A WORD FROM FR. TOM ~ Many people have asked what I will be doing now that my retirement begins on the first of May. First of all, I should clarify that I am not retiring from the ministry but rather from parish administration. I will be making myself available to help cover weekend liturgies around the diocese as the need arises. Folks ask whether I will be coming for weekend mass or other celebrations at St. Thomas but my response is that that would not be fair to the new pastor who will need the space to develop his own style in ministering to this community.
For a residence, I have a town house in Halfmoon which I have used as my permanent legal address for the past ten years. While at St. Thomas, I would go there for my day off on Thursdays as well as on Sunday afternoons after weekend masses here. I have no immediate plans for the summer apart from just taking time to get adjusted to a new lifestyle. I will however be taking a week long course in July at the Maryknoll Mission Institute in Ossining, NY, on the new cosmology and its implications for liturgy and worship. As you know, I enjoy studying the intersection of faith and science in the modern age. If you wish to keep in touch, my personal email is
[email protected].
Thank you for all the support and cooperation over the past seven plus years. I have made many friends here and I wish you all well as I say farewell to my time as pastor of St. Thomas.
ANNUAL BISHOP’S APPEAL ~ Next weekend will be the in-pew solicitation for the 2017-2018 annual Bishop’s Appeal. Please prayerfully consider to what extent you can support the work of the diocese and be prepared next weekend to make you gift or pledge to help St. Thomas reach its assessment of $205,326.
CONGRATULATIONS to the families of the following who were baptized last Sunday at St. Thomas: Edima Kefre LLeyton Ekwo; Josephine Mitsuko Giuliano; Eleanor Rose Olsen.
UNIDOS EN CRISTO – UNITED IN CHRIST ~ We have a limited number of these missalettes for those whose first language is Spanish. Copies are available on the top of the organ console in the church. The new issue runs from Holy Week to Pentecost. They are free for the taking.
EMERGENCY DEFIBRILLATOR ~ It is located near the bulletin boards in the Gathering Hall close to the main church entrance. Please note the location of this device in case we need to use it during an emergency.