Love continues to grow here at St. Thomas! Thank you for your generosity this week for our Bags of Love for Seniors! The bags will overflow with sunshine, kindness and thoughtfulness from our Parish Family! Thank you for LOVING GOD! + LOVING PEOPLE!

This Monday Jan. 18 our neighbors at the Delmar Presbyterian Church at 585 Delaware Ave. are participating in "The National Day of Service in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King “in the form of a food drive! You are most welcome to join in this community drive. Monday Jan. 18 from 10am to 2pm: collecting items that hold up well in the cold: canned beans, soup, rice, granola/protein/breakfast bars, canned fruit, tuna, coffee, tea, cooking oil, diapers size 5 & 6. All items will be shared with Food Pantries in Albany! "Everyone can be GREAT because EVERYBODY can SERVE!" Dr. King WE look forward to seeing you at our drive here at St. Thomas Tuesday Jan. 19 3pm-4pm in the church lot for our Bags of Love: soup, crackers, canned fruit, peanut butter, jelly, fluff, Valentine treats, large print puzzle books, hand lotion, Valentine Cards! Thanks for sharing HIS LOVE with others! “Together we can do GREAT THING!” St. Mother Teresa

Pope Francis teaches us that “Nurturing and cherishing creation” is the will of God. It is “a command,” the Pope asserts, “God gives not only at the beginning of history, but to each of us.”

Produced by Sarah & Anna Bernesconi and Aidan & Ryan Ciancio YM CORE Members & Alumni Members. In the Video Aidan & Anna share their expeirence as College Freshman! The video is posted on our Youth Ministry Webpage and Facebook Page! If you have any questions for Anna or Aidan please email them to Mary Ann mhospodar@stthomas-church.org. We wish all our High School Seinors many blessings as they make decisions regarding future educational plans! We thank Sarah, Anna, Aidan & Ryan for their leadership and for sharing the “Good News!”

“Love is patient; love is kind…,” 1 Corinthians 13:4 Heartfelt thanks for the wonderful paper products & household products for our Bags of Love for Seniors! Thank you for sharing HIS Love! See you next Tuesday Jan. 19, 3pm-4pm as we add canned soup, fruit, peanut butter, jelly, fluff, puddings, hand lotion, large print puzzle books, crackers, Valentine treats and cards signed,” Love & Prayers your St. Thomas Family.” To our Bags of LOVE! Love grows here at St. Thomas!!! Photos in Photo Album.

"Dream in Fraternity" and come together in unity to shape concrete commitments that address the crises impacting the future of our Common Home, Earth, during the Zoom event, "Awaken The Dreamer," January 12 at 7:00 PM.

Gifts received were given to the Ladies of Charity’s Clothes Closet at the Sr. Maureen Joyce Soup Kitchen! Volunteer Chris Sheridan shared, ”your gifts will bring a bit of post-Christmas cheer to many of our guests!” Bless you for making a difference!

WE are collecting items for our “Bags of Love for Seniors”! Individually wrapped toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, dish detergent, small laundry detergent, hand sanitizer, or cleaners & Valentine Cards signed: Love & Prayers your St. Thomas Family! The following week Jan.19 we will collect soup, crackers, fruit, pudding, hand lotion, Valentine Cookies and Candy & more Valentine Cards! Youth Ministry & Faith Formation will assemble the Bags of Love for our homebound seniors! Thanks for sharing HIS Love with our seniors!

St. Thomas’ Public Policy Committee and The Creation Care Team invite all parishioners to a Zoom experience on January 12, 2021 at 7:00 PM. The event will help us examine our relationship with the natural world and the current "dream" of modern societies and confront powerful unexamined assumptions that are at the heart of the environmental crises impacting our Common Home, the Earth.

“A hot meal is the beginning of a changed Life.” are the first words you read when visiting the Capital City Rescue Missions’ Website. God Bless you all for the truck load of food and supplies to bring about that change during our Food Drive this week! Special shout to Ted and Nick for supervising our drive! Together we are creating HOPE! Look in Photo Album for photos.

TUESDAY FOOD DRIVES 3pm-4pm in the Church Parking Lot. Join us as we kick of the NEW YEAR Tuesday Jan. 5 for our neighbors at the Capital City Rescue Mission. Did you know the mission serves 4 meals a day and has Chapel Services every day? Their Chef is very creative and most in need of rice, beans, cans of tomato sauce, canned vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, jelly and lunch snacks like granola bars. WE are also hosting our Annual “REGift it” Drive. ReGift those small NEW gifts: scarves, lotions, jewelry, purse, tie and so on that are appreciated but just not quite you WE will share this items with our neighbors. God Bless you for your Generosity!

As recipients of God’s greatest gifts: His Son, our lives, the promise of heaven, Creation, how do we show our gratitude?

January 3 Bulletin has been posted to the website. The dates should be January 2-3, not January 3-4.

Begin a New Year's journey toward Zero Waste by taking a few steps that will protect our earth and say thank you to God for His gift of creation.

"All powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures...."

"We are BLESSED to have such a caring and supportive parish! Old and young participated in creating and giving to folks in our community. Many parishioners - young and old - created lovely Christmas cards to be shared with our long term care parishioners, homebound, and group home folks. I am able to provide prayers, handheld crosses, cards and quilted placemats, and knitted and quilted blankets and lap robes from Pastoral Care Ministries along with lovely items made by our young families - blankets and scarves, treat bags, and hand crafted items. By the time deliveries are finished, there will have been over 160 gifts distributed throughout the parish. THANK you to our Pastoral Care volunteers and the FF and Youth Ministry folks for organizing the family craft items and treat bags. Also, a shout out to Christine Rooney, a local Pampered Chef Consultant, for donating lovely "cozy care packages." So generous. Pulling together our programs has helped us to continue to feel a warm sense of community. Please visit our Photo Album page

Tess Crick of The Water Project writes, "Your faithfulness and generosity has translated to clean water for the students at Bulukhombe Primary School, a gift of love and hope."

Cookies thank you! We thank our St. Thomas Family for loading up Santa’s Sled with Greetings, Holiday Cookies and food for our neighbors at Street Soldiers. Kelly, a Volunteer, was most grateful for your generosity! YOUR gifts of JOY will be shared this evening with neighbors in Troy and Albany! Thank you for sharing HIS LIGHT, & HOPE as a “weary world rejoices”! Wishing you all a “New & Glorious MORN” for CHRIST IS LORD! “GOD BLESS us EVERYONE!”

Share the JOY of our Lord & the Love of His Mother by joining us in prayer at our Advent Prayer Service found on our Middle School & High School Faith Formation Page or https://youtu.be/xf744DUQbDQ .

OUR LAST HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE IS THIS WEEK TUESDAY DECEMBER 15th 3pm-4pm in the Church Parking Lot! Collecting Bought Packaged Christmas Cookies with an attached Christmas card from YOU signed “Your friends from St. Thomas Parish” with a Prayer message! Our goal is to assist Santa in sharing the packaged cookies to those served at Troy’s Street Soldiers Christmas Gathering. Street Soldiers is a Grassroots initiative that provides assistance for those in need in Troy & Albany. Volunteers set up tables and provide warm food, gifts of warmth, pantry items whatever has been collected that week & share with our neighbors who are homeless or in need. We are working with the Troy site to provide some "sweetness" for their 'Holiday Party"! God bless you for being an AWESOME neighbor!