Important Update

Phase 2: Reinstatement of Dispensation for Sunday Obligation

As you are probably aware, our area is in Very High Alert for COVID-19. In response, on Monday, October 5, Bishop Ricken reinstated the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass in the diocese until further notice. This means that you are not obligated to attend Mass on Sunday (or Saturday night) for the duration of this dispensation (Bp. Ricken's letter here). Please know, that even with the reinstatement of the dispensation, St. Thomas More will continue to celebrate Mass publically every weekend for those who are able to attend and willing to strictly follow the proper health protocols (guidelines here). 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.

Important Resources:

  • Guidelines for the return to these public Masses in Phase 2 are listed here.
  • Guiding principles for the the phases are located here.
  • Bishop Ricken's letter regarding the lifting of the dispensation are listed here.
  • Please sign up for the Mass you plan on attending so we can monitor the number of attendees.

    • Please sign up for October 31 and November 1 Mass times by clicking here.

We are happy to welcome you back to the celebration of the Mass in this limited way. See you soon!

For those who are not able to attend Mass in person due to being in a high risk category for contracting the virus or other reasons, or for visitors who are considering joining St Thomas More Parish or the Catholic Church, we invite you to view the live streams of the Masses on our Facebook page. The live streams are being recorded and are available to view after the Masses in the Videos section of the Facebook page.

Thank you for being the amazing catholic community that you are!

 

2020 STM Calendar

In an effort to keep all of our friends and parishioners abreast of the activities here at St Thomas More Parish, we are adding our calendar here. Feel free to contact the parish office at (920) 739-7758 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or concerns you may have. We will pray for all of you during this difficult time, and hope you will do the same.

Rededication of Fr Falk Fellowship Hall

APPLETON — To the strains of “All are Welcome” and “Companions on the Journey,” members of St. Thomas More Parish welcomed back their retired pastor to rededicate a fellowship hall in his honor.

Fr. Gerald Falk served the Appleton parish as pastor from 1970 to 2010 and continued to serve in care ministry at the parish until late 2017, when he suffered a stroke. Sunday, Jan. 6, was the first time he had returned to the parish, where he concelebrated the 10 a.m. Mass with current pastor, Fr. Jim Lucas.

St. Thomas More Parish in Appleton rededicated its parish fellowship hall on Jan. 6 in honor of its retired pastor, Fr. Gerald Falk, pictured above, seated. Fr. Falk is shown with his brothers and sisters-in-law, from left: Dr. Jim and Gwen Falk, Fr. Jim Lucas, current pastor, and Dick and Marlene Falk. (Kim Lesperance | Submitted photo)

 

During the Mass, Fr. Lucas noted how the Magi were great gift givers and that “God has given us a gift this morning, the presence of Fr. Falk.”

At the Mass, Fr. Falk, who uses a wheelchair, distributed Communion. At the end of Mass, the 89-year-old priest spoke to the assembly.

“The first reading said, ‘May you reveal the glory of God,’” he told them. “All of you here, since your baptism, have revealed the glory of God to so many people. … To myself, to Fr. Jim, to Deacon Ray (Dubois) and Deacon Tim (Downey). You’re just like the three kings. The three kings revealed the glory of God, … you spread the glory of God to your families and to one another, like the three kings. It’s a joy to be back with you.”

He received a standing ovation.

After the Mass, the renovated fellowship hall was rededicated. It had been named in Fr. Falk’s honor in 2010. However, because of its frequent use, the parish needed to replace some items and decided to add upgrades at the same time, Fr. Lucas explained.

“Our fellowship hall is a hub of community and education activities,” he said.

The renovation cost $99,105, almost all of which has already been raised by donations. Upgrades included new flooring and carpeting (with asbestos removal), paint, stone along the ceiling and one wall, LED lighting, ceiling tiles, new doors and a closet area.

“This moment that we celebrate,” Fr. Lucas said at the rededication prayer service, “is the fruit of our Vision 2020 Summit that we held a few years ago, that emphasized fellowship. … This hall is a very important part of our community’s life for education events, social events, our parish library, funeral luncheons, just to name a few.”

He concluded by thanking all the parish members “who helped make this moment happen through your prayers, service and financial contributions.”

Fr. Lucas later told The Compass that he credits “the generosity of the Falk family and St. Thomas More community” for the renovation project and for the “truly joyful occasion” on Jan. 6. “They should be proud of their efforts,” he said.

About 200 people joined that service and social gathering that followed with Fr. Falk and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Dr. Jim (Gwen) Falk and Dick (Marlene) Falk. (Another brother, Salesian Fr. Bob Falk is a missionary in Korea.) The parish Christmas Choir led the singing, as they had at the Mass.

“There were so many big smiles on everyone’s faces as they went up to receive Communion from Fr. Falk,” said pastoral associate, Irene Skarban, as she watched people lining up to shake the priest’s hand. “That had to be a real blessing for him.”

By Patricia Kasten | The Compass 
January 10, 2019

March 13 2020 Fish Fry Postponed

 

postponed

 

As a safeguard to everyone’s health and well-being, St Thomas More is taking precautionary measures and postponing this week’s fish fry. We will continue to monitor and evaluate other parish events, and will post updates via Flocknote, email, our website (www.stmcath.org), and facebook. We will also inform you using these same vehicles when events are rescheduled.