St. Thomas More Parish News
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.
PASTOR'S MEMO
Dear Friends in Christ,
The month of October is full of events at the parish. Make sure to take note of the great things ahead!
October is also the month of the Holy Rosary, and we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th. Do you know why we celebrate the rosary on this day? Our liturgical celebrations are usually connected to specific dates in history. For example, we celebrate the saints on the day they died (because that’s the day they entered heaven). Similarly, Our Lady of the Rosary is tied to a specific date in history. In 1571, the formidable Ottoman Empire had conquered many foreign lands, and it had Italy and the rest of Western Europe in its sights. The Europeans has one last chance to defend themselves in the famous Battle of Lepanto. In order to help the Europeans to victory, Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the rosary. He also led a great rosary procession through the streets of Rome. On October 7th, the Europeans won the Battle of Lepanto and Europe was saved, and that’s why we continue to celebrate the rosary on this day.
The rosary is an amazing prayer that helps us meditate on important moments in the life of Jesus. By meditating on these moments, or mysteries, they become incorporated into our own thoughts and worldview. I encourage you to pray the rosary, especially in the month of October. I also encourage you to join us at our parish Rosary Procession on Friday, October 7th at 7:00pm. Just as the rosary helped the Europeans overcome the evil forces of the Ottoman Empire, the rosary is a great weapon in our spiritual arsenal that helps us overcome the assaults of evil in our lives today.
The rosary is an amazing prayer that helps us meditate on important moments in the life of Jesus. By meditating on these moments, or mysteries, they become incorporated into our own thoughts and worldview. I encourage you to pray the rosary, especially in the month of October. I also encourage you to join us at our parish Rosary Procession on Friday, October 7th at 7:00pm. Just as the rosary helped the Europeans overcome the evil forces of the Ottoman Empire, the rosary is a great weapon in our spiritual arsenal that helps us overcome the assaults of evil in our lives today.
I leave you with some powerful words on the rosary by Pope St. John Paul II: "As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. At one time this prayer was particularly dear to Christian families, and it certainly brought them closer together. It is important not to lose this precious inheritance. We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, continuing to use the Rosary. Many of the problems facing contemporary families, especially in economically developed societies, result from their increasing difficulty in communicating. Families seldom manage to come together, and the rare occasions when they do are often taken up with watching television. To return to the recitation of the family Rosary means filling daily life with very different images, images of the mystery of salvation: the image of the Redeemer, the image of his most Blessed Mother. The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the centre, they share his joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in his hands, they draw from him the hope and the strength to go on."
God bless,
Fr. Clark
PARISH EVENTS THIS WEEK
Guild of St. Mary Meeting, Saturday, October 1st at 9am
We will begin with Mass at 9am followed by our meeting at 9:30am in Donovan's Den. All girls of the parish, aged 8 - 17 who have received their First Holy Communion are invited. We hope you and your daughter will join us!
YOUNG MOM'S NIGHT OUT
Join us this Saturday! We can't wait to meet you!
OCTOBER 1ST, 8pm in the Religious Ed Building
School Open House this Sunday, 10am - 1pm!
Join us this Sunday to see our wonderful school in person! Following the 9am and 11am Masses, we will be hosting Coffee & Donuts under the covered driveway near the Preschool.
That Man Is You
Learn more about your faith with other men and become the man God created you to be. Meetings are each Tuesday, at 6:00am in Donovan's Den. Come join us! Open to all men of the parish. Contact Ryan Lambert at rlambert@stmhouston.org for more information.
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
Tuesday, October 4TH
AT 6:30PM!
Bring your furry, feathered & scaly friends for a special blessing. All pets must be on a leash or in a kennel/crate. We will gather on the front lawn of the church adjacent to Hillcroft.
Discussions with the Deacon - Weekly on Wednesday evenings
Join Deacon John in Donovan's Den from 7pm-8pm to ask questions regarding the liturgy, church teachings, morality, the sacraments, etc...no need to register, just show up and join the discussion.
BIBLE STUDY
Eucharist:
Discovering the Mass in the Bible
Join us each week from 10am—12pm
Thursdays beginning 10/6 in the Religious Education Building
We will explore the biblical roots of the Eucharist, through the miraculous events of the Old Testament, the Gospels, and Apostolic teaching.
Contact Ryan Lambert at
rlambert@stmhouston.org
OKTOBERFEST - OCTOBER 16!
DIOCESAN SERVICES FUND (DSF)
DSF Funds over 60 different ministries in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. For example, DSF is essential to the future priests of the Archdiocese, and to the Vocations Office that takes care of those seminarians. Thanks to DSF, we can pay for their tuition, their room and board, their health insurance and so much more.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING CATHOLIC?
PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN
FAITH AND FITNESS!
Men's Pickup Basketball
Wednesday evenings 8pm in the gym.
By combining Christian prayer and strengthening exercises, Pietra Fitness will help you build an unshakeable foundation–both physically and spiritually.
When: Thursday mornings, 9am-10am
Where: Rehkopf Gym Meeting Room
Cost: $15 per class
What to Bring: Mat & Water
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE FUTURE EVENTS
Come Join the Women’s ACTS Retreat Team!
If you’ve been on an ACTS Retreat we would love to have you join us as we plan for the February 2-5, 2023 retreat.
First Meeting: Monday, October 10, 2022 in the Rehkopf Room (aka old school music room) at 6:30pm (fellowship, 7pm meeting).
Contact: Libby Shortner, 979-324-7417, Lshortner@gmail.com or
Mary Conrad, 620-252-5126, marycconrad@gmail.com
Fish Fry Next Friday!
Join us for the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry NEXT Friday, 10/7!
STreamLiners, Saturday, October 9th, 10am - Servant Hall
Adults 50 and over! Join us for our monthly get together. Don’t forget to bring “Peanut Butter and/or Jelly” for the STM Food Pantry.
Annual Parish All Saints Movie Night! Saturday, October 29th
Mark your calendars now for our Annual All Saints Parish Movie Night. We will gather in Prinster Hall beginning at 6pm for a Costume Contest, Popcorn & Hot Chocolate. Bring lawn chairs & blankets, as the movie will be shown on the field once the sun goes down. More details to follow!
All Souls' Mass with Polyphonic Choral Music - Wednesday, November 2nd at 7:00pm.
A special Mass to pray for and to commemorate all the faithful departed. This Mass will incorporate more polyphonic choral music and include more Latin texts from the Missale Romanum of the Novus Ordo.
Concert World Premier
Friday, January 27, 2023
At St. Thomas More Catholic Church
Requiem for the Unborn is a suite for choir and orchestra using the texts of the Catholic Funeral Mass, composed over the last 20 years by our Director of Music, Chris Bearer. This work has been composed to honor and remember the children who have died from abortion and to help, in a small way, to bring awareness to the pro-life cause. On the 50th anniversary of the fateful Roe v. Wade decision, we look forward to bringing this powerful work to our parish. Please mark your calendar now, more details will follow.
Would you like to be a part of this event? We are looking for Choir members to join us. Singing experience and the ability to read music is helpful, but not required. Male voices to provide balance to the sound are especially needed.
Contact Chris Bearer to join this choir,
cbearer@stmhouston.org
For more information on this concert piece and its history visit: https://requiemfortheunborn.org
LITURGY NOTES
Readings for Sunday Mass
