Saint Thomas More Parish & Academy
4275 Fourth Street, Southeast
Washington, D.C. 20032
Telephone: 202-562-0431 Fax: 202-563-7347
E-mail: Website:
School: 202-561-1189
August 5, 2012
Pastoral Staff:
Rev. Raymond Moore, Pastor, x12
Rev. John Kinter, In residence, x16
Deacon Richard L. Walker, x30
Ms. Patricia Hamilton, Pastoral Administrator, x11
Mrs. Mary Waters, Office Assistant & Rectory Cook, x10
Ms. Bridget Coates, Academy Principal
Ms. Wanda Brooks, Coordinator of Religious Education, x31
Mr. Henry Herrera, Gospel Choir Director
Mrs. Charnetta Dobbins, Youth Choir Director
Mrs. Barbara Elliott, Parish Council Chair
Ms. Diana Brown, Finance Council Chair
Mass Schedule
Saturday 5:00 pm(Rectory Chapel)
Sunday 8:45 amYouth Choir
11:30 amGospel Choir
Weekdays 8:00 am(Rectory Chapel)
Novena:
Monday 7:00 pm(Rectory Chapel)
Bulletin Deadline: Items for Sunday’s Bulletin must be received via email by 5:00pm Monday in order to have them included in Sunday’s publication. Thank you for honoring this important timeline.
Baptism: Please call the Parish Office to register for classes.
Confession: After Sunday Masses or by appointment, or on Wednesday Evenings, 6:30-8:00 pm in the Church.
Marriage: Diocesan policy requires notification to the priest at least six months in advance. Attendance at pre-Cana classes is also required. Contact the Parish Office for more information.
Pastoral Care of the Sick: Please notify the Parish Office when a member of the parish is in the hospital, nursing home, or is otherwise unable to come to Mass and wishes to receive any of the sacraments.
Religious Education:
Interested in becoming a Catholic? Please contact Fr. Raymond Moore at the Rectory.
CCD Classes: Every Sunday at 10:30am
Adult Education Catholic Inquiry Classes: Every Sunday at 10:30am
Bible Study: Every Tuesday at 7:30pm
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Times
Preparing to Hear God’s Word
ReadingI: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15 –The people grumble because they are hungry and God gives them “bread from heaven.”
Responsorial Psalm 78: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Reading II: Eph 4:17, 20-24– Paul exhorts us to “be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”
Gospel: Jn 6:24-35 –The crowd continues to look to Jesus for food, but Jesus offers them something new—himself as the new heavenly bread.
Readings for Next Sunday
1 Kgs 19:4-8 Eph 4:30—5:2 Jn 6:41-51
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK:
Sunday 8:45am Egbert, Pearl & Winfred Thomas
11:30am Family of Susie Curtis
Monday Health of CeeCee Poindexter
Tuesday Successful National Night Out
Wednesday Felicia James and Family
Thursday Intentions of STM Parishioners
Friday Our Sick & Shut-In Parishioners
Saturday STM Catholic Academy
CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK:
SundayAdult Faith Group/CCD Classes-Summer Break
Second Chance (3:30pm-Old Library)
MondayYouth Choir Rehearsal (7:00pm-Church)
Tuesday Bible Study (7:30pm-Red Rm)
NCW 2nd Community (8:00pm-Cedar Rm)
Wednesday NCW 1st Community (8:00pm-Cedar Rm)
Thursday Adult Choir Rehearsal-Summer Break
Friday AA (8:00pm-Old Library)
Saturday NCW Communities (8:00pm)
DAILY MASS READING
Monday:Dn: 7:9-10, 13-14 2 Pt 1:16-19 Mk 9:2-10
Tuesday:Jer 30: 1-2, 12-15, 18-22 Mt 14:22-36
Wednesday: Jer 31:1-7Mt 15:21-28
Thursday:Jer 31:31-34Mt 16:13-23
Friday: 2 Cor 9:6-10Jn 12:24-26
Saturday:Hab 1:12—2:4Mt 17:14-20
KEEP THE SICK IN YOUR PRAYERS:Veronica Apiafi, Florence Askew, Monique Bailey, Viola Barnes, Linda Black, Blondinia Brown, Deacon James Brown, Alvin & Shirley Brown, Cynthia Bruce, Felicia V. Bush, John Bush, Mary Agnes Bush, Jane Butorac, Gwen Cannon, Dixie Clark, Andrea Cole (niece of Sandra Proctor), Susie Curtis, Francess Davies, Barbara Deale, Edith Ellis, Renee Feliu, Mary E. Ford, Eric Fuller, Tasha Gant, Tyrone Garrison, Brenda Green, Natalie Green,Emmanuel Greene (uncle of Christina Tilghman), William Gunn (Brother of Elnora Jackson), Earl Hamilton, Andre Harris, Margaret Harris, Claudine Hawkins, Shant’e Hawkins, Joe Hill, James Hilton, Maximillon Holland, Darryl Jackson, Gail Jackson, Jimmie Jackson, Ronald Johnson, Sarah Jones, Mack Kennedy, Dennis Lucas,Andre Lyles, Doris Martin, Gloria & William McCaskill, Emma McEntyre, Betty Moeller, Gloria Morgan, Dorothy Myrtle (Aunt of Christina Tilghman), Angela Neal (daughter-in-law of Mrs. Neal), Margarita Perez,Cee-Cee Poindexter, Tom Propes, James Roberts, Arthur Robinson, Leroy Robinson, Robert Robinson, Ciara Shields, Pauline Shorter, Brenda Smith, Joe Stewart, Edsel Swann, Jane Thomas, Estelle Thompson, Kristine Vivican,Paul Waters, Mary Webster, Marilyn Denise Whetstone (Richardson’s daughter), Kobe M. Williams,David Wilson, Orlando Witherspoon, Jean Wright (sister of Pat Wright), Marianne Young, and all who are Sick and Shut-In.
STEWARDSHIP REPORT
EFFECTIVE SUPPORT OF YOUR CHURCH
IS WISE STEWARDSHIP
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”
(Hebrews 13:5)
Lord, allow our gifts to match our commitment, that with words of praise and gifts from the heart, the Lord Jesus might be glorified and the kingdom of God enriched. Amen.
Your offerings at last weekend’s Masses amounted to $8,541.00for the support of our Church. This includes $14.00 from Youth Envelopes.
5:00 pm 10
8:45 am132
11:30 am 108
250
Thank you for continuing to be as generous as possible!
PASTOR’S BIBLE STUDY: Tuesday night Bible Study meets on Tuesday’s at 7:30 in the Red Room.All are welcome!
ADULT DISCUSSION & FAITH SHARING GROUP: The STM Faith Discussion Group will be in recess until after Labor Day. We will resume on September 9th in the Red Room.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM: CCD is now on break during the summer. For more information, please speaktoMs. Wanda Brooks, Coordinator of Religious Education.
*PAC LAUNCHES Coupon Collection Drive!!*
Please donate grocery coupons, of any amount, good for non-perishable food items in stores such as GIANT, SAFEWAY, SHOPPERS, etc. If you receive any coupons at the checkout, please consider donating those as well. Rectory volunteers will be responsible for the use of those coupons toward the maintenance of the Food Pantry. A Coupon Collection Box is located in the rear of the church.
AUGUST WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: Couples observing a Wedding Anniversary in the month of August are asked to notify Mary Waters in the Church Office no later than Wednesday, August 22nd. Special Blessings will be shared with you on Sunday, August 26th.
CARDINAL’S APPEAL UPDATE:During the month of July we added $2,210 toward reaching our goal of $34,570. This means that we have pledged $26,007. We did very well. Thanks so much. If you have yet to pledge, you can help us reach our goal by pledging today.
~~SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS~~
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Susie Curtis,mother of Jean Robinson,who has gone Home to be with the Lord. Please also remember the entire family in your prayers.
We also ask that you continue to pray for all of our sick, shut-in
and grieving parishioners, as well as those facing serious challenges in their lives. As faith-filled believers, we know that God hears our prayers on their behalf. Thank you. God Bless.
PASTOR’S PEN
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Wow! It’s August already. And our 60th Jubilee events are right around the corner. Let me just thank Liz Berry and the Anniversary Committee for their hard work over the past few months. I am also most appreciative of you, our faithful members, for your commitment to making our Jubilee Year such a blessing.
As you know, an important part of our observance is to plan for the future. We have a proud past and can look back with total thanksgiving to God for where we have been and how we have served the Gospel all of these years. We can take pride in so many great accomplishments, including the building of the Merrick Center and our St. Thomas More Academy, which continues to provide great education and faith formation for so many children and their families. We are blessed to be able to provide for needy families in our community through the Wonderful Smiles of Children. And we are more than blessed by our music ministries, especially our internationally acclaimed Adult Gospel Choir. We have been blessed and continue to enjoy the Lord’s favor as we strive to be a blessing to others.
Appreciating God’s blessings to us, we are challenged to grow personally, and as a church. This means stewardship, evangelization and faith formation. Today, I want to focus on faith formation. Faith formation is the personal commitment that we make to increase our knowledge of our Catholic faith through study. We have programs for both children and adults. Our Religious Education Program for children meets on Sunday mornings from 10:30-11:30. It is imperative that parents recognize their “God-ordered” responsibility to insure that their children are well formed in the practices and beliefs of our faith. Just as the secular society depends on quality education to insure the strength of the community so also the church depends on parents making a firm commitment to the religious education of their children. I am challenging all of the adult members of our parish to make a commitment to the religious education of our young—whether you are parents or not. We will begin our formal religious education program on Sunday, September 16th, which is also Catechetical Sunday.
There are also great opportunities for adult education here at St. Thomas More. The Adult Faith Discussion Group will meet on Sunday mornings following the 8:45 Mass. My Pastor’s Bible Study meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:30. This is a living exchange where biblical teachings and understanding are applied to our daily lives. As we celebrate this 60th Jubilee Year let’s make a deliberate decision to increase our knowledge of our faith. It is difficult to share our faith with others if we fail to take advantage of opportunities for personal growth in our own lives.
In His Love,
Fr. Raymond Moore
WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS!We want to welcome to our church family Kim Bush, Vincent Waller and Anthony Judd. We hope you find a warm welcome in your new church home with us.
PARISH SUMMERTIME REMINDERS
1. Please notify the church office of any changes in address or telephone numbers. This will insure that you receive your tithing envelopes and avoid costly return postage charges from the post office. The first class postal rate is 45 cents, while the return postage on your church tithing envelopes is 50cents. Continue to make your tithes while you are on vacation. Remember God is blessing us year round.
2. Reach out with an evangelizing spirit by inviting someone to worship with us on Sunday. Many do a good job at this. You only have to ask. The Lord will do the rest!
3. Share the good news about St. Thomas More Academy. Registration information is in the bulletin.
4. New members are asked to complete a registration form. They are in the back of the church.
5. Be consistent in your ministry commitments: choir, lector, Eucharistic Minister, usher or altar servers. We serve the Lord during all four seasons of the year.
St. Thomas More Church
60th Anniversary Gala
Saturday, September 8, 2012
La Fontaine Bleu
Lanham, Maryland
8:00pm~Midnight
Semi-Formal Gala ~~ Adults Only
(Must be at least 21 years of age)
Price: $65.00
Purchase tickets from Ticket Captains,
any Anniversary Committee member,or Liz Berry.
**ALL MONIES ARE DUETODAY! **
(Full Payments for all tickets MUST be completed today.)
*ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EVENTS*
Community Day~August 25th
Line Dance Social~October 20th
Choir Concert~November 4th
*Jubilee Mass~September 23rd~10:00am
One Mass only on this Special Sunday!
60th ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR JOURNAL ADS: If you wish to place an ad in the Souvenir Journal, but have not yet done so, you still have time!! The final day to submit requestsfor the Journal is Sunday,August 12, 2012.Please send your ads to .
New Students Welcome!
Enrollment is underway for the
2012-2013 School Year!
We are accepting students in ALL Grades
~ Pre-K3 through 8th!
(3-year-olds accepted into Pre-K3!)
**Catholic Environment**
Tuition Assistance Available
– so Register Early!
For more information, please call the School: 202-561-1189
FOOD HANDLERS’ CERTIFICATION CLASS: A Food Handlers’ Certification Class will be held at St. Thomas MoreChurch on Saturday August 18, 2012, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Fee is $80.00. Please bring your “brown bag” lunch. Interested persons may obtain more information and/or register by calling Mary Waters on 202-562-0431, ext. 10, no later than August 10, 2012.
STM FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS
STILL APRECIATED!!
We currently are experiencing a GREAT NEED for food donations and appeal to your generous spirit of giving to support Our STMFood Pantry. (We have a low supply of foods and are in need of nutritious foods.)
Requests for assistance remain on the rise!!
STM has served as a wellspring of relief for many!
We continue to have a particular need for:
STAPLES: Hot and cold cereals, peanut butter, jelly, rice, pasta, instant potatoes, beans, tomato paste/sauce;
AND
NUTRITIOUS CANNED ITEMS: Stews with meat, chicken, hash, spaghetti with meat balls, tuna, salmon, fruits & vegetables.
We greatly appreciate your assistance! Thank You!
~SPECIAL THANKS~
We express our heartfelt thanks to the STM SODALITY for your GENEROUS DONATIONwhich helped to supplement our Food Pantry! God Bless You!!
*SHARE INFORMATION FOR AUGUST*
SIGN-UP:TODAY, and August 12th & 19th,
10:30am-1:30pm.
PICK-UP: Saturday, August 25th, 11am-12:30pm. Please be on time. See Mrs. Mary Bush for more info.
NOTES FOR TODAY…
______
STM RESOURCE DIRECTORY!! Do you have a skill, service/business, talent or hobby that you would like to share? If so, the STM Parish Council is updating the STM ResourceDirectory. Forms are available in the church for you to complete and submit to Toni Torain or CeeCee Poindexter, as they strive tocompile a more current directory.
If you have publishing skills and would like to be part of theResource Directory Team, please call Mrs. Toni Torain at 301-630-1052. Thank you!
VISIT OUR STM WEBSITE: Would you like to listen to a recent Homily, read the Sunday Bulletin or check for updates to the Parish Calendar on-line? You may access these items, and much more, at