Josephine “Jo” LeBlanc, Marion McLellan, Mary Rogier, Frederick A. Shinners, John Tiller, and all those in nursing homes.

The facilities and services of Stella Maris Parish are available to its active members. This includes use of the Church for Baptisms, Weddings, and other sacramental events and includes parishioner status in our parochial schools. Active membership is determined by three things: being registered in the parish for a sufficient period of time, faithful attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, and the use of the envelope system in support of the parish. N.B. If you are attending Stella Maris but not receiving envelopes, then you are not registered. Please call the Parish Office for registration information.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL THE SICK IN OUR PARISH

If anyone wishes to receive Communion and is unable to come to Mass, call Deacon Jason Vaughan at 843-883-3044

BAPTISM

To schedule a Baptism please contact Deacon Jason Vaughan at 843-883-3044.

NURSERY

The Nursery in the parish hall remains closed until further notice.

ROSARY

Please join us every Sunday morning following the 9:30am Mass in the church to pray the Rosary. Everyone is welcome.

.WELCOME

Stella Maris parish welcomes Harper Marie Rhodes, daughter of parishioners Katelyn and Austin Rhodes who was recently Baptized.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE

In the charity of your prayers please pray for the repose of the soul of Jack Schaaf, father of parishioner Sally Tompkins. May he rest in peace.

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

February 6th – February 13th

Sat., Feb. 6th 5:30pm Mass Ints. John & Dotty Lewis 50th Wedding Anniversary

Sun., Feb. 7th 8:00am Mass Ints. Helen Darby 9:30am Mass (c) For the People 9:30am Mass (h) lSusan Owensl 11:30am Mass lMickey McMahonl

5:30pm Latin Mass lMurray Comptonl Mon. Feb. 8th 6:30pm Mass Ints. Erin Burton 7:00pm Miraculous Medal Novena Tues., Feb. 9th 8:00am Mass lRobert Cruzl Wed., Feb. 10th 8:00am Mass lAgatha Mueller Thomasl Thurs. Feb. 11th 6:30pm Mass Ints. Curtis Family Fri., Feb. 12th 8:00am Mass lErnie Sciaronil Sat., Feb. 13th 4:15 – 5:00pm CONFESSIONS

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

February 6th – 7th

EX. MIN. HOLY COMMUNION LECTORS HOST FAMI LIES

5:30pm c Michael Molony 8:00am c Cathy Burton Tom O’Rourke 9:30am c Garen McDowell 9:30am h Miller Shealy 11:30am c Darrel Darby Rob Fowler

SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEK

February 13th – 14th

EX. MIN. HOLY COMMUNION LECTORS HOST FAMI LIES

5:30pm c Matt Story Mark Stadtmueller 8:00am c Enrique Hurtado Debby Hurtado 9:30am c Nelson Little Christen Hall 9:30am h Howard Stone 11:30am c Darrel Darby Marty Fosberry

MONEY MATTERS

Last week’s collection amounted to $14,457.00.

Stella Maris

Roman Catholic Church

We welcome all visitors who have come to worship God with us today. And we hope that your visit is safe and enjoyable.

1204 Middle Street, P.O. Box 280 Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina 29482

Rev. Msgr. Lawrence B. McInerny, J.C.L. Pastor Rev. David F. Michael Parochial Vicar Mr. Jason Vaughan, MA, MS Deacon, Pastoral Associate & D.R.E. Mr. John Byrnes School President Mrs. Susan Splendido School Principal Mrs. Ann Thompson, MSW Registration, Counseling & Activities Mrs. Elizabeth Bolchoz Sanford Communications Coordinator Mr. Huey Waldon Director of Liturgical Music Mr. Stephen M. Collins Associate Musician Mrs. Winnie Van Meir Secretary to the Pastor

Parish Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 9:00 – 4:00; Friday, 9:00 – Noon

Parish Office 843-883-3108 Fax 843-883-3160 Jason Vaughan 843-883-3044 Ann Thompson 843-607-0135

Diocesan Office of Child Protection Services 843-261-0430 Diocesan Victim Assistance Minister 843-856-0748

St. Vincent De Paul Society Help Line: 843-814-1229

Parish Website: stellamarischurch.org

FORMED WEBSITE: formed.org/register (Access Code: R8ZH23)

Especially: Erin Burton, Linda Cornelius, Mike Costanzo, Rosalea Donahue, Maggie Dull, Amber Firestine, Christy Kakassy,

5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

February 7, 2021

MARRIAGE We are unable to accommodate all of the requests for weddings at Stella Maris. To marry here, at least one party to the marriage should be an active parishioner, regularly attending Mass for one year before asking to schedule a wedding. As Catholics, we believe that God has a plan for marriage. Cohabitation before marriage is not part of God’s plan and decreases the chances of success in main-taining a permanent union. Cohabitating couples should separate and live apart before requesting the Sacrament of Matrimony. More information is available from the parish office regarding guidelines for weddings and parishioner status. Diocesan policy requires at least six months’ notice before setting a wedding date.

SACRAMENTAL POLICY In order to receive First Holy Communion or Confirmation, students in Grades 2 and 8 must attend TWO FULL YEARS of religious instructions if they are NOT in our Catholic School system. No more than THREE (3) classes can be missed during the year of sacramental preparation.

PARISH NEWS

REMINDER: MISSALETTES DURING COVID

Congratulations! We have made it almost to the end of the current edition of the Seasonal Missalettes! We are down to the last dozen or so, with just two Sundays to go. The next edition begins with Ash Wednesday and goes through Easter Sunday. Thank you for your help in making the Missalettes last.

MASS IN THE HALL

With our increased Mass attendance, we have resumed the 9:30am Mass in the hall on an experimental basis, depending on the response. Wearing masks is strongly recommended. Those who arrive together may sit together. All others are asked to maintain proper distancing. Saint Roch, pray for us, that we may be preserved from all diseases of body and soul.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL “VIRTUAL COLLECTIONS” CONTINUE

You might have noticed, once again, that our plucky volunteers were not outside the church to collect donations the first weekend of the month. Despite being unable to accept cash most of this pandemic year, St. Vincent’s income amazingly fell only 15-20%. This was due in part to some large donations, but also to the many parishioners who faithfully sent a check every month. Your generosity enabled us to help those within our parish family with emergencies, and people in need throughout our area, and reaching to St. Vincent de Paul conferences in hurricane and fire-ravaged parishes in other states. Thank you again for sharing your blessings with us, and with our brothers and sisters, who are surely most grateful, too.

MEN’S MORNING MASS AND

BREAKFAST READING GROUP

All men of the parish are invited to join our Men’s Morning Mass and Breakfast Reading Group which will meet on Friday mornings beginning February 5. Mass will be offered in the church at 6:30am, followed by breakfast and discussion in the parish hall. We will be reading Theology and Sanity, by Frank Sheed. Please contact Deacon Jason Vaughan at 843-883-3044 or jmvdoe@yahoo.com if interested.

STELLA MARIS MEN’S CLUB

The Stella Maris Men’s Club will hold a meeting on Tuesday, February 9th, beginning at 6:30pm, with an approved, socially distant, happy hour. Dinner will follow at 7:00pm and the meeting will be broadcast live for those who are unable to attend.

NEWS FROM OTHER SOURCES

PROJECT RACHEL

“Walking with Moms in Need” in the Myrtle Beach area has an URGENT NEED for a pregnant Mom who chose life for her baby. She needs a PLACE TO STAY for herself and her 10 year old son. We hope to find her a small apartment or mobile home, or part of a house to share. If you are in the process of donating or trading in a CAR, please consider passing it on to her. Our HOPE is that we can help this Mom who chose LIFE instead of abortion for her child, and will be living and active witnesses of Christ who said “Whenever you did it for the least of my children, you did it unto me.” Contact Joanne Bennett joanne.bennett55@ gmail.com, or Terry Borkes t.borkes13@gmail.com. Please put ‘Mom in Need’ in subject line.

FEBRUARY ROSARY AT THE WEST ASHLEY

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

The organization, Priests for Life, has called for each Catholic to pray fervently for the closing of their local abortion facility. Please join Deacon Jerry Caoile, from Immaculate Conception Church in Goose Creek, who will lead the Rosary and prayers at the West Ashley Planned Parenthood at 1312 Ashley River Road (corner of Hwy 61 & Fuseler) on Saturday, February 20th, 2021 from 8:00 – 9:00am. For information call Stephen Boyle at 843-763-0681.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Knights of Columbus is again hosting a golf tournament for the benefit of The Daughters of St. Paul. It will be held at Wild Dunes Harbor Course on May 10th, at noon with a shotgun start. The cost is $110.00 per golfer and includes golfing on a championship golf course, lunch, beverages, awards dinner and great prizes. For more information, contact Neil Whitman at ngwhitman@yahoo.com. Or use the online form at: http://kofc9475.org/KofC_Golf_2021_Brochure.pdf.

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK My dear people,

Recently, several people have asked whether I intend to take the vaccine against COVID 19. I have answered thinking it was a casual question: ‘I don’t plan to take it right now.’ Having had COVID in July, I hope I still have some immunity (but I am hearing about people who have contracted it a second time). I think there are probably others who need it more than I do and will wait and see. More recently, I have become aware of more controversy over vaccinations in general and the COVID vaccine in particular. The internet is rife with arguments. There is particular concern about the possible use of stem cells obtained through abortions in the development or production of vaccines. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Life and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have, at various times, written on these questions. All address the immorality of the use of stem cells from abortions (there are other ways to obtain stem cells) and all address the Catholic distinction between proximate and remote participation in evil. Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict have both received the vaccine. Below is a link to a helpful statement from the USCCB. Its conclusion is that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are morally acceptable. There are concerns about the Astra-Zeneca product. https://www.usccb.org/moral-considerations-covid-vaccines

Recently, you may have heard me mention the danger of claiming to know why people might do or say something. Peoples’ words and actions are, by definition, public and knowable. Motives are not so easily known (but can be determined as in legal investigations). I mention this because of the proliferation of conspiracy theories. This is not to say there cannot be conspiracies; obviously conspiracies exist. Some of current theories, however, are (as we say) “cray, cray.” As one who serves the public, I have had my own share of suspicions thrown at my motives. Some twenty years ago, I was the first priest in South Carolina to obtain what was then an indult (permission) to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass. On one side, a somewhat older priest nearly went berserk verbally attacking me and claiming that the only reason I sought the indult was that I had disagreements with the former bishop (who opposed grants of the indult) and just wanted to hurt him! (That priest’s face got so distorted that I wondered if there was some demonic element in his rage against the traditional Mass.) Around the same time, another priest spoke to me about his brother who thought the Indult Masses were just a plot to destroy the small, independent chapels around the country that had been continuing the Traditional Latin Mass. Once established parishes took people from the various chapels and forced them to close, the alleged plan was to cancel the Latin Masses in regular parishes. I asked the priest if his relative had evidence of this conspiracy; there was none. It reminded me of one conspiracy theory about the Kennedy assassination. It was said that the fact that there was no evidence proved that there was a conspiracy because the conspirators covered up or destroyed all the evidence! For my part, all I wanted was the reverence and beauty of the Church’s traditional worship. Given the continued desire for the

the Church’s traditional worship. Given the continued desire for the Traditional Mass, especially with young adults, apparently I was not alone.

Tuesday, February 2, was Candlemas (40 days after the birth of Christ). It is also a “quarter day” i.e. near the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In the temple, Simeon proclaimed the Christ child ‘a light to the nations’. As the days get longer and brighter, may our spirits be lifted especially as we continue to grapple with a major pandemic.

Saint Roch, pray for us that we may be preserved from all diseases of body and soul.

Father McInerny