Peter Stur of In-Ipso (https://in-ipso.org/parish-missions/) will be coming to St. Thomas Becket for our Lenten Mission each Monday evening throughout February and March (Septuagesima and Lent). He asks for RSVPs by Feb 1. There is a cost associated, but it is small, and the parish is paying half of it. Please see the posters and flyers at the church.
On 2/2, we will celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our church, which is also the anniversary of Bishop Lopes' consecration as our bishop, and Candlemas. Beeswax candles (1 per registered household) will be blessed during a noon Mass, and can be picked up either after Mass or the following weekend.
Father will take a couple of vacation days Jan 17-18. There will be 7 am Mass on Jan 17, but then no other Masses or confessions till Friday morning, Jan 20. The office will be open with our new office manager serving. The Adoration chapel is still accessible 24/7 with the door code.
This weekend, there will be extra confessions 4-4:45, and Mass at 5 pm for First Friday, with Epiphany blessings (it is 1/6) for salt, water, and chalk (bring yours with you!). Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament overnight in the Adoration Chapel. First Saturday Mass at 7 am, followed by confessions 7:30-8:30. Weekend observance of Epiphany (regular schedule). Epiphany Lessons & Carols at 5 pm on Sunday, followed by a cookout and fellowship in the playground behind the church, hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Bring your own S'mores supplies, hot dogs, etc. The Knights will provide standard condiments.
The parish calendar here on the website has been updated with the new schedule that takes effect on 1/1, particularly shifting some daily Mass and Confession times, and adding 2 times of Solemn Benediction at the end of Holy Hours.
Saturday, Dec 24, at 5 pm. Sunday, Dec 25, at 12 am (Midnight), 8:30 am, and 11 am. Monday, Dec 26, at 7 am and 12 pm (noon). Tuesday, Dec 27, at 7 am. Wednesday, Dec 28, at 7 am. Thursday, Dec 29 (parish solemnity of title for St. Thomas Becket), 12 pm with a reception following. Friday, Dec 30, at 7 am. The normal weekend schedule follows.
Today, Friday, Dec 9, the church and offices will be closed. Father's lost his voice, with 3 Masses Thursday and the Treasures of the Church going very late into the night. Regular schedule for the weekend.
Friday Friday and First Saturday December 2-3, with extra confession times and extra Masses. December 8 Immaculate Conception with Masses at 7 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm, followed by Treasurers of the Church, a 20-table display of relics brought from the Vatican, with an indulgenced talk by a priest from Rome about holy relics in the Church.
Be aware that Father will be away visiting family out of state the week of Thanksgiving, departing late Sunday and returning the following Saturday. No daily Masses or confessions the week of Thanksgiving. The Adoration Chapel is accessible 24/7 with the code for the outer door, which will only be given out verbally at the church to those who need it to come pray with the Lord.
Please remember that Tuesday, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation (Mass times above). Tuesday is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, All Souls. You can receive a plenary indulgence for the Holy Souls in Purgatory once a day, November 1-8, under the normal conditions, by spending some time praying for the dead in our columbarium area (indoor or outdoor). November 4 is First Friday, so extra confession time 4-4:45 pm with Mass at 5 pm, followed by a procession to the chapel and overnight Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Saturday, November 5, is First Saturday, with Mass at 7 am, followed by confessions 7:30-8:30.
Father Bolin will be in Houston for the annual clergy meeting with the Bishop starting October 17. No daily Masses, confessions, etc. for those weekdays, except for 7 am Mass on Monday before he leaves. The weekend schedule is unchanged.
October 7, Our Lady of the Rosary / Our Lady of Victory / Our Lady of Lepanto, is also First Friday for the month of October. There will be Masses offered at 7 am and 5 pm, with confessions 12:30-1:30 and 4-4:45 pm. After the evening Mass, there will be a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Adoration Chapel for overnight Adoration, extending until the Saturday evening 5 pm vigil Mass.
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, September 21, 23, and 24, are the fall Ember Days this week. These are days of prayer and penance celebrated seasonly in the Catholic Church. These days, you'll only find them in TLM communities and the Ordinariate. Here's a good reference article: https://www.fisheaters.com/emberdays.html.
The Saturday evening vigil Mass will be a teaching Mass - fully-valid, punctuated by catechetical points. It will be likely around 90 minutes. Sunday Masses per the published schedule, with the parish finance council meeting after the 11 am Mass.
Reminder that CCD / Religious Education begins this Sunday, September 11, between the Sunday morning Masses. Children's classes will run 9:50-10:50. Adults will have a shorter class that fits into that window, and allows for parents to pick up their children when classes finish.
Reminder that the Sunday morning schedule changes this weekend, September 4. The 9 am Mass will move to 8:30, which will give us sufficient time between Masses for religious education, which begins the following weekend, on September 11. SUNDAY MORNING CONFESSIONS 7:45-8:15.
August 28, 2022 - Bishop Olson will join us Sunday morning, offering the 11 am Mass. We will present him with our gift of thanksgiving for the years of hospitality to St. Timothy's / St. Thomas Becket, prior to the dedication of our own church property in February 2022. -- Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023 - Bishop Lopes will make a pastoral visit to our growing community, offering both Palm Sunday Masses, and helping us start Holy Week the best way possible.
On August 21, between Masses, there will be a REQUIRED meeting with parents for all children enrolling in religious education and/or going through sacramental preparation. Information will be put out for both. We always support parents as the primary catechists of their children. Formal RE classes are offered, not mandated, if parents would like another voice supporting the teaching of the faith in their families. We will not teach error. We will teach the Catholic faith. This meeting will also include the mandated annual Safe Environment briefing.
On August 21, between Masses, there will be a REQUIRED meeting with parents for all children enrolling in religious education and/or going through sacramental preparation. Information will be put out for both. We always support parents as the primary catechists of their children. Formal RE classes are offered, not mandated, if parents would like another voice supporting the teaching of the faith in their families. We will not teach error. We will teach the Catholic faith. This meeting will also include the mandated annual Safe Environment briefing.