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Community Ministries
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Our Community Ministries
"The more ready you are to give yourself to God and to others, the more you discover the authentic meaning of life."
- Pope St. John Paul II
Ministering to community is an important part of our catholic Faith.
We encourage you to look through our community ministries, and see where you may use your gifts to help others. So many times are own life experiences give us a different perspective, and help us to grow in the gifts of wisdom and understanding. You may find a unique opportunity to reach out and walk with others through what you've learned. What a gift to all involved!
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- Arimathean Ministry
- Bereavement
- Catholic Daughters of America
- Community Pickleball
- CYO Basketball
- Family Faith Formation
- Four Seasons Kids
- Gardening Ministry
- Hospitality
- Knights of Columbus Council #4952
- LOGOS Youth Group
- Mary's Meals
- Meal Train Ministry
- Men's Fellowship
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
- Parish Council
- Prayer Shawls
- Respect Life
- St. George's Bookstore
- St. Zita Society
- Security
- Sodality of Our Lady
- Spanish Ministry
- Teen Group
- Why Knots
- Young Adult Group
- 200 Club
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Arimathean Ministry
The name Arimatheans comes from St. Joseph of Arimathea, who tended to our Lord after his death. Arimatheans are caring parishioners who attend Funeral and Memorial Masses as representatives of the faith community. As many surviving family members often have less of a connection with the Catholic church than their deceased loved one, Arimatheans will provide support and liturgical guidance to those who may be less familiar or comfortable with a Catholic Mass. Interested parishioners will perform the corporal work of mercy – to “bury the dead.” If an Arimathean Minister is available for a particular Mass, he/she simply will attend the liturgy. Our presence and silent prayers provide spiritual support to the deceased and their families.
To help with this ministry, please contact the parish office
at 845-986-4028.
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BereavementWe Know that anytime can be hard for us who lost loved ones and friends – Especially for the holidays, and anniversary dates. If you are going through a difficult time and want to be with others that understand - there is peer support. The meetings have been facilitated for the past 10 years by Judy and Rocco Battista, parishioners of St. Stephens for over 33 years. They were trained by Archdiocese of New York for Bereavement Support.
For more information contact Judy at 845-987-4207
or Rocco at 845 325-5517.
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Catholic Daughters of AmericaCatholic Daughters of America provides “local spirituality, sharing and activity under the support of a vibrant national organization. Members donate to charities, administer scholarship programs and strive ‘to be helping hands where there is pain, poverty, sorrow or sickness.’ They embrace the principle of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all."
For more information contact Marie DeMarmels at [email protected].
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Join Us to Play Pickleball!
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CYO BasketballSt. Stephens CYO basketball is offered to boys and girls in grades 4 through 8. The season starts at the end of October and concludes in March with the Archdiocese Championships! Practices are held at St. Stephens and Greenwood Lake. Try-outs will be held the week of September 30th.
For any further information please email Director Marijane Lamattina at [email protected].Here is CYO's biggest fan, Fr. Edison!
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Family Faith FormationSaint Stephen’s Family Faith Formation is committed to passing on the Catholic faith to all who seek to grow in greater love and knowledge of Our Lord. As we seek to grow in our own faith, we answer the call to further spread the Faith through unique and traditional modes of learning. Our program is at the heart of the mission of the entire parish to evangelize and catechize our local community.
For more information or to register your child, please email [email protected]
or call 845-986-2231.
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Four Seasons KidsFour Seasons Kids is a program that helps clothe children in Warwick, and the surrounding towns, who are experiencing clothing insecurity. We do this by soliciting, collecting, cleaning and distributing new and like new clothing four times a year (once per season). Volunteers help sort, wash, organize, and prepare clothing for distributions. Help can be provided at home or in person.
For more information, visit www.fourseasonskids.org or email [email protected].
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Gardening MinistryHappy Spring!! I am excited to welcome the season with you all by announcing our roster of spring events.Lenten Campus Clean-Up - Give alms this Lent by making our campus even more beautiful. We will meet in the sanctuary, share a short prayer, and then work together cleaning up brush and tidying our campus. Please RSVP to reserve your complimentary artisanal coffee from Greenwood Lake Coffee Roasters.Perennial Exchange - Bring a plant, take a plant. Bring a perennial from your own garden or from a local nursery. We will line up the perennials and separate them based on sun care needs. Then we will pull names in a draft-like setting. When your name is pulled, it’s your turn to pick a plant to bring home! Feel free to bring multiples if you are doing a lot of dividing this spring.May Crown Crafting Party - Design and craft a flower crown. Fresh flowers, crown supplies, and light refreshments will be provided. Cost is $10 per person making a crown and $20 for a family pass. Come back at 3:30 pm and join the Sodality of Our Lady for their annual May Crowing featuring music and a Living Rosary.Rose Water Workshop - Craft rose water with local roses. Our newly made rose water will be blessed and become a specially scented Holy Water.Stations of the Cross - There is still time to volunteer as a reader in honor of our ministry. We are sponsoring the Stations on Friday, April 4th at 6:00 pm.Kindly RSVP to [email protected] or 315-256-6723 for all events listed. Dates, times, and locations are noted in the attached graphic.Thank you!Melyssa
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HospitalityMembers of the Hospitality Ministry assist with the setup and service of refreshments at monthly Hospitality Sundays in the atrium and following special Masses throughout the year.
For more information and to get involved, please contact Mary Juliano at 845-325-4638.
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Knights of Columbus, Council #4952The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s organization, founded in 1882 by Blessed Michael J. McGivney, devoted to four basic principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. Our overarching mission is to empower men to live their faith at home, in their parishes, at work and in their community. Charity is at the heart of our work and our faith. For Warwick Valley Council #4952, charity means supporting a virtually boundless variety of projects, including coats for kids, toys for tots, contributing to local charitable organizations such as Mary’s Meals, Mother’s Cupboard, local food pantries, and supporting and contributing to pro-life organizations and activities, and to national and international disaster relief efforts.
If you would like to learn more about the work we do, please contact our council Grand Knight Kevin Dauwalter through our email: [email protected].
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LOGOS Youth Group
Our LOGOS ministry is not currently meeting at this time. If you would like to be part of LOGOS by being a ministry leader for the group, please email [email protected], or by calling the parish office. Thank you!
LOGOS is for children in grades 3 through 8 and focuses on the 3 F’s: Fellowship, Friendship and Faith. We meet the second Tuesday of the month from September to June from 6:30-8pm in the Parish Community Center. At LOGOS meetings we come together as a group to share faith, conversation, crafts and enjoy some pizza. Each meeting is centered on a faith-based theme. We love to help the children build connections between God and our daily lives. Come join us and as always bring a friend! We could add in a fourth “F” which is we always have a lot of Fun!
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Mary's Meals
St. Stephens has been a part of Mary's Meals since 2013, and we continue to work towards helping children break the cycle of poverty by providing food in a school environment. In this way, they are able to eat nutritious meals, and be educated at the same time.
To learn more about Mary's Meals, and St. Stephens involvement in Mary's Meals, please click here.
To donate directly to Mary's Meals to help us reach our fundraising goal, please click here.
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Meal Train MinistryDo you love to cook or bake? Are you looking for ways to help your community from home? Consider joining our Meal Train ministry!
We all enter times in our lives where it can be stressful or overwhelming to even consider putting dinner on the table for ourselves or our loved ones. Having a meal delivered to your door during those times can be like a huge burden being lifted off of your shoulders.
If you would like to be a part of this ministry, visit our ministries on Flocknote HERE to sign up!
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Men's FellowshipWe help men in St. Stephen's parish and the community grow in their spiritual life, their jobs, and every aspect of their lives as men. During the monthly meetings men take time to informally share what is on their hearts and to receive feedback from others. This cultivates intimacy among the brethren plus transparency and accountability. Men will also discuss and challenge each other regarding acting upon God's leading in serving others. We have frequent guest speakers, presentations, fresh-brewed coffee and pastries. Meetings take place the second Saturday of each month (weekly during Advent and Lent) in the parish center from 7:45-9AM. All are welcome.
For more information contact Peter Hall or Dr. Dominic Cappelleri at 845-258-0272 or [email protected]
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OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) is the process through which a person is prepared to be received into the Catholic Church, or for someone who desires to continue their sacraments of initiation (Holy Communion, Confirmation). The class is conducted by our OCIA Team who makes presentations on various Catholic teachings such as; the Commandments, Beatitudes, Sacraments, and other religious topics. The OCIA class is held every Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 AM, from the end of September until the end of May.
For more information please call Deacon Tom @ 845-988-6289, or email, [email protected].
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Parish CouncilThe Parish Council serves as an advisory group to the pastor. We present suggestions related to all aspects of parish life including ministries, community activities, special events, and outreach. Likewise, we serve as a sounding board for the pastor to provide feedback on his ideas for enhancing the life of the parish. One of the most important functions we provide is to act as a liaison between the parish at large and our priests and ministry leaders.
Additional nominations and selections will take place in May 2026 for the term beginning September 2026 and running through June 2029, as the Parish Council returns to its planned cadence.
CONTACT US! In addition to the monthly Parish Council Table events scheduled to coincide with Hospitality Sundays, parishioners can now share ideas, concerns, or questions via our new email address: [email protected].Parish Council Members:
Permament Sitting Members
Fr. Slawek
Fr. Edison
Deacon Tom MacDougall
Deacon Dan Byrne
Steve Mandracchia
Bob Kerr
James Tiedemann
Mary Juliano
Kathleen BredbergCurrent Term Members
Suzanne Winter (Chair)
Tom Holtman (Vice Chair)
Roger Bredberg
Art Wendel
Karen Devora
Robert Conway
Owen Machingo (Team Member)
Joe Sanzone (Team Member)New Term Members
Jane Reed
Trish Tomaselli
Chris Olert
Cathy Casse
Tina Moser
Miriam Muse
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Prayer Shawls
The mission of this ministry is to create hand-crafted shawls and lap blankets for people who may be experiencing life's trials, whether it be an illness, financial troubles, simply feeling stressed and overwhelmed or grieving. A prayer shawl is meant to be a reminder of God's love, strength, comfort and mercy. These shawls and blankets can also celebrate life's milestones- a birthday, graduation, wedding or new job. Our ministry also makes lovely bibs that are used at Baptisms here at our parish.
For more information, please contact Eileen Korn at [email protected].
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Respect Life
CLICK BELOW FOR JANUARY 2026 NEWS BRIEF
Please continue to scroll down for more news regarding our ministry!
The Respect Life Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5 pm in the Parish Community Center. Our focus is to draw attention to pro-life issues and events. Typical annual events that we participate in are: Hanging of crosses on the fence of Penning's Field for the months of May and October; providing welcome baskets to families who have had their babies baptized in our parish; participating in the Orange County St. Patrick's Day Parade; and organizing the annual baby bottle campaign to support Mother's Cupboard at Sacred Heart Parish in Monroe. New members are always welcome!
Please contact Anne Prial at [email protected].Spiritual Adoption
PLEASE CONSIDER PRAYING THIS PRAYER EVERY DAY, FROM THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION TO CHRISTMAS DAY, FOR THE LIFE OF THE UNBORN CHILD:“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of [baby’s name] the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.”
- Prayer of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
St. Stephen’s is spearheading an “adoption” program for our parish members. The members of our parish family now have the opportunity to “spiritually adopt” a child who is currently unborn. Not all babies make it to birth. Many parents tragically experience the loss of a child to miscarriage or premature birth. And more than 3,000 babies lose their lives to abortion each day. These are the babies you are being asked to “adopt” simply by praying for him or her each day. To kick off this initiative, St. Stephen’s held a special Mass on Tuesday, March 25. To view Fr. Slawek's homily at this Mass please click on the button below:
Fr. Slewak's homily
You may “adopt” a child individually or as a family after the kick-off Mass by filling out a simple form. More information will be in an upcoming Flocknote. If you have any questions, please email Anne at [email protected].
To learn more about Spiritual Adoption, please visit the Archidiocese
of New York's website (link below):
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St. George's Bookstore
Located in the Parish Community Center, St. George's Bookstore volunteers sort and shelve book and media donations received throughout the year. Additionally, volunteers assist during tag sale events and select weekend sale days.
For more information or to volunteer, please call Mary Juliano at 845-325-4638.
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St. Zita Society
(Church Environment and Upkeep)Our Church Sanctuary is the home of our Blessed Lord in the Tabernacle and the place where we come to pray, worship, and adore Him. Just as we care for our own homes, the Church Sanctuary and surrounding areas need loving care. In addition to part time parish custodial care, volunteers work to keep the altar beautiful and care for flowers and plants. Throughout the year we have “cleaning days” which may include dusting, vacuuming, washing and polishing many surfaces, cleaning candle stands, etc., and very respectfully, taking care of the areas in the Sanctuary. Extra help is needed during Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc.
For more information or to volunteer your time, please leave a message for Ruthann DiMauro at the parish office 845-986-4028.
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Security
Introducing the St. Stephen's Safety Committee
YOUR safety is OUR priority!
From the Security Ministry:
We are pleased to share the progress of our parish Safety and Security Committee. The committee's mission is to ensure that our campus is a place where everyone feels safe, protected and prepared in case of medical, safety and other issues.
This committee is creating and implementing safety and security plans, collaborating with local fire, police and EMS resources, providing training for staff and volunteers and making visible changes to the parish campus.
Here is what is new:- Internal and external numbering on all building doors for quick reference for emergency responders.
- Fire blankets located in the closet outside of the church restrooms and behind the organ.
- Medical emergency bags in the church, Parish Community Center and St. Edward's House, complete with first aid kit, ice packs and other key medical supplies.
- Four Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) with directional signs for visibility and fast access.
- Emergency Narcan doses, located in the AED boxes.
- Potential First Aid, CPR and AED training for all ushers and church office staff
Look for quarterly updates of the Safety Spotlight! For more information or to join the committee, please contact Jim at [email protected].
Several years ago, generous parishioners helped us offset the cost of the AEDs. These recent additions have also come at a cost to the parish. If you'd like to provide support to offset the cost of these safety measures and supplies, please use the Flocknote link below. Also, donations marked "security Ministry" may also be made at the Parish Office.
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Sodality of Our LadyOur Lady’s Sodality of St. Stephens Church began in 1962 with a group of women who wanted to offer their generous spirits, talents and time to the service of our parish community, in honor of Mary, Mother of God. Over the years, we have been a resource group to many other organizations and activities and volunteered assistance to: The Altar Society, Parish Missions, May Crowning and Living Rosary. Our famous Bake Sales Oct. and March support Parish needs. The meetings are on the second Monday of the month at 2 pm in the Msgr. Corrigan Conference Room of the Parish Community Center. All new members are welcome!
For more info, please call Carolyn at (845) 986-3917.
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Spanish MinistryOur Spanish Ministry at St. Stephen’s has been in existence in our community since 2004. It is a wonderful opportunity to take part in the holy Mass of the Lord in another language. In addition to celebrating the Holy Mass in Spanish, part of the Spanish Ministry is to hold prayer groups, novenas and vigils at the church, and one another's homes; to tend and assist families needing sacraments, quinceañeras, funeral mass and faith formation; translating communications; encourage church attendance and enrollment; and to advocate for a community whose spirtiual needs may not otherwise be met through existing church functions and activities.
For more information email Judy Battista at [email protected] or call 845-987-4207, or call Nancy Reinauer at 845-729-4016.
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Teen GroupThe St. Stephen’s teen group for grades 9 through 12 is for those who are seeking guidance after confirmation and looking to help improve the church and the community. Through the teen group we will go deeper into our faith and continue the vow we made during our confirmation such as community service projects, spending time in adoration, or hearing people speak about how they found and grew in their Catholic faith.
Reach out to the Faith Formation office for more information.
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Why KnotsOur ministry makes blankets that are donated to local hospitals and other places in need. We also give blankets upon request for anyone in need of comfort such as a family member having surgery, someone who is recovering from an illness, a caretaker who needs some comfort. This is a Ministry to Mary and is open to all ages. All you need to know how to do is to cut and tie knots…the knots represent the knots in our lives and we ask Mary to pray for us and help us to untie those knots.
For more information, email Shauna Smith at [email protected].
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Young Adult GroupSt. Stephen’s Young Adult Group in Warwick, NY, offers a vibrant community for young adults seeking to deepen their faith and build lasting friendships. Through regular gatherings, discussions, and activities, members come together to share their spiritual journeys, support one another, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Whether through prayer, service projects, or social events, the group fosters a welcoming environment where individuals can grow in their relationship with God and each other. St. Stephen’s Young Adult Group is a place where faith, friendship, and community converge, empowering young adults to navigate life’s challenges with strength and solidarity.
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200 ClubThe 200 Club is a twice-yearly fundraiser over a 20-week period starting in January and July. For the price of $30.00 you get a a total of 50 chances to win. On the 20th week we hold a roast beef dinner for the ticket holders, and they may bring a guest for $12.00.
For more information contact Lori Lybolt 347-899-8687 or Jean Murphy 845-258-8687.
