Weekly Updates from St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar, NY
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Weekend of October 24-25, 2026

Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Friday, October 23

10:00am: Funeral for Dolores Fitzgerald
10:30am: Reflecting on the Sunday Scriptures, Conference Room
12:15pm: Mass
1:00pm: Adoration, Confession

Saturday, October 24

4:00pm: Confessions
5:00pm: Mass

Sunday, October 25

7:30am: Mass
9:00am: OCIA Session, Cafeteria
10:00am: Children’s Rosary, Chapel
10:30am: Mass (Livestream)
10:30am: Children's Liturgy of the Word, Chapel
11:30am: Hospitality
5:00pm: Mass
6:00pm: 46 Rosaries to Honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, Chapel

St. Thomas Parish,

I'd like to start off with a few thank yous:

My thanks go to all who were able to attend the 5th Annual Gala & Auction to raise crucial funds to support St. Thomas School! We gathered to honor two people who have dedicated their time and abilities to our parish, school, and Diocesan Schools Office: Bob and Pat Ricchiuti. The evening was great fun and filled with people who love the school and the mission of Catholic education. Thank you to all who attended, donated to a basket or the live auction, bid on an item, or offered a donation in support of the school. Thank you!
This past Tuesday, we welcomed people who expressed an interest in joining the Pastoral Council. Thank you for your time to learn about what the Council is, what it is not, and how we will proceed to discern the steps ahead using Bishop Mark’s Sustainability and Growth Discipline as a guide.
Discipleship Formation is off and running for the year! It’s been so great to see our young parishioners gather in the school for their weekly sessions. Many thanks to all the staff and volunteers who make this operation safe, smooth, and Spirit-filled. It’s a holy task to educate our children in the faith. A task that first begins at home, and a task that we continue through the sessions here. Thanks to the commitment of all of our families to ensure that the gift of faith is continually nourished!

Turning to this weekend’s Gospel, we have a passage that follows almost directly from last weekend’s account when Jesus used the coin with the face of Caesar imprinted on it to respond to a question. He said, “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” What belongs to God? We have the image and likeness of God imprinted upon us through our baptism, therefore we belong to God! And we “return” ourselves to him each time we pray, each time we bring our children to church, each time we offer charitable word or deed, and on and on.

This week, we hear that the Pharisees are asking Jesus yet another question to test him. This time, they want to know which commandment in the law is the greatest. Jesus responds by bringing together two commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In doing so, he gives us a simple but profound summary of what it means to live a life of faith.

Sometimes, we can get caught up in the details of our faith. We can debate this or that teaching, focus on the rules, or wonder whether we are doing enough. Of course, the teachings and commandments of the Church matter! They help us to grow in holiness and to live as faithful disciples. But Jesus reminds us that all of these things must be rooted in love. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

As we continue to grow as a parish community, these commandments are also a helpful guide for our life together. Our ministries, our school, our pastoral planning, and our efforts to sustain our parishes must ultimately serve this twofold mission: to love God and to love our neighbors. If we lose sight of that purpose, we risk becoming preoccupied with the work of the Church while forgetting the very reason for which we do it.

So perhaps the question for us this week is not simply, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus has already given us the answer. The question is whether our lives reflect it. Do our words, our decisions, our priorities, and our relationships show that we love God with our whole being and our neighbors as ourselves?

As we approach the month of November, I’d invite everyone to take note of the page in the bulletin that includes the dates, times, and locations of our annual prayer services at each of our local cemeteries. November is dedicated to praying for those who have gone before us. Please know you are welcome to attend any and all of those services.

We also have our All Souls Mass on Monday, November 2 at 6:30pm. A special invitation has been sent to those families who have lost a loved one in the past year, but attendance at that Mass is certainly not limited to them. All are invited to attend.

Peace to you,
Fr. Matt

October 24-25 Bulletin

Monday Message October 19

This Weekend's Readings

St. Thomas Calendar

Next Week:

Monday, October 26

7:30am: Mass
8:00am: Rosary
7:30pm: Adoration

Tuesday, October 27

11:30am: Confession
12:15pm: Mass
3:00pm: Tuesday Drive, Gathering Hall

Wednesday, October 28

11:00am: Rosary, Mary Chapel
7:00pm: Choir Rehearsal, Church
7:00pm: 518 Frassati, Conference Room

Thursday, October 29

7:30am: Mass
8:00am: Rosary
7:30pm: Moms Halloween Night Out, Gathering Hall

Friday, October 30

10:30am: Reflecting on the Sunday Scriptures, Conference Room
12:15pm: Mass
1:00pm: Adoration, Confession

Saturday, October 31

4:00pm: Confessions
5:00pm: Mass

Sunday, November 1

7:30am: Mass
9:00am: OCIA Session, Cafeteria
10:00am: Children's Rosary, Chapel
10:30am: Mass
10:30am: Children's Liturgy of the Word, Chapel
11:30am: Hospitality
11:30am: Saints, Snacks, Service Ministry Fair, School Gym
5:00pm: Mass

October is Respect Life Month

www.respectlife.org

RESPECT LIFE MONTH TUESDAY DRIVES!

This Tuesday, Oct. 27, 3pm-4pm is for the 35 Christmas Bags will be shared with the seniors at St. John/St. Ann’s Outreach Center! We are collecting for women’s products only: bars of soap, body wash, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, lotions, chapstick and festive kitchen towels, hand towels and washcloth sets. We will add household items next week! Thank you for being a Saint!

MOMS Group HALLOWEEN NIGHT OUT

Thursday, October 29 from 7:30-9 PM in the Gathering Hall!

Join us for a moms' evening of fellowship after the kids are in bed! All moms are welcome!

RSVP Here!

Respect Life Apostolate
Essay Contest

The Respect Life Apostolate invites students,
Grades 9-12, who attend St. Thomas parish to participate in an essay contest reflecting the value of every human life.

More Information!

All Souls Day Mass
Monday, November 2, 6:30pm

A special invitation has been extended to those families who have lost a loved one in the past year. The crosses on the wall will be distributed back to the families during Mass. Of course, this Mass is open to any and all who would like to pray in a special way for those who have gone before us.

Introducing

The Traveling Chalice Program

Praying for Vocations in your Home Week by Week

The traveling chalice is an opportunity for families to take a chalice and a binder of prayers and reflections into their home and use it to pray for vocations from our families, parishes, and diocese. More information and a weekly signup are available on our website:

www.stthomas-church.org/chalice

This will begin the weekend of Oct 31/Nov 1, which marks the beginning of National Vocations Awareness Week (Nov 1-7).

Immediate Opening – Cleaner Needed

We have an immediate opening for an individual to clean our church and adjacent spaces. They will also assist the Facilities Manager as needed. The position is for 15-18 hours per week, with a salary range of $16-$18 per hour. Our preference is for someone who can work before or after business hours, but some flexibility is possible. You need to be physically able to use cleaning equipment and lift up to 25 lbs. If you are interested or know someone who is, please email your resume and cover letter to Patricia Holm in the parish office: pholm@stthomas-church.org.