Bible Study Meetings

Every other Wednesday night we read and discuss the upcoming Sunday readings guided by the same three open ended questions. This is a thought-provoking, safe, engaging and supportive space that everyone is invited to join!

Joe Turner leads our meetings and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact him at Joseph.wg.turner@gmail.com. We meet in the Parish Center every other Wednesday night from 7pm to 8:30pm. You can bring your own Bible but Joe prints out copies of the readings for our discussions. You do not need to register ahead of time, you only need to bring yourself! Here is a list of our upcoming meetings, we hope to see you!

January 14th , January 28th, February 11th, February 25th, March 11th, March 25th, April 8th, April 22nd, May 13th, May 27th, June 10th, June 24th

We Are His Witnesses Update

As you will  recall from the recent Listening Sessions held here we were given 2 options, to think about and to offer feedback: either merging with St. Cassian in Montclair or merging with St. Valentine here in Bloomfield. Since then about 70 of you offered feedback as to what you think is the best option.

Since then Marta Glogowski, a member of our parish’s WAHW committee and former chairperson  of our   Pastoral Council  has created a 90 page document offering Bishop Saporito and his team the options for our parish to be a stand-alone parish . In the document we make the case for a parish to be the regional center for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), Youth Ministry (we have 2 active youth groups), Young Adult Ministry, Bereavement, etc.

Thank you , Marta, her team:  Jim McKittrick and Joe turner for their help on the document., Patrice as Parish Point of Contact and Dan Bitecola , Pat DeCotis, Jim McKittrick , Patrick McGroarty, Chinwe Osondu, and Bob    Urbanovich for serving as Key Parish Leaders during the We Are His Witnesses process; and to the heads of our parish ministries for the wealth of information you have provided.  Let’s continue to pray to the Holy Spirit, during the restructuring of our Archdiocese, that the right decision be made for our parish.

By clicking below you may read the 90-page document sent to Bishop Saporito.

Simbang Gabi 2025: A Filipino Advent Tradition

Our annual Simbang Gabi celebration was a beautiful way to prepare our hearts for Christmas—a night filled with prayer, music, and the quiet joy of coming together as a faith community.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended, served, sang, cooked, and helped make the evening so meaningful. Thank you for sharing this cherished tradition with us. Please enjoy a few moments from the night by clicking below to view the photos.

To get involved with our Filipino Ministry, please click here.

Social Concerns Corner

A message from the Social Concerns Ministry.

In his Christmas address, Pope Leo called for peace and to remember all those affected by conflict, especially those that may be the most forgotten, including the people of Sudan.

A humanitarian crisis is worsening across Sudan as conflict displaces millions of people and increases hunger and instability. Today, over 9 million people are facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger. The country is home to the world’s largest internally displaced population. The key drivers of hunger for Sudanese families are ongoing conflict and displacement. At the same time, falling incomes, broken supply chains and disrupted agricultural production have led to soaring food prices. Famine has struck five areas of the country. 

What is the Catholic Church doing?

Caritas Sudan, known as Sudanaid, is the Catholic social services agency in Sudan. Caritas Sudan works closely with its Catholic sister organizations, including Catholic Relief Services to respond with lifesaving support to those displaced.

Here’s a snapshot of how our Catholic community in the US, through Catholic Relief Services, is responding:

In November 2025, CRS has: 

• Supported 32 health facilities and has provided primary care to over 28,000 individuals, conducted initial health screening for nearly 7,000 people, and admitted over 1,200 children for treatment of severe malnutrition. 

• Reached 312,000 people with over 3,200 metric tons of mixed food commodities and provided over $635,000 in cash for food assistance to over 3,100 displaced households. 

Please continue to pray for peace in Sudan and in all conflicted affected countries. As Pope Leo shared in his Christmas message, “peace also requires human responsibility.” Let us pray for all those who continue to broker peace in our world as we begin this new year.

To learn more, visit: www.crs.org, www.caritas.org or www.usccb.org.

2025 Advent and Christmas Schedule

Advent Confessions will be heard Saturday, December 20th at 1:00pm.

Simbang Gabi will be celebrated on Friday, December 19th at 7:00pm.

Christmas Eve Masses on Wednesday, December 24th will be held at 4:00pm [Children's Choir], 6:00pm, and 10:00pm [Adult Choir]. 

Christmas Day Masses on Thursday, December 25th will be held at 8:00am, 10:00am, and 12:00pm.

Our Annual Christmas Pageant will be held Sunday, January 4th at 3:00pm

From the Social Concerns Ministry Regarding "Special Message" on Immigration

From the Social Concerns Ministry.

U.S. Bishops Issue a “Special Message” on Immigration from Plenary Assembly in Baltimore

On November 12, 2025, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. In a vote of 216 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and 3 abstentions, the bishops overwhelmingly approved the Special Message, with sustained applause of the body following the vote.

This message begins: “As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones. 

Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.”

For the full text of this message, please go to the USCCB website (www.usccb.org). Please read this message and pray with the bishops for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.

Simbang Gabi Friday, December 19th at 7:00pm

A message from the Filipino Ministry.

Join us for Simbang Gabi, a cherished Filipino Advent tradition, on Friday, December 19th at 7:00 PM. This beautiful celebration invites the whole community—Filipino and non-Filipino alike—to prepare our hearts for Christmas with joyful expectation, gratitude, and hope.

Simbang Gabi is a novena of evening (or early morning) Masses leading up to Christmas, honoring Mary and anticipating the birth of Christ. Even if you are not Filipino, you are warmly welcomed to experience this beloved expression of faith, community, and cultural heritage. Its focus on light, devotion, and spiritual preparation speaks to all Christians awaiting the coming of Christ.

Fellowship will follow the service in Herron Hall. All are invited.

2025 Advent Giving Tree begins Saturday, November 22nd

The Advent Giving Tree is St. Thomas’s annual Christmas gift drive to help our brothers and sisters in need.

We collect and distribute all donated items to local organizations such as Mercy House, Family Promise, RWJ Hemophilia Center, Dr. Lena Edwards Charter School, St. Rose of Lima Church in Newark, Montclair Care Center, and St. Joseph’s Social Service Center.

2025: We split the request list between an electronic version and the trees set up in the church by the reconciliation rooms. Starting Saturday, November 22rd through Sunday, December 7th the tags will be available.

• Kindly return all items by December 7th with the tags attached.

• Please do not wrap the gifts.

• Gift Cards with the tag attached along with the dollar value should be placed in the collection basket or dropped off at the Parish Center.

The spirit of generosity at St. Thomas has always been boundless. Please continue to help us bring joy to those in need during the Christmas season.