Holy Spirit, look with favor upon our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, as he begins his mission as Shepherd of the Universal Church. May he be a holy servant, a strong leader, and a faith-filled guardian of the teachings of Jesus Christ. As the Vicar of Christ and successor of Saint Peter, may he be filled with zeal for the truth and may his heart be filled with deep compassion and love for the least ones among us. May he experience your peace and grace in abundance, as you pour forth upon him your spiritual gifts of wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety. O Beloved Holy Spirit, bless and watch over our new Pope, and be with him, and us, as we begin this new journey of faith together. We ask these things through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Dear Parishioners:
Change is an important part of all of our lives. New
opportunities provide the stimulus of challenge.
Challenges energize and foster creativity. The
process is continual. It leaves no part of our lives
untouched. It's part of your life as well as mine.
One significant aspect of my life is changing - my
nine years here at Saint Thomas Aquinas. In
February I was asked by Bishop DiMarzio to consider
a possible change in pastoral ministry and after
consideration I have accepted the position of
Administrator/Pastor of Saint Francis De Sales Parish
in Belle Harbor, effective June 30th.
Since coming to Saint Thomas Aquinas in March
2004, my years have been enjoyable, exciting and
invigorating. The encounters of birth, death, marriage
and healing have inspired me to develop my talents
and inspired me, taught me important lessons in
listening, given me new opportunities to forgive and
be forgiven, deepened my understanding of myself
and heightened my delight of priesthood.
We do have periods in our lives when we wing our
way with great energy and vibrancy. We do have
seasons when we enjoy the delight and the adventure
of life's travels, when we savor the taste of recovered
hope and relish the vistas of new truths. There is a
country waiting for us. There are new melodies that
yearn to be sung in our spirits. We must believe this
even in our most desolate of days. The season of
springtime, of hello, awaits us all.
As I begin a new phase of my priestly ministry, Bishop
DiMarzio has assigned Monsignor John J. Brown, the
current Pastor of Saint Francis De Sales as
Administrator/Pastor of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Easter peace!
Rev. Fr. Thomas V. Doyle
We are now accepting Registration Applications, which is available at the Aquinas Center. For further information contact Mr. Robert A. Ruggiero at 718-253-4404.
As some of you might already know, I will be leaving my ministry at Saint Thomas Aquinas and beginning a new position as the Pastoral Associate at the parish of Saint Luke in Whitestone, Queens this September. I am very grateful for the countless blessings I have enjoyed through the wonderful parishioners I have come to know and love during the five and a half years of my ministry at Saint Thomas. Be assured of my on-going prayers for you, your families and this parish community and I ask that I be remembered in yours. I will continue my ministry here until the end of July, so I look forward to opportunities to share in our parish life during the coming weeks.
Blessings!
Sister Terry Agliardi, RSM
The Paschal Lamb symbolizes the risen Lamb, Jesus Christ-the Lamb of God-the Christian symbol of the Passover sacrifice of Jesus from death to life.
The Lamb inserted in Easter Sunday's bulletin may be placed on the front door or in a front window of your home, stating to all, "We are an Easter people. Alleluia is our song!"
If you need a copy, please click here.
The symbol of the Lamb remains throughout the Easter Season until Pentecost Sunday, which this year is May 19th..
New Grade level in Religious Education
KINDERGARTEN
We are now accepting registration for children
in Kindergarten class. If you are interested in
enrolling your child, kindly pick up a
Registration Form at the Aquinas Center and
return to us by Thursday, December 20th to the
Aquinas Center.
Volunteers Needed:
If you are a practicing Catholic adult (18+ age)
and interested in sharing and teaching the Faith
or assisting as an aide, kindly call us, we like to
hear form you.
Reminders and Regulations: any child that has
not received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Holy
Communion or Confirmation must be enrolled in
catechesis for 2 consecutive years and is obligated
to receive the Sacraments within their home parish.
Sunday Classes: 9:45am to 11:00am
Location: Midwood Catholic Academy
Note: all students will attend Sunday Mass
beginning at 11 :30am and be seated together with
their classes in Church. Dismissal of students will
be after the 11 :30am Mass at which time parents
may pick up their children. There is no dismissal
of any child after class only after Mass.
Wednesday Classes:
3:35pm to 5:00pm
Location: Aquinas Center
Note: all students are required to attend Mass each
Sunday. Attendance at mass is mandatory and will be recorded using a Mass Attendance Form
(teachers will issue forms) to be sign by a priest celebrating mass at whatever Church
you may be attending.
Students are required to arrive promptly on time for
each class. Students are expected and required to
conduct themselves in propriety conducive to a
Christian learning environment. At no time will any
student be tolerated for misbehaving, such as:
disrespect to teachers, faculty, peers or
compromising the safety of anyone or anything.
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a
respectful, courteous and Christian, charitable
manner.
Any student absent more than 3 times for class
or 3 times for Mass will automatically receive a
failing grade and not promoted to the next
grade. The student will be required to repeat
the same grade the following year. There are
no exceptions to any rule or guidelines and no
refunds on registration.
For further information please contact the Parish
Office at 1-718-253-4404 (Monday to Thursday
from 9:00am to 5:00pm) and ask to speak with Mr.
Robert Ruggiero, Director of Faith Formation.
At 12 noon on October 11th, 2012, hundreds of Catholic churches and thousands of people across the United States joined together to ring in the first day of the Year of Faith. Bells have long been part of the Catholic tradition and fulfill an important role in the community. Since the 14th century, it has been customary to ring church bells to remind the faithful to pray the Angelus. The sound of bells ringing out together across communities to mark this important year was a memorable celebration for our parish and community.
We are please to offer to the Parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas an opportunity to dedicate one or more of the 400 hymnals, in honor of, or in memory of a loved one
A $25.00 donation per hymnal will provide one dedication plaque, which will be affixed to the inside front cover of the hymnal. These hymnals will then be placed on book racks at the entrances of he Church for use by the parish. If you wish to honor or remember more than one person, you are encouraged to donate more than one hymnal.
We will be able to accept cash or checks - please make checks payable to Saint Thomas Aquinas with a reference to "Hymnal dedication" on the check memo section. All proceeds will be used to defray the cost of the hymnals and benefit the Music Ministries of our Parish.
If you are interested in dedicating one of more hymnals, please provide the following information:
Your name; your address; your telephone number and the name of the person you wish to honor or to have in memory of; along with your payment. Click here for a form you may use.
If you are looking for a way to honor or remember a loved one at the Christmas holidays, a hymnal dedication is a beautiful way to do so!
and Eucharist. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process which helps to prepare adults who are seeking to become fully initiated Catholics.
The journey of faith is a journey of the heart - if you or someone you know may feel that your
heart journey is leading you to exploring becoming a fully initiated Catholic, the RCIA provides
guidance and companions along the path.
RCIA is a process which welcomes those who wish to inquire about joining the Catholic community. Along with members of our Saint Thomas Aquinas community, inquirers explore the loving presence of God in their lives, deepen their prayer, and prepare for celebration of the sacraments of initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
The process is designed for adults who are nonbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition,
baptized Catholic but not fully initiated by the reception of Confirmation and Eucharist.
For more information please call the Parish Office at 718-253-4404 and leave your name, address and telephone number.
Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish has been asked to form a Vocations Committee. As a first step we will begin our Vocation Cross Prayer each week. Each Sunday a family, couple or individual will be called forward at the 11:30am Mass to receive the vocation cross. In taking the cross they commit themselves to pray during the week, in the name of the parish, the vocation prayer in thanksgiving for all those generously sharing in Church ministry and in particular for the gift of sisters, brothers, priests and deacons. They are also asked to pray for an increase in vocations.
All of us are invited to participate in this program. We encourage all to sign up for one of the weeks and then attend the 11:30am Mass that week to receive the cross. It is our hope that this experience will encourage each of us to take seriously our vocation as a member of the Body of Christ and encourage ALL of us to pray for the gift of vocations to priesthood and religious life.
We believe the Spirit is calling men and women from our parish to these roles of service. May our prayers help inspire young men and women to be attentive to the movement of the spirit within them and to step forward in faith and with generous hearts to wherever the Spirit leads them.
We will begin the Vocation Cross Program in September.
Currently there are several openings on the
Parish Pastoral Council. The Parish Pastoral
Council of Saint Thomas Aquinas seeks to
build , strengthen and nourish faith and to empower
members by encouraging critical thinking
and ownership. All efforts are rooted in
the challenge of the gospel and flow from the
community's prayers, gifts and needs as we
gather around the Eucharistic table to express
and intensify our relationship to one another
in the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ.
The specific purpose of our mission-driven
Pastoral Council are:
1. To form community as a sign and witness
of unity for the larger Saint Thomas Aquinas
parish community.
2. To provide recommendations for parish
priorities, directions and policies through
pastoral planning.
3. To promote communication, understanding,
and collaboration among parish organizations
and between the parish , the
Diocese of Brooklyn and the universal
church.
In forming community, council members are
challenged to ongoing renewal through
prayer, study, listening and dialogue. In developing
priorities and directions for the parish,
the council is to become the means of
achieving full participation by the whole parish
community in its mission by giving all a voice
in guiding and directing parish life. Is God
calling you to this valued ministry in the life of
our parish?
If you are interested, please let Father Doyle
know that you are interested.
Monday through Friday 6:00am to 2:00pm
Saturday 7:00am to 7:00pm
Sunday 7:00am to 7:00pm
Have you thought about becoming active in service to Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish in this Year of Faith? We would like to expand our team of dedicated ushers to include women and men interested in this ministry.
New Ushers are needed for the Saturday, 5:30pm; Sunday, 8:00am; Sunday, 11:30am and Sunday, 5:30pm. Also needed are Ushers for Holy Day Masses and Special Liturgies.
Whether you can make a steady weekly commitment or wish to volunteer on an “as needed” basis, please consider joining this most important ministry. For more information about the Ministry of Usher here at Saint Thomas Aquinas, please speak to Mr. TJ Chin after Mass.
and Creole. Click here for the flyer.
Bishop DiMarzio in an attempt to increase cooperation and communication among the parishes of the Diocese and with the diocesan church has reorganized the Cluster structure presently in place within the Diocese. The Bishop following Canon Law has placed the parishes in groupings to be known as a Deanery; to coordinate each Deanery is a Dean. The Dean is a priest and will represent the Bishop to the parishes in his Deanery and in turn represent the parishes to the Bishop.
Bishop DiMarzio installed these Deans on Sunday, April 28th at a Vesper Service at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint James.
Saint Thomas Aquinas is now part of a Deanery made up of the following parishes: Saint Bernard, Mary Queen of Heaven, Saint Columba, Saint Brendan, Our Lady Help of Christians, Resurrection, Good Shepherd, Saint Edmund, Saint Mark and Saint Margaret Mary. Father Frank Hughes, Pastor of Saint Columba has been appointed by the Bishop as the area Dean.
You are asked to pray for the success of this new diocesan structure for pastoral ministry. As this new process begin, please be assured that you will be kept informed.
A box of photos was found in the rectory, and we are not able to identify the people in them. Please look at the Mystery Photos page of our website, and see if you can assist us. Some of the photos are old ones, while others are more recent.
Thanks for your assistance!
We are now accepting Registration Applications for the Summer, Sunday, or Wednesday Programs
2013-2014, which is available at the Aquinas Center. You may also call the office and we will mail
you a copy or you may download an application from our website by clicking here. For further information, contact Mr. Robert A. Ruggiero at (718) 253-4404.
On Saturday, April 27th, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will preside at a Mass at Immaculate Conception Church to celebrate the wedding anniversaries of those celebrating a significant anniversary this year in our Diocese and our parish.
The following parishioners of Saint Thomas Aquinas will be present at this Mass:
Arthur & Ann Batson -60 years
James & Sarah DeProssino -60 years
William & Maria Canna -30 years
Michael & Ellen McDonald -30 years
Daniel & Rosemarie Walsh -25 years
Congratulations to you and please be assured of our prayers for you and your families.
The Roman Missal also referred to as the Sacramentary, is the large book that is
placed upon the altar to guide the way we celebrate the Mass and all the sacraments
that are so central to our Catholic faith. The book contains the prayers and blessings
for all of our liturgies. It encompasses the entire liturgical year with all of the seasons
such as Advent, Christmastime, Lent, Eastertide, special feast days as well as those weeks of the year that we refer to "Ordinary Time." The Missal also contains all of the directions about the actions of the Mass (called rubrics) and the way we as a community of God's people pray together in order to be united with the Church throughout the world.
As you may have read in The Tablet or in other publications in the last few months, the Bishops of the United States have prepared a new translation of the Roman Missal in an attempt to make the language of our English version more accurately attuned to the original Latin text on which the Missal is based. This slight change in our liturgical language can be the occasion for us to reflect on the importance
of all of our words and language whenever we gather at God's altar.
For us it will mean a few changes in certain words and phrases that we are routinely accustomed to use at Mass. An example would be our response to the priest's greeting, "The Lord be with you," will now be "And with your spirit" instead of "And also with you." It will take some getting used to, but the attention we give to the new translation and our effort to make it a regular part of our worship experience
is directed toward making the Mass an even more prayerful experience. The last section of the new translation is waiting final approval from the Vatican and the intention is to put the new translation
into practice beginning on the First Sunday of Advent (the beginning of the Liturgical Year) which occurred on Sunday, November 27th, 2011.
There is much more information available on the new translation of the Roman Missal on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org/romanmissal). In the months ahead more information and education on the missal will be forthcoming and, especially beginning in September of this year, we will be focusing on preparing all to pray with the new translation. May this event be an occasion to appreciate the greatest truth of the liturgy, namely, that Christ is present among us. In our sacraments, he welcomes us, he heals us, he gives us meaning and direction for our Christian lives and most of all he feeds and nourishes us gathered around his table. All liturgy is meant to make these gifts of his presence real in a way that always draws us closer to him and makes us more committed to one another.
Click here for "What is the Roman Missal?" issued by the Liturgy Training Publications.
Click here for "Ten Questions on the Roman Missal, Third Edition," issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Click here for "Celebrating the Lord's Day," issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Click here for "Welcoming the New Roman Missal."
Click here for "The Act of Penitence."
Click here for "The Gloria."
Click here for "The Nicene Creed."
Click here for "The Eucharistic Prayer."
Click here for "The Priest's Prayers."
The following comments are a series of recommendations
made by members of the Diocesan Planning Commission and Parish Taskforce during
their review of all parishes within the diocese as part of Christ Jesus, Our Hope, the diocesan strategic planning process. This feedback is meant to assist parish leaders in their ongoing discernment and pastoral planning.
Pastoral Comments (based on parish data report,
parish self-study, parish pastoral plans)
Affirmations:
•
Diverse community with new parishioners
•
Solid pastoral priorities
Areas of Concern:
•
Using only 25% of church capacity
•
Lack of ethnic diversity in the liturgy. Is there a need for a different language mass?
Temporal/Financial Concerns (based on financial
data reports, ACA report, '10-'11 budget)
Affirmations:
•
Good finances as long as lease income is maintained
•
Solid fund balance
Areas of Concern:
•
School must become self-sustaining
•
Need to decrease expenses-possibly in staff or general income from rental
Recommendations for areas of growth that the Pastor, Staff, Pastoral Council and/or Finance
Council might consider in future planning
(based on review of all financial reports, pastoral reports and demographic reports)
•
Continue efforts to enhance leadership
•
Continue with plan to seek collaborative opportunities
with other parishes
•
If monies cannot be raised to repair the Chapel, pastoral and financial councils may wish to engage in a conversation about the future use or disposal of the building.
On Sunday, May 30, 2010 we had our Anniversary Mass and Reception. Read the article in The Tablet.
The DVD Journal that includes the Mass, Reception, Memorials and Sponsors of our 125th Anniversary Celebration is now in the mail to those who purchased ads or completed the information sheet at our Reception. If you were there and did not complete an information sheet, please leave a message at the Parish Office (718-253-4404) for Rosemarie Walsh. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Since 1885, the parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas has been a visible presence within this community. In 2010, we celebrated 125 years of ministry. In 2009, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the blessing of the cornerstone of the new church. In 2010, we also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the new church's dedication by Bishop Mugavero.
For a list of the priests who are part of our parish history, please click here.
Our theme for this special year is What Others Have Begun, We Shall Continue. A year of Jubilee celebration gives us, as a parish, the opportunity to celebrate our history; recalling important moments of the past and the people who have given so much to bring us to where we are today. Our celebration gives us a chance to celebrate our life as a parish now, at a time when many new people are coming to Saint Thomas Aquinas. Finally, our celebration helps us to look to the future, with its challenges and opportunities for us, as a community of faith and so a community of great hope.
This past week the Strategic Plan of the Parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas was submitted to the Diocesan Task Force for their review. Click here to read our plan.
We would like to address the place of our parish in relation to the Diocesan Strategic Planning Process entitled "Christ Jesus, Our Hope." The goal is not merely to cut expenses by closing parishes; rather, we are being asked to "re-imagine" our diocese and parishes so that we can more effectively carry out the mission of evangelizing our neighborhoods and culture in general. The Parish Data reports has been shared with you. The last several weeks The Tablet has published a report with diocesan-wide data about the stark realities in our Diocese.
To recap:
•
Statistically, between 1999 and 2009, overall Mass attendance has declined 16% in the Diocese.
•
Financially, the diocesan picture is extremely bleak. The diocese has severely depleted in assets
for more than 40 years, primarily to pay the bills of parishes that no longer could. Too many parishes simply have been living beyond their means. Seriously cuts in parish expenses and creative uses for generating income from existing properties in the parish will have to be made. Remember
that less than 3% of the total expenditures
of the diocese in recent years went to abuse case settlements. The problem is parish debts, not lawsuits.
•
Demographically, our City will increase in population,
but become older and less American-born, and perhaps less Catholic in make-up.
•
Leadership-wise, the salient fact is the aging and shrinking of the number of priests. When 30 years ago our diocese had over 700 priests; today
there are 294, and by 2020 that number will be 258.
Click here for "What is 'Christ Jesus, Our Hope'?"
Click here for "How Strategic Planning Relates to Evangelization."
Click here for "Strategic Planning and Parish Finances."
Click here for "The Planning Options."
Click here for "Yesterday & Today: What Have We Achieved?"
In September 2009, Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish welcomed to our facility Midwood Catholic Academy. We welcome Mrs. Elena Heimbach (Principal), faculty, staff and students. For more information on the school, please call (718) 377-1800 or visit their website: http://www.midwoodcatholicacademy.org
Read The Tablet's article about this relocation: http://www.thetablet.org/08292009/stories25.html
As of October 13, 2009, the Rectory Office moved over to the Aquinas Center, 2000 Flatbush Avenue. This move includes the Main Office, the Office of Faith Formation (Mr. Robert Ruggiero) and the Pastoral Associate (Sister Terry Agliardi, RSM). Also located in the Aquinas Center is the Office of Charismatic Renewal for the Diocese of Brooklyn. Mail will continue to be addressed to 1550 Hendrickson Street and we are will continue to use the same telephone and fax numbers.
The death of a loved one usually ushers in a time of sadness and loss that can seem more than overwhelming at many times. Our new Bereavement Support Group will serve to offer comfort, companionship and helpful information about recovery from loss. The group will meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, in the Aquinas Center, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. If you or someone you know would benefit from such a support group, please contact Sister Terry at (718) 253-4404 ext. 30.
Our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion currently visit many sick and homebound members of the parish who are unable to attend Mass and receive Communion in church. As a result of the generosity of these ministers, Holy Communion is available to these persons every Saturday evening or Sunday coinciding when the community gathers for Eucharist.
If you or someone you know in our parish is in need of visitation by one of our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, please contact Sister Terry Agliardi, RSM, who is coordinating this ministry to the sick. She can be reached at (718) 253-4404 extension 30 or by e-mail. It is the desire of the Pastoral Staff to reach as many people in our community who are in need of this service. Please pray for our ministers as they bring Holy Communion and the love and concern of this community to our sick and homebound members.
The Parish Pastoral Council presents our Parish Pastoral Plan, which is comprised of the Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives.
Mission Statement
We, the people of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish, Flatlands, Brooklyn, are a multi-cultural community, invigorated to respond to the call of Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Consistent with the tradition of the Catholic Church, we are:
- United in worshipping the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit by serving Him through serving each other.
- Devoted to unity within the Body of Christ, supporting and promoting one another to live the message of the Gospel through the celebration of the sacraments.
- Committed to a Church community that fosters evangelization, service, hospitality, stewardship and a zeal for genuine unity and belonging.
Goals
- To share our faith with all people in our community.
- To foster enthusiasm and authentic spiritual growth among individuals in our parish.
- To build community in the light of Christ.
Objectives for Goal One
- Encourage every Catholic to feel comfortable about sharing their faith.
- Children's Liturgy of the Word .
- Increase participation in parish ministries.
- Identify and respond to the language and cultural communities within the parish.
- Develop ecumenical involvement of the local churches.
Objectives for Goal Two
- Provide opportunities for interior renewal and conversion for all individuals in our parish.
- Organize opportunities for retreat and speakers aimed at spiritual growth.
- Promote annual parish mission.
- Provide opportunities for a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.
Objectives for Goal Three
- To foster hospitality on a parish level by strengthening existing events.
- To recognize and celebrate the cultural heritage of our parishioners.
- To expand outreach activities to embrace seniors, families with infants, families with teenagers, etc.
