Pastor's Wish List

St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church maintains a beautiful and prayerful church building as well as a Catholic school and other facilities to carry out our mission to be a “community for all to encounter Christ, know Christ, and proclaim Christ.”

Our Pastor maintains a wish list of items needed to continue our mission. Please browse the list below to learn of our current needs. If you are interested in helping support a project, please reach out to Carrie Ashley, Stewardship & Development Manager, at c.ashley@stephen.org.

Facility Upgrade Needs:
As we plan ahead for future Christmas seasons, we would also like to begin preparing for new Christmas trees for the Gathering Space.
These trees will help create a festive and reverent environment during the Christmas season while maintaining the beauty and consistency of the space. Investing in high-quality trees now will allow us to enjoy them for many Christmas celebrations to come.
As we continue to care for the beauty of our worship spaces, we would like to add high-quality greenery for the Gathering Space that can be used throughout Ordinary Time and beyond.
These pieces are designed to provide a beautiful, consistent presentation year-round, enhancing the warmth and welcome of the space without distracting from the sacred environment. The goal is to purchase durable, timeless pieces that will serve the parish for 20+ years, creating a welcoming and prayerful atmosphere for all who enter.
To better serve those who gather in the GPC, we would like to install a water bottle filling station on the drinking fountain, similar to the one located in the main parish building.
This addition will provide a convenient and environmentally friendly way for parishioners, school families, and ministry groups to refill reusable water bottles during meetings, events, and activities held in the GPC.
Our Director of Religious Education would love to celebrate the twelve children who have completed the OCIA-Children’s program this year and will be receiving the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church at Easter.
We hope to present each of these children with their own Catholic Bible as they begin this next step in their faith journey and continue growing as part of the St. Stephen the Martyr faith community.
We are looking to purchase 12 copies of The New Catholic Answer Bible published by Our Sunday Visitor, which averages about $40 per Bible. Your support will place a Bible directly into the hands of these newly initiated young members of our parish family.

Price TBD

Fresh paint is needed in the School Commons and Main Hallways. These areas get a lot of traffic and need to be painted in order to maintain and bright, clean, and learning-friendly atmosphere. 

$3,000

The windows on the doors of the School Offices need to be expanded for visibility to safeguard student safety. 

As we care for the beauty and safety of our parish grounds, we are also planning a few spring and summer landscaping improvements around the campus.
These updates will help maintain our grounds as a welcoming and well-kept environment for parishioners, school families, and visitors. Planned projects include adding handrails in certain areas to improve safety, addressing a few spots where water runoff has created uneven or worn areas (such as near the dining room doors), and adding seasonal plantings that will bring color to the campus while also helping with garden stabilization and runoff control.
These smaller improvements help preserve the beauty of our parish campus while ensuring that our spaces remain safe, functional, and inviting for everyone who gathers here.
$45,000 
 
The master bath at the rectory is original and in need of updates for the safety and comfort of our pastor.
$7.50 per yard or $500 for all
 

$140/chair

We are in need of more chairs for older kids in the school – maintenance has no spare larger chairs for students, they have been repairing what we have, we need around 10 new ones to serve our students.

$62 each, $1240 for all

New hangers to keep vestments protected and well maintained

$10,000

The garage doors at the rectory are in need of replacement for insulation and proper maintenance of the home as well as the safety of our pastors. 

$65,000

Our ceiling tiles need to be replaced in several areas, the parish office, halls. Replacing the tiles will beautify our parish spaces and increase safety.

Vests for Student Safety Patrol | Bibles for Children in the OCIA-Children’s Class | VBS Lanyards | Men’s and Women’s Dining Room Bathroom Remodel | New Carts for the Parish Center |  New iPads for RE | New Sound System for the Parish Center | New Sound System for the Dining Room | Digital Signage for the Parish | Hand Tools for the Maintenance Team | Parish Office Remodel | School Security Film for Windows | Funeral Set | Food Warmer | Open Air Cooler | Candle Lighter | Travel Bags | Nativity | Pitchers | Utility Cart | Plates | Silverware | Table Linens | New Mattress Sets for the Rectory | Server Albs & Cinctures | Aprons for Volunteers

Thank you for supporting St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church!