Our logo identifies St. Stephen, Martyr as: (1) a Catholic community in southern Chespeake (indicated by our unique Bell Tower Cross); (2) nourished by the Eucharist (represented by the white circle); and (3) focused on getting us and others to heaven (symbolized by the gold halo).
Our Mission
Love God. Love others. Be disciples. Make disciples.
Our Vision
Our vision as a Catholic community is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone, even the unchurched, in order to make church relevant. Regardless of where you are or where you're coming from, we want to welcome you.
Our Strategy
We want you to WANT to grow in holiness and friendship. In order to help disengaged Catholics in southern Chesapeake take the next steps toward becoming fully committed followers of Jesus Christ, we plan to creatively reach out to them with a fresh and relevant presentation of the Gospel's life-changing message.
Our Focus
Our weekend experience is central to our strategy and the homily is central to the weekend experience. Together, the homily, hymns, and hospitality produce an enticing atmosphere of excellence and enthusiasm that makes guests feel at home and eager to return.
Our Purpose
Fellowship
We hold that the bond created by our Baptism unites us as a single family, teaching us to love one another as Christ loves us. Through small groups, we hope to create a church environment where individuals are genuine and authentic about their desire to change and grow. We navigate life together.
We adhere to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Our religion, which we attempt to live and serve with all of our lives in lively and innovative ways, originates from and culminates in the Eucharistic feast. God is honored when our worship is excellent.
We believe the Bible is God's inspired, infallible Word. The goal of our homilies is to demonstrate how applicable the Bible is to everyday life. It takes more than just knowing more about our religion to change and grow into the likeness of Christ—we must also obey God's Word. Change in life is the ultimate goal of discipleship.
We believe the Holy Spirit has already set tasks for us to complete that would further Christ's kingdom. We acknowledge that God has called our church to serve the needs of our community outside of our parish, including our city, nation, and the entire world. We are constantly pushed to accomplish more in the Lord's service. We accept that challenge.
According to Matthew 28:29, Jesus gave us the directive to "Go and make disciples of all nations." We begin by extending our influence to those who are closest to us. After building a relationship, we share how your life has changed as a result of knowing Jesus.