We at Saint Thomas are so very grateful for every single person who comes to worship the Lord at Sunday Mass. In a world where convenience seems to win over sacrifice, and words such as “obligation” seem like an old-fashioned cliché, your faithful presence at liturgy is so uplifting for every single person who gather for Mass. 

Still, after many years of habit, many of us feel comfortable with the Mass that we normally attend. It’s part of our routine – and since most of us sit in the same pew week after week, we come to know (or at least recognize) the people who sit around us. But now we are in a position where we must change – well a slight change in schedule in light of having one fewer priest to serve the people of Saint Thomas.

 The change affects our Masses in the chapel. Instead of 7:30am, 9:30am, 11am and 12:30pm in the chapel, our new schedule will be 7:30am, 10am and 11:30am in the chapel. This change will take effect on the weekend of November 26. The thought behind this new schedule was that people who normally attend the 9:30 Mass have a choice of either attending the 9 at Church or wait a half-hour for the new 10am in the chapel. And people who attend the 11am in the chapel now have a choice of either attending the 10:30am in the Church or wait a half-hour for the new 11:30am in the chapel. Those at the 12:30pm Mass are invited to either the 11:30 in the chapel or the 12 noon in the Church.

 “But that’s my Mass you’ve changed!” And while there may be many reasons why we have adopted a particular Mass time, making a slight move (as inconvenient as it may feel) brings us greater spiritual graces when we make our attendance at Mass a more intentional act (and not just part of a Sunday routine).

 Change isn’t easy – but God is always in the change – and blessing us for the sacrifices we make.

On the occasion of the patronal feast of our diocese, Saint Agnes, (Feast day January 21), Bishop Barres issues the following pastoral letter speaking of this great saint as a model of sacrificial self-giving. 

Read the text of the Bishop's Pastoral Letter

All middle school and senior high students are invited to audition for our Youth Group Summer Musical production of "The Wizard of Oz"

Prepare 16 - 20 bars of your favorite song (pop or from a musical)

Auditions: Friday evening, June 21 - 5:30 - 7:30pm
                        Saturday afternoon, June 22: 12 noon to 2pm

Call backs: Sunday, June 23rd from 1pm - 3pm

Saint Thomas the Apostle School Auditorium: 12 Westminster Road, West Hempstead

Bishop Barron Says New Vatican Document Affirms Church’s Timeless Teaching on Marriage

December 21, 2023

WASHINGTON – The document released this week by the Vatican on the pastoral meaning of blessings insists that marriage is a union of one man and one woman in lifelong fidelity and openness to children, said Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester. Following the publication of Fiducia supplicans by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, addressed questions and concerns that have emerged.

"In my capacity as chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, I would like to respond to some of the questions and concerns that have emerged in the wake of the publication of the Vatican document, Fiducia Supplicans. The statement in no way calls for a change in the Church’s teaching regarding marriage and sexuality. In fact, it goes to great lengths to insist that, in accord with unchanging doctrine, marriage is a union of one man and one woman in lifelong fidelity and openness to children.  

“The blessings that it allows for those in irregular relationships are not liturgical in nature and hence do not imply any approbation of such relationships. Rather, these benedictions are informal and spontaneous, designed to call upon God’s mercy to heal, guide, and strengthen. Despite some misleading coverage in the press, the declaration does not constitute a ‘step’ toward ratification of same-sex marriage nor a compromising of the Church’s teaching regarding those in irregular relationships.

“Fiducia Supplicans is very much congruent with Pope Francis’s long-held conviction that those who do not live up to the full demand of the Church’s moral teaching are nevertheless loved and cherished by God and invited to accept the Lord’s offer of forgiveness.”

Each year we hope to provide you with a financial picture of the finances of the parish -- comparing the most recently completed fiscal year with the previous year -- both with regard to revenue and expenses.

As you look at the charts and explanations below, there are a few things that might immediately grab your attention. It looks as though "collections" are down. Actually our Sunday collections have gone up slightly but we did not have as robust a collection at both Christmas and Easter. Also, this year we had eliminated some of the special second collections (like shrubs and gardens) which accounts for the overall decrease as well. Maybe we need to restore second collections!

Our largest increase in revenues this year came from three sources: the one-year rental of our school (which netted over $600,000) as well as money from Employee Retention Credit (IRS credits given to us for the employees we retained on payroll in the midst of the 2020 pandemic).  We were blessed to have this revenue; unfortunately, we are not sure if we will receive ERC revenue this year having applied for such credit from the first three quarters of 2021 (when the school was still open).

As we look at this year's budget, we have some good news and challenging news.

Good news: Through staff restructuring, we will be able to save some significant money in this current budget year. In salaries and benefits, we look to save over $150,000. Also, we may possible qualify for Employee Retention Credit for three quarters of the fiscal year 2021. We hope to engage in a rental agreement of our School Auditorium to Catholic Charities for the use of a senior day-care center (Monday through Friday).  We are also pursuing other rental possibilities for the school now and into the future. 

Challenging news:  The loss of our major tenant of the school building (Academy Charter School) means the loss of over $600,000 in revenue as we move forward. There will also be the need to replace our Church air conditioning system to a more EPA compliant (and cost reductive) chillers and pumps. 

What does all this mean? Our major (and most dependable) source of revenues to the parish, at present, is the generous contributions of our parishioners. But, as you can see from the report below, Sunday contributions account for only 45% of our total revenue. That means if the other sources of our revenue are not present (such as rental of the school building), we are in deep trouble. We have been able to survive this year (and perhaps next) because of extraordinary income such as Employee Retention Credit and bequests from estates where we are named as a beneficiary. For this reason, parishes advised that if they are going to be fiscally sound in years to come, the Sunday collection ought to amount to at least 55 - 60% of the total revenue of the parish. For this reason, we will need to engage in a modest "offertory increase campaign" in the next few weeks. Fundamentally, we would like to see at least a 10% increase in revenue that comes to us from collections.

As always, we thank you for your generosity because without that, we cannot achieve our mission here at Saint Thomas.

Note 1: Our Fund-raising income includes rebates from the Catholic Ministries Appeal, our Cash Calendar, and other fundraising events. While this line shows the income from fundraising, it is offset by the fundraising expenses listed in the expenditures column

Note 2: Income from Parish programs includes tuition for our Religious Education program, fees collected from Youth Ministry, pre-Cana and donations made to Human Services. 

Note 3: Auxiliary Revenue includes money collected from Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms, Donations made through the poor box and candles, rent paid on behalf of priests in residence, money that came to us through the PPP loans, Employee retention credit, bequests from wills and other donations. This year's surplus comes from over $600,000 rent of the school by Academy Charter School. IN the previous year, there was substantial income that came to us through PPP loans and large bequests.

Note 4: Collections on behalf of others: These are the diocesan collections (Religious Retirement, Catholic Relief Services, Tomorrow’s Hope, etc.) What is collected here is given directly to the diocese and appears as an expenditure.

Note 5: Non-operating revenue is revenue that comes through investments.

Note 6: Extraordinary Revenue: This is revenue that came in through the “Capital Improvement” collections and restricted donations.

Note 7: While salaries decreased, employee benefits have increased.

Note 8: Parish Program Expenses are from Religious Ed textbooks and disbursements made to our Human Services and Saint Vincent dePaul Society.

Note 9: Office and Administration expenses are postage and printing, telephone, computers, internet and accountant fees.

Note 10: Auxiliary expenses are liturgical expenses (vestments, hymnals, etc), and the diocesan assessment (approx 8% “tax” on our income supports diocesan administration)

Our recent Thanksgiving Food Drive was such a success -- because of YOU!  Your generosity helped Human Services prepare over 200 bags of pantry items. 

We also want a special shout-out to the students in our religious education program as well as members of our Youth Ministry program who participated in the drive.

Young and old alike -- together we make a statement about a parish that cares!

Human Services August Activity

Our food pantry distributed 108 bags of pantry items and $1439 in gift cards to 102 individuals in 58 families in August. We received donations of 52 bags of pantry items and $740 in gift cards. Thanks to the generosity of several of our parishioners, we were able to donate over 50 cartons of adult diapers to the Queen of Peace Residence! 

Click here for all the details on August activity for all Human Services Ministries

Taking just five minutes of your time in this anonymous survey can help us serve the Lord and this community more faithfully.

This survey is sent directly to Father Tony and is sent without any indication of your identity (email address, name, phone, etc.), unless you so choose.

Click here to take a short survey

Alzheimer Caregiver Support Groups

Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia?  Do you feel overwhelmed at times or have feelings of anxiety, guilt, anger, or helplessness?  One way to cope with such feelings is to join a caregiver support group and find other caregivers who understand and can relate to what you are going through.  Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation has partnered with Families & Children Association to offer specialized caregiver support groups providing the opportunity for individuals caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease to meet with other caregivers, participate in educational programs and have questions answered about their loved one’s care.  Groups include Men's Caregiver Support Group, Adult Child Support Group, Under 40 Caregiver Support Group and Bilingual Caregiver Support Group.  If you would like to join a support group or would like additional information, contact 516-586-1507 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. via email.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress.  People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.  988 is for more than just suicidal crises.  It is for any problem a person is having that causes them distress.  You do not need to provide personal information when you call 988.  The counselor may ask for information, but you can decline to share if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.

DENTAL CARE FOR DISABLED SENIORS

Dental Lifeline Network (dentallifeline.org) is offering donated comprehensive dental services to Nassau and Suffolk residents with no means to afford dental care who are over 65 years of age, permanently disabled, and have a need for medically necessary dental care.  Contact Madeline Lebron, 212-598-9000 or email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MARKETS ACCEPTING FRESH CONNECT COUPONS

The below markets are accepting Fresh Connect Coupons.  These are $4 checks given out to WIC families and low income seniors that can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from participating farmers.  Additional locations can be found by clicking here .

• MALVERNE: Crossroads Farm Farm Stand, 480 Hempstead Avenue, Malverne, Fri 3pm - 6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-3pm, Sat only in Nov
• ELMONT: Anna House Farm Stand at Belmont Park, 2150 Hempstead Tpke, Gate 6 driveway, Tuesday 10am – 2pm
• ROCKVILLE CENTER: Rockville Center Farmers’ Market, Sunrise Hwy & Long Beach Rd., Sunday 7am - 12pm

Volunteers are needed in our Baptism Ministry, which involves teams of two volunteers each, being present at our baptismal ceremonies which occur twice a month on Sundays at 1:30pm.  Each team is asked to serve about 4 to 5 times a year.  We limit each session to 4 children.  Volunteers are needed to greet and seat families in the prescribed locations and assist the Celebrant during the ceremony. 

Please assist in this great opportunity to feel the warm embrace of our Lord and to provide a reminder that our Church is alive and well.  To volunteer or obtain more information, please call Jayne and John Herchenroder at 516-272-3190.