Mission Statement:

The Mission of St. Thomas More Parish is to provide a welcoming, inclusive and loving community by proclaiming and living God’s Word through worship, education, and social justice.

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History

In the spring of 1964, a large sign reading "Future Site of St. Thomas More Catholic Church" was placed at the corner of 118th and Holmes. Today, a church and school continue the presence of this Red Bridge Catholic community.

Monsignor John Huhmann was appointed to establish the new parish with 250 families. Under his fine leadership, with Masses temporarily at Avila, the community grew. In July 1965, ground was broken for the church and school. By June 1966, the church was ready for use. In the Fall 1966, the school opened with 203 students in the first five grades. The first graduation was held in May, 1970.

When a building boom in Red Bridge, Verona Hills and the surrounding area happened, the membership grew to 1,400 families. Additional classrooms were added to the school and plans for a larger Church that would accommodate 650 persons became a reality. In 1983, the present church was completed. Monsignor William Blacet was the Pastor.

In 1984, a master plan for the continued growth of the parish was developed. This plan enlarged the school preschool and enabled the music and art programs to be expanded. More Hall was constructed to provide a parish hall suitable for social activities, meetings and programs. The rectory became the parish office building to accommodate the expanding staff. A new residence for the priests was constructed. Fr. Patrick Rush was pastor.

Growth continued strong through the 90’s. Fr. Bill Bauman became the 4th pastor in June of 1992. An 8-room addition to the school was built in 1996. Enduring relationships were built not only with Seton Center, the parish of San Andres, Itzapa in Guatemala (sister parish), and St. Louis Parish on Swope Parkway (twinning). Ministry teams continue to take a strong role in the leadership of the parish. Over 850 "engaged members" volunteer weekly or monthly to carry out the ministries of the parish. The school grew to over 650 students in the 2000-2001 school year. Some 50 seats in school were made available to non-parishioners for the first time in 2003. This brought a new diversity to the school with a few non-Catholic students added to the enrollment.

The church building received a major clean up and redecoration in the Fall of 2003. Besides the new look to the building, the parish staff also gained a new look in 2003 with the addition of a Director and Assistant Director of Youth Ministry.

Fr. John Weiss became our 5th pastor in July of 2003, following Fr. Bill’s retirement. With him, he brought a new perspective and fresh ideas. Fr. Robert Murphy, Diocesan Vicar General, came to live in residence and assist with the Masses at St. Thomas More. A new Pastoral Council was formed in January of 2006 to address long-range planning that affects the parish as a whole. Fr. Don Farnan became our 6th pastor in July of 2006.

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Patron Saint

St. Thomas More, our parish patron, was born in 1478 in England. Educated at Oxford, he married and had one son and three daughters. He was the first layman to serve as Lord Chancellor of England. He wrote works on the governance of the realm and in defense of the faith. His most famous book is Utopia. He was beheaded in 1535 by order of King Henry VIII, whom he had resisted in the matter of his divorce. He was canonized in 1935. Our church houses a memorial stone from the Toper Chapel in St. Dunston's Church in England, where the head of the martyred saint is entombed. This shrine to our patron was dedicated in 1971. Looking back, we believe Bishop Helmsing chose the name St. Thomas More for our parish, but do not know why that name in particular was chosen.

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Pledging & Tithing at STM

The privilege of access to St. Thomas More community ministries is accompanied by the responsibility to give of our time, talent, and treasure. Each year, in order to plan for the financial needs of the parish, we ask each member to consider their income and pledge accordingly. The St. Thomas More Management Ministry Team, in coordination with the St. Thomas More School Ministry Team, has been asked to establish guidelines for follow up on pledge and tithing issues.

What is expected?

Each parishioner is asked to pledge annually for the calendar year. While St. Thomas More only tracks the 5% pledge to the parish, each household is asked to pledge 10% annually: 5% to parish, 1% to Diocese, and 4% at the donor’s discretion. (These percentages are calculated on gross income.) The 4% (at donor’s discretion) may include special collections presented in the parish envelopes, Teach Our Children contributions for additional school support, other charitable causes the family has particular interest in supporting, or an additional contribution above a regular 5% tithe to the parish. At any rate the Biblical call of stewardship indicates a 10% tithe in appreciation to God for all that He has given to us.

Qualifying Stewardship Certificate

A registered parishioner must have a previous year pledge card on file, the pledge paid in full, and have a present year pledge card on file in order to receive a Qualifying Stewardship Certificate (QSC). The QSC is typically given in January each year along with the previous year’s annual statement of contributions. The QSC permits the household specific St. Thomas More benefits, including:

• attending St. Thomas More school without paying tuition
• renting More Hall at a discounted rate
• weddings and baptisms
• bulletin ads
• scholarship for 1st time travel to Guatemala

The QSC status must be maintained throughout the year to continually qualify for these benefits.

Those who fall behind may jeopardize their QSC status and, thus, lose access to their benefits even midyear. The Parish Manager will help you remain current by monitoring pledges and payments on a quarterly basis. However, the responsibility still remains with the parishioner. Please call the Parish Manager if you have an unforeseen difficulty fulfilling your pledge.

Plan of Action

The plan of action approved by the Management Ministry Team is as follows:

• Run reports quarterly.
• Send letters and statements to parishioners that are behind.
• If no contact has been made by parishioner within 30 days after the letter, phone the parishioner.
• St. Thomas More school students may not be able to begin school if tithing is not current.
• If the parishioner has an 8th grade student, grades will be withheld until the tithe is current.

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Pastoral Council

The Pastoral Council is a visioning body guiding the work of all ministry teams.

Click here to view the Pastoral Council page.

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Ministry Teams

Evangelization Ministry Team

The Evangelization Ministry Team is to respond to the call of God in sharing the Good News by offering information/instruction, inclusivity/reconciliation, and hospitality to all ages and all people in this region of our faith community.

Adult Ministry Team: Offering adult spiritual formation in the form of retreats, days of recollection, or evenings on a spiritual topic.

Generations of Faith: A program for all ages to come together to learn about and share their faith experiences with one another.

Legion of Mary is a ministry of prayer and action in the spirit of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. There are two kinds of membership for both men and women: active and auxiliary.

Re-Membering Church is an informal forum and dialogue for Catholics who have been away from the church and desire to return to the community.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a spiritual journey by which those seeking membership in the Church are guided in their quest for a deeper experience of faith and community within the context of the Catholic Church Community. Children who have reached the age of seven and have not been baptized need to go through the RCIA. The same is true if they have been baptized but missed the other sacraments.

Click here for more information on the R.C.I.A.

School of Religion (SOR): Sessions for children, pre-school–eighth grade, who will be or are attending non-Catholic schools. These sessions are held on Sunday mornings from 11:30 to 12:30 in More Hall or in the home. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is School of Religion for the younger members. It is held 10 am to Noon for children in pre-school through 2nd grade.

Click here for more information on S.O.R.

Welcome Ministry is neighbors welcoming neighbors into the parish with a phone call and a gift packet.

Evangelization Ministry Contact

Ginger Kroos 942-2492 x209
gkroos@stmkc.com

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Care and Support Ministry Team

The Care and Support Ministry Team is sent into St. Thomas More Parish as a primary advisor to the community and its leadership:

• to advocate and support the quality of Christian Life;
  
  
• to establish, oversee and provide support through various activities and programs;
  
  
• to enable the parish family to be present to people in need.
  
  

Annulment Ministry: Annulment Ministry: Trains parishioners who are available to assist parish members who are seeking annulments.

Dinner for Eight is a monthly gathering of 8-10 people in the home of parishioners for a potluck meal and fellowship. The group is different each month.

Funeral Luncheons are provided by parishioners after the funerals of parishioners.

Grief Ministry provides a safe place to share one's grief through a mutual-help grief group.

Divorced/Separated Ministry is provided through a regional network of churches.

Hospital Visitation is provided weekly by the priests to parishioners who are hospitalized. It is important that a parishioner or a family member or friend notify the parish when a parishioner has been hospitalized.

Interdenominational Marriage Enrichment Group meets for fellowship, information and spiritual support. The group seeks to understand their differences and celebrate their common faith.

Marriage Preparation is a joint effort of pastoral staff and trained lead couples to support and assist engaged couples in their preparation for married life.

Men of St. Thomas More came together in the fall of 2003 to meet the spiritual and community needs of the men of the parish. Saturday morning events with Mass, speaker, and breakfast and an annual golf tournament are their principal activities.

Mothers of Young Children provides opportunities for mothers of young children to gather for spiritual and social activities, for personal enrichment or interactive activities with other young mothers and their children.

More Friends offers fellowship for mature adults (55 and over) through social and spiritual activities.

Nursing Home Ministers are Eucharistic ministers who weekly visit the nursing homes within the parish to provide residents the opportunity to share in the Eucharist.

Respite Caregivers are parishioners trained to provide relief and support to parishioners who are caregivers.

Shut-Ins/Homebound are provided the opportunity to share in the Eucharist in their homes by weekly visits from a Eucharistic minister.

Singles activities are provided through a regional network of churches.

Single Women’s Enrichment Group provides spiritual and social interactive events for single women as well as sponsoring several activities for the parish at large. While founded by single women, this group welcomes all women to such events as a spring retreat and the annual blessing of the animals.

Women of St. Thomas More is an umbrella organization being formed in early 2004 to assure that we meet the spiritual and involvement needs of all the women in our parish. In meeting spiritual needs, it brings together all the women of the parish for a year 'round program of retreats and special events which beget spirituality and community. It also seeks to continue some of the recreational and community events made popular under the former "STM Ladies" group.

Sunday Coffee & Donuts is an opportunity to meet other parishioners in More Hall following the Sunday morning Masses (September – May).

Care and Support Ministry Contact:

David Butel
942-2492 x210
dbutel@stmkc.com

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Justice Ministry Team

Click here to jump to the Justice Ministries page.

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Management Ministry Team

Mission Statement: We, the Management Ministry Team, are sent by God to serve the St. Thomas More Parish community as principal advisors to parish leadership regarding overall policies and allocation of resources to ensure that the parish is responsive to the immediate and long-term needs of all the communities it serves.

Long Range Planning: An annual budget is developed and reviewed quarterly. A long-range study and capital plan is used to assist in budgeting for the long term care of parish property. Policymaking and strategic planning are done, supervised and evaluated.

Buildings and Grounds: Renovations, maintenance, lawn care, and snow removal are some of the activities realized to assure adequate and responsible stewardship of buildings and grounds.

Money management: The promotion of stewardship philosophy and practice, bookkeeping, and reporting to parishioners, the diocese and the state as required are assured.

Development Council: Lay leaders fundraising in the parish through: 1) Education in the philosophy and spirituality of stewardship, 2) An annual sacrificial giving campaign, and 3) The development of special giving opportunities.

Information: More News is published quarterly, advising parishioners of upcoming events and reporting on activities accomplished. The bulletin is published weekly, distributed at Mass and available at www.stmkc.com.

Parish Picnic: Each summer all parish groups work together planning a weekend evening picnic which includes food, Mass, and games. Contact for this event is Lavinia Ford, 763-7150.

Keeping Our Children Safe: All volunteers who work regularly with the children or youth in our parish or school setting are required to have a background check and attend a Protecting God’s Children workshop. Please contact the Parish Office, 942-2492 or information@stmkc.com to take care of these items.

Management Ministry Contact

Jim Christiansen 942-2492x211
jim@stmkc.com

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School Ministry Team

School Board

Mission Statement: The School Board will support St. Thomas More School as a sounding board for policies, budget, and resources for school-sponsored activities and programs in support of the school mission statement.

Parishioners have input into the goals, policies and priorities of STM School through the School Board. This team promotes, informs and educates the parish and surrounding community of the excellence in Catholic education provided by St. Thomas More School. St. Thomas More School provides an atmosphere where Christian love, values and educational excellence will flourish. It ministers to students in preschool (ages 3½) through eighth grade. There are nearly 660 students with thirty-four full time teachers, eight part time teachers and two teacher aides to serve the children. In addition, we have two full-time administrators, an office manager, a health coordinator and a full-time maintenance supervisor.

St. Thomas More is an accredited school with a full state-approved curriculum. Special classes include art, music, computer, library and physical education. There are three sections of each grade level. We are able to accommodate the children of Qualifying Parishioners in kindergarten through grade eight, who reside here, are registered and active and have pledged their tithe to the parish. We also accept tuition-paying students who are not members of our parish. Please contact the school office for more information. Registration takes place in February.

The STM School Sports program offers many opportunities for coaching and otherwise assisting children and young people after school hours. Sports programs include football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and track.

An active parent association including the Home and School Association, Booster Club, and School Programs and Resources Committee offer a myriad of opportunities for school-centered activities and community involvement.

St. Thomas More School Contact

Sr. Helen Flemington, Principal 942-5581

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Worship Ministry Team

The Worship Ministry Team is sent into St Thomas More Parish to:

• Prepare and provide meaningful liturgy according to the teachings of Vatican II & the rituals of the church.
  
  
• Help make Jesus more vital and a part of people's lives on their spiritual journey.
  
  
• Be the primary advisor to the parish leadership regarding liturgy.

Our monthly meetings include an open forum for parishioner suggestion, comment, and concerns. A breakdown of our various worship ministries includes:

Lectors: The ministry of proclaiming the Word of God at liturgy. Through prayerful preparation, voice, attitude and physical bearing, lectors convey the dignity and sacredness of the Scripture readings.

Eucharistic Ministers: These women and men assist in the distribution of Communion at Sunday and weekday Masses, as well as bring the Sacrament to nursing homes and shut-ins.

Sacristans: Oversee the Eucharistic Ministry at Mass: setting up, ensuring adequate numbers of hosts and ministers, assisting at the altar, and cleaning up.

Ushers: These people assist in the various tasks of welcome at Sunday Mass. Primary tasks include seating people, seeing to the needs of the elderly and sick, and overseeing the collection process, bulletins, and any emergency needs.

Greeters: Individuals, couples, and families responsible for assisting in the general atmosphere of welcome at liturgy.

Music Ministers: We have four active choirs at present: the Celebration Choir sings at 10:30 Mass, the STM Ensemble at 9:00 Mass, and a Junior High Choir (grades 6-8) and a Children’s Choir (grades 3-5) that sing at various Masses through the school year. We are striving to build an active group of cantors and instrumentalists. We hope to form a High School Choir and expand opportunities for occasional singers. A Music Ministry Advisory Group sees to overall planning and coordination.

Art and Environment: Serves to enhance and beautify the worship space of our church, especially for major feasts and seasons. Various duties include decorating, flower arranging, carpentry, sewing, upkeep of liturgical garments, weekly church cleaning, candles, care of live plants, and seasonal projects. The group meets about six times a year to plan.

Worship Ministry Contact

Todd Flowerday 942-2492x208
todd@stmkc.com

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Youth Ministry Team

The Youth Ministry Team is sent into St. Thomas More Parish…

• to foster the total personal and spiritual development of youth.
  
  
• to draw the youth into the life, mission, and work of the parish.
  
  
• to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.

High School Youth: The J.A.Y. (Jesus Among Youth) welcomes all high school students. The JAY meets every Wednesday night in the parish office living room. This is a time where the youth can come together to participate in activities and discussions while being encouraged in their spiritual and personal development. In addition to the weekly youth nights, the JAY has other activities: monthly JAY Outreach Program (JOP), which is a service program the youth plan and participate in, and weekend activities including movies, concerts, and dinners. The JAY also gets involved with parish faith celebrations called Generations of Faith that occur periodically throughout the year. The JAY participates in the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) and a spring break mission trip.

Junior High Youth: The JAY CREW is open to all 7th and 8th grade youth of the parish, those at St. Thomas More School and the public and other private schools. This group gathers sporadically through the year to bring this age youth together for community and service events. Once a year, they are also invited to a multi-parish sports lock-in. This group is shaped by the needs and wishes of the 7th and 8th grade youth and their parents.

Liturgical Opportunities: Youth are encouraged to serve as ministers at all Masses. These include lectors, ushers, greeters, Eucharistic ministers, and choir. (To become a Eucharistic minister, youth must be confirmed or enrolled in the confirmation program.) While youth are encouraged to serve as ministers and participate at the 5 pm Sunday Mass, they are welcome and encouraged to be ministers and participate at any and all Masses at St. Thomas More. The 5 pm Sunday Mass is a little more suited to the youth, with the High School choir ministering with music youth, in particular, enjoy and they can see more youth involved in the Mass and be encouraged to go make a difference.

Service Opportunities: Service is a powerful and intimate part of our call as Christians to love and serve our neighbors. People seeking to respond to that call can find opportunities in the bulletin and parish newsletters or they may simply call the parish and ask for David Butel or Fr. Don Farnan.

Scouts: An affiliated group of students and parents building upon the values and social networking of scouting. Both Boy and Girl Scouts at all levels are very active within the parish.

Youth Ministry Contacts

Fr. Don Farnan 942-2492x204
dfarnan@stmkc.com

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