Guild of St Stephen

The National Director and Members of the Central Council were pleased to join more than 200 servers from the @RC_Southwark today for the 48th Annual Altar Server Mass at Aylesford Priory, Kent. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Paul Hendricks, during which over 50 servers were enrolled into the Guild of St Stephen and 7 servers received their Silver Medals. Our thanks go to Fr Stephen Boyle, Southwark Diocesan Director, and to John Bonnici, Southwark Guild Chairman for their hard work in organising this wonderful event for the servers of the diocese.

Today is the Feast of the English Martyrs, those Catholic priests and lay people executed for their faith during the English Reformation. Pope Francis commented that there are "more Martyrs in today's world than there were in the 1st century". Whilst we remember today those who gave their lives those centuries ago for the faith, we also remember those who are still persecuted for their Christian faith today. St Thomas More, Patron of our Guild, English Martyr, Pray for us.

SAVE THE DATE! We invite all server’s and their families from across the United Kingdom and further afield to the National Mass for Altar Servers which will be held this year at Westminster Cathedral, the home of the Guild. The celebrant will be our new Superior General, His Grace, Archbishop Richard Moth. 2:30pm, Saturday, October 3rd, 2026. guildofststephen.org/events/nationa…

“And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”. It’s still over 7 months until our feast day but our namesake gets an appearance in the 1st reading from Acts today as the disciples pick seven men ‘of good repute’ to join them. Chief among them is our man Stephen, who is to become the first Deacon of the church and its first martyr. The disciples commission the men through the laying of hands, the same act that continues to this day in the ordination rite, calling down the Holy Spirit upon them. If we were to continue past the end of this reading we would immediately read the scripture passage for the Feast of St Stephen, but in the Gospel today, the disciples have trouble understanding where Jesus is going, but Stephen understood, through his wisdom and his vision of God in heaven with Jesus at his right hand, he knew the way and the truth. It’s easy to think that after the great Triduum and a few weeks of Easter that we’re ‘back to normal’ but the Gospel is building us up week by week to the great feast of Pentecost. It’s not over yet! Happy Sunday and a Happy continuing Easter!

The 48th annual rally for @RC_Southwark Altar Servers is taking place at The Friars, Aylesford Priory, Kent, next (Bank Holiday) Monday 4th May 2026. The Central Council of the Guild will be represented. The Principal Celebrant will be Bishop Paul Hendricks. guildofststephen.org/events/southwa…

Today is the 4th Sunday of Easter and ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’, Vocations Sunday. A recent poll of seminarians in the United States by Georgetown University, showed that almost 80% of the men currently in formation for the priesthood had been an Altar Server in their home parish, a verification in the long-held belief that the ministry of Altar Service (and the Guild) fosters vocations, and in a few weeks’ time, our own Honorary President will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate! It can be hard to listen to Him while we busy ourselves at Mass with our necessary service, but take a moment on this Vocations Sunday in the time of prayer during Communion to seek the intercession of our patron St Stephen and ask ‘what is God asking me to do?'. Guild prayer for Vocations: “Lord Jesus Christ, grant the grace of a priestly and religious vocation to many. Inspire young people to dedicate, their love, strength and work to you. Bless all those who by their generous prayers and sacrifices help God's future priests and religious. Amen.”

A Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated this morning at St Joseph the Worker, Hutton, to mark the retirement of John McCormack after many years of dedicated service as Chairman of the Guild of St Stephen in the Diocese of Brentwood. John has served faithfully as an Altar Server for 75 years and was recently appointed by our National Director, Fr Keith Stoakes, as one of the Central Council’s Honorary Councillors. @BrentwoodRC

In England and Wales, the Optional Memorial of St George has the privilege of being elevated to Solemnity status as the Patron Saint of England. "God of hosts, who so kindled the fire of charity in the heart of Saint George your martyr, that he bore witness to the risen Lord both by his life and by his death; grant us through his intercession, we pray, the same faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in his triumph may be led to share with him in the fullness of the resurrection." Happy feast day!

Hear Paul's plea for our churches to be unlocked during the day. Being able to just step inside a church was the beginning of Paul's journey to becoming a Catholic. #UnlockChurches 🎧️ buff.ly/E8sh5an @CatholicUnionGB @ICN_UK

Paul says, when serving at Mass, 'We're coming to give Him honour and glory and to bring people together. And this is all part of our faith experience; this shared faith experience that we can celebrate.' Listen to Paul's story here: buff.ly/E8sh5an @GuildStStephen

On this third Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves on the famous road to Emmaus. Like last weeks gospel, Jesus comes among the disciples who are walking away from Jerusalem, symbolically away from the extraordinary events that have been happening there. They again do not recognise Jesus, even when he starts to teach them the penny doesn't drop. Only when he breaks the bread at supper do they finally recognise him, but he’s gone in an instant. This surprise revelation, captured in today's picture, and Jesus’ accompaniment on the road encourages them to about face and return to Jerusalem, reinvigorated in their mission. Sometimes when we start to walk the wrong way in our own lives, we rely on Him to bring us back to the road. Picture: The Supper at Emmaus, Caravaggio.

Paul learned to join in the morning prayer of the church when he first walked into a Catholic church. 'I've had a great commitment to the Office of the Church. Again, I don't know where that came from. No one's ever sat me down and taught it me.' 🎧️ buff.ly/E8sh5an

Paul says, 'You should be feeling quietly challenged in yourself to want to grow more in your faith.' #FaithJourney Good conversation! buff.ly/E8sh5an @GuildStStephen @RCBirmingham @RC_Southwark @lpoolcatholic

The Guild President sat down recently with Theresa Alessandro of the 'All kinds of Catholic' podcast to discuss the ministry of Altar Serving and the Guild of St Stephen. You can listen on their website or in your favourite podcast app. Paul explains how he came to be first a Catholic, then an altar server, and now Honorary Lay President of the Guild of St Stephen. He shares a feeling of 'being called to serve God in this way' and the gospel text, 'You did not choose me, I chose you,' speaks to him particularly. Based on Paul's early experience of going into a church for the first time 'out of sheer curiosity,' he challenges us to 'unlock our churches' so that others might do the same today. allkindsofcatholic.substack.com

New episode out today! A conversation about feeling called to serve the Lord. 🎧️ buff.ly/E8sh5an #CatholicPodcasts #AltarServing @LancasterDioces @RCWestminster @GuildStStephen

A Mass of thanksgiving for the ministry of Fr Dennis Touw, recently retired National Director of the Guild will be held at St Mary and St Michael church, Commercial Road, Westminster Archdiocese on 17th April at 7pm (this Friday). All are invited to attend, to give thanks for his 25 years of ministry as National Director, especially altar servers, their families, Guild Diocesan Directors and clergy.

‘Peace be with you’, at this end of the Easter Octave, and as the Gospel today tells us, the 8th day after the Resurrection, Jesus comes amongst the disciples. In the light and joy or Easter, Pope Leo last night led a prayer vigil for Peace. It is an opportune weekend for peace talks in the Middle East to be taking place, with the Gospel today bringing us the resurrected Jesus' words of Peace. Let us pray with Pope Leo that the light of Easter will dispel the darkness of conflict so we can all say to our neighbours 'Peace be with you'. Photo: Vatican Media.

A Mass of thanksgiving for the ministry of Fr Dennis Touw, recently retired National Director of the Guild will be held at St Mary and St Michael church, Commercial Road, Westminster Archdiocese on 17th April at 7pm (next Friday). All are invited to attend, to give thanks for his 25 years of ministry as National Director, especially altar servers, their families, Guild Diocesan Directors and clergy. @RCWestminster @WestminsterCath