A Century of Blessings
For the next 5 weeks we will be counting down to our 100th Anniversary Mass celebration on October 18 by listing our SAINT THOMAS blessings.
H – Hornets – The Saint Thomas the Apostle School Mascot. Until 1984 all of the school principals had been Dominican Sisters, the longest serving being Sister Paschal Barth who served from 1967-1978. The first lay principal and male, John Jaska, came on board in 1984 and served until 1993. Our beloved David Faber served from 1983- 2010 and our beloved Suzi Furtwangler served from 2010-2020. Our current principal, Ryan Corcoran, served as assistant principal and began his tenure as principal in 2021.
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Part-Time Parish Office Position Available
Communications Specialist/Office Assistant
We are sad to announce that Lesa Wackerle will be retiring from her position at the Parish Office at the end of October. She has been the first face you see on most days when entering the Parish Office these past six years. She is the creator of our weekly bulletin and Evangelus emails and maintains our Parish Facebook page, in addition to a variety of other administrative tasks in the office. She will be greatly missed.
In light of this news, we are looking for someone to fill her position. This Part-Time Communications Specialist/Receptionist supports the mission and ministry of Saint Thomas through administrative, communication, and reception duties. This position works on-site at the Parish office (19 hours per week or less) and provides front-line support to parishioners, staff, and visitors.
For a full job description, email Margo Dean at margodean@stthomasgr.org.
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Upcoming Changes to Online Giving
As previously announced, our current electronic giving platform will merge on September 23 with ParishSOFT giving. Those who currently give electronically using Faith Direct need not take any action; your gift schedules and payment details will carry over seamlessly. However, here are a few changes to note:
· Weekly Giving: If you are currently giving weekly your gifts are deducted monthly by Faith Direct. Under ParishSOFT they will actually be deducted and applied weekly, leading to more consistency in your giving schedule.
· More flexibility: You will be able adjust your giving schedule to any date of the month that works best for you, not just the 4th or 15th.
Don’t forget to watch for emails from Faith Direct and ParishSOFT if you currently utilize electronic giving. They will provide you with more details about this change, as well as a link and instructions for you to use if you want to make changes.
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Pet Blessing: Sunday, October 5, at 1:30 pm on the Wilcox Park Drive front lawn of Church. Bring your pet on a leash or in a cage and join Deacon Denny for this event inspired by the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assis (the Patron Saint of animals).
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Fall 2025 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Experiences
Nurture your Sacrament of Marriage at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience!
Upcoming experiences are being held October 3 – 5 at Augustine Center in Petoskey, and November 21 – 23 at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center in Detroit. Apply today at wwme.org or contact Amy & Joe Kopacz at (517) 667-0433 for more info.
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Aquinas College Open Houses
Saturday, October 4 and November 1
Aquinas College welcomes all high school students and their families to our Fall Open Houses on Saturday, October 4 and Saturday, November 1! Explore academic programs, connect with our supportive faculty, staff & students, chat with admissions & financial aid experts, and tour our scenic campus. Details and registration information can be found at aquinas.edu/openhouse.
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Singles Late 50s & Above: Looking for a deeper relationship with God and a renewed sense of purpose for your journey through life’s transitions? Connect with others and recharge your spiritual batteries on a RENEW retreat! The next weekend is on Oct 31-Nov 2, 2025 at the St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, MI (10 miles north of Lansing). Cost is $240 for meals and a single room. For more info, go to www.RenewRetreats.org, e-mail renewretreat.mi@gmail.com, or call (517) 323-7012.
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