Pastor’s Column

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings in our Lord! As your new pastor, I would like to tell you how I understand our relationship. I would call my leadership style “Servant Leadership.” That means that I am a firm believer in the dignity of the Baptized. Christians are not baptized to come together merely…

Dear Parishioners of St. Thomas More, Greetings in Christ! I am honored and humbled that Bishop McElroy has asked me to be your next pastor. Although I am big and tall, you will find that I am very kind and approachable. I have a listening ear and a heart shaped for ministry. I am newly…

Honoring Fr. Mike’s memory, we present this previous column, one of his favorites. Every Person on Earth Plays a Central Role in the History of the World I share with you a “parable” taken from the book, “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho. It is a conversation between the alchemist and a young shepherd boy: “In…

Honoring Fr. Mike’s memory, we offer this previous column, one of his favorites. An Actor or a Friend? This is one of my favorite stories, and I enjoy sharing it with you from time to time. A story once told… “After a large dinner at one of England’s stately mansions, a famous actor entertained the…

Companions for the Journey As we go about life and as we try to assist one another in the ways of holiness, how do we “see” each other? Do we see the other as a friend, a companion? Or do we see the other as a person that needs “fixing”? So much is in the…

What Does It Mean to Be “Pro-life”? A number of years ago the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago, coined the phrase, “The Seamless Garment”. It was a reference to the moment right after the death of Jesus on the cross when the soldiers decided to divide the garments of Jesus. They realized His…

For All That Has Been—Thank You! For All That Will Be—Yes! July 1 is my 18th anniversary as the Pastor of our Faith Community. I share with you, once again, my first Pastor’s Column dated July 6, 2003. It is my desire each year to give you my first Pastor’s Column in which I shared…

St. Thomas More: A Parish for all Seasons: Our Seasons II Capital Campaign Hopefully, whether you have been an STM Parishioner for many years or have recently joined, you have experienced a sense of welcome and an environment of belonging. As Pastor, along with the STM Staff, we are committed to put into flesh these…

Ascension—Jesus Was Lifted Up, and a Cloud Took Him from Their Sight When we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate the absence of Jesus. He is physically gone from us. He is no longer with us as he once was. When we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit,…

Happy Mother’s Day! As a Church we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus during these Great Fifty Days. As a nation we celebrate Mother’s Day. In our prayer and in our Eucharist this day, we give thanks to God for all the women in our lives who have imaged God and have been mother…