Donation to Toni’s Kitchen

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Many thanks to our CCD Summer Program children who collected and donated food to our St. Thomas Food Pantry. With the Summer CCD donation, balanced with food items already in our food pantry supplied by our parishioners, St. Thomas was able to make a sizable donation to Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair. Toni’s Kitchen provides food to neighbors in need, in ways that respect peoples dignity, improve health and foster independence. In the words of St. Mother Teresa, “Intense love does not measure, it just gives.”

Solemnity of St. Thomas 6.3.2022

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On July 3, 2022 the parish celebrated the Solemnity of St. Thomas. This day is a Sunday in Ordinary Time all around the world, however because the feast of our parish patron saint fell on this day we were able to celebrate it as a Solemnity.

The mass was offered with incense and parishioners were blessed with a relic of St. Thomas. The 10AM mass was followed with a reception hosted by our new parish council.

St. Thomas the Apostle is the patron saint of judges and architects. St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us!

Donations Needed for Our Food Pantry

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St. Mother Teresa said, “God loves the world through you and me.”

Our food pantry is a channel for God to love the world. Thanks to you, the parishioners of St. Thomas, many hungry souls have been fed both within our parish and outside our parish. We understand that the price of food has risen dramatically, but still, the hungry remain with us. We ask you to please continue donating non-perishable food items to our food pantry, whatever you can afford.

You can see the best suitable items listed in our previous post here and below. Supermarket gift cards are also welcome. Thank you and God bless you!

  • Donated food should be left inside the "handicap accessible” doorway at the back south side of the Church. Be careful not to place bags or boxes in the path of foot traffic.

  • Only non-perishable food items are suitable for our Food Pantry (i.e., peanut butter, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix, syrup, coffee, tea bags, canned tuna, boxed macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned fruit juice, canned soups, canned stews, pasta sauce, pasta, bagged rice, canned or bagged beans, powdered potatoes, powdered milk, stuffing mix, cake mix, and baby food)

  • Supermarket Gift Cards are gladly accepted. Please drop them off at the parish center. Please contact the parish center if you wish to donate fresh/frozen beef or poultry (only current sell-by date).

LET US PRAY

O God, thank you for the abundance of life, relationships, health, comfort, and wealth you have provided.  Thank you that even in times of need, despair, and brokenness, you are there. And, Lord, guide us, so we can be your hands and feet, pursuing justice for the poor and upholding the cause of the needy. Amen.

Peace!

Your friend in Christ,

Deacon Brian

Statement of Cardinal Joseph Tobin on the United States Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Matter

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Cardinal Tobin’s official statement can be viewed on the Archdiocese website here.

The United States Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide recognizes that even the most helpless and dependent human beings have a right to life and possess inherent dignity and worth.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. We must oppose the many threats to human life and dignity evident in contemporary society, including abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and capital punishment.

Abortion represents a failure to recognize the sanctity of human life and promotes a culture in which human life in its most vulnerable moment is perceived as disposable. It is telling that in the public debate, the unborn child frequently disappears from the moral calculus.

Furthermore, abortion is not healthcare. It is a disastrous attempt to create a false equivalency between the taking of innocent human life and the “reproductive health” of women in our society. It results in inhuman and lethal consequences.

We join with Pope Francis in noting that “it is troubling to see how simple and convenient it has become for some to deny the existence of a human life as a solution to problems that can and must be solved for both the mother and her unborn child” (Pope Francis, address to the United Nations, Sept. 25, 2020). Our Holy Father has repeatedly said that abortion is not a religious issue; it’s a human rights issue.

We recognize that a woman’s decision to have an abortion is often tragic and painful. A woman who takes this desperate action is often under great duress and is encouraged by social structures that are patently sinful. As people who care deeply for all women struggling with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, we must ensure that life-giving options are available and our support does not end simply with the birth of a child.

We recognize that a significant number of our fellow citizens are angered by this decision of our nation’s highest Court. We hope that all Americans can discuss respectfully how best to support women who face crucial decisions while recognizing the dignity of the most vulnerable among us.

We agree with the analysis of Pope Francis, who has made it clear that if we fail to protect life, no other rights matter.

Deacon Tom's Homily for The Feast of the Holy Trinity

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We cry out with gratitude on this solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: “Glory to God in the Highest. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.”

When I was in grammar school, we prayed every day for the beatification of Father Damien. He was a missionary that served the leper colony on the island of Molokai in Hawaii.  The first twelve years of Father Damien’s mission were a failure, with only a handful of people attending his Mass each Sunday. The lepers wanted a native priest, not some missionary from Belgium, where Father Damien was born. One day, after an unsuccessful trek around the island, Father Damien put his aching feet into a tub of hot water to refresh them, and one foot didn’t feel the heat.  He instantly knew that he had contracted dreaded leprosy.

Many of you may have heard of that dramatic moment when Father Damien got up into the pulpit the following Sunday and began his sermon, “My fellow lepers.”  Like electricity, that news spread around the island, and the church overflowed every Sunday after that.  Father Damien had taken on their flesh, their leprous flesh, and had become one of them.

Today, we thank the Most Holy Trinity for giving us God the Son who took on our flesh and lived among us. Jesus showed us Resurrection.  He took all our sins upon Himself, suffered, and died for us in our place so we could share in His Resurrection.

Today, we say “thank you” for the gift of our Baptism when the very Life of the Most Holy Trinity is poured into each one of us, and this Very Life of God has never stopped flooding into us. Today, to the Immense Majesty of God above us, we shout: “Glory to God in the Highest.” And to that same God who dwells in the depths of our hearts, we cry out:

“Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Glory! Glory! Glory!”

Holy Name Society Men's Retreat at San Alfonso

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The Holy Name Society invites all men of our parish to a retreat on the “Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist”

Our parish Holy Name Society (HNS) invites all men of St. Thomas the Apostle to attend a weekend retreat, July 22-24, at the ocean-view San Alfonso Redemptorist Retreat House, 755 Ocean Ave, Long Branch, NJ. HNS members have been attending for over 50 years. There is no need to be a member to attend. See the San Alfonso Retreat House website for a description of the facility.

Our retreat theme is Eucharistic: “The Real Presence: Gift of God and Blessing to One Another.” Through talks, rituals, liturgies, and time for quiet contemplation, the retreat will bring us a deeper awareness of the grace and power of real presence - with God, with ourselves, with others, and with all creation.  As we reflect on our life stories in the peace of Christ and the light of his Spirit, we pray to be the blessing of Jesus’ presence - love and compassion -  to one another and all.   

The retreat stipend is $260 (deposit of $50), and includes lodging and meals. The deposit deadline is June 20. For questions or to register for the event, please contact Rich Bevere via phone at 973-338-6444 or email at rbevere@verizon.net.

Holy Name Society Tribute to Deacon Dennis Besida

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Deacon Dennis J. Besida

In the Acts of the Apostles, it is written: “The twelve called together the community of the disciples and said: ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of god to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.’”

With Vatican II, the Diaconate developed in the church to include many more tasks, including fulfilling other works of mercy, administering some sacraments, and preaching. Deacon Dennis has truly been a “reputable” man, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” who has shared his life with us in intimate moments of joy and grieving. We thank him for his ministry and for helping us, as a community, to grow in wisdom, grace, and peace.