Directory of Ministries at St. Thomas the Apostle - 2005

It was a typical summer day in late June, 1939, when St. Thomas the Apostle Parish celebrated its first Sunday Mass. What wasn't typical was the setting. Parishioners gathered to worship in a rented 60 x 100 foot tent that was erected on the current property. How excited and how challenged our first worshipers must have felt!

The parish had been established only six months earlier by the Archbishop of Newark, Thomas Joseph Walsh, who named it after his patron saint, selected the site and even supervised the drawing of plans for the first buildings. Displaying a determination and spirit that is the hallmark of our parish to this day, the original 300 families and its first pastor, Reverend Thomas J. Herron, worked frantically to construct a church-school building to replace the tent. On Christmas Eve of that same year, Mass was celebrated for the first time in that new church, now Herron Hall.

Father Herron in those first months not only saw to the construction needs, but organized a full program of religious, educational, and social services. Our first family picnic was held on Sunday, July 23, 1939. The Rosary Society, The Holy Name Society, and Youth Ministries have existed since those early days. The Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth have assisted from the beginning, including staffing our parish school since it opened in 1940 with 393 pupils.

Since then, we have added a rectory and a convent. Our original school building has continually been expanded and to meet the educational needs of the parish. The current church, completed during the winter of 1959-1960, has been renovated to accommodate the directives of the Second Vatican Council. Our parish now numbers 4,200 families and has an annual operating budget of more than $2 million. But during all these changes, one thing has remained constant – the dedication and spirit of you, the St. Thomas the Apostle Parish.

As we begin the third Millennium, our parish faces great challenges. We must continue to proclaim and pass on our Faith in the Lord Jesus (Word), to celebrate fully the Sacramental life of the Lord in His Church (Worship), to serve the Lord in each person with needs of any kind (Service) and to bring together all members of the parish in true Christian fellowship (Community Building). To rise to these challenges, we must renew our dedication and spirit, first presented by those early "tenters," here at St. Thomas the Apostle.

What better way than to live the Stewardship way of life, an invitation to all of us to deepen our Christian discipleship through a sincere sharing of our TIME, TALENT and TREASURE, in gratitude for the gifts God has given to us! Please pray that the Lord opens our hearts to His call to Stewardship. May the early spirit of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish continue to grow through each and every one of us.

Rev. Monsignor William C. Hatcher Pastor