August 31, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters, With some cooler weather this past week, it’s clear that we’re moving out of the summer season and into the swing of fall. Things are moving again, both in the world around us and at St. Thomas! Our campus ministry is back in session, our OCIA (formerly RCIA) group begins meeting this Tuesday, Faith Formation will begin next weekend, and the special seasonal events are coming soon, including our Fall Festival on November 2nd. As the fall program season begins, I’d like to acknowledge our new seminarian, Justin Brouillette. We’ve been trying to get him introduced at all the weekend Masses, but I also wanted to give him an official welcome in the bulletin. He is joining us for a pastoral year, basically a year of hands-on training in the parish. To my knowledge, Justin is the first pastoral year seminarian we’ve ever hosted at St Thomas for one of these, so please be sure to give him a good welcome. As you will see, he’s a great guy, and my prayer is that this year will be as helpful for him as it will be for us! Before we jump into the busy fall season, however, we have the gift of an extra day of rest with Labor Day weekend, customarily Monday off. In the Church’s tradition, however, we see every Sunday as a time of rest. Or maybe to put it a bit more exactly, a time of freedom. Here’s the idea from Scripture. Our work on the other days of the week is when we share in God’s own work of making and sustaining—but the rest we enjoy each Sunday is a sign that we’re made for more than work. It’s a time when we don’t just use creation (through work) but instead enjoy creation, especially in our relationships. Part of why Sunday Mass is such an important time of each week is precisely because it brings together our relationships with God and each other. And hopefully the holiday weekend will be a time to enjoy those relationships more fully, even for those who might have work or other obligations on Monday. I wish everyone a restful Labor Day weekend with your family, friends, and neighbors. Let’s rest from our labors, and look forward to the great work that God will do among us during the coming program year, under the powerful intercession of Blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin, and our patron St. Thomas. God bless,

Father Jantz