God, has blessed us all by giving us the opportunity to build up his Kingdom here on earth, in particular our wonderful community of St. Stephen. It is a great parish to which we belong and we strive every single day to accomplish God's will. When we come together either to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, pray, participate in any of the Sacraments, visit the Parish office, or take part in one of the catechesis programs, we are forming a friendly and caring community. This is the core and heart of our parish. Together we are making the means of what a Christian Catholic Community should be like.

Granted, the fact that it is through the achievement of their final objective that all creatures truly become what they are, it can be deduced that the more a person practices virtue, the more human this person becomes. And what does it mean to be human? It means the wonderful fact that God has created us in His own image. Hence, the vocation, or the final goal that every one of us is meant to accomplish, is to be Godlike - to be perfect in the way God is perfect (Mt. 5:48). Yes, all of us are called to be alter Christus - generous, compassionate, merciful, caring, forgiving, grateful, holy, and, above all, willing to serve one another with love and humility. Since this is our vocation, it our duty to pray that God may enlighten our minds and hearts that we may discern the way we can best fulfill His will in our parish.

It is in the spirit of love that I encourage everyone to come and be a part of this awesome community in which the living God is among us. I praise and thank the Triune God for the countless blessings He has bestowed on me throughout each and every one of you. With great joy and respect to all of you, no matter how we differ, I welcome you with open arms to St. Stephen Parish.

In Christ our Savior,

Fr. Manuel Perez