We as a Catholic community of St. Thomas More courageously live out our call as disciples of Jesus by continuing his mission through word and deed. Browse the navigation bar at the left to learn more about who we are and how to get connected with us. We want to get to know you and support you on your journey of faith.
Please find below a photo gallery tour and brief history of St. Thomas More Catholic Community and key architectural features in the church.
St. Thomas More Catholic Community was founded in 1963. The first Mass was held at Rainbow Gardens dance hall located on Wisconsin Ave. in 1963. Rev. Patrick McMahon was the first pastor.
In 1964, building plans were developed to construct a new church facility, school, chapel and convent on the 12 acres known as Randall’s Woods located on the corner of McDonald St. and Glendale Ave. (The convent and chapel have since been torn down.) In 1966, with 600 parish families as members, that project was completed. That first project did not include the church structure that is used today. Masses were celebrated in the gymnasium for the first 25 years.
In 1986, St. Thomas More joined the newly formed "Appleton Catholic Education System" (ACES) and the school became part of ACES. (ACES changed its name to "St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System" on Jan. 1, 2013.)
Rev. Gerald Falk was named pastor in September 1970 and served the parish for 40 years. There are commemorative photos of him in the Fellowship Hall which has been named after him.
At the time of the 25th anniversary in 1988, a new church with a Eucharistic chapel was built. Just as the martyr St. Thomas More was known as “A Man for All Seasons," so the new church became “a church for all seasons”: with a flowing water baptismal and holy water font, live trees growing in the sanctuary and a huge skylight shining on the altar area.
At the time of his retirement, Fr. Falk reflected on the people of the parish over his 40 years there: "This is the honest truth, they know that they are the Body of Christ, because they are involved, not only with caring for the sick, but they are involved in so many areas in the community: LEAVEN, St. Vincent de Paul, the food pantry. They just really witness to the Good News. They (also) share with the grants. Still give grants to different charitable organizations. Not only do they share the gifts, they share financially: $20,000 each year or so, they take from the memorial fund."
In 1996, due to a generous donation, the school facilities were completely remodeled. In 1999, the church's gathering space was expanded and remodeled.
Rev. James Lucas was named pastor in September 2010. During his tenure at St. Thomas More, the parish facilities went through another renovation. When the church was built in 1988, it was built without kneelers in the pews. At the time, that was liturgically correct. Since 1989, there have been changes in the Mass. In 2011, Bishop Ricken asked all parish churches in the diocese to have kneelers. Since installing kneelers meant moving the pews, and it was found that the baptismal font was leaking, it was decided to update the church and the parish facilities. The renovation was completed in time for the 50th anniversary celebration in September 2013. By then, there were 1,300 parish members.
One of the renovations was adding an entry door called the “Porta Fidei” meaning the “Door of Faith.” The baptismal font was also designed to contain a significant amount of water to allow for baptisms of both adults and infants. Floor level entry allows access to the immersion pool and the specially designed gates provide safety. The Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end of the Greek alphabet) on the base reminds us of Christ and connects us to our beginning (Alpha) of faith in Christ at baptism and the completion (Omega) of our faith in Christ celebrated at funeral rites. The shape of the cross reminds us of the dying and rising of Jesus and the sloping floor in the church leads us toward the Altar. The circle in the font. represents the universal and inclusive desire of God that all will be saved. The Baptismal Font also has a special glass cabinet (called the ambry) for the holy oils used during sacraments and the Easter (Paschal) Candle.
In 2013, the sanctuary was enlarged to make room for a new altar. When new tile flooring was added, parish members were invited to write messages on the concrete subfloor. A new ambo — where the Word of God is proclaimed — was also added. The Alpha and Omega Symbols from the baptismal font are also found on the ambo. The altar, altar candles, lectern, president’s chair and deacon chairs are originals designed and crafted by Paul Driessen, owner of Timber Innovations in Kaukauna.
The altar is the table where we celebrate our Eucharistic meal. At the Last Supper, Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples. We hear the same words of Jesus spoken by the priest every time we celebrate Mass. St. Thomas More’s altar was made to include pieces of the previous church altar and marble from the original gym church altar, which was carved into a cross and embedded in the surface of the new altar. The Alpha and Omega Symbols from the baptismal font are also found on the base of the altar. (In the gathering area, there is a display case with the church’s original cup and paten used at the consecration of the Mass in the gym church.)
Behind the altar is the tabernacle, which also means the “tent of meeting.” The original tabernacle was similar in shape, but this is a larger tabernacle added in 2013. The original tabernacle — which is from the gym church — has been replated with gold and is now used on Holy Thursday as the Altar of Repose. The new tabernacle can be seen from both the assembly (those in the pews) and the Eucharistic Reservation Chapel (behind the sanctuary). The white marble under the tabernacle is from the original “gym” altar. This marble is also on the top of each candle stand.
The Sanctuary Lamp, the red candle, can be found in the Eucharistic Reservation Chapel and is visible behind the altar above the tabernacle, through a circular opening called the occulus. When this lamp is lit, we know that Jesus is present in the tabernacle in the form of the consecrated Hosts (Eucharist). The candle also reminds us that this is a holy place. The Reservation Chapel is a private place of prayer and reflection where we can talk to Jesus privately.
When you look up above the sanctuary, you will see our crucifix. A crucifix is a cross with Jesus's body on it. Our crucifix was carved for St. Thomas More by two artists from the area. Steve Uphill of Uphill & Beyond Woodworking carved the cross and Dan Van Berkel of Darboy carved Jesus (officially called the Corpus). Dan Van Berkel also carved the Risen Christ processional cross used at Mass. The processional cross is carved in ‘Tau-Cross’ style and contains stained-glass that matches the stained-glass windows behind the altar.
The wall separating the Sanctuary and the Eucharistic Reservation Chapel contain two windows etched to resembles trees in different seasons. These windows were relocated from the school entrance. One etched window remains in the school entrance.
Other glass art includes the two sets of windows at the top of the church walls to the right and left. They were both designed by Sr. Mary Rose Menting, who served at St. Thomas More for 38 years, and show the seasons of the year. The windows on the east side show symbols of the church year, from Advent to Pentecost, the feast that leads into Ordinary Time. On the west, are the seasons of the year, from autumn to spring, summer and winter. One of the windows includes an image of St. Thomas More, whose feast day is June 22. The windows are linked by a river, just as Appleton is linked by the Fox River.
During her time at St. Thomas More, Sr. Mary Rose created many artistic images in her pastoral ministry. She used them to catechize, during all the changes she and Sr. Betty Reinders saw in their 38 years at St. Thomas More.
"The basic truths of our faith," said Sr. Mary Rose in 2013. "We hold to these, even though we present them in different ways and live them out in different ways. The Paschal Mystery is central and it will always be — because it always has been."
The two women, members of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee, served in many ministries at St. Thomas More. Sr. Betty served as pastoral associate and Sr. Mary Rose coordinated adult education, RCIA, liturgy planning, bereavement ministry and other assorted pastoral work. Both also ministered to the sick, along with Fr. Falk, who was especially dedicated to the homebound and the hospitalized.
“Our own foundresses (of the School Sisters) were driven out of Germany (in 1874),” Sr. Betty said in 2013. “They came over here and started with nothing. Their trust was in God. The whole idea is that, if this is God’s work, it will work."
That faithful work, linking the centuries of the Catholic faith, can also be seen in the statues flanking the altar. To the right stands a white, marble statue of St. Thomas More, our patron saint. The sculpture of St. Thomas More is a product of Washington DC artist, Leo Irrera. The original is featured at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis Law campus. To the left is another marble statue, this one of the Holy Family. In this statue of the Holy Family, Jesus is a boy, just about the same age as children preparing for First Communion. He holds a scroll, which indicates that he is the Word of God.
To the right of the altar, you will also see our music area. We have a spectacular digital organ and a baby grand piano, as well as space for drums and other musicians to enhance our liturgy.
Around the side walls of the church are the Stations of the Cross from the original gym church. Each of these mosaic and metal sculptures tell the story of Jesus’ passion and death on the cross on Good Friday. They were originally on black backgrounds, which were redone in gold and brown to match the wood in the present church.
At the entrance of the church, to the left of the Baptismal font as you enter the sanctuary, is the Reconciliation Room, for the Sacrament of Confession. The reconciliation room door contains a stained-glass depiction of Michelangelo’s Pietà, donated by an anonymous donor.
At the entrance to the church, to the right of the baptismal font as you enter the sanctuary, are windows. Through the windows you will see the family area with a stained glass window of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus relocated from the Eucharistic chapel. In 2019, Fr. Lucas was reassigned to another parish in the Green Bay Diocese and Deacon Lincoln Wood became the pastoral leader.
As one leaves the church, passing the font, one is reminded of our baptismal mission. The tapestry over the doors shows Jesus after his own baptism in the river Jordan and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. This was designed especially for St. Thomas More by Paula Jean Roberts, an artist out of Sturgeon Bay; she wove the yarn from the hair of her own alpacas.
The ministry of the parish continues outside the church doors, from youth and adult ministry, to social justice, to work with mission churches like St. Anthony in Neopit (on the Menominee nation) to the diocesan mission in the Dominican Republic, where many parish members have traveled to help. Even the famous St. Thomas More fish fries, started at the annual parish picnic, have been expanded to become a Lenten Friday tradition of fellowship.
(Patricia Kasten, Kiki Harke, Char Zeier, and Emily Shackleton contributed to this history.)