* The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available for in-person attendance, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin. However, if you choose not to attend Mass, please do something at home to set the day aside for the Lord in a special way: Pray the Rosary; watch a Mass on TV/On-line and make a Spiritual Communion; read the Scripture readings for the day; etc.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, Thursday, 4:30-5:15 pm in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am
Just a few key reminders with regard to coming to STM for Mass:
The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available for in-person attendance, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin. However, if you choose not to attend Mass, please do something at home to set the day aside for the Lord in a special way: Pray the Rosary; watch a Mass on TV/On-line and make a Spiritual Communion; read the Scripture readings for the day; etc.
This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Adoration will now be available Monday-Friday from 3:00 pm- 7:00 pm, in the Chapel. There will no longer be Adoration from 8:00 am- 1:00 pm, so that the building can be secured while the 3rd and 4th grade school students are in their classrooms, which are temporarily in the PACC.
Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
Mass on TV
As you may be aware, Immaculate Heart Retreat Center is being utilized as a center for Covid-positive people who need a place to quarantine. You may also be aware that a Sunday Mass from IHRC airs on Sundays at 7 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm on Cable Channel 14. These Masses are taped ahead of time. As the IHRC Chapel cannot be used, these Masses will be celebrated and taped in our Chapel; this week, this Mass will be celebrated on Thursday at 10 am. A few parishioners would be welcome to come and participate. If you are interested, please call the office (466-3811) and leave your name.
Catechetical Programs are beginning!
*Social distancing and masking protocols will be observed at all programs
Do you know of anybody who has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? Please contact the parish office with any names (466-3811). The RCIA gatherings, to assist these people in their discernment are Sundays after the 9 am Mass in the Library!
Sacramental Preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion for students in grades 2 and up will begin on Wednesday, October 14. Children in this preparation must either attend Catholic School or Religious Education classes. Registration has begun! See the parish website.
Religious Education classes for students in grades K-5 will begin on Thursday, October 15. This is a great way for parents to fulfill their obligation of training their children in the practice of the faith! Registration has begun! See the parish website to register. Classes will be on Thursdays, 6-7:15 pm in the Library.
Youth Ministry gatherings for students in grades 6-12 will be this Sunday, 2-4 pm on the STM Playfield! There are other activities throughout the week for all youth. Contact J.J. Nazzaro for information, jnazzaro@dioceseofspokane.org, and see the parish bulletin and notices on the parish website.
ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
This weekend is the official Commitment Sunday for this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal, whose theme is “One Body in Christ.” As you know, the ACA is the primary source of funding for our diocesan Church—the ministry of the bishop and his associates at the diocesan level, and the many services and programs that keep our diocese organized and operational, and provide support for our parishes throughout the diocese. Registered parishioners should have received information in the mail from Bishop Daly, with an envelope and an invitation to participate in this year’s Appeal. If you did not receive this, there are extras available in the office. I ask you to prayerfully consider the bishop’s invitation. There is an opportunity to give a one-time donation, or to spread out the donations over a period of time. The information from the bishop has the details for the various ways we can give. You may bring ACA envelopes to Mass in the coming weeks, or mail them directly to the Chancery, or you may make your donations on-line. The assessment for our parish is $149, 306. In our spirituality of stewardship, our motivation for donating to the ACA is two-fold: the needs of the diocese, and our need to give of what we have received. Both of these help to further the mission of Christ as carried out in our church. Thank you for your consideration of this Appeal.
https://www.dioceseofspokane.org/make-a-one-time-donation
Voting Season
As Catholics, we have a responsibility to participate in the civic life of our community and nation. This includes being conscientious voters. To help in our formation in preparation to vote, you are encouraged to view these documents from our state and national Catholic Bishops:
https://www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship-pdf
Love One Another Pastoral Statement On Civility
These excerpts from recent presentations/Church documents may also be helpful to you as you prepare to vote:
“Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote…. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, if the voter’s intent is to support position. that In such cases, a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.
There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate’s unacceptable position even on policies promoting an intrinsically evil act may reasonably decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons….
When all candidates hold a position that promotes an intrinsically evil act, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods. (Nos. 34-36)”
“Faithful Citizenship”
“It is incumbent on each of us to research the candidates for national, statewide, and local offices to see if their stances on issues are in keeping with our Catholic values and teachings. For instance, do they, in word and policy, uphold the dignity of every human person? Do they support bringing an end to the destruction of unborn children through abortion, as well as an end to euthanasia and the death penalty? Do they show care for the poor, sick and marginalized, that reflect Gospel values? Are they open to choice in education to help underprivileged children break the cycle of poverty? Do they attack racial bias, hatred, and injustice? Do they support religious freedom in all matters, especially in health care?”
“In an ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ culture, Christians are called to embody the gentleness of Christ, which is the ‘secret weapon’ to diffusing anger, easing tension, and defeating evil and injustice. The number of Christians caught up in partisan bickering is of concern. It’s easy to conflate our Christianity with our politics as if the two were one and the same. The reality is, neither the political left nor the right is clean in terms of their representation of the Kingdom of God. Christians are encouraged to become willing to critique (what’s not of Christian value in) the party they align with, and also affirm (what is of Christian value in) the party they don’t align with.”
* The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available for in-person attendance, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin. However, if you choose not to attend Mass, please do something at home to set the day aside for the Lord in a special way: Pray the Rosary; watch a Mass on TV/On-line and make a Spiritual Communion; read the Scripture readings for the day; etc.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
Just a few key reminders with regard to coming to STM for Mass:
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
* Parish Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 am-12 noon.
Masses on TV
As you may be aware, Immaculate Heart Retreat Center is being utilized as a quarantine center for Covid-positive people who need a place to quarantine. You may also be aware that a Sunday Mass from IHRC airs on Sundays at 7 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm on Cable Channel 14. These Masses are taped ahead of time. As the IHRC Chapel cannot be used, beginning this Thursday, September 24th, these Masses will be celebrated and taped in our Chapel (10 am). A few parishioners would be welcome to come and participate. If you are interested, please call the office (466-3811) and leave your name.
Catechetical Programs beginning soon!
** Social distancing and masking protocols will be observed at all programs
*Do you know of anybody who has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? Please contact the parish office with any names (466-3811). The RCIA process, to assist these people in their discernment will begin this Sunday after the 9 am Mass in the Library!
*Sacramental Preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion for students in grades 2 and up will begin on October 14. Children in this preparation must either attend Catholic School or Religious Education classes. Registration will begin soon!
*Religious Education classes for students in grades K-5 will begin in October. This is a great way for parents to fulfill their obligation of training their children in the practice of the faith! Registration will begin soon! Classes will be on Thursdays, 6-7 pm
*Youth Ministry gatherings for students in grades 6-12 will begin this Sunday, 2-4 pm on the STM Playfield! Contact J.J. Nazzaro for information, jnazzaro@dioceseofspokane.org, and see future bulletins and notices on the parish website.
ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
Next weekend is the official Commitment Sunday for this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal, whose theme is “One Body in Christ.” As you know, the ACA is the primary source of funding for our diocesan Church—the ministry of the bishop and his associates at the diocesan level, and the many services and programs that keep our diocese organized and operational, and provide support for our parishes throughout the diocese. Registered parishioners should have received information in the mail this week from Bishop Daly, with an envelope and an invitation to participate in this year’s Appeal. If you did not receive this, there are extras available in the office I ask you to prayerfully consider the bishop’s invitation. There is an opportunity to give a one-time donation, or to spread out the donations over a period of time. The information from the bishop has the details for the various ways we can give. You may bring ACA envelopes to Mass in the coming weeks, or mail them directly to the Chancery, or you may make your donations on-line. In our spirituality of stewardship, our motivation for donating to the ACA is two-fold: the needs of the diocese, and our need to give of what we have received. Both of these help to further the mission of Christ as carried out in our church. Thank you for your consideration of this Appeal.
https://www.dioceseofspokane.org/make-a-one-time-donation
Voting Season
As Catholics, we have a responsibility to participate in the civic life of our community and nation. This includes being conscientious voters. To help in our formation in preparation to vote, you are encouraged to view these documents from our state and national Catholic Bishops:
https://www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship-pdf
Love One Another Pastoral Statement On Civility
These excerpts from recent presentations may also be helpful to you as you prepare to vote:
“In an ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ culture, Christians are called to embody the gentleness of Christ, which is the ‘secret weapon’ to diffusing anger, easing tension, and defeating evil and injustice. The number of Christians caught up in partisan bickering is of concern. It’s easy to conflate our Christianity with our politics as if the two were one and the same. The reality is, neither the political left nor the right is clean in terms of their representation of the Kingdom of God. Christians are encouraged to become willing to critique (what’s not of Christian value in) the party they align with, and also affirm (what is of Christian value in) the party they don’t align with.”
“It is incumbent on each of us to research the candidates for national, statewide, and local offices to see if their stances on issues are in keeping with our Catholic values and teachings. For instance, do they, in word and policy, uphold the dignity of every human person? Do they support bringing an end to the destruction of unborn children through abortion, as well as an end to euthanasia and the death penalty? Do they show care for the poor, sick and marginalized, that reflect Gospel values? Are they open to choice in education to help underprivileged children break the cycle of poverty? Do they attack racial bias, hatred, and injustice? Do they support religious freedom in all matters, especially in health care?”
“Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote…. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, if the voter’s intent is to support that position. In such cases, a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.
There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate’s unacceptable position even on policies promoting an intrinsically evil act may reasonably decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons….
When all candidates hold a position that promotes an intrinsically evil act, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods. (Nos. 34-36)”
Faithful Citizenship
It has been over 2 months now since we started having public Masses in the parish. Things have gone pretty well, with people respectfully and “care-fully” observing the protocols in place to try to assure our health and safety as much as possible. Thanks to all of you for being patient and understanding—observing these protocols is not always a natural thing for us to do, social creatures that we are with deeply-ingrained habits of interaction that need to be set aside for now. To date, there have been no positive Covid-19 cases among those who have come to Mass here, thanks be to God. This does not mean we should relax our attentiveness to being cautious and careful, especially in light of the increase in positive cases in our county, state and nation. Just a few key reminders with regard to coming to STM for Mass:
* The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
* We have planned on taping the Saturday, 4:30 pm Mass and having it available for viewing by Sunday morning, for those who choose to not come to church for Mass. We’ve been having “technical difficulties.” Hopefully we’ll get this figured out; see the parish website (thomasmorespokane.org), or check your email or texts for a Flocknote with the link for this video.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
* Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
*Clarity is being sought in terms of what activities will be allowed in the parish in the fall, and the prudence of such activities in light of our particular parish situation. As of now, we are prepared to have in-person school beginning in September, following closely diocesan and state guidelines for doing so. We will also be prepared to have Religious Education, Sacramental Preparation, Youth Ministry, RCIA, and Bible Study classes, since these fall into the “religious formation” category that, along with “spiritual services,” e.g. Mass and Confession, are currently allowed. Funerals and Weddings are allowed, though limited to 30 participants. We continue to seek out the status of activities like meetings of the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, etc. As of now, it seems those would not be allowed, but the chancery staff continues to look into this.
*Do you know of anybody who has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? Please contact the parish office with any names (466-3811). The RCIA process, to assist these people in their discernment will begin in September!
Voting Season
As Election Day draws closer, we are reminded that, as Catholics, we have a responsibility to participate in the civic life of our community and nation. This includes being conscientious voters. To help in our formation in preparation to vote, you are encouraged to view the document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
https://www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship-pdf
It has been over 2 months now since we started having public Masses in the parish. Things have gone pretty well, with people respectfully and “care-fully” observing the protocols in place to try to assure our health and safety as much as possible. Thanks to all of you for being patient and understanding—observing these protocols is not always a natural thing for us to do, social creatures that we are with deeply-ingrained habits of interaction that need to be set aside for now. To date, there have been no positive Covid-19 cases among those who have come to Mass here, thanks be to God. This does not mean we should relax our attentiveness to being cautious and careful, especially in light of the increase in positive cases in our county, state and nation. Just a few key reminders with regard to coming to STM for Mass:
* The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
* We have planned on taping the Saturday, 4:30 pm Mass and having it available for viewing by Sunday morning, for those who choose to not come to church for Mass. We’ve been having “technical difficulties” and not gotten this done the past 2 Sundays. Hopefully we’ll get this figured out; see the parish website (thomasmorespokane.org), or check your email or texts for a Flocknote with the link for this video.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
* Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
*Clarity is being sought in terms of what activities will be allowed in the parish in the fall, and the prudence of such activities in light of our particular parish situation. As of now, we are prepared to have in-person school beginning in September, following closely diocesan and state guidelines for doing so. We will also be prepared to have Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation classes (including RCIA), since these fall into the “religious formation” category that, along with “spiritual services,” e.g. Mass and Confession, are currently allowed. We continue to seek out the status of activities like meetings of the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, etc. As of now, it seems those would not be allowed, but the chancery staff is looking into this.
*Do you know of anybody who has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? Please contact the parish office with any names (466-3811). The RCIA process, to assist these people in their discernment will begin in September!
• The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
• Vulnerable, at risk, or otherwise concerned persons are encouraged to remain at home.
• Anyone who has even the slightest symptoms or feelings of sickness must remain at home.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
N.B. We are allowed to have a congregation of up to 25% of building capacity for Mass, or about 100 people, here at STM. This increased alloweance for congregation-size is not a license to set aside our commitment to one another’s health and well-being by becoming lackadaisical in our observance of protocols: we still are required to wear facemasks at Mass, and to maintain 6 feet of social distance between households. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this good but less-than-ideal situation; these are small sacrifices to make that seem to help limit the spread of the coronavirus, showing our care for one another.
* FYI: the 11 am Mass has been filling to capacity (about 100 people). If you are going to begin coming to Mass, you might consider coming to one of the other Masses. As often as we are able, we will offer a simultaneous Mass in the PACC at each Mass time if there is “overflow.” If there is only 1 priest available and there is a need to seat people in the PACC, the Mass in the church will be shown on “closed circuit,” projected on the screen, and Communion will be brought to those in the PACC.
* We are taping the Saturday, 4:30 pm Mass. It will be available for viewing by Sunday morning, for those who choose to not come to church for Mass; see the parish website (thomasmorespokane.org), or check your email or texts for a Flocknote with the link for this video.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
Clarity is being sought in terms of what activities will be allowed in the parish in the fall, and the prudence of such activities in light of our particular parish situation. As of now, we are prepared to have in-person school beginning in September, following closely diocesan and state guidelines for doing so. We will also be prepared to have Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation classes (including RCIA), since these fall into the “religious formation” category that, along with “spiritual services,” e.g. Mass and Confession, are currently allowed. We continue to seek out the status of activities like meetings of the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, etc. As of now, it seems those would not be allowed, but the chancery staff is looking into this.
Golfers: Mark your calendar for the tournament sponsored by the Knights of Columbus planned for Saturday, August 29, 7:30 am (Shotgun start). Registration information will be forthcoming.
• The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
• Vulnerable, at risk, or otherwise concerned persons are encouraged to remain at home.
• Anyone who has even the slightest symptoms or feelings of sickness must remain at home.
We have now had public Masses for 5 weekends. If you have not yet chosen to attend, here’s a little summary of what the experience is like coming to Mass now:
*Arriving at St. Thomas More, people notice that the grounds are beautiful, as always. It looks like the “pre-Covid” world! They also notice that the lower parking lot is closed; entrance for Mass is restricted to the main doors of the church building.
*As you approach the church, you notice that these are not normal times. Everyone is wearing a face mask, during the entire time they are here, as required by the state and the bishop. Exceptions are the priest and the lector, who remove masks for public speaking, while keeping much distance between him/herself and the congregation. People who don’t have a face mask can pick one up at the door, to make their own. The only exception is for the brief moment at Communion when people approach the priest or deacon, receive the Body of Christ in their hands, step aside, use 1 hand to remove their face mask, consume the consecrated host, and replace their face mask.
*People are entering through a designated door. All doors in the building are open; there are no books or anything else in the pew racks. The desire is that the only thing a person touch during their time at Mass is the Body of Christ. People are touching the pews, however- to aid in standing up or kneeling, for instance. After Mass, all the pews are sanitized by a group of generous people.
*People are picking up a worship aid as they enter, and are directed by an usher to a place to sit that is at least 6 feet from other individuals/households. If their name was not taken as they entered, they fill out an “Attendance Card,” which is securely stored for 1 month and then destroyed (the batch from the first weekend have been destroyed). Ushers take these cards and the pens from people- the pens are sanitized before re-use. This list of names is just in case a positive Covid-19 test surfaces from someone who attended a Mass here, so others who were at that Mass could be notified.
*People notice that there is blue tape everywhere—blocking off access to every other pew and marking the floors in 6-foot increments to help with distancing, and also marking the location for the reception of the Body of Christ.
*There is a directive that the Mass be shorter than usual, to limit our time gathered together to reduce the risk of passing on Covid-19. So there is minimal singing, a shorter homily (funny, no one has complained about this yet!), no Sign of Peace and no distribution of the Precious Blood.
*People leave after Mass being attentive to maintaining the “6-foot” rule as they make their way out of the church and back to their vehicles.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* FYI: the 11 am Mass has been filling to capacity (about 120 people). If you are going to begin coming to Mass, you might consider coming to one of the other Masses. As often as we are able, we will offer a simultaneous Mass in the PACC at each Mass time if there is “overflow.” If there is only 1 priest available and there is a need to seat people in the PACC, the Mass in the church will be shown on “closed circuit,” projected on the screen, and Communion will be brought to those in the PACC.
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
N.B. We are now allowed to have a congregation of up to 25% of building capacity for Mass, or about 100 people, here at STM. This is good news for us! This increased permissiveness for congregation-size is not a license to set aside our commitment to one another’s health and well-being by becoming lackadaisical in our observance of protocols: we still are required to wear facemasks at Mass, and to maintain 6 feet of social distance between households. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this good but less-than-ideal situation.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
Summer Faith Camp has been cancelled this year. Look forward to returning next summer!