July 6, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today, on the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, we give thanks to God for his many blessings to our parish: for the blessing of the wonderful heritage of faith we share; for the gift of so many children in our midst; for the many new parishioners that continue to join us; and for the Lord’s on-going protection and guidance. We’re truly in a blessed and exciting time here at St. Thomas. Our parish is growing—most obviously in numbers, but equally importantly in depth of discipleship. There’s a certain energy in the air that you can feel, whenever we gather for Mass or learning or service or fellowship, that’s very special. God is telling an amazing story here in Montevallo, Alabaster, and Calera, and it’s truly exciting to be witness to the Holy Spirit doing great things. With all that said, we’ve got our work cut out for us as a parish. To cooperate with God, we’re going to need to be willing to step out on faith with him: as individuals, as families, as small groups, and as an entire community. For myself, I’ve had plenty of surprises in prayer and discernment of God’s will for the parish over the past four years, and I firmly believe that the task before us is for all of us to get ready to be amazed all over again by God’s plans for us. Through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, and our patron St. Thomas, we pray for our parish. We also pray for our nation’s many needs, on this 4th of July weekend. Together, let’s bless God for his many gifts and continue to seek his will for our lives and our parish community. God bless,

Father Jantz