Fourth Sunday of Advent - Love
December 19, 2020
Dear Faithful Parishioners of St. Thomas of Canterbury,
As Christmas, the birthday of Jesus, approaches, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a Blessed, Merry Christmas Season and a Healthy, Happy New Year 2021!
As we celebrate Christ’s birth, we give thanks to God for sharing life with us by bringing us into being and nurturing us with His love and grace. Thanks to God also for keeping us and our loved ones safe and for providing hope and joy with the vaccines. We also continue to pray for those who are infected with or affected by COVID – especially, the healthcare professionals and those who serve for the public. I invite you to celebrate Christ’s birth and remember those intentions at one of our three Christmas Masses outdoor! Heaters will be provided.
Christmas Eve Mass – Thursday, Dec. 24th – 4PM
Music will be provided by our Youth Choir
Christmas Eve Mass – Thursday, Dec. 24th – 6PM
Candlelight Service
Christmas Day Mass – Friday, Dec. 25th – 10AM
Music will be provided by our Men’s Choir
In the spirit of joy at Christmas, I invite you to celebrate with and support our young people with their virtual performance of Operation Christ Child - A Christmas Play:
Sunday, Dec. 20th – 3PM
Click the embedded link below on the day of the play to attend virtually through Zoom:
Beginning January, our Saturday Vigil Mass will be moved up to 3pm during COVID (no-in-doors gatherings regulation) due to the cold weather. Will keep you updated of any future changes when we are allowed to celebrate indoors again.
With prayers,
Fr. Andrew
Friendly Reminders:
Saturday (Sunday’s Vigil) Mass: 4:00pm
Sunday Mass: 10:00am
Daily Masses: Wednesdays – Thursdays – Fridays @8:30AM
*All Masses will be streamed online through YouTube and Facebook.
*All Weekend Masses will still be transmitted through Radio FM 87.9 and have Communion service to the cars.
*Those in-car do not have to sign-up.
To keep warm either in-car or in-person, a lap blanket is beneficial.
Confessions: Saturdays 3:15pm-3:45pm
**Our parish reconciliation service is available for viewing on youtube at:
https://youtu.be/4aWd445-xuM to help you prepare for the sacrament.
Please continue to remember our adopted seminarian PJ Jimenez in your prayers. He will be coming to our 10 am mass this weekend. Come and meet him and let him know we are supporting him.
We will have a basket at the check-in table where we can put Christmas cards or notes for him to present after the 10 am mass.
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturdays: 3:15pm to 3:45pm OR by appointment; outside, near the exit door next to the sacristy.
Visits from Fr. Andrew:
If you, or someone you know of, would like to receive the sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation or Anointing of the Sick, and you are not able to come in person, Fr. Andrew would be happy to visit you. Please call the parish office, and leave a message or contact Fr. Andrew: FrAndrew@StThomasSJ.org OR
(408) 660-8901 (emergency number)
Weekly Offering 12/13/2020 $3,009
MTD OFFERINGS AS OF 12/13/2020
MTD budget: $ 9,000
MTD offerings: $ 10,240
MTD surplus: $ 1,240
You can always drop off or mail your donations to the parish office.
On-line giving available at our website: www.StThomasSJ.org
Click: Give & Fundraising
or scan the QR Code to the left.
Thank you for your support and generosity!
For those 65+ in need of a little extra help, here is a resource for you:
Senior nutrition program called Great Plates (a state sponsored program).
Web site www.greatplates.org
The San Jose phone number is: 408-350-3200, select Option 1
The Environment Committee needs help making Seasonal changes. Will you be part of the team? Help is needed this Monday12/21 and/ or Tuesday 12/22 - 10:30 am to 1:00 pm to change out the banners and prepare our environment. We promise it isn’t hard labor. Thank you in advance. All ages welcome!
FAMILY FAITH FORMATION:
Faith Formation Sessions have begun! All sessions will be remote via Zoom.
Tuesday Sessions: 4pm - 4:45pm
First Grade: January 5
Second Grade: January 12
Third/Fourth Grade: January 19
Fifth/Sixth Grade: December 29 (Feast of St. Thomas Becket)
Registration for Family Faith Formation and Religious Ed has begun. All previously registered families have been mailed a registration packet. If you are new to our parish, all registration materials are available on our parish website.
Faith Formations sessions will be on-line/virtually.
Registration: https://www.stthomassj.org/faith-formation-registration
First Reconciliation and First Communion: Sunday Session #5: Jan 10th and Session #6: Jan 24th, via Zoom.
Sacramental Preparation Sessions for First Reconciliation/First Eucharist will take place the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month from 1 to 2 pm, unless otherwise noted. See our website for schedule and details: https://www.stthomassj.org/sacramental-preparation
Confirmation: Next Sunday Session is December 20th (The Nativity Play) via Zoom at 3 pm.
Preparation for Confirmation Year One will take place on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month from 11am to noon, unless otherwise noted.
See our website for details.
Visit our website for schedules and more specific information or contact Vicki Schwoob, Director of Family Faith Formation.
Has God called "you" to serve as a catechist? For more information, contact Vicki at info@StThomasSJ.org
ADULT FAITH FORMATION:
Becoming Catholic
Are you interested (or do you know someone who is) in learning more about the Catholic way of life? Are you interested in becoming Catholic? Have you been away from the faith? Are you are a baptized Catholic but still need to receive First Eucharist and Confirmation? Are you a Catholic and have questions about your faith? Are you seeking something more?
The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Team welcomes all! We are here to provide information and spiritual guidance for all those interested in becoming Catholic, those interested in completing the sacraments and those who have a desire to know God.
The RCIA itself is a process developed by the Catholic Church for unbaptized adults and adapted for children (ages 7 and above) guiding them through education, formation and ritualization of entrance into the Catholic community.
The process for the RCIA is always open and is year round since God’s time and plan is different for everyone.
Contact Vicki Schwoob for inquiries and sacraments; info@StThomasSJ.org
or (408) 378-1595.
PARISH WEBSITE:
We are still in the process of building our pages for our parish website; It is a work-in-progress so we ask you to please be patient.
Visit our website to sign up for Mass, see our Mass schedule, get information for our live-stream Mass, to volunteer and to send in your prayer requests.
If you cannot come to in-person Mass, celebrate with us and watch on our YouTube or Facebook channel. The links for our channels are provided below.
GIVING AT ST. THOMAS: Time, Talent and Treasure
Your continued support greatly helps us to live out the mission of the parish and of the Church, especially during these difficult times.
- TREASURE: Thank you for your on-going financial support! There are many ways to give: Offering envelopes, On-line recurring giving, and also through Benevity! If you work at Apple, you can give through the Benevity platform and Apple matches your donation to the parish. Let us know if your company has a giving/matching benefit. To access all our giving platforms, visit our parish website or click below.
- TIME and TALENT: Volunteers are needed to help with our outdoor Mass celebrations. There are many tasks; set up before Mass (Altar, equipment, chairs, camera, sound system), check-in of mass attendees, check-in of "in-car" attendees, seating and sanitizing. Would you like to serve as a Lector, Eucharistic minister or Sacristan (prepare the Altar) or Usher? Prayerfully discern how you can serve. Training will be provided in all areas.
PRAY THE ROSARY WITH US!
St. Thomas of Canterbury Rosary Group:
Join us as we pray the Holy Rosary
Monday through Friday at 7pm via Zoom. Click on the link to get the Zoom information.
The Holy Father's Universal Prayer Intention for DECEMBER:
For a Life of Prayer
We pray that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ be nourished by the Word of God and a life of prayer.
Guadalupe Hope Society is inviting you to our 2nd Friday of the month
Rosary & Faith Talk on January 8th at 11:30 am via Zoom.
Fr. Jeff Fernandez, Pastor at Queen of Apostles, will lead us in a
rosary for the unborn and share a reflection on Mary, Mother of God.
Please register to attend: (408)447-5433, or
email: admin@ghswomenscenter.com
This event can be found on our website also.
https://www.guadalupehopesociety.org and on eventbrite.
Rosary & Faith Talk on January 8th at 11:30 am via Zoom.
Fr. Jeff Fernandez, Pastor at Queen of Apostles, will lead us in a
rosary for the unborn and share a reflection on Mary, Mother of God.
Please register to attend: (408)447-5433, or
email: admin@ghswomenscenter.com
This event can be found on our website also.
https://www.guadalupehopesociety.org and on eventbrite.
