Parish Partner Spotlight
St. Stephen, Martyr
Roman Catholic Church
In 1997 St. Stephen, Martyr was established close to the North Carolina border situated between two major North/South highways; Battlefield Blvd. S and Rt. 168 Expressway with 200 families from Prince of Peace Parish. In its 25 years, the parish community has continued to grow steadily due to the ongoing expansion of the population in this southern section of Chesapeake. Even with that growth, the faith community has remained rooted to its founding legacy of celebrating the liturgy and sacraments, education of its youth and adults, and reaching out to the wider community. This is accomplished through the monthly Samaritan Collection to serve the needs of those seeking aid, assisting families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the annual Giving Tree and Adopt A Senior, to the various types of support provided by the Knights of Columbus. The Parish has been a integral partner to Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia and we are so thankful for their service to the Chesapeake community.
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Mausoleum Garden:
Our lady queen of heaven mausoleum garden, a ministry of St. Stephen, Martyr Roman Catholic Church, is located in the hickory section of Chesapeake and serves the faithful of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. It is a serene and peaceful park-like a catholic mausoleum cemetery with burial crypts and columbaria in a pastoral setting. Open to members of all faiths.
Memorial Prayer Garden:
The Memorial Prayer Garden was completed in January 2016, in memory of Rita R. Hughes, a beloved founding member of the parish. The garden sits in a quiet area on parish grounds, surrounded by shrubbery. The center of the Garden features a beautiful labyrinth, replicative of the one in the Chartres Cathedral in France. The labyrinth is a walking pattern used for quiet meditative prayer. Surrounding the labyrinth is a red brick circular walkway. These bricks contain spaces for brass plates inscribed with the names of living and deceased family and friends. When praying in the Garden, one can hear the bubbling fountain, smell the pine needle mulch, and see the seasonal blooming plants and flowers. It has become a special place of prayerful remembrance, since most of our parishioners come from across the country.
The Samaritan Fund:
The Samaritan Fund of St. Stephen, Martyr is an outreach program committed to offering aid to Chesapeake residents who demonstrate a need for financial assistance in paying rent, temporary housing costs, and utility bills. The generosity of our parishioners funds this effort.
Funeral Ministry:
The funeral ministry offers registered parishioners assistance at Funeral Liturgies, which include: Mass Coordinator, Head Minister, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Lectors. We also offer receptions to registered parishioners after the funeral service. Burial by crypts or niches is available to all in Our Lady Queen of Heaven Mausoleum here at SSM.
Thanksgiving Food Baskets:
The food for a family Thanksgiving dinner is provided and delivered to needy families as a family-to-family program, in conjunction with C.H.I.P. Volunteers organize the event, conduct sign-ups after liturgies and online, and assign recipient families to parish donating families.
Advent Outreach:
Provides Christmas gifts to children ages 0 – 13 years old and food for the Christmas dinner. Recipients must be qualified through C.H.I.P . It is conducted as a family-to-family activity. Volunteers organize the event, conduct sign-ups and assign recipient families to parish donating families. Some deliveries may be required.
Men of St. Joseph International:
The MOSJI’s mission is to build-up and equip Catholic men to become prayer warriors, equipped with “spiritual” tools to “go” and make disciples, winning souls for Christ. The SPIRITUAL WEAPONS utilized by the MOSJI are Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Saint Joseph (Jesus’ earthly Father), The Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Rosary, and the lives of the Saints. The ultimate goal for every man should be to become a saint (holy), with the eternal vision of getting as many souls into heaven. The Men of St. Joseph International meet every Thursday, participating in the Holy sacrifice of the Mass (6:30pm), followed by and prayer and discussion from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Every fourth Thursday of the month, the MOSJI participate in a “Mass-And –A-Meal” breaking bread together while growing in faith, fellowship, and fun! All meetings are held at St. Stephen, Martyr Catholic Church – classroom 3. Saint Joseph, “Terror of demons,” pray for us.
SSM Youth Ministry:
This year St. Stephen, Martyr’s Youth Ministry program is continuing to thrive and grow! Their first big event in the fall is always the Annual Bonfire. This year was the largest turn out with over 80 teens! The night was filled with fun games, competitions and prizes. There were also plenty of yummy s’mores, snacks, hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone! The evening ended with the prayer to St. Michael to continue to give us strength, guidance, and courage throughout the year.
Parish Events
Blessing of the Animals
Pro-Life Flag Day
