Lighting Up West Hempstead - 2026!
“Every Light Has a Story”

Your opportunity to sponsor/memorialize a lighted
angel or tree for our 2026 Christmas display

• Once again, the Nativity Creche will be displayed in the front of the school building
  with a larger space to display the stable, animals, and the Christmas figures.
• Eighteen lighted angels around the creche -- announcing the birth of Jesus!
• Surrounding the scene are beautifully lit Christmas trees
• THIS YEAR -- Additional trees around the statue of Mary by the rectory circle.

How you can participate!

• Sponsor/memorilize a five-foot lighted Christmas tree for $125. Each tree will have your
  personalized memorial at the base of the tree.
• Sponsor/memorialize an angel for just $150. Again, each angel will also have your
  personalized memorial!
• Save the date -- Friday, December 4th -- join us for the youth concert at 7pm in our Church,
  followed by our outdoor nativity lighting, Christmas Carols and Hot Chocolate treats!

Click here to fill out a form to sponsor either an ANGEL or a TREE

Father Tony offers a ten-minute video reflection to parents of our Religious Education Program -- and to all of us

This week's video -- "Why do I have to tell my sins to a priest?

Come to Saint Thomas Church Wednesday, November 18th beginning at 6:30pm

Father Michael Iroh, Associate Pastor, Saint Martin of Tours -- Presider,
Father Tony Stanganelli, Pastor Saint Thomas -  Homilist

Come join fellow parishioners at 

Saint Thomas the Apostle
Annual Thanksgiving Dinner-Dance

Join us on Thursday Evenings to Explore our Catholic Faith through Scripture and Catechesis

Next Session This Thursday, October 8th!

OCIA - The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults

Do you know someone who wants to become a Catholic?
Do you know a Catholic who never got around to receiving Communion or Confirmation?
Spread the word about OCIA!

What is the “Order of Christian Initiation of Adults” (OCIA)?

We realize that God has his own timing – and in His plan, He invites people into a relationship with Him when the time is right.

• Some who are not Christian are invited to enter into full membership in the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.
• Some who are baptized in a Protestant denomination might be hearing the Lord’s invitation to enter into full communion with the Church through the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.
• And others, baptized Catholics but who never got around to receiving communion or confirmation, are invited to become full members of the Church.

OCIA is not a “program” – it is a process where members of our OCIA team journey with our inquirers to help them explore their faith and hear God’s invitation as we listen to His voice in the Bible.  OCIA is about meeting people where they are at - and making the journey of faith with them to their reception of the sacraments of the Church.

If you know someone who is inquiring (or maybe it is you yourself as you read this article), please call our OCIA team leader, Rob Waters at 516-292-5883 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Christmas with The New York Tenors!
Friday, December 11th at 7:30pm
Saint Thomas the Apostle Church

Saint Thomas the Apostle Church welcomes the extraordinary voices of Andy Cooney, Daniel Rodriguez, and Emilio Pons — The New York Tenors — for a spectacular evening of Christmas music on Friday, December 11th at 7:30pm in the Upper Church. Blending soaring vocals, beloved Christmas favorites, sacred music, Broadway classics, and plenty of New York personality, The New York Tenors have delighted audiences from Carnegie Hall to concert stages around the country. The evening will begin with a special performance by Long Island’s own Christopher and Elizabeth Woods — Woods Worship.

Ticket prices:

Premier Seating: $65 (plus handling fees)
Mind-range seating: $55 (plus handling fees)
Economy seating: $45 (plus handling fees)

Click here to purchase tickets 

OR

Call the rectory office (516-489-8585) and we will purchase tickets for you!

Make it a FULL evening -- with our special Pre-Concert Dinner 
Seating begins at 5:30pm in our Parish Center
An opportunity to meet and greet the stars of the evening!

$40 per person includes: 
Three-Course dinner PLUS Beer, wine, soda, water
Limited seating so act NOW!
All reservations FINALIZED and PAID FOR by December 1st!

Click here to make your reservation: 

About our performers

	Andy Cooney is one of Irish America’s most celebrated entertainers, renowned for his warm tenor voice and engaging stage presence. A Long Island native, Andy began performing professionally as a teenager and has since appeared at prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, and Carnegie Hall, which he has filled eight times. A recording artist with more than 20 albums to his credit, Andy brings together Irish tradition, popular standards, country influences, and heartfelt storytelling. He is the Irish-American voice at the heart of The New York Tenors.
	Daniel Rodriguez, known around the world as New York’s “Singing Policeman,” first captured the nation’s heart following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Then an NYPD officer, his stirring performances offered comfort and hope to a grieving country. His subsequent career has included performances with major orchestras, appearances at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and training with the Washington National Opera under the direction of Plácido Domingo. Today, Daniel continues an international career of concerts, recordings, patriotic appearances, and charitable work, bringing his powerful tenor voice and inspirational story to audiences everywhere.
	Emilio Pons Mexican-German tenor Emilio Pons has performed on many of the world’s distinguished stages, including the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Royal Opera in Copenhagen, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Mexico’s Ópera de Bellas Artes, and Carnegie Hall. His repertoire includes leading roles in works by Mozart, Donizetti, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. Pons holds Master and Doctor of Music degrees from Indiana University and is co-founder and Artistic Director of the New York Vocal Arts Academy. An accomplished pianist as well as vocalist, he brings an impressive international operatic background to The New York Tenors
	Christopher and Elizabeth Woods, known as Woods Worship, share a passion for “leading hearts to Christ through music.” Long active in Catholic music ministry on Long Island, the brother-and-sister duo combines vocals with Chris’s violin and Elizabeth’s piano and multi-instrumental talents. Together they have provided music for parish liturgies, retreats, Holy Hours, conferences, and other Catholic gatherings. Both are recording artists, and Woods Worship also brings its ministry to a wider audience through streaming music and online evangelization. Their joyful, prayerful style makes them a wonderful opening to this Christmas celebration.

Creating a Safe Environment - Enlisiting your Support

-- from Father Tony

Twenty-five years ago, the Catholic Church in the United States was rocked by the clergy-abuse scandal. At that time, serious questions were asked: How did this happen? How can we, who love our Church so much, do everything possible to prevent such abuse from happening again? How can we rebuild trust?

Over these past twenty-five years, our diocese, along with dioceses throughout the country, has adopted rigorous screening processes as well as pastoral and educational programs designed to help all of us recognize signs that might alert us to potential problems. During this time, I myself have witnessed what Saint Paul describes in his Letter to the Romans: “where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.”

We cannot hide the fact that terrible harm was done and that the effects of that harm deeply damaged both trust in the Church and, for many members of the laity, their desire to remain engaged in its life. Yet there is also great evidence of God’s grace at work in parishioners who have responded by becoming even more engaged and committed to the mission of the Church.

Even here at Saint Thomas, countless volunteers have completed the required background checks and participated in our safe-environment education programs. They have generously given their time to help ensure that our parish remains a place where children, young people, and all vulnerable members of our community can be safe and protected. Their commitment has helped our parish continue and flourish even through some of the most challenging times in the life of the Church.

In recent days, our own diocese has evaluated how we can improve the ways in which parish staff members and volunteers participate in the process of creating a safe environment within our church communities. All active staff members and volunteers who have been participating in our safe-environment program, VIRTUS, will be invited, beginning in 2031, to receive updated information concerning “best practices” for recognizing and reporting signs that may indicate potential danger to the well-being of young people. These updates, which will take place every five years, will help all of us remain aware of changing circumstances and trends in our culture that deserve our attention.

Those parish staff members and volunteers who may not have remained active or current in their participation in the VIRTUS program will be asked to re-enroll in the screening process and to participate in a refresher session in the near future.

Pam O’Boyle is our coordinator of parish safe-environment programs. She is presently contacting our parish volunteers and staff members to make sure that we are in compliance with these new diocesan protocols. She will also continue to assist new volunteers as they become enrolled in the VIRTUS program.

As we make this journey together, I am confident that the generosity and positive spirit with which our parishioners have embraced all that we need to do to protect the most vulnerable members of our community will continue. We all love Saint Thomas Parish, and all of us, as members of this great community of faith, are committed to seeing our parish grow and thrive in the years ahead. For this reason, I wanted the entire parish to know about these new initiatives so that you, too, can share my confidence as we move forward.

As always, both Pam and I are available to respond to any concerns or questions you may have. We continue our journey together with great faith in God and great love for the work we have been invited to do in His name.

Basketball Clinics

1st and Second Grade Boys and Girls

$150 per child: (Dates to be determined)

Travel Basketball

3rd through 8th Grades

$250 per child

Boys' practices start October and continue through March
Girls' practices start late September and continue through January

Click here for Registration Form

One of the most pressing needs we now face is the replacement of the air conditioning system in the church. The present air conditioning system is more than sixty years old.  The present system is barely serviceable, it uses a non EPA compliant freon that is not easily found, and the actual method of cooling is potentially dangerous (Cooling water towers such as ours are where  legions of air diseases were attributed to have arisen). For many obvious reasons, WE CAN NOT HAVE THIS SYSTEM ANY LONGER!

About two years ago, we began looking seriously into what would be involved in replacing this outdated system. The project is not as simple as buying a new air conditioning unit and plugging it in. We need to purchase a new 60-ton chiller, using EPA- compliant refrigerant, and have the necessary engineering drawings prepared so that we can make the best possible decision regarding the size, location, and installation of the new equipment. 

Initially, we had hoped that the entire cost of the new system might be covered through anticipated funds from Employee Retention Credits, which were offered as a form of post-Covid relief. Unfortunately, delays occurred, both in regard to the availability and purchasing of the needed chiller units and, quite honestly, because we did not have the funds on hand to move forward with confidence.

In the near future, you will receive a letter inviting you to participate in a one-time campaign to help fund this project. This is not a luxury project. It is not about making the church more comfortable in some extravagant way. It is about replacing a system that has served this parish for more than six decades and is now beyond its reasonable life expectancy. It is about ensuring that the church can continue to be a welcoming and usable space during the warmer months of the year. It is about being responsible before the system fails entirely and leaves us with fewer options, greater inconvenience, and possibly even higher costs.

Please watch the bulletin and the website for further developments as we move forward with this project.

Welcome Father Rick Stelter!

Bishop Barres has appointed Father Rick Stelter as our new associate pastor to serve the needs of the people of Saint Thomas the Apostle Church. The assignment will take effect on Wednesday, June 24th. Father Rickwas ordained for the Diocese of Rockville Centre on March 15, 1980 (exactly one year after Father Tony’s ordination). Father Rick and Father Tony share a lot of connections. In his early priesthood, Father Rick served the people of Westbury at Saint Brigid’s Church (Father Tony’s last pastorate) as well as serving the people of Saint Barnabas in Bellmore (Father Tony’s home parish). Both Father Tony and Father Rick went to Saint Pius X High School seminary, Cathedral College and the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception; both also pursued post graduate work at Fordham University. And finally, both are Met fans!

For the past twenty-four years, Father Rick has been pastor of Saint Martin of Tours in Amityville and Our Lady of Peace in Lynbrook. As he has finished his second term as pastor of Our Lady of Peace, Father Rick was generous enough to stay active in ministry and make himself available for priestly service in the Diocese. And so, the Bishop has assigned him to work with us here at Saint Thomas.

We look forward to offering a warm welcome to Father Rick as he begins this new chapter in his priestly life.

Father Tony and Father Charles Mangano invite you to join them in a nine-day long pilgrimage to Medjugorje this summer August 8 - 16

During the time of our pilgrimage, we will be staying in the house of Ivan Dragicevic, one of the six visionaries who allegedly have received these apparitions from our Lady since 1981. During our time together we will participate in daily Mass and spiritual activities, united with pilgrims around the world to visit the sites of the apparition and to listen to Ivan tell his own story of those early days of Medjugorje. 

The all-inclusive price of $3,843 per person includes: 

• Round-trip Airfare from New York, All Airport Taxes & Fuel Surcharges,
• 7 Nights: Dragicevic Family Home with Private Baths,
• Breakfast and Dinner Daily, Wine with Dinners, 
• Transfers by Private Motor Coach, 
• Escorted by Professional Local Christian Guides, 
• Sightseeing and Spiritual Activities, 
• Mass Daily & Spiritual Activities, 
• Special Times of Prayer and Group Meetings,
• Unlimited Use of the Private Home Chapel Books and Tapes, 
• Luggage Handling (1 Piece per Person)
• Air Conditioning in Double Occupancy Only (No Single Rooms).

You will need to make your reservations soon since these trips are booking fast!

Visit us on Sundays  from 8am to 1pm
Saint Thomas the Apostle Chapel
Lower Level

Our Thrift Shop is moving to a new location (BIGGER and BETTER)

All sales benefit our Parish, so please stop by and support STA!

We welcome donations that are new or in excellent condition.  Please drop off at the rectory.

Can you volunteer to help us at the Thrift Shop? If so, leave a message for Ana at 516-817-1960.

Once again, by popular demand, we are featuring an upcoming Junk-in-the-Trunk Sales at Saint Thomas CHAPEL parking-lot -- Saturday, Saturday, April 25th (weather permitting)

The history of the U.S. Catholic Church, like the history of the United States itself, is very much intertwined with the phenomenon of migration. The first American citizen to be canonized a saint, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, was the embodiment of this. An immigrant from Italy, she adopted this country as her own. While often facing discrimination and seemingly impossible odds, she never succumbed to hopelessness. With relentless faith, she accompanied her fellow immigrants and others living on the margins of society with a great missionary zeal. 

But Mother Cabrini’s challenges, and the challenges of those she served, are not unique among the generations of Catholics and immigrants in general who have come to this land. This is not just a matter of history. It is a present reality in the life of our Church and nation. 

As Catholics, we are called to recognize the face of Christ in each person we encounter, especially the poor and vulnerable. Jesus tells us in his own words: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35). The Gospel and the social teaching of the Church continually affirm the equal dignity of every person, irrespective of race, nationality, or immigration status.

The Cabrini Pledge is both a reminder of our immigrant heritage and a call to deeper engagement with our faith in response to current events. At a time when our culture is dominated by deep political divisions and reasonable disagreements about immigration policy, progress can feel impossible. But by witnessing to the God-given dignity of every person, including the migrants and refugees in our midst, we pave the way for an approach rooted in mercy, justice, and the common good. And together, like Mother Cabrini, we can be keepers of hop

Click here to take the pledge

Click here to read the New York Catholic Bishop's Statement

Click here to read the Statement of the US Conference of Bishop's

Join Father Tony each Thursday morning at 8:30am in the Sienna Center of Saint Catherine of Sienna Church for a weekly Bible study program, "Sunday to Sunday"

Beginning Thursday, October 2 and every Thursday thereafter, Father Tony will explore the upcoming Sunday's Gospel (and perhaps the first reading as well) offering an exegesis (study) of the passage, its context and meaning within the bible. Following the teaching, there will be an opportunity for prayerful sharing on the passage as time allows.

The sessions will take place at the Sienna Center of Saint Catherine of Sienna Church. All are welcome!