Catholic Parish of St. Thomas More

210 Haddow Close, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6R 2P3, Ph: (780) 434-6313, Fax: (780) 438-2088

WEEKLY BULLETIN

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! – On Thursday, October 14 at 7:00 pm, the parish will celebrate the ministry and music of Leslie Steele. Leslie has lovingly served as Director of Music Ministry at St. Thomas More for 19 years. Although her health prevents her from continuing in this capacity, her leadership, faith, musicianship and infectious love for liturgy are to be celebrated for the legacy they have created within our community. Please join St. Thomas More Music Ministry, led by Johanna Dietrich, our new music coordinator, as we honour Leslie’s dedicated service to our parish.

2010-2011 REGISTRATION FOR K4J CATECHISM PROGRAM (KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 9): St. Thomas More is offering K4J (Kids for Jesus), a fun and dynamic program for children in Kindergarten to Grade 4. K4J is a series of programs that motivates children to live virtue and love through their Catholic faith. The Catechism Program for Grades 5–9 will also be available for children who would like to receive instruction on the Catholic faith. Classes will be held the first two Monday evenings each month from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm and will begin September 27, 2010. You must register your children by September 12th, 2010. Brochures/registration forms can be picked up in the church foyer.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPONSOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BECOME CATHOLIC? This is a richly rewarding experience of sharing faith and an opportunity to learn more about the “treasure” that is yours! See the pamphlet at the entrance of the Church and call Darlene Smigelski – 435-3370 or 434-6313 ext 226 or e-mail stm.rcia.coord@telusplanet.net. Visit the Photo links on the Parish website at www.stmparish.com/rcia0910.html for a photo journey through the program! See the RCIA Links at www.stmparish.com/rciaprep1011.html for more details on the program.

FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST HOLY COMMUNION brochures are in the display stand in the foyer. Please pick up the 1st Reconciliation (purple) brochure and 1st Holy Communion (green) brochure. Registration instructions for each sacrament are in the respective brochures.

ST. THOMAS MORE MINISTRY FAIR SAT. SEPT. 25 and SUN. SEPT 26. 2010 - Each of us is called to be a “good steward” and we have all been given special gifts for God’s special purposes.” “Stewardship, this single life principle, will produce benefits that reach into every corner of personal and collective spirituality. It will help parishioners to know God better, to increase their love of God and neighbor, and give them more frequent opportunities to serve God and others more fully.” We invite you to come on September 26 & 27, 2009 (following the masses) and take a look at the many ministry display tables set up in the foyer and church hallway in need of your “special gifts” and time. Please share your “gifts” with St. Thomas More and help our parish be strong and active, serving God and the needs of our faith community.

MEN OF ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH: The next scripture study will start with an information night on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 7:30 pm, here at the church in the Library room. At that time, the study booklets will be distributed. The cost is $10.00 for materials. The study is called "Discovering the God we call Father - a scriptural study of the Lord's Prayer. We will meet for 10 consecutive weeks and the time commitment is 90 minutes each week. Those who have participated in the past have noted a positive impact on their faith journey and have enjoyed the fellowship. For registration or information call Randy Abele at (780) 435-5070 or (780) 493-1972.

Familia 2010-11 Presents: The Temperament God Gave you. In this 8 session program, you will learn how each person’s temperament affects their perceptions and decisions. Motivate, communicate and resolve conflict with your children, your spouse and your co-workers! Classes start in October. Registration after all masses on September 11 and 12th. For more information, please contact Mary Ellen Mann at 780-554-0174 or Maryellen.mann@hotmail.com

DO YOU KNOW AN ADULT WHO WOULD LIKE TO BECOME CATHOLIC? The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) will run from Sep 23,2010 to Jun 12,2011. A graphic depicting the four-phase RCIA Process is located at the Church entrance. For information/registration call Darlene Smigelski – 435-3370 or 434-6313 ext 226 or e-mail stm.rcia.coord@telusplanet.net. Visit the Photo links on the Parish website at www.stmparish.com/rcia0910.html for a photo journey through the program! See the RCIA Links at www.stmparish.com/rciaprep1011.html for more details on the program.

CONFIRMATION 2010: If you are in grade 7 (or older) you are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in November 2010. Confirmation registration meetings are being held on September 2, September 7, September 8 and September 9. No registrations accepted after September 9. Please read the yellow brochure found in the brochure stand for more details.

BAPTISM: for infants to age 7 is one of the Sacraments of Initiation by which children become members of the Body of Christ, the church. Whether you are expecting your child or your child has already been born, we at St. Thomas More would be happy to assist you with the preparation of your child’s baptism. Parents are required to register for the October 6 & 13 Baptism Preparation Sessions in advance by contacting Monica Bober, Pastoral Assistant at 780-434-6313 ext. 227.

C.I.C.(CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF CHILDREN) – Do you have or know of a child between the ages of 7 and 15 who would like to become a Catholic? C.I.C. is a process for children who are inquiring and seeking initiation into the Catholic faith. This is for children who have not been baptized OR were baptized as members of another Christian community. Classes run every Thursday from Sept. 23,, 2010, to June 9, 2011. For more information call Monica at 780-434-6313, ext. 227 or email: stm.pastoral.assist@telusplanet.net

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY BAPTIZED: During the months of June, ,July and August, 2010, the following children were received into our parish family through the celebration of Baptism: Ariana Garcia, Russell Prather, Kassandra Royol, Zachary Wojtas, Aven Brydon, Evan Butterworth, Sophie Favret, Kayana Prickisie, Andres Sawada, Soren Young, Gabrielle Bathan, Gianne Cables, Finn Lechuk, Maximus Sivertson, Isabella Bramm, Natalie Cavanagh, James Cook, Rhys Drake, Matteo El-Hayet, Isla Golamco, Lilly Sikora, Ethan Stewart, Adia Varghese, Reid Jess, Hadley Phillips, Griffin Paul, Tessa Paul, Mia Brenneis, Svetlana Erickson, Nathan Leroux, Kayn Marko, Lea San Agustin, Aeron Suguitan and Jacob Swick. We pray that each child will come to know our God’s great love through the example, care and prayers of our parish community.

NEW BEGINNINGS RETREAT: New beginnings is a retreat designed to help those who have lost a life partner through separation, divorce or death. This retreat is for those wishing to focus on making a new beginning in their lives. Through a reflective process and sharing with others, this retreat provides an opportunity to grieve, to accept and to make a “new beginning” after the loss. You will learn how to develop an action plan for moving beyond losses and it will help understand the emotional and physical effects of grief and the stages of grieving. Grief often makes us feel “stuck” in our lives with no idea how to move on. This class is designed to help you recognize where you are stuck and how to move forward towards a new life that offers hope and peace. We ask that participants be at least 6 months past their loss so that they are at a point where they are ready to explore how to move through the grief and look towards a new beginning. September 24-26 at Star of the North Retreat Centre, St Albert. To register or for more information call 780-420-6081 and speak with the Family Living Program Coordinator.

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL: “Remember, if you need help or know of someone who does, give us a call at 780-471-5577”.

K OF C ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT - Please join us for a great day of golf on Friday, Sept. 11 at Cougar Creek Golf Resort. This year we are raising money for the Rainbow for the Future (www.rainbowftf.com) to build a girls' school in Ethiopia. If you are interested in golfing, donating a prize, sponsoring a hole, volunteering or making a cash donation, call James at 780-432-3407, Ken at 780-434-2860 or e-mail us at jameskimwilson@shaw.ca.

ANAWIM FOOD BANK: We continue to serve the needy in the city center. We portion food for them every week. We are in urgent need of plastic containers, especially size 250ml (1 cup size) and plastic grocery bags. We thank you in advance for all that you can save for us. There is a deposit box for these items in the coat room. The Anawim Team

EDMONTON COLUMBIAN CHOIRS AND THE EDMONTON CATHOLIC SCHOOL HONOUR CHOIR will be holding auditions on Tues. Sept. 7 at 6:30 at St. Joseph's High School (109 St. and 108 Ave.). The Children's Choir is for boys and girls aged 5-10, the Edmonton Catholic School Honour Choir/Junior Singers is for ages 11-16 and the Chanteuses Ladies' Choir is for adult women. For information email hbedford@shaw.ca or brenada@shaw.ca or call 780-484-8325 or 780-760-3270. Everyone welcome. These choirs are sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the Edmonton Catholic School System.

SCRIPTURE STUDY GROUP sessions will commence on September 15 at 9:30 am in the Chapter Room.

MONSIGNOR WILLIAM IRWIN CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL will open in September with no playground. A committee has launched a fundraising campaign to raise funds for this initiative. To learn more, visit www.tsnapedm.com.

EDMONTON CATHOLIC CEMETERIES - Contact Information for Holy Cross – St. Joachim – St. Albert – St. Anthony – Our Lady of Peace Cemeteries is: Phone 780-469-6487 or 780-447-2921. Email: aglas@edmontoncatholiccemeteries.org.

FIND THAT RIGHT BIBLE QUOTE: Do you ever have difficulty finding the right version of a scripture passage when you search online? Then you may be interested in the launch of a new online Catholic Bible search engine. It is believed to be the first complete Catholic Bible translation made available for keyword search. Both the English and Spanish translations of the Bible at the site have been approved by the Vatican. The new bible search engine can be found at: www.bible.catholic.net.

THE LADIES AUXILIARY will resume meeting on Wednesdays from 9 to 11 am. New members are always welcome. Mini craft sale will be held Oct. 30/31. Contact Elaine Smith at 780-436-8324.

ARE YOU REGISTERED WITH THE PARISH OFFICE? Being registered with the parish office is of the utmost importance. It allows us to serve all parishioners by providing a better vision of the active populace so that we may respond to the needs of this growing and dynamic parish. Please do not assume that you are automatically registered if you or your children have received sacraments at STM or if you live within the parish boundaries and attend Mass. The only way we can register you and your family is upon your submission of a registration form. These forms are on the counter at the main entrance. If you attend St. Thomas More Parish and have not yet registered, or if your information is not up to date, please fill out a registration form and return it to the parish office.

NEW PARISHIONERS / CHANGE OF ADDRESS - Please fill out a Parish Registration Form located on the counter below the bulletin board at the church entrance.

INTERESTED IN PRE-AUTHORIZED DONATIONS? – The Pre-Authorized Donation (PAD) Forms are located on the counter below the bulletin board at the church entrance.