St. Thomas More Catholic Church May 16, 2021
Saint Thomas More Catholic Church
10330 Hillcroft St. | Houston, TX 77096 | (713) 729-0221
ASCENSION OF THE LORD
Saint Thomas More Catholic Church
A r c h d i o c e s e o f G a l v e s t o n — H o u s t o n
10330 Hillcroft St. | Houston, TX 77096 | (713) 729-0221
www.stmhouston.org
St. Thomas More Catholic Church May 16, 2021
Saint Thomas More Catholic Church 10330 Hillcroft St.
Houston, TX 77096
(713) 729-0221 (713) 729-3294 fax www.stmhouston.org
Parish Office Hours (Closed from 12-1 PM for lunch) Monday to Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Clergy
Rev. Clark Sample, Pastor
Rev. Thuc Nguyen, Parochial Vicar Rev. Binny Philip, Priest In Residence Deacon John Krugh
Deacon Danny Naranjo Parish Staff
Suzie Hamilton, Pastoral Associate Eloise Starr, Secretary
Ingrid Gooding, Bookkeeper Ron Biba, Facilities Manager Religious Education
Ryan Lambert, Director of Faith Formation Xenia Avalos, Faith Formation, Admin Assistant Mary-Therese Hafernik, Youth Confirmation Coord.
Office of Music
Chris Bearer, Director, (713) 980-3111 Jian Guang Shi, Organist (713) 988-9829
Saint Thomas More Catholic School 5927 Wigton Drive
Houston, TX 77096
(713) 729-3434 (713) 721-5644 fax www.stthomasmore-school.org
School Office Hours
Monday to Friday 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM Staff
Carolina Bowman, Principal Noel Novak, Dean of Students
Kathleen Prado, Director of Advancement Judy Gentempo, Admissions
Anjie Ellis-Scales, Accountant Rebeka Zepeda, Nurse
Andrea Osborne, School Counselor Kathy Muras, Front Office Assistant
Sacraments
Infant Baptism Preparation & Registration
You must be registered in the parish, or live in either of the following zip codes: 77096 or 77035
Infant Baptism is for children under 7 years of age.
Children 7 years and older must attend RCIA for chil- dren.
The preparation is personalized to the family and we hope that you will use www.formed.org and Zoom.
Attendance is required for parents and is highly recom- mended for Godparents.
Please call the Faith Formation Office for access to our registration, 713-729-3435.
Please visit our website for details about our Sacramental preparation:
https://stmhouston.org/sacraments
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
If you or a loved one is suffering from a serious
illness please contact the Parish Office
713-729-0221.
Parish Office Parish School
MAY
IS
THE
MONTH
OF
MARY
St. Thomas More Catholic Church May 16, 2021
Dear Friends in Christ,
As the Easter season winds down (it officially ends on Pentecost Sunday), we enter into a great array of liturgical celebrations. This weekend, we celebrate the Ascension.
Traditionally, this solemnity is celebrated on the preceding Thursday because scripture notes that Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after Easter Sunday. Some dioceses (like ours) opt to move the Ascension to the Sunday, presumably so that more Catho- lics have to opportunity to attend this celebration. The following Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost. The Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The Sunday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
Corpus Christi is a Latin term that means the Body of Christ. At the Eucharistic sacri- fice of the Mass, Jesus literally becomes present in our midst. This fact is why the Church teaches that the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of our faith. The Mass is the most important thing we do as a Christian community. Do we treat it that way? If we really believe what the Church teaches, do our actions reflect that belief?
Several bishops have recently noted the need for greater Eucharistic reverence and de- votion around their dioceses and in the Church at large. I believe we should be doing the same thing here at our parish. For this reason, we are trying to bring back perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In order to have perpetual exposition and adora- tion, the Church requires the presence of an adorer at all times. Please consider signing up for perpetual adoration in order to help bring this great spiritual resource to our community.
Pope St. John Paul II had a deep devotion to the Eucharist and encouraged the practice of perpetual adoration. I leave you with some of his quotes to reflect upon:
“I hope that this form of perpetual adoration, with permanent exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, will continue into the future.”
“Public and private devotion to the Holy Eucharist outside Mass is highly recommend- ed: for the presence of Christ, who is adored by the faithful in the Sacrament, derives from the sacrifice and is directed towards sacramental and spiritual communion.”
“The Church and the world have great need of Eucharistic adoration. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and contemplation full of faith. And let us be ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease.”
“Closeness to the Eucharistic Christ in silence and contemplation does not distance us from our contemporaries but, on the contrary, makes us open to human joy and dis- tress, broadening our hearts on a global scale. Through adoration the Christian mysteri- ously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the gospel. Anyone who prays to the Eucharistic Savior draws the whole world with him and raises it to God.”
Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Clark
MASS SCHEDULE Monday-Friday 6:30 AM & 5:30 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM Saturday Vigil
5:00 PM Sunday 7:30, 9:00, 11:00 AM
1:00 PM (español)
CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Tuesday &
Wednesday 6:15-7:00 PM
Saturday 3:30-4:45 PM
From the Pastor’s Desk
On the cover:
“Ascension”
John Singleton Copley
1775
St. Rita of Cascia
May 22
St. Thomas More Catholic Church May 16, 2021
Stewardship for March 28, 2021
Thank you for your generous donations.
Collection $16,179.00
Online Giving $12,651.85
$28,830.85
Stewardship for May 9, 2021
Thank you for your generous donations!
2021 Goal $150,000.00
Collected 37,708.00
Remaining $112,292.00
Online Giving
The parish website has instructions on how to register for convenient on-line giving. You will have full control of your contribution account and scheduling your donations.
You can scan the QR code above or visit our parish homepage at STMHOUSTON.ORG for details and reg- istration.
MASS INTENTIONS
Sunday, May 16 7:30 am *John Aguirre
9:00 am *German Guzman Family 11:00 am *Missa Pro Populo 1:00 pm †Eva B. Nunez
Monday, May 17
6:30 am †Apollonia Nwachukwu 5:30 pm †Elizabeth Arellano
Tuesday, May 18 6:30 am †Lanh Nguyen 5:30 pm †Amber Marie Nuñez Wednesday, May 19
6:30 am *Linda & Keith Kelley Family 5:30 pm †Molly Ferris Thursday, May 20 6:30 am *Cana Hickman
5:30 pm *M. Kenneth Regan, Sr.
Friday, May 21
6:30 am †Ugochukwu Nwachukwo
5:30 pm *Charlene & Larry Beaver Family
Saturday, May 22 9:00 am †Lisa Osborn 5:00 pm †Johnnie Ressman Sunday, May 23
7:30 am †Sister Maria Celine Nwachukwu 9:00 am *Missa Pro Populo
11:00 am †David Cruz
1:00 pm *Rosario de Alvarado Family
† (Deceased)
* (Special Intention)
Sacred Music Concert
Friday, May 21 7:30 p.m. in the church
The St. Thomas More Choir will perform
Cantique de Jean Racine, by Gabriel Fauré
and
Magnificat, by Mark Hayes
with other featured works from soloists
June 6 is the
Feast of Corpus Christi.
Following the long tradition of the
Catholic Church, there will be a
Eucharistic Procession which will
follow the Spanish Mass. It will
start at approximately 2:00 p.m.
Plan now to attend.
St. Thomas More Catholic Church May 16, 2021
FAITH FORMATION
STM PARISH SCHOOL
This Friday we celebrated our 8th graders and our 56th graduating class received their diplomas from our very own parish school. These students have worked hard and are prepared to tackle their journey ahead. We ask that you support this group of young scholars by praying for them as they embark on this new chapter of their life.
Next Friday, May 21st marks the last day of the 2020- 2021 school year. This last week is packed with fun ac- tivities and celebrations as we close out the academic year and send students into their summer break. Don't hesitate to give us a call should you want more infor- mation about our school. We still have spaces available for next year and would gladly give you a tour.
In Christ,
Carolina Bowman, Principal
PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC
ADORATION & EXPOSITION
In February 1981 we began round the
clock Exposition and Adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament at our parish. This
has been a great blessing and we are
planning to revive this devotion.
OUR GOAL IS TO OPEN
THE ADORATION CHAPEL
ON THE FEAST OF
CORPUS CHRISTI, JUNE 6.
PLEASE SIGN UP NOW FOR A
HOLY HOUR!
We have a new online system for registering and
record keeping. Go here to create an account and
sign up for a Holy Hour:
stmhouston.weadorehim.com
Questions? Text Bob Brill, 713-598-4838 or
Edna Valdez, 713-425-9506.
PROLIFE INITIATIVE
On April 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services (HHS) published a proposed rule on the Title X family planning program that would reverse the 2019 Title X Rule (also known as the “Protect Life Rule”).
HHS needs to hear from us that this proposed rule is terrible policy and must be changed! The deadline for submitting your comments is May 17, 2021. You can go here for a sample message and information on the proposed rule change provided by the US Bishops.
PLEASE SHARE THIS ALERT WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! IMPORTANT NOTE:
HHS counts all identical comments as one comment.
To have your comment counted as a unique comment, you must add at least 31 words to the sample text pro- vided in this alert.
Family Faith Formation—New CCE Program
Covid-19 has made a huge impact on the way we will move forward as a faith community and we are taking small steps in our return to normal.This Fall we will be implementing a new and innova- tive program for elementary aged school children. Our goal is to develop the life of faith in not only your chil- dren, but in every member of your family. Our new plan for elementary faith formation will consist of on-campus monthly group meetings together as a family to help you as parents learn more about your faith and to meet oth- er parishioners in the St. Thomas More community.
These monthly formation nights will take the place of what was traditionally understood as Sunday CCE. Dur- ing the intervening weeks between monthly sessions, par- ents will be given materials to discuss with their children.
In order for this plan to work, we will need your help!
We need more volunteers to be catechists and helpers for those monthly sessions. Please reach out to
rlambert@stmhouston.org for more information or visit our website under the tab faith formation/ For Families.
Please pray for the souls of our parishioners who have recently died.
Filiberto C. Cerezo Robert Schwartz Maria V. Alcantar Lisa K. Osborn Froylan Castillo Thomas L. Kister Robert Willis Manuel de Jesus Lara
St. Thomas More Catholic Church May 16, 2021
Del escritorio del P. Clark
San Bernardino
De Siena
20 de Mayo
Alégranos con santos gozos, Dios todopoderoso, y haznos regocijar con pi-
adosa acción de gracias, por la Ascensión de Cristo tu
Hijo es nuestra exaltación, y donde la Cabeza ha ido antes en gloria, el Cuerpo está llamado a seguir con
esperanza.
Por nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo, que vive y reina contigo en la unidad del Es-
píritu Santo, un solo Dios, por los siglos de los siglos.
Queridos amigos en Cristo,
A medida que la temporada de Pascua termina (termina oficialmente el domingo de Pentecostés), entramos en una gran variedad de celebraciones litúrgicas. Este fin de se- mana celebramos la Ascensión. Tradicionalmente, esta solemnidad se celebra el jueves anterior porque las escrituras señalan que Jesús ascendió al cielo cuarenta días después del Domingo de Pascua. Algunas diócesis (como la nuestra) optan por trasladar la As- censión al domingo, presumiblemente para que más católicos tengan la oportunidad de asistir a esta celebración. El domingo siguiente celebramos la solemnidad de Pentecos- tés. El domingo después de Pentecostés, celebramos la solemnidad de la Santísima Tri- nidad. El domingo siguiente a la Solemnidad de la Santísima Trinidad, celebramos la Solemnidad del Corpus Christi.
Corpus Christi es un término latino que significa el Cuerpo de Cristo. En el sacrificio eucarístico de la Misa, Jesús literalmente se hace presente entre nosotros. Por eso la Iglesia enseña que el sacrificio eucarístico es fuente y cumbre de nuestra fe. La Misa es lo más importante que hacemos como comunidad cristiana. ¿Lo tratamos de esa mane- ra? Si realmente creemos en lo que enseña la Iglesia, ¿reflejan nuestras acciones esa creencia?
Varios obispos han notado recientemente la necesidad de una mayor reverencia y devo- ción eucarística en sus diócesis y en la Iglesia en general. Creo que deberíamos estar haciendo lo mismo aquí en nuestra parroquia. Por esta razón, estamos tratando de recu- perar la adoración perpetua del Santísimo Sacramento. Para tener exposición y adora- ción perpetuas, la Iglesia requiere la presencia de un adorador en todo momento. Consi- dere inscribirse en la adoración perpetua para ayudar a traer este gran recurso espiritual a nuestra comunidad.
El Papa San Juan Pablo II tenía una profunda devoción a la Eucaristía y alentó la prácti- ca de la adoración perpetua. Les dejo con algunas de sus citas para reflexionar sobre ellas:
"Espero que esta forma de adoración perpetua, con la exposición permanente del Santí- simo Sacramento, continúe en el futuro".
“Es muy recomendable la devoción pública y privada a la Sagrada Eucaristía fuera de la Misa: porque la presencia de Cristo, adorado por los fieles en el Sacramento, se deriva del sacrificio y se dirige hacia la comunión sacramental y espiritual”.
“La Iglesia y el mundo tienen una gran necesidad de la adoración eucarística. Jesús nos espera en este sacramento de amor. Seamos generosos con nuestro tiempo para ir a en- contrarlo en adoración y contemplación llenos de fe. Y estemos dispuestos a reparar las grandes faltas y crímenes del mundo. Que nuestra adoración no cese nunca.
“La cercanía a Cristo Eucarístico en el silencio y la contemplación no nos aleja de nues- tros contemporáneos, sino que, por el contrario, nos abre a la alegría y la angustia hu- manas, ampliando nuestro corazón a escala global. A través de la adoración, el cristiano contribuye misteriosamente a la transformación radical del mundo y a la siembra del evangelio. Cualquiera que reza al Salvador Eucarístico atrae al mundo entero con él y lo eleva a Dios”.
Sinceramente suyo en Cristo, Padre Clark