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Parish Ministries and Programming Religious Education and Youth Ministry are offered through joint programs sponsored by St. Thomas More and St. Joseph Parish in Kalamazoo. Religious Education classes are held, in English and Spanish, for the elementary grade students, including sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Parishioners offer assistance as catechists, classroom aides, and volunteers for special events. For information about these classes, contact Patty Haley, the Director of Religious Education at 343 6256 or email at phaley@tds.net
Welcoming Ministry calls upon newly registered permanent residents to welcome them to the parish, explain our parish mission and the various ministries available. Contact is made with new parishioners after the census form is processed in the parish office. To register in the parish, fill out, and return the census form, located on the rack next to the big bulletin board at the main entrance to the church. College students register with St. Tom’s each fall using the student census cards distributed before the weekend Masses. Helping Hands is a big group of parishioners who, when called to help, will provide dishes for funeral lunches, make desserts for Student Suppers, prepare 500 care packages for the end of the semester, cook and deliver meals for homebound parishioners, stuff envelopes for our parish bulk mailings, and offer assistance to the parish staff when big projects come up. Many of the people on this list are also involved in cooking and serving the Student Suppers on Sunday nights. |
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Men’s Issues is a gathering of Christian men, primarily Catholic, who share a burning desire to discuss and act on issues of faith and our common journey. We recognize all men are at different places on that journey and in fact take different paths, but all share a common destination. We discuss issues around the Church, our families, and our jobs, seeking ways to be ambassadors of Christ in all we do. Men’s Issues sponsors annual fall and winter retreats open to all men of the parish. Currently our regular meetings are held every other Monday at 7:00 p.m. at St. Tom’s. Check the bulletin for actual meeting dates. Migrant Ministry is a summer program which invites students and permanent residents to spend a Monday or Tuesday evening each week at a local migrant camp, playing with the children and talking with the women and men who have worked all day in the fields. The group leaders plan and organize games and activities for the children. Speaking Spanish is helpful, but not required. Camp visits run from June through August. Volunteers gather to carpool from St. Tom’s for a 6:00 p.m. departure and return about 10 p.m. Children’s and work clothing and practical household items, accepted at St. Tom’s from mid June through mid-August, are shared with migrant families through the “store” in Hartford. Working at the store, and sorting the donations at St. Tom’s are also good ways you can participate in this ministry. Each May, an orientation session is offered for first time volunteers and a Migrant Ministry brochure is published, inviting volunteers to sign up. The Sister Parish Committee helps organize activities connected with our sister parish in El Salvador, Mary, Mother of the Poor. Activities include the scholarship project called Sponsor-a-Student, delegations to El Salvador, arranging visits of students from El Salvador to our parish and community, collecting and shipping of medical supplies and optical goods, and an annual dinner for the Salvadoran scholarship sponsors and their families. A delegation of St. Tom's parishioners visit to the sister parish each November. If you are interested in being part of the delegation, or in sponsoring a student, or helping us translate letters into or from Spanish, please call the parish office at 269 381 8917. |
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