is where we get the word mission. Starting to see the picture? Recently I stumbled across the old Blues Brothers Movie on TV. I still laugh when Elwood says: “We’re on a mission from God.” At Mass we are empowered by the graces of the Eucharist, and we are literally sent on a mission to serve God and neighbor. With the 2024 Catholic Services Appeal, God gives us a wonderful opportunity to fulfill that mission. CSA supports more than 100 ministries and programs throughout the Archdiocese of Louisville. We feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and comfort the sick. Your donations also help educate our seminarians, like Emerson Wells, who stayed with us this summer. Did you know that there are now 19 young men in formation for the priesthood in ArchLou? That’s more than we’ve had in decades. And this year there are generous matches to make our gifts go even further. All gifts to the Seminarian Education Fund will be matched up to $75,000. All increased giving by Salt & Light level donors will be matched up to $50,000. And all gifts made by donors who did not make a gift last year will be matched up to $50,000. And there are several ways to donate again this year. You can use the envelope in your pew; You can donate online at https://www.archlou.org/donate-today/ You can use the QR code included in the bulletin; Or you can go to our website at www.ssmartyr.org Just click on the “Donate Here” button under the CSA Parish Headline. Our Parish Goal this year is $38,100. St. Stephen Martyr has a reputation for being one of the most generous parishes in the Archdiocese. And no wonder...last year we exceeded our goal by nearly $15,000. I am confident we can do that again this year, especially if you give just a little bit more. I’ll be doing that right along with you, because together, we’re on a mission from God! “Lord, bless the mission and ministry of the Catholic Services Appeal. May our gifts be given with a spirit of joy and gratitude.” Yours in Christ, Fr. Peter
I am in Naples with Fr. Adam Carrico. Spending a few days with my beloved sister, whom many of you know. On Monday Fr. Adam and I head to Miami where we will board the Royal Caribbean “Allure of the Seas” on which we will take our annual retreat. St. Meinrad, where we both attended seminary, offers a retreat for priests on a cruise ship once every three or four years, so we thought, “Why not 🙏🏼” We went to Mass this morning at St. William. My late Mom and Dad were parishioners here, and we had both their funeral Masses here as well, so lots of memories flooding in this morning. Haven’t been here in over a decade but I was struck by how much the woodwork reminds me of our beloved St. Stephen Martyr. God bless you all and please say a prayer for our safe travels and a refreshing retreat. Fr. Peter
Dear Friends, Fr. Pat will have the 6PM Mass tonight. I’m sorry we will not be having adoration this evening, just Mass only. Thank you for your understanding. Fr. Peter
Dear Friends, Fr. Pat will have the 6PM Mass tonight. I’m sorry we will not be having adoration this evening, just Mass only. Thank you for your understanding. Fr. Peter
In this Sunday's Gospel the Lord Jesus tells us: "Whoever wishes to come after me must take up his cross, and follow me." Here's a little sneak preview from my homily: You know who is always there to help us carry our Cross? Jesus’ Mother Mary. She was with him through all his suffering. She stood at the foot of His Cross. And she is our Mother too. Listen to this wonderful prayer from St. Alphonsus Liguori: “Ah my most sweet Lady you who were innocent suffered with so much patience. My Mother I now ask your favor not...to be delivered from crosses, but to bear them with patience. For the love of Jesus I ask you to obtain at least this grace for me from God.” I hope to see you at Mass this weekend! God bless you, Fr. Peter