Classes Resume Sunday, 1/2 and Tuesday 1/4

Catechetical Classes resume for Preschool on Sunday, January 2.

Classes resume for grades 1-8 on Tuesday, January 4. Merry Christmas!

Advent Family Night

We have another evening of Whole-Community Catechesis coming up on Tuesday, November 30, 6:30-8:30pm.

Come get in the spirit of Advent! The entire parish is welcome. We will learn about Advent, it's relationship to Christmas and our Liturical Year. We will make a keepsake ornament to adorm our trees. We will sing, clap, pray, and praise!

This event is part of Catechetical Ministry and all Catechetical students and their families are expected to attend. No Drop offs. If you need childcare for those under 3, please let me know by Nov. 15 so I can provide adequate staffing.

Family Night October 26, 6:30pm

Celebrating the lives of the Saints..

and our own “Call to Holiness”

When: Tuesday, October 26, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Becket Hall

We will begin with food and hospitality (something St. Thomas is very good at!) Next we will explore the lives of a few saints, discuss the theology behind the Communion of Saints, the feasts of All-Saints Day and All-Souls Day, the Hispanic customs of Dia de los Muertos. We will break into age groups for some in-depth discussion and hands-on activities, then rejoin and finish the evening with prayer.

RSVP: to Sherry at 364-8840 or cm@stcsj.org

Finally, you are invited to bring a memento/photo of your deceased loved ones. We will be creating an altar to remember those who have gone before us. It will remain up through Nov. 2, the Feast of All Souls. Please put your name on the item, so we can be sure it gets returned to you.

Upcoming Dates in Catechetical Ministry..

September 21, 7pm (Tuesday): Mandatory All Parent/All Catechist Meeting. Come meet your child’s catechist and get an overview of our program this year. This meeting is for parents only, please contact Sherry if you need childcare. If you are going to miss the meeting, you may read the talking points here:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B3vdg1COCS0hMTc0ODcxNzAtZGVkNC00NzFhLThkZTAtZWFjODJkYjBmMzUz&hl=en&authkey=CIi0v_EB

September 26, (Sunday): Early childhood classes begin for preschoolers during the 9am Mass.

September 28, (Tuesday): First day of classes.

Grades 1-4 meet at 4-5:15pm.

Grades 5-8 meet at 7-8:15pm.

October 3, Sunday, 12-4pm. Parish Fall Festival
click here for flyer:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B6e2e4Z7SAORMTQyYjJkODUtYTlhNS00MDMyLWJiMDEtNDcwOTI3MWQzZWVl&hl=en

Registration for fall Catechetical classes

Faith in God is the most important thing you can nurture in your child. Showing our child(ren) that God loves them unconditionally helps to build healthy, emotionally stable, well-grounded individuals. Together as the catholic faith community of St. Thomas, we can show our children that unconditional love God has for all of us. Together, we can teach our children how we pray, what we believe, and how we live our lives.

Registration for Catechetical and Sacrament preparation classes will take place after all masses the weekend of August 28-29, 2010. Registration materials will be mailed out to all families who were previously enrolled. If you are new to St. Thomas, you may pick up materials in the office after August 15.

Classes are held from late September through mid-May for the following age groups:

Preschool, ages 3-6: Sundays mornings during the 9am mass.
Grades 1-4: Tuesdays, 4-5:15pm.
Grades 5-8: Tuesdays, 7-8:15pm.
Children seeking the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist need to complete two years of preparation.
Grade 9: Confirmation preparation is also a two year process. Sundays, 10-11:15am January-May

For more information contact Sherry Scott, catechetical coordinator, at (408) 364-8840 or cm@stcsj.org.

Have a great Summer!

"God, our Father, protect us as we travel and explore this summer. Keep our minds and our bodies healthy as we relax and rejuvenate after a busy school year. Help us to always walk as disciples of your Son, Jesus, whether at work or at play. Amen"

Catechetical Sunday, September 19

This year's theme is Matrimony, Sacrament of Enduring Love. We will be commissioning our catechists at the 9am mass. We need a few more catechists for our Early Childhood program and as ministers of Children's Liturgy of the Word. The commitment is once per month. Training and support are provided. If you feel called to serve; to share your faith with the next generation, please contact Sherry at cm@stcsj.org

Fall Festival

This year's fall festival is tentatively set for Sunday, October 3, 12-4pm. We will have our giant slide return along with all our great foods from last year, games, prizes, and raffle. Save the date! We are looking for volunteers to help with the planning and execution of this parish-wide event. Please contact Sherry to volunteer at cm@stcsj.org

Vacation Bible Camp

Twenty-two kids from St.Thomas are going on a SonQuest! We will transform St. Thomas and Sacred Heart Parishes into a tropical rainforest for our weeklong camp. Lively music, bible stories, scripture memory verses, lots of fun games, crafts, yummy snacks and lunch await us as we go on a quest for Jesus. Nine teen counselors and sixteen adults from St. Thomas will assist them on their journey. Please keep us all in your prayers through Sunday, June 20. Camp runs from Monday-Friday, June 14-18 with a closing Mass at Sacred Heart on Sunday, June 20 at 5pm.

Our Fruits of the Spirit Potluck Dinner is next Saturday evening, May 23 after the 5:15pm mass. Free tickets are available after all masses. (the tickets help us with headcount and seating) We will be having a talent show and a sing-a-long. If you or your families are interested in having an act in the talent show, please contact, Sherry at sscott@dsj.org.

May is the month of Mary. We crowned Mary last weekend and presented flowers in her honor. Please continue to bring flowers to mass each weekend during May to keep the arrangements looking fresh throughout the month. This helps us to keep our flower budget down and also it brings a little bit of our homes (and gardens) into the church. You may add your flowers, just before each mass, to the vases at the foot of the statue of Mary. (Remember to shake the flowers upside down, to keep bugs out of the church!)

Fr. Hao going to Holy Family Parish

Fr. Hao announced last weekend that he has been assigned to Holy Family Parish starting on July 1, 2010. Fr. Mark Catalano will be coming on July 1 to be our new pastor. We have had a wonderful five years with Fr. Hao, and we will unwillingly let him go to his new assignment. Stay tuned for details on a reception to bid him farewell.

Do you have what it takes to be a catechist?

We are always in need of new catechists. Please consider sharing your faith next year with the children and teens of our parish. You only need faith in Jesus and a willing heart. Training and support, (and a co-catechist) will be provided for you. Can you answer, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening"?

Our catechetical program cannot run without the dedication of many faithful catechists. I am truly honored and proud to work with so many wonderful and talented people. Please keep them in your prayers over the summer, that they be refreshed and renewed to continue again in their service in the fall.

I am most grateful to:
Early Childhood:
Nancy Sisneros, Coordinator
Delia Besio, Patricia Soraire

Grade 1:
Eva Rust, Lorene Hughes

Grade 2:
Vicki Schwoob

Grade 3/4:
Pat Arand, Kim Hanrahan

Grade 5:
Marie Beno, Pat Miller

Grade 6:
Sandra Tagatac, Kathy Quick, Kathy Foos

Grade 7:
Judy Machado, Leticia Tapia

Confirmation:
Kathy Small, Kathy Quick

One-to-one Catechesis:
Lucy Chai, Dolores Procaccio

May Crowning

This year, on Mother’s Day (May 9), we will have a procession and ceremony to honor Mary as the Mother of God This will take place at the beginning of the 9am mass. If you would like to help with or participate in this ceremony, please contact Sherry in the parish office at 364-8840, or sscott@dsj.org.

All children in the parish (male and female) will be invited to participate. On that day, all are invited to bring flowers from your gardens to place in special vases at the foot of Mary’s statue. Children are asked to wear their Easter or First Communion clothes.

Spring Break for Public Schools

Catechetical classes will not meet this Tuesday, April 13. We will resume class on Tuesday April 20.

There is no Early Childhood class or Confirmation class this weekend, April 11. The Early Childhood Program and Confirmation class will resume on Sunday, April 18.

Youth Choir

The next Youth mass is May 2 at 11am. This is also First Communion Day for several of our young candidates. Choir rehearsals for this liturgy will be Tuesdays, April 20 and April 27 from 5:30-6:30pm. All youth of the parish ages 7-18 are invited to join us. Questions? Contact Pat Miller, mscoolmusic@gmail.com or Sherry Scott at sscott@dsj.org.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!”

Alleluia! He is risen!

Did you know that the early Christians greeted one another with this phrase during the Easter season?

"Alleluia! He is risen."

To which one would reply,"He is truly risen." or "He is risen indeed."

Now that Easter Sunday is over, how can we continue to celebrate the resurrection throughout these 50 days? Some ideas include receiving the Eucharist more often, using the Easter greeting above with one another, making hot cross buns or paschal bread for the family, performing random acts of kindness to a stranger.

Vacation Bible Camp

We are busy making decorations for this summer's Vacation Bible Camp. The theme is SONQuest Rainforest and so we are making snakes, leopards, monkeys, and lots of other neat things found in the tropical rain forest. If you would like to come by and help us, we are working on Tuesdays at 4-5pm and also from 7-8pm. Our remaining decorating dates are: April 20, 27 and May 4 and 11. Teens can get service hour credit for helping out! If you would prefer to take things home to work on, please make arrangements with Sherry at 364-8840 or sscott@dsj.org.

Easter Egg Hunt

Thank you! To the many anonymous donors of candy and plastic eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt last week. Praise be to God that the weather held, and the rain came after the eggs were found! This event would not have been possible with the help of: Tim Scott, Robert Scott, Ellen Scott, Madisen Lindsey, Rachel Moore, Sara Lennon, Katie DiLeo, Amanda Lavond, Jose Tapia, Augustin Tapia, Alberto Tapia, Kim Hanrahan, Isabelle Defrenne, Jackson Lennon, Luisa Lennon, and Maria Panelli.

Parish Reconciliation Service

Thursday, March 25, 7pm. Parents, please bring your children and model the regular reception of this wonderful, healing sacrament. All Children who have made their First Reconciliation are encouraged to attend.

Monthly Food and Clothing Drive

This weekend, March 20-21, is our Monthly Food and Clothing drive. Please remember to bring your items and place them at the foot of the altar during the Offeratory.

Emergency Housing Consortium is looking for new sheets (especially twin size) for four families who recently lost their homes due to fire. Please consider helping our neighbors in need.

Finally, Annette Hancock, from Emergency Housing Consortium, collected four fleece blankets that were made by CM. She also visited our 4pm classes on Tuesday to tell us more about EHC and what she does there. Here's a photo of the blankets made by our students.

Easter Egg Hunt

Bring the kids and join us for our annual Easter Egg Hunt immediately following the 9am mass on Easter Sunday. Participants will gather in Becket Hall to await the start of the hunt. Staggered start time with younger participants starting first.

Please join us for mass at 9am, April 4, our children's choir will lead us in song.

Helpers are needed: We will be stuffing plastic eggs on Tuesday, March 30 during the 4pm and 7pm class times.

Also, helpers are needed the morning of the event to hide eggs and monitor the hunt. Teens are especially invited to help. Contact Sherry at cm@stcsj.org.

St. Patrick's Celebration

Join us as we celebrate the patron saint of Ireland. Tickets are on sale after all masses. Purchase early, seating is limited to 125. A small number of take out orders will be available.

When: Saturday, March 13, 6:30pm

Where: Becket Hall

Tickets: $15/adults, $6 child under 12

Dinner provided by our Knights of Columbus and includes mouth-watering corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, vegetables, soda bread and an ice cream bar.

Live music and Irish dancers!

This is a fundraiser to benefit Catechetical Ministry. In addition, the seminarians of our diocese will be our guests for the evening. Let's give them a hearty St. Thomas welcome and also encourage them in their vocation of service to the local church.

Vacation Bible Camp

We invite you to go on an adventure with us to SonQuest Rain Forest where we will "Follow Jesus on a life-changing adventure!"



Register online at www.sacredheartsaratoga.org
Hurry! Registration closes April 3!



When: M-F, June 14-18, 2010

Time: 8:45am-12noon

Or: 8:45am-3:00pm (full day option)

Where: Sacred Heart Parish

Cost: $65 half day

Or: $110 full day (includes catered lunch)

Scholarships available for St. Thomas families



Co-Sponsored by: St. Thomas and Sacred Heart Parishes



We need Adult and Teen (grades 7-12) volunteers to help.

Questions? want to volunteer?

Please contact Sherry at (408)364-8840 or sscott@dsj.org



"It's the most fun week of the summer," quote from a satisfied camper.

Classes resume this Sunday/Tuesday

Confirmation and Early Childhood classes resume tomorrow, Sunday, Feb 21.

CM classes for grades 1-7 resume on Tuesday, February 23.

There is Youth Choir practice in the church on Tuesday from 5:30-6:30.

Volunteers are needed to burn and label CD's for this years Vacation Bible Camp this Tuesday, Feb.23 from 4-5pm and from 7-8pm.

Lenten Outreach

This Lent, Catechetical Ministry will be collecting food items for our local families. Each week, please help your child to bring the in requested items. Spend some time talking with your child about the fact that many people go to bed hungry each night. Pray together that the food you offer along with many others can make a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

1. Week of February 21 and 23: Bring in Breakfast items. (box cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat..)

2.Week of February 28 and March 2: Bring in lunch items. (cans of soup, box of crackers, peanut butter, cans of fruit...)

3.Week of March 7 and 9: Bring in dinner items (bag of rice, bags or cans on beans, meal in a can, stews...)

4.Week of March 14 and 16: Bring in staples. (TP, tissues, flour, sugar, cake mixes...)

5.Week of March 21 and 23: Any of the above.

Don't forget to pray!

Monthly Food and Clothing Drive, February 20-21

This weekend is our monthly food and clothing drive. Please bring gently used clothing (especially BLANKETS) and non-perishable food items (no glass containers) to mass this weekend. Bring your items forward during Offeratory.

No classes on Sunday or Tuesday, Feb 14 and 16

Just a friendly reminder that we do not have Early Childhood classes, confirmation or Children's Liturgy this Sunday. Also, there are no CM classes on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Enjoy your break from school and Happy Valentine's Day!

Lenten Soup Supper and Stations of the Cross

Our Lenten Soup Supper and Stations of the Cross is coming up on Friday, February 26, from 6:30-8:30pm.

This is part of Catechetical Ministry and I expect all families to participate. Please email to let me know if you can bring a "meatless" soup or bread to share.

Even if you cannot bring anything, I really want all children in CM to attend with their parents.

The Stations of the Cross will be lead by our students.

Station 1: Pontius Pilate- Michael Machado
Station 2: Barabbus- open
Station 3: King Herod-Jason Panelli
Station 4: Mary, Mother of Jesus-Cassandra Moreno
Station 5: Simon of Cyrene-Jeremy Panelli
Station 6: Veronica-Sara Machado
Station 7: Caiaphas-Daniel Machado
Station 8: a Woman of Jerusalem-open
Station 9: Longinus, a soldier-Thomas DiLeo
Station 10: Thief who was not sorry-open
Station 11: Dismas, the sorry thief-Augustin Tapia
Station 12: Mary Magdalene-Megan Lavond
Station 13: Salome-Ally Dagdagan
Station 14: Nicodemas-Jackson Lennon

Most students have received their scripts. If you have not received your script, let me know and I will email it to you. Please arrive by 6pm the day of so we can go over your speaking part and set you up with a costume/prop. If your plans change and you cannot commit to being in the stations, please let me know in advance so I can reassign your part. sscott@dsj.org

If you have an idea for a costume/prop for them, if you have something at home, like a garland, play sword, crown, veil, cloth, etc. Let me know, it makes it fun when the kids take ownership for their costume/prop. Just one simple item that represents the character is all that is needed. I can get things if you draw a complete blank.

Ash Wednesday, Lent Begins

The 40 days of Lent begin next week with the celebration of Ash Wednesday, February 17. Masses are at 8:30am and 7pm. Please bring your children to mass. Lent is a very special time of year, a time to be reflective, and to take inventory of our spiritual lives. We can model this for even our youngest children.

What are the three things that Catholics do during Lent?

1. We pray. We recognize our need for God in our lives, and we try to be more attentive to putting God first on a daily basis. Daily Mass, Prayer services, praying the rosary as a family, Lexio Divina (using scripture as a starting point to prayer) are just some of the ways we can pray during Lent. Taking a walk, observing the spring emerging around us can give us time to be with our Creator. Quiet time is wonderful time to spend with God. No words are needed. Quiet time is one of the best things we can give to our children in this fast-paced, electronic media driven world. We, and our children, need to seek a balance and regular time away from all that. Consider turning off the TV, computer and other noise makers in your home. Seek some quiet and solitude for yourselves and for your children. See you can let God in to rejuvenate you, like the fresh buds in the spring.

1. We fast. We sharpen our senses and our appreciation for things when we show restraint. Giving up a particular food, the more we like the particular food, the more we get to practice self-control. Self-control and moderation are two key aspects of living a balanced and peaceful life. Being able to make do with what you have, to have appreciation for what is around you, and not always looking at what others have is the key to the happiness God wants for us. Practicing our faith, means practicing being prudent, living with less, postponing our gratification. Do we really need it all NOW! What about NOW? Will it ever be enough? What is it that truly makes us happy? For me and for Catholic Christians, it is a relationship with God. And so, to remind ourselves of that, we fast.

Fasting can also be about giving up things which keep us from God. One of my favorites that a friend once told me is that her adolescents were giving up "put-downs" for Lent. In case you're not sure what that means, they were going to stop putting each other down with unkind remarks.

3. We give alms. We can't show our love for God by buying or making God a birthday present. But we can show God our love by loving his children. Almsgiving is all about doing what Jesus would do if He were still walking on this earth. As disciples of Jesus, we continue his work. We do it out of gratitude and also because of our discipleship, we have been sent. There are oh so many ways that we can do this that we may feel overwhelmed. One of the biggest ways we do this as a parish community at St. Thomas is through the monthly food and clothing drive.

Social Justice-Kairos Ministry

This weekend some of our St. Thomas parishioners will be reaching out to the imprisoned as part of the Kairos ministry. Our 3rd/4th and 6th graders made cut-out hands with inspiring messages to go into the prison this weekend. Please remember these women who will be ministered to this weekend as well as for the team of volunteers.

Note from Nidia Martinez, a volunteer from St. Thomas

Hello Everyone, this is a gentle reminder for those who will be praying for the Residents of FCI Dublin Prison and for the outside team of 42 ladies. Kairos weekend will start tomorrow Friday 12th at 5:00 pm and will finish at 5:00 pm on Monday 15th.

May God Blessed you all.

Love,
Nidia

Volunteers needed!!

Can you help with any of the following projects at St. Thomas? if so, please email Sherry at sscott@dsj.org

"No-Sew" Blankets, outreach project for EHC

A few of the CM classes are going to make "no-sew blankets" for Emergency Housing Consortium. I need a few parents to stay during the 4 and 7pm class times This week and next to prep and cut fleece. Also, if any parents would like to donate fleece (Hancock fabrics has loads of it) one blanket takes 2 yards each of 2 coordinating colors of fleece (usually one solid and one print) Stop by and take a look when you drop off on Tuesday!

Lenten Soup Supper and Stations of the Cross

Friday, Feb. 26, 6-8pm. I am looking for folks to help to organize this event. It starts with a potluck soup and bread dinner followed by the students leading us in Stations of the Cross. We have a planning meeting set for Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7:15pm in Becket Hall.

St. Patrick's Celebration

Saturday, March 13, 6:15-9:30pm. First planning meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 16. 7:15pm in Becket Hall. We need folks to organize volunteers to serve food and drink, coordinate with our Irish Dance troup, sell tickets and decorate the hall. If you can help, please email me. Many hands make light work!

Vacation Bible Camp

We will be teaming up with our neighbor parish, Sacred Heart to put on SonQuest Rainforest the week of June 14-18. This event takes months of planning. Our task for February is to duplicate and label all of the music CDs that will be given out to campers when they register. This event is perfect for teens or the young at heart. A CD burning and labeling party will be held at St. Thomas on Tuesday, Feb. 23 during the 4 and 7pm class times.

Monthly Food & Clothing Drive, this weekend
Jan 16 & 17.

1) Non-perishable food need for our families in need. Please do not bring food with expired labels.

2) Clothing will be donated to Sacred Heart Community Services

3) Toiletries, NEW SOCKS – High Demand!, underwear, blankets, etc. will be donated to Emergency Housing Corsortium.

Thank you for your continued support of our brothers and sisters in need!

Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction

This Tuesday, January 12, we will begin catechetical classes with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.

Parents are encouraged to stay and pray with us in the church. Drop your students off in your child's classroom (attendance will be taken) then proceed to the church. You child will gather with their class and process in to church with their catechist.

Do you know what this is a photo of? It is a monstrance. It is used to display the Blessed Sacrament (consecrated host) for public viewing and adoration. (Think: demonstrate, it means to show)

There are many forms of prayer. We hope to introduce your child to many of them this year. As we pray and meditate on the Blessed Sacrament, we rejoice in Jesus' gift of himself to us. The Emmanuel that we just finished celebrating at Christmas is ever present to us in the Eucharist. Alleluia!

Youth Choir
St. Thomas of Canterbury
Rehearsal Schedule
(all rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm in the church-all are welcome)

January 26
February 2
Mass: February 7, 11am

February 23
March 2
Mass: March 7, 11am

March 23
March 30
Mass: April 4, 9:00am!!

April 20
April 27
Mass: May 2, 11am