August 10, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters, With school in session, we are at a very joyful moment here at St. Thomas! As our parish school opened this week, it was incredible to see so many prayers answer before our eyes. And it is also a joy to see our Mass numbers ticking back up, as all our families settle back into the school year rhythm. As we give thanks to God for his goodness over these summer months, we\have a major celebration ahead of us: the Feast of the Assumption, on August the 15th (this Friday). This ancient feast day (dating back at least to the 400s) commemorates when Mary was taken into heaven at the end of her earthly life—a singular gift acknowledging her unique role in our salvation, as Jesus’ mother. In many countries, this feast day marks the last days of summer, when people’s minds start turning from the lighter schedule of summer to the work of the fall harvest. This feast is a Holy Day of Obligation. These are days when Catholics are normally expected to attend Mass on days other than Sunday, and they include: January the 1st (Mary, the Mother of God); November the 1st (All Saints); December the 8th (Immaculate Conception); and December the 25th (Christmas). Catholics come faithfully to Mass on these days, because they touch on major aspects of our salvation. As we observe this special feast in honor of the Blessed Mother, I invite everyone to join us for this special day. Given that it falls on a Friday, we’ll make a slight adjustment to our usual holy day schedule. The sense of the parish liturgy committee was that most people would find Thursday night easier than Friday night, so we will have a Vigil Mass for the Assumption on Thursday, August the 14th, at 7pm, which counts for the obligation. We will also have our usual Mass on Friday, August the 15th, at 9am. Thank you for joining us as part of the wonderful opportunity we have each year on this day to praise God for his mighty deeds in the life of the Mary. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Assumption, and of St. Thomas, our patron, may we recognize God’s loving presence in every season of our lives. God bless,

Father Jantz