Welcome to St. Thomas More Parish

Lent comes providentially to awaken us, to shake us from our lethargy. ~Pope Francis  As you prepare for lent, here are some helpful resources: We are beginning in-person Discipleship Formation in March! Join us in the church at 6:15 pm on Wednesday, March 3 for our first in-person session of the year. The adults will stay in the church while the children and youth go to their classrooms. Alena Tapelt, the principal of our McDonald St. Campus of Xavier will join us as we explore the Biblical Heart of Jesus. You can view any of the past Discipleship Formation Live sessions on the STM Facebook page. February's theme is the virtuous heart of Jesus. Be sure to check out any sessions you have missed! View the pick of the week on Formed.org Please participate by completing a 10-15 minute survey as soon as possible Ideas for living the four key discipleship skills. Remember, there are new ideas every week. We continue to ask you to sign up for Mass. Please pray for those intentions on our prayer tree. Check out this week's new meaningful meals starter question, and faith sharing help! This week's Log. Our Lenten picture theme: tools of holiness. See below for details. Send in your pictures! View the Lenten Calendar created by service and justice for quick little acts of penance each day during this special season of prayer! Check out the News, Updates, and Links to the bulletin and other great resources. New information regarding Bishop Ricken's Sunday Mass. And some perspective from the Sheep. Know that you are in our prayers during this season of Lent.   Sign up for Formed   Fill Out Survey It’s official! The Disciple Maker Index Survey opens this week and we need your help! Please participate by completing a 10-15 minute survey as soon as possible.   Click here for the survey There are also opportunities to complete the survey after daily and Sunday Mass and you can obtain a paper copy in the Narthex/Parish Office or by contacting Minka Bourner at 920-739-7758.   The survey will only be available from February 20th through March 28th, and will ask you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and enable you to provide feedback on our parish’s efforts to help you grow.  All responses will be confidential and the parish will only receive information about the community as whole.    We are trying to get the highest response rate possible.  This information will be invaluable to Deacon Lincoln and our various ministries as we plan for the future and strive to be the best disciples we can be.  We will receive the results this spring/summer at which time we will share what we have learned with the entire parish.   Thank you for helping with this important project!   Ideas for the Four Skills... Simple is the magic word this year. While these four skills are simple, they take commitment to get started. Please make the effort this year. The long-term benefits are fantastic! We are taking a back to basics approach for Discipleship Formation by focusing on four key skills for individuals and families: To use the bible as individuals and as a family Idea: Make a visit to our local Catholic bookstore, St. Patrick's books, and find a bible that you like. To pray regularly as an individual and as families Idea: Check out the app Hallow as a prayer resource. To share a meaningful meal together regularly Ask the family what their favorite meatless meal is and try to share it this lent. To have faith sharing conversations - "faith talks" and "faith walks" New questions every week! Use this week's "Faith Talk" questions in the Mealtime Moments section below at a meal or some other time as a chance to go deeper in your faith as a family. It will be awkward at first, but stick with it and it gets easier. In case you missed it, watch our January Discipleship Formation Session at our  STM Facebook page. Other formation videos can also be found there.   Breaking Open the Word with Question of the Week - Google Docs.pdf   Sign up for this weekend...         Mass Feb. 27 & 28           Sign Up                 Sat. 5pm Sun. 8am Sun. 10am During the pandemic, Bishop Ricken reinstated the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday and Holy Day Masses in the diocese until further notice. This means that you are not obligated to attend Mass on Sunday (or Saturday night) or Holy Days for the duration of this dispensation (see attached letter from Bp. Ricken). Please know, that even with the reinstatement of the dispensation, St. Thomas More will continue to celebrate Mass publicly every weekend for those who are able to attend and willing to strictly follow the proper health protocols (attached). During this time of increased infection, our parish will be even more vigilant in observing the health protocols shared in the diocesan guidelines to help prevent the spread of disease and allow as many people as is safe to come to Mass without fear of infection. The wearing of masks is mandatory at Masses celebrated here and throughout the diocese. We thank you for your support and compliance as we find ourselves in this time of very high alert throughout the diocese. We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed.   Guidelines_for_Public_Masses_during_Very_High_Alert.pdf   Megan - that God guides her decisions and anxiety is overcome. A Grandma who has stage 4 cancer, pray that she can get hospice home care in time to say goodbyes. All those suffering alone.    Mealtime Moments...  Remember, a weekly meaningful meal is a key discipleship skill. You can even make them more meaningful by having a "faith talk" around the table. Here is a gentle starter question to get the ball rolling:   If you could have any animal as a pet, what animal would you choose? This one is fun because a blank check pet choice can lead to some great answers. And you can always transition the conversation into pets they had/have.  And for that "faith talk"... based on this weekend's readings   TAKE TIME TO CHAT Why do you think Jesus transfigured himself for Peter, James and John? Share a time when you have encountered Jesus. Take a moment to reflect on this phrase from today’s Gospel: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” What do you hear God saying to you in your heart? ... or you can just use these questions at a meal or any time for a "faith walk"!   Adult Question: How deeply do you believe that since God is for you, no one can destroy you? Child Question: What would you like to ask God to do for you and your family?   Mealtime moments.docx.pdf   Growing in Trust “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Rm. 8:31b “How deeply do you believe that since God is for you, no one can destroy you?” Question of the Week In the story of the Transfiguration we hear of a powerful encounter with God. A few disciples travel with Jesus to a grand mountain vista. There, before their eyes Jesus begins to glow with a radiant light. Ancient prophets appear with Him and a voice booms from heaven declaring Jesus, “My beloved Son.” Wow! How would you react if you were one of those disciples? Mark tells us that the disciples were “terrified” (Mk. 9:6). The whole scene was overwhelming. The disciples didn’t know how to respond. And suddenly, it was over. ... Click to read more   New Picture Theme This lent we will be sharing pictures of "tools for holiness." Send in a picture of a person, place, or thing that has helped you grow in holiness. You can also send in a short explanation if that will help explain the picture. Let's get those pictures coming! Please send your pictures to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. My Rosary has helped me carry many crosses throughout my life. I run to our Mother whenever I'm happy, sad, or mad. Her loving and gentle heart always pushes me into the Lord's warm embrace. This has most certainly been a strong and powerful tool on my continual journey towards holiness! ~Minka B.   Exploring His Kingdom In the latest episode we discuss the importance of questions and how to journey with a Sacred Question this lent. You can find this episode, as well as all the previous episodes, including Sunday homilies, on the STM website or wherever you listen to podcasts.   Fr. Jack's recommendation for Lent! Click the link below to view the 2021 Lenten Calendar provide by our very own Service and Justice Commission!   Lent2021SocialTeachingCalendar (2).docx   Sunday Mass with Bishop David Ricken Please note NEW TIME - Every Sunday at 10:30 AM until the football season begins again. All are invited to tune in every Sunday morning to WFRV-Channel 5 and pray with us from wherever you are! You also may access by clicking this link https://www.gbdioc.org/ Sacraments: See above for information about the dispensation for Sunday Mass obligation. If you plan to attend Mass this weekend, you can sign up using the sign-up form above or on the website or by calling the office. We are celebrating weddings and funerals and baptisms and anointing of the sick with some precautions in place. The Sacrament of Reconciliation continues with our regular schedule (see below for details). We have resumed the public celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass with precautions (see above for details). Our regular schedule for celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation (4:15 pm on Saturday and 9:15-9:45 am on Sunday). Click here for the bulletin   Links Virtual events going on throughout the Diocese of Green Bay Sign up for 52 Sundays Resource for family Faith St. Thomas More Facebook Page St. Thomas More website   Give us your Feedback... Let us know what you want in our Wednesday Flocknote by replying. We want this to be useful to you as we grow as disciples of Jesus.

The Disciple Maker Index Survey is Opens this Week!  Please Read and Help!

It’s official! The Disciple Maker Index Survey opens this week and we need your help!

Please participate by completing a 10-15 minute survey as soon as possible.  

• Click here for the survey

• There are also opportunities to complete the survey after daily and Sunday Mass and you can obtain a paper copy in the Narthex/Parish Office or by contacting Minka Bourner at 920-739-7758.

The survey will only be available from February 20th through March 28th, and will ask you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and enable you to provide feedback on our parish’s efforts to help you grow.  All responses will be confidential and the parish will only receive information about the community as whole. 

We are trying to get the highest response rate possible.  This information will be invaluable to Deacon Lincoln and our various ministries as we plan for the future and strive to be the best disciples we can be.  We will receive the results this spring/summer at which time we will share what we have learned with the entire parish.

Thank you for helping with this important project!

St. Thomas More Parish has established a process to make grants from its Memorial Fund to organizations both within and outside the parish.

A Grant Committee, consisting of the parish leader and representatives of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, along with parish members appointed at large, has been set up to review and approve grant requests.

Grant applications, due by March 31 each year, may include requests for up to $5,000 and the Grant Committee may approve a number of applications. The committee will be looking for requests that meet the grant guidelines, with emphasis on advancing the mission of STM and meeting priority needs in the community, such as improving quality of life. In addition, collaboration is an important criterion, such as matching grants and working with other non-profits.

This year’s grant applications will be due by March 31, 2021. The committee will make recommendations in April and present them for Pastoral Council approval in May. If approved by the Pastoral Council, funds will be available after July 1.

Please direct any questions about the program to Kim O'Brien, Chair of the Grants Committee (920-470-2300, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Barb Tremel, Parish Business Administrator (920-739-7758, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

To see the grant guidelines, please click here:Grant Guidelines