Dear Parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Church,
My heart aches because, due to this Coronavirus pandemic, we are unable to celebrate Eucharist together for, what I hope will be, a brief time. Please be assured that I will continue to remember you and your family in the private Masses that I will be offering. During these difficult days, while we cannot congregate to celebrate Eucharist, it seems to me that the Lord is inviting us to be Eucharist to one another.
If you remember in the Gospel text for the Third Sunday of Lent, in His conversation with the Samaritan woman, when she said that they, the Samaritans, worshiped on the mountain, while Jews saw Jerusalem as the place to worship, Jesus responded, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on the mountain nor in Jerusalem."... "the hour is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth."
Now is the time! the time is here! We, who are blessed to be a Eucharistic people, are now called to be Eucharist to one another. There are so many ways we can do that:
- Praying together in the Sanctuary of the Home for all who are sick and ministering to the sick. (May I recommend for your consideration the Family Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary);
- Calling up elderly relatives, friends, neighbors, offering to shop for them or pick up medicines or other necessities for them;
- Preparing meals for families suddenly faced with unemployment.
These are just a few ways in which we can show ourselves to be the Eucharistic people we claim to be. I am sure you, in your own creative ways, can think of a myriad of other ways in which you might server others, and thereby "worship the Father in Spirit and in truth."
While this is indeed a health crisis that effects all of us, it is also a financial crisis for many. Many of our people find themselves suddenly unemployed and are experiencing financial distress. To the extent that we are able, we need to help where we can.
It is also my pastoral responsibility to make you aware that our parish is also experiencing financial distress. As you are aware, we are totally dependent on your generosity in our weekly Offertory to meet our financial obligations. Without that income we cannot pay utility and other maintenance bills; pay our staff who are needed to keep the parish operating; or meet our need to keep our parish functioning. Therefore, I have to plead with you to please continue to support your parish by mailing in your weekly offering or setting up electronic giving through the Online Giving link. We have also set up a GOFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/weekly-parish-support. Without your continued support, our parish cannot sustain itself.
With God's help, the Lord's love for His Church, our Blessed Mother's constant intercession on our behalf, and the Holy Spirit's encouragement of your generous hearts, I am confident that we will continue to grow as the Eucharistic People of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. Please know that I love you and constantly am praying for you and your Family.
Your brother in Christ,
Rev. Jerome Johnson
Pastor
Online Giving is Available Now
Here at St. Thomas the Apostle, we encourage you to be Christian Stewards, using everything God has given you — time, talent, treasure — to serve Him gratefully.
Live-stream Mass Feed
Read the letter from Fr. Johnson regarding the live-stream Mass feed.
* You do not need to have a Facebook account to watch the livestream! Simply click on link. Daily Mass is streamed at 12:15pm Monday-Friday. Saturday at 4:00pm and Sunday at 10:30am.
Directives issued by Bishop Checchio in response to COVID-19
All public Masses throughout the Diocese of Metuchen will be temporarily suspended beginning no later than March 18 and resume no earlier than April 3, 2020, when the situation will be re-evaluated as circumstances unfold.
PREP Update
Acting with an abundance of caution, the following have been suspended:
CONFIRMATION SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 1st HAS BEEN POSTPONED until further notice.
The following have been suspended until further notice:
* Mandatory Mass Attendance for Confirmation Candidates and PREP students;
* Liturgy of the Word for Children
* PREP Class
In the meantime, please sit with your child(ren) and complete the Finding God sessions with them. All Class calendars can be found HERE. Scroll to the bottom of the page, select the calendar for your child's day and level.
We will continue to share information as soon as we receive it.
"To make disciples as we know, love and serve God and one another."
Welcome to St. Thomas the Apostle
Whatever your status in the Church, whatever your family/marital situation, whatever your religious affiliation, whatever your personal history, age, background, race or color, sexual orientation, you are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved and respected at our Catholic Community of Saint Thomas the Apostle.
Mass & Worship Times
Come worship with us at St. Thomas the Apostle.
Bulletin & Events
Stay informed with parish events and get involved.
Religious Education - PREP
RE programs for children grades 1 - 8. Register today.
BINGO!
All proceeds support Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish School.
Upcoming Events
Please donate!
We have set a GoFundMe account, for those who may wish to donate their weekly contributions if it is easier for anyone. St. Thomas the Apostle relies on weekly contributions from parishioners to support the work of our parish, including staff wages and daily operations and our own service of those less fortunate. You can designate your tax deductible donation for our parish. We would appreciate any shares of this post as well.
St. Thomas the Apostle's 100th Anniversary
In October of 2021, St Thomas the Apostle Parish will celebrate its 100th Anniversary! We will begin our yearlong celebration in October of 2020. Parish Council members, as well as parishioners, will be part of planning our Celebration and asked to be members of the various committees that will be formed to make our Centennial Celebration a success.
Opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration
Mondays from 6:00-6:45pm except on holidays where there is no 7:00pm Mass.
First Fridays for an hour after the 8:15am morning Mass.
If your schedule allows, please come and spend some quiet time in prayer with our Lord.
