ST. STEPHEN LADIES’ SODALITY
The St. Stephen Ladies’ Sodality has been in existence almost as long as the Parish (1922) under various names. It was founded as The St. Stephen Ladies’ Society by the late Pastor, Fr. James J. Gilligan, when he reopened the Parish in 1984 after it had been a chapel of ease for eight years following the exodus in America of people from the downtown and urban areas to the suburbs. In the last few years, the present pastor and Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church, Very Reverend Canon Héctor R.G. Pérez, STD, CSLJ changed its name to Sodality to reflect its mor important spiritual nature in the life of the Church here. Since then it has been an integral part of the life of the Parish. Among its activities the Ladies’ Sodality is affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women and the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (NCCW and DCCW) under the protection of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Gennazzano. The Ladies help to clean and maintain the physical appearance of the Shrine as well as the Canon Pérez Parish Hall. They also wash and iron the linens for liturgical use. They are also in charge of the Flower Fund for the Parish. They are involved in the pro-life movement. They are co-sponsors with the St. Stephen Holy Name Society of the Thursday evening Mass, Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague and Benedictio0n or Holy Hour, on the eve of First Friday of each month and also every Thursday of Lent. They promote the First Saturday of the month and Novena to Our Lady of Fatima and Benediction which has been in use in this Parish for almost ninety years and composed under the sponsorship of the late and venerated, Bishop of Mobile (under which the Florida panhandle was until 1975), Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen. Originally it was recited on Wednesday evenings along with Benediction. Now it is recited every Saturday and included in Benediction Rites on the First Saturday of the month. To promote this the Sodality has its monthly meeting after this devotion on the First Saturday of every month, with some exceptions according to schedules. The Ladies’ Society also sponsors two bake sales and craft sales, one in the Fall another in the Spring, to raise money for its causes. All women of the Parish are asked and encouraged to be members. The membership dues, because of Diocesan and National affiliation, are ten dollars per calendar year. But money is no object.
The Society mainly wishes to include all the Ladies of the Parish in the fullness of Parish life. In fact, all the women of the Parish 13 and up are encouraged to belong and actively participate. For young mothers who need to, it is OK to bring the smaller children and infants as well. We want EVERY woman included ! The officers are members of the Parish Advisory Council and Advisory Finance Committee.
The Burse Club – The Burse Club was started around 1922 by our first organist, Mrs. Katherine Marques Geist to raise moneys for the education of future Priests. We usually do this in August. Each year, the Club, which has grown to all our Diocese, give over $100,000 dollars to the Bishop. And it all came from here. The ladies’ Sodality has done this here for many years.
The sanctification of the members is its most important role. As such, the Ladies have a Mass offered each month for both its living and deceased members and Benefactors. Please consider joining us. You will reap more benefits than you can imagine.
V. Rev. Canon Fr. Héctor R.G. Pérez y Robles, S.T.D., C.S.L.J.
Rector/Pastor