St. Thomas More Parish News

Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

Luke 2:29-32

PASTOR'S MEMO

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord! 40 days after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary brought him to the Temple and performed the "redemption of the firstborn son" ritual in order to fulfill their duties as faithful Jews. While they are at the Temple, they encountered Simeon, who had received a promise that he would see the Messiah in his lifetime. In his famous canticle, Simeon called Jesus "a light for revelation to the Gentiles." No matter how dark things might seem, Jesus continues to be the light of the world!

This morning at the 6:30 a.m. Mass, we celebrated Jesus as the light of the world in a celebration called "Candlemas." I blessed the altar candles that we will use throughout the liturgical year and then we all processed into the church with lighted candles. It's a beautiful celebration that calls to mind an important fact... Jesus is the light of the nations... and that light continues to shine through the Church... which means that light continues to shine through you!

In a world marred by negativity and sin and vice and despair, what can you do to bring that light of Christ into our world? What can you do to be that light of true joy into our community? What can you do to bring that light of real hope to your neighbor?

God bless,

Fr. Clark

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Parish Mardi Gras Party, Sunday, February 19, 2023, 4:00-8:00 PM

Sign Up

Come and celebrate before Lent begins with your parish family! This is a free event and is open to you, your family and your friends. There will be live music provided by Fred Rusk Zydeco Band, food and drink, face painting, etc. Help us plan by telling us your name and who is coming with you.

Yes, we are coming!

Volunteer! Help us make this party a success. The coordinator will contact you with available volunteer options.

COMING UP THIS WEEK

***The Chili Cook-Off has been postponed to a later date!***

All adult parishioners and friends are invited to come play this fun new sport! Bring your own paddle if you can. Stay connected about schedule changes by joining our group email: STM-ParishPickleballLeague@googlegroups.com

Tuesday Mornings at 6:00 a.m. in Donovan's Den

Come be a part of TMIY, and discover how to grow in your relationship with God and your unique role you are called to fulfill in the world! Men are free to join the group at any point throughout the year.

DIOCESAN SERVICES FUND (DSF) 2023

A Message from Cardinal DiNardo

Dear friends in Christ,

The Diocesan Services Fund allows the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to support 64 ministries that no one parish can conduct on its own. Through your support, together we can more fully live out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ by serving the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the forgotten; we can educate future generations of faithful and flourishing Catholics through our schools; we can prepare our seminarians for the priesthood and support our clergy as they ministry to the 1.7 million Catholics in the Archdiocese; and we can help to nurture holy families that bring the love of God into each of our homes and our communities.

I invite you to join me in supporting the Diocesan Services Fund and helping our local Church continue to live out our faith in an authentic and inspiring way.

DONATE TO DSF

STM MOTHERS GROUP

Weekly Tuesday Playdates!

We meet each Tuesday from 8am - 9:30am at Ron Meeks Park on Rampart for a weekly playdate. No need to sign up, simply join us.

DEEPENING YOUR FAITH

Parish-wide Lenten Study

Every Tuesday in Lent, beginning on February 28th from 7pm - 8pm.

Eternal Rest examines the origin of death, the afterlife, and the powerful reality around the sacrament that ushers us into eternal life. Eternal Rest presents the Catholic Church’s teaching about death and God’s response to it with wisdom and truth, gentleness and compassion, so we can think about and prepare for death in the light of Jesus Christ, the Author of life.

As a parishioner of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, you have access to FORMED. FORMED provides the very best Catholic content from more than 60 organizations to help parishes, families and individuals explore their faith anywhere. Supporting thousands of movies, children’s programs, ebooks, audio, parish programs and studies direct to your browser, mobile or connected device.

How to Access FORMED for FREE

NURSERY

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE FUTURE EVENTS

ONLINE BULLETIN

Click Here to Access Last Sunday's Bulletin

LITURGY NOTES

Distribution of

Holy Communion from the Chalice

We have restored the practice of distributing Holy Communion from the chalice at the 5:00 p.m. Saturday Mass and the 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. If you are uncomfortable receiving from the chalice, the Cardinal reminds us that “reception of Holy Communion from the chalice is left to the discretion of the communicant.”

Homilies

Click Here to Listen to Last Sunday's Homily

Readings for Sunday Mass

Readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Funeral Notifications

At St. Thomas More, we are a "Family of Families," and just as in our own families, we grieve when we lose one of our members. If you would like to be notified when a Funeral Mass will be celebrated for one of our parishioners, please use the link below to sign up for notifications.

Funeral Notifications

Perpetual Adoration

In order to have continual exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we always need new people to volunteer to take a weekly Holy Hour. Please consider volunteering for one of the hours listed below. Click the link below to sign up!

Perpetual Adoration