DIOCESE OF PHOENIX SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS Catholic Church & School NOVEMBER 11, 2018 THE THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood. MARK 12:43-44 13720 West Thomas Road Avondale, AZ 85392 Phone: (623) 935-2151 Fax: (623) 935-5044 www.stacc.net
MASS TIMES Saturday Vigil 5:00 pm Sunday 7:00 am 9:00 am 10:45 am 5:00 pm DAILY MASS Monday - Saturday RECONCILIATION Saturday 8:30 am 3:30 pm ADORATION Wednesday 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Friday 8:30 am - 2:00 pm PARISH OFFICE Monday - Thursday 8:30 am - 12:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Friday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Saturday 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Sunday 7:30 am - 2:00 pm SCHOOL OFFICE (623) 935-0945 Monday - Thursday 7:30 am - 3:30 pm Friday 7:30 am - 12:00 pm EVANGELIZATION & CATECHESIS OFFICE (623) 935-2151 x214 Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm GIFT SHOP (623) 935-2151 x242 Monday - Wednesday 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Thursday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Saturday 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Sunday 7:30 am - 8:30 am 10:00 am - 12:30 pm 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL PARISH ADMINISTRATION & STAFF Reverend John Muir Pastor Reverend Anwar Zomaya Associate Pastor Reverend Venantius Yikore Associate Pastor Deacons Deacon Ken Porter Senior Deacon Chuck Shaw (Retired) Deacon Edgar Carnecer Deacon Jason Robinson PARISH ADMINISTRATION & STAFF Julie Cipriano, Executive Assistant to the Pastor Jessica Alire, Director of Human Resources & Operations Selena Rivas, Receptionist MaryLina Luna, Coordinator of Safe Environment & Administrative Assistant Nick DeClue, Computer Systems Regina DeSpain, Sacramental & Records Clerk Glenn Biggs, Maintenance Director Glenn Volkenant Jr., Maintenance Ron Shipman, Maintenance Geoff Stricklin, Director of Mission Advancement Delilah Garcia, Coordinator of Liturgical Décor & Funerals Joel Morehouse, Director of Sacred Music Heather Porrell, Coordinator of Sacred Liturgy Ariadna Ruiz, Coordinator of Parishioner Engagement Michael Garibaldi, Coordinator of Family Evangelization & Catechesis Anna Dice, Facilitator of Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation Andrew Starbuck, Coordinator of Youth Ministries Deacon Ken Porter, Coordinator of RCIA Michael Villanueva, Coordinator of Marriage & Family Ministries Jennifer Doyle, Facilitator of Infant Baptism Yuliana Gonzales, Facilitator of Marriage Preparation SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION & STAFF Cynthia Scheller, Principal Margy Eroh, Administrative Assistant Dan Kerestes, Finance Mary Francis Haluska, Senior Education Specialist
MASS INTENTIONS Saturday Friday Thursday Wednesday Tuesday Monday Sunday 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 7:00 am 9:00 am 10:45 am 5:00 pm 5:00 pm Edward Borysko Joaquim Portugal Intentions of the Parish Deacon Al Scheller Thomas Jenkins Patty Meehan Mary Roberts Marvin Robert Marshall Tom McGuire Halina Podgorska Bethany Suriano BAPTISM The baptism process is three months long and parents within the parish boundaries are asked to be registered and active in the parish community. Families outside the parish boundaries are expected to be registered and active for a minimum of three months prior to the baptismal process. Baptisms are typically celebrated the 4th Sunday of every month. MARRIAGE The Diocese of Phoenix requires couples to participate in an engaging nine month marriage preparation program. Individuals within the parish boundaries are asked to be registered and active in the parish community. Individuals outside the parish boundaries are expected to be registered and active for a minimum of three months prior to beginning marriage preparation. RELGIOUS EDUCATION To register for classes, families within the parish boundaries are asked to visit the Religious Education Office. Families outside the parish boundaries are expected to be registered and active for a minimum of three months prior to registration. PARISH REGISTIRATION Registration is the official way we join a parish community, please stop in the Parish Office, during office hours to complete a registration form or register online to become a registered parishioner. To be considered an active registered member of the parish, members are asked to participate in the parish envelope system at least twice a month. ROSARY & DIVINE MERCY PRAYER To join us in prayer please meet in the cry room after Daily Mass or after the 5:00 pm Mass on Sunday with the Guadalupanos. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY Please consider volunteering or donating to the St. Vincent de Paul Society that helps those in need, please call 623-535-9455. GRIEF TO HOPE MINISTRY Do you need support and consolation within our community of faith when a loved one has died? Please contact Deacon Ken Porter in the Parish Office for more information. Meetings are Thursdays at 9:00 am. CLEANING ANGELS MINISTRY Did you know that our beautiful church is cleaned by faithful volunteers known as the Cleaning Angles? This special ministry is in need of more volunteers. The Cleaning Angels clean two days a week, Wednesdays and Thursdays after the morning mass from 8:30-10:30am. If you are interested in joining in this ministry, please Selena Rivas in the parish office. MARTHA/MARY LINEN MINISTRY Laundering and preparation of Eucharist linens for daily and Sunday Masses. If you would like to help, please contact Elie Suida at 623-694-4554. MOMS MINISTRY Moms Ministry provides an opportunity for women of all ages and walks of life, to practice their common faith, nurture their spirituality. Please visit www.stamoms.com for more information.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL AN INVITATION FROM OUR PASTOR Join me in a special 33-day preparation for a Consecration to Mary from 10 to Dec 12. Join me in preparing to offer ourselves to Mary as our spiritual Mother on December 12th at 6:00-8:00 pm, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We re offering ourselves to Jesus and the Holy Spirit through Mary s maternal help. To assist you, I have a free book I d like to give you to help: 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley. If you want this excellent book, pick one up after Mass in the vestibule on 10-11. You can also pick one up in the parish office beginning 9. It will walk us through our time of preparation from 10 to Dec 12. Simply read the given section for each of the 33 days and you ll ready by Dec 12. If you want to connect with me for updates and encouragement through this time, text STACC to 84567 then click on 33 Days. You ll receive my occasional updates on your phone for 33 days! If you have any questions, call the parish office for help. Truly in Jesus through Mary, Fr. John Muir THE WIDOWS FAITH: SCOTT HAHN REFLECTS ON THE THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME We must live by the obedience of faith, a faith that shows itself in works of charity and self-giving (see Galatians 5:6). That s the lesson of the two widows in today s liturgy. The widow in the First Reading isn t even a Jew, yet she trusts in the word of Elijah and the promise of his Lord. Facing sure starvation, she gives all that she has, her last bit of food feeding the man of God before herself and her family. The widow in the Gospel also gives all that she has, offering her last bit of money to support the work of God s priests in the Temple. In their self-sacrifice, these widows embody the love that Jesus last week revealed as the heart of the Law and the Gospel. They mirror the Father s love in giving His only Son, and Christ s love in sacrificing Himself on the cross. Again in today s Epistle, we hear Christ described as a new high priest and the suffering servant foretold by Isaiah. On the cross, He made sacrifice The Widow s Mite, Basilica di Sant Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, 6th c. once and for all to take away our sin and bring us to salvation (see Isaiah 53:12). And again we are called to imitate His sacrifice of love in our own lives. We will be judged, not by how much we give for the scribes and the wealthy contribute far more than the widow. Rather, we will be judged by whether our gifts reflect our livelihood, our whole beings, all our heart and soul, mind and strength. Are we giving all that we can to the Lord not out of a sense of forced duty, but in a spirit of generosity and love (see 2 Corinthians 9:6 7)? Do not be afraid, the man of God tells us today. As we sing in today s Psalm, the Lord will provide for us, as He sustains the widow. Today, let us follow the widows example, doing what God asks, confident that our jars of flour will not grow empty, nor our jugs of oil run dry. https://stpaulcenter.com/the-widows-faith-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-thirty-second-sunday-in-ordinary-time/
Gift Shop Naming Update - Save the date! Parish vote at Masses Dec. 1-2! Our Tillers and Keepers! Mr. Glenn Biggs (top photo), Mr. Glenn Volkenant ( Junior - not pictured) and Mr. Ron Shipman (bottom photo) take care of our whole campus including the school, overseeing the good order of the buildings, all of their systems, and the overall campus landscaping. SVDP Construction Update - Construction has begun. Projected completion March 2019. Gift Shop Update - Architectural drawings are in final approval. Glenn Biggs You will often find them in their smiling in their golf carts, roaming around campus completing large scale projects (orchestrating the move and storage of our offices and buildings for construction) to smaller everyday needs such as discussing fixing this broken chair (pictured above). Ron Shipman An added benefit! One of the fringe benefits of consolidating our maintenance department into this spacious new building is that it will free up other space on campus for the vital work of parish ministries. Currently our maintenance department is spread out in several different locations including offices, storage, and work space in St. Clare Hall as well as a workshop in the room known as the pop out which is the space attached to the southwest corner of the school s buildings. By consolidating maintenance, the pop-out room will transformed into dividable meeting space for parish ministry groups. The current maintenance office will become office and meeting space for our Youth Ministries. And the room known as the St. Francis room in St. Clare Hall, currently used for storage, will become another meeting space for parish ministries!
EGIVING WITH FAITH DIRECT! Many of you are aware and take advantage of the convenience of electronic giving to our parish and we are grateful for that. We believe it is time to upgrade to a more streamlined online provider for our egiving needs through Faith Direct. For those of you who have yet to join us in giving online, I strongly encourage you to do so. Here s why: Faith Direct enables parishioners to make your Church contributions through either direct debit from your checking/savings account or through your credit/debit card. No more writing checks or searching for envelopes on the way out the door. Now you can apply the convenience of direct debit to your parish offerings in much the same way as you may now use it to make your mortgage, car or tuition payments. presented by Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross ST. CLARE HALL - PRESENTATION IN THE CHURCH THURSDAY NOV 29 at 7:00 PM SACRED RELICS EXPOSITION - St. Thomas Aquinas Parish welcomes you to a teaching and exposition of Sacred Relics. Over 150 relics will be shown, some believed to be as old as 2000 years. Among the treasures will be relics of St. Peter, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Maria Goretti, St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower ), St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Faustina Kowalska. In addition, there will also be present a piece of a veil which is believed to have belonged to Our Lady and one of the largest remaining pieces of the TrueCross in the world. EDDIE ZULEGER 13TH ANNUAL VETERANS AND SERVICE PERSONNEL APPRECIATION DINNER & PROGRAM Sponsored by Father Joseph T. O Callahan Assembly 2669, Knights of Columbus. Please join us as we pay tribute to American Patriots who presently serve or have served in the US Armed Services with Distinction and Honor. Active duty members from each branch of the Armed Services, as well as Veterans who have served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan will be honored. When: Saturday, ember 10th, 2017 Where: St. Clare Hall, St. Thomas Aquinas Church Time: Promptly begins at 18:30 hours (6:30pm) Costs: $20.00 a ticket (no tickets will be sold at the door) Tickets will be sold after Masses or contact Ken Kurtz at (623) 256-5437 kkurtz4@cox.net Faith Direct also offers you personalized offertory cards to replace your envelopes for the collection basket. Please join me in enrolling by responding to the mailing you will receive or visit www.faithdirect.net to enroll securely online. Our parish code is AZ907. God Bless You! Rev. John Muir Please join St. Thomas Aquinas MOMS Ministry friends for a casual playdate in the park. This is a great way to meet other moms from the parish and learn about the ministry..park meeting locations and days of the week will change, but the meeting time will always be 9:30 am. We hope to see you there! Wednesday, ember 14, at 9:30 am Aleppo Park 940 W. Village Parkway Litchfield Park 85340 Meet at the covered play structure. STA MOMS member contact: Eva Foster 480-283-5148 ADOPT-A-FAITH FORMATION CHILD I understand that there are several Faith Formation families of our parish that require partial or full scholarship assistance so that their children may receive religious instruction and/or sacrament preparation. I would like to help a Faith Formation family experiencing financial need by providing a scholarship donation. I would like to sponsor Faith Formation child/children and have checked one of the following options. (Please make check payable to St. Thomas Aquinas Faith Formation. Return this form and your donation in an envelope to the Family Evangelization & Catechesis Office or place in the collection basket with attention to Faith Formation Office.) Thank You. YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE! $55 for 1 child $100 for 2 children $90 sacrament preparation for 1 child $100 per child for Basics of the Faith - Yrs. 1 or 2 Other Amount (used where needed most) Name Phone / Total Amt. Enclosed $ (Area Code)
AQUINAS GIFTS & BOOKS Volunteer Opportunity! Aquinas Gifts & Books ( our current gift shop) is a blessing to the church family here at St. Thomas Aquinas as well as the surrounding faith community! To continue to serve the community, the gift shop needs committed volunteers! Do you have 3-4 hours to serve one Saturday evening or Sunday morning per month? Are you looking for a rewarding and dynamic way to serve the Family of Christ at St. Thomas Aquinas? If your answer is yes, then please call, e-mail or stop by the Gift Shop and get the details! If you enjoy meeting people and are looking for a place to serve, this may be your ministry! We look forward to hearing from you! Mary Lou Frisbi mlfrisbie@stacc.net 623.935.2151 x243 WE NEED LINEN ANGELS! Do you want to join a ministry without going to meetings? Do you like to keep your hands busy when you watch TV? Why not join the Martha/Mary Linen Ministry. Preparing linens for the alter is a wonderful way to serve our Lord. What a great way to serve the Lord while mindlessly watching TV! We need lots of saints to come help this year. Commitment is minimal and rewarding. For more information please text, call or email Elie Suida 623.694.4554 esuida@cox.net ST. THOMAS AQUINAS TROOP 64 S 3RD ANNUAL CORN HOLE TOURNAMENT & FESTIVAL Registration Open! $32/team To register send email to Deacon Jason at jrobinson@stacc.net December 1st 11:00 am - 4:00 pm At Saint Thomas Aquinas Grade School Players pay, bring the family for free! Giant slide, bounce house, games, prizes, food and more for the whole family! SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL HOLIDAYS AHEAD FOR ST. VINCENT de PAUL! Please remember to pick up your grocery bag to fill with needed items for our St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving Food Drive next weekend. A list of suggested donations is attached to each bag. Food bags need to be returned by 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, ember 18th in order for us to prepare food boxes for families to pick up that day. Turkey Tuesday - sponsored by Channel 12 and Bashas each year will again be held at the Bashas at Litchfield Road & Camelback Rd. and Food City at Dysart & Van Buren on Tuesday, ember 20th. Donation of a turkey between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. will be accepted by our volunteers allowing our families who received a food box on Sunday, ember 18th to enjoy a turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday. In today s Gospel, Jesus tells us: I want you to observe that this poor widow contributed more than all the others who donated to the treasury. They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want, all that she had to live on. Surely, your gifts large or small given in love.are pleasing to Our Lord! ATTENTION CURRENT VOLUNTEERS If you have already completed a foundation class, please visit the Safe Environment Training at phoenix.setanet.org, click on My Obligations to complete the renewal class Preserving Human Dignity through Virtue Please submit your confirmation notice to your ministry coordinator. CALL TO PRAYER FOR BISHOPS INTENTIONS Bishop Olmsted, Bishop Nevares and bishops nationwide are joining in seven days of prayer and fasting prior to their general assembly in ember, where they will make critical decisions regarding the tragedy of clergy abuse. A letter with more details from Bishop Olmsted is available at fidelity.dphx.org/resources. Bring your children to the Adoration Chapel and join us for a Holy Hour hosted by our STA MOMS Ministry. We create a space for children of all ages to be the primary adorers of Jesus in the Eucharist. We pray, sing, and use the ARRR method of relational/ contemplative prayer to create space for conversation with Jesus. This is not a drop-off event; guardians must accopany their children. Please call Michele Tucker at 623-271-0087 or email Kandi Madden at info@ stamoms.com with any questions. Thur 29th - 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm The Diocesan NFP Office invites NFP Couples of all ages to an afternoon seminar just for them! Finding Our Way to Lifelong Love: NFP Day of Renewal for Married Couples $10 per couple/$5 single 1:00pm-5:00pm Saturday, December 1, 2018 Diocesan Pastoral Center, 400 E. Monroe St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Featuring: Fr. Charlie Goraieb, Steve & Becky Greene, NFP only medical professionals and instructors. Includes special workshops for NFP while Breastfeeding, NFP During Peri-Menopause, and Infertility Support. Registration link is found on the events tab at www.dphx.org
Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School Our Mission St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School is a partnership of parents, students and parishioners who together nurture the growth of students in faith, knowledge and service. The CEA campaign is vital to our STA school community. We raised $520,000 in 2017 and appreciate everyone s participation! 2018 Tax Credit Limits $2,213 married and $1,107 single Visit www.catholiceducationarizona.org IT S NOT TOO EARLY TO REDIRECT! Box Tops for Education If you would like to collect Box Tops for our school, please cut them off participating products and drop them off to the School Office (we do not collect Campbell soup labels). Thank you for helping earn money for our school in 2017 STA earned $1,500. Funds from Box Tops are used by the PTO for scholarships and student activities. CONTACT US School Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm Friday: 7:30 am - 12:00 pm Phone: 623-935-0945 Fax: 623-565-5944 Email: meroh@stacc.net Mailing & Physical Address 13720 W. Thomas Road Avondale, AZ 85392 Kristi Mack Scrip Chair (623) 935-0945 ext. 273 kmack@stacc.net WHAT IS SCRIP? Scrip is a term that means substitute money. When you purchase Scrip, you are purchasing gift cards, at face value, that are used just like cash at participating local and national retailers. Top 5 Reasons to Buy Scrip! 5 There are tons and tons of vendor options 4 Everyone can use gift cards grocery, dining out, retail, entertainment and more 3 We make it convenient we save you a trip to the store to get gift cards 2 It s easy to do and school families can earn tuition credit!! 1 The most important reason..every purchase SUPPORTS our school! Adoration for St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School 9:30-10:45 am on Fridays Have a business? Think about how you can leverage gift cards to pay for holiday parties, employee gifts, etc. Our school will earn a donation from every card you purchase. It costs you nothing extra! Scrip sales are held before school EVERYDAY and after school on Mondays through Fridays. Scrip is also sold after the Sunday 9:00am Mass. You can get it anytime though by contacting the Scrip Chair.