Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 26, 2020
Dear Faithful Parishioners of St. Thomas of Canterbury,
I hope you had a wonderful time with your family at Christmas. Thank you very much everyone for the successful and beautiful Christmas celebrations especially for those in attendance whether in person, in car, or virtually online. Our apologies for the glitches with the YouTube online streaming.
Thank you to our youths, their parents and Lucy Chai for a beautiful Christmas Play with their natural talents. We are very proud of you!
Thank you as well to Barbara Louis for leading our parish in our meaningful Advent Retreat. Over the four week, we were given the opportunity to understand more about the Birth of Christ and the meaning of Christmas.
As we approach the New Year 2021, I invite you to celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, as we pray to Our Mother to intercede for us for a year of graces and a year of health. The Mass will be at 10am Friday, January 1st.
As a reminder, beginning January 2nd, our Saturday Vigil Mass will be moved up to 3pm during COVID pandemic (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.
Happy & Blessed New Year 2021!
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.
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 12/20/2020 $4,500
MTD OFFERINGS AS OF 12/20/2020
MTD budget: $ 13,500
MTD offerings: $ 14,740
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!
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 January 3rd
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.
A Message from Bishop Oscar Cantú
“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14). This was the dramatic and pivotal moment in the history of humanity, when the God who created the world and entered a loving covenant with humanity, sent his only Son into the world to bring redemption through his incarnation, death, and resurrection.
The past nine months of pandemic have tested us, have tested our patience, have tested the resilience of our spirits, and we are weary. How welcome is this celebration of Christmas, as we ponder the kept promise of our God: “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest” (Ez. 34:15). Jesus comes in the darkness of night to bring light to humanity. He comes to a world hungry – so many literally hungry and all spiritually hungry – to be the “bread that comes down from heaven” (Jn. 6:50). He comes to a world divided by racial injustice, choked by smoke from raging fires, wounded by economic hardship, weary of political strife.
“While they were [in Bethlehem], the time came for [Mary] to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger…” (Lk 2: 6-7). This scene, cloaked in serenity, of Mary placing Jesus in the manger, in the dark of night, as food for the world, speaks to our own hunger and hope. In the darkness of the pandemic, we hope for light. In stress of distancing and isolation, we hunger for love and security. Jesus would later say, “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12), and “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:48). In a time when the world is especially weary from the darkness of a most difficult year and hungry for comfort and peace, we welcome Mary placing Jesus in the manger as bread to feed our hunger and light for a world in darkness.
As the Diocese of San José enters the new year, one of jubilee as we thank God for 40 years since the creation of the diocese, we are grateful that Pope Francis has declared a Year of St. Joseph, one of our two diocesan patron saints (together with St. Clare). St. Joseph protected and cared for Mary and Jesus, especially in moments of threat, difficulty, and challenge. May he protect and watch over us today!
Be assured of my prayers for a joyful and peaceful Christmas!
Bishop Oscar Cantú
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.
You Can Help Your Marriage – Do you feel alone? Are you frustrated or angry with each other? Do you argue … or have you just stopped talking to each other? Does talking about it only make it worse? Retrouvaille helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. This program has helped 10’s of 1000’s of couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage. For confidential information about or to register for the January Virtual Marriage Program beginning with a weekend on January 14-17, 2021 call 408-605-4998, or email: SanJose@RetroCA.com or visit the web site at www.HelpOurMarriage.org