St. Thomas the Apostle, Fortville “My Lord, and my God” November 24, 2019 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Pastor: Fr. Robert J. Hankee Email: frrob@stthomasfortville.com Emergency: 812-736-4275

Baptism: All Baptisms are scheduled through the Parish Office.

Reconciliation: Half hour before the Saturday 5 pm Mass & Sunday 10:45 am Mass or by appointment.

First Eucharist: Preparation for first Eucharist occurs in the 2nd grade religious education class.

Confirmation: Prepared during the Freshman year of High School

Matrimony: A six month preparation prior to the wedding is required. Please contact the Parish Office.

Anointing the Sick: Please call the Parish Office to request anointing before a surgery or during any se-rious illness, or to request a hospital or nursing home visit.

Rite of Christian initiation of Adults: RCIA: This program addresses the needs of adults who wish to learn more about the Catholic Faith. Please contact the Religious Education office.

Staff Deacon Tony Lewis 317-777-1430 aelewis73@gmail.com Administrator of Religious Ed: Theresa Werking 317-485-5103 religioused@stthomasfortville.com Director Of Liturgy & Choir: Stephanie Garst 317-407-7257 sbgarst@gmail.com

Secretary/Bookkeeper: Diane Brady 317-485-5101 secretary@stthomasfortville.com

We would like to extend a warm welcome to you today,

whether you are visiting us for the first time or have chosen St.

Thomas Church as your parish . We pray that the Lord will

continue to bless you as you desire to serve Him

If you are interested in becoming a Parishioner here at St. Thomas, Please contact the Parish Office at: 317-485-5101

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 523 S. Merrill Street Fortville, IN 46040

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

The Wedding at Cana

Celebrating 150 years of Catholic Faith

Parish Office 317-485-5101

OFFICE HOURS Tue - Friday 8:30 am to 4:.30 pm

Mass Schedule Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am & 10:45 am Tue & Wed 6:30 pm Thursday & Fri 12:00 Noon

Monday Rosary 7.30 pm

Bible Study: Sun. 9:15am, Mon. 6:30pm & Thurs. 1:30pm

Wishing you A Blessed

Thanksgiving From, St. Thomas Staff

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November 26, Tuesday 6:30 pm Mass Deceased Bishops, Priests & Deacons

November 27, Wednesday 6:30 pm Mass Deceased Bishops, Priests & Deacons

November 28, Thursday 9:00 am Mass Reba Weir by St. Thomas Parish

November 29, Friday 12:00 Noon Mass Kyung Mun by Gui Hensley

November 30, Saturday 5:00 pm Mass Leo and Agnes Beliveau by Charles & Christina Tyzzer

December 1, Sunday 8:00 am Mass Bob Coffman by Kenny & Cathy VanAuken

December 1, Sunday 10:45 am Mass First Reconciliation students

Ministry Schedule Mass Intentions

Saturday, November 30, 5:00 pm Ushers Knights of Columbus Lectors Knights of Columbus Servers Knights of Columbus Euch. Min. Deacon Frank

Sunday, December 1, 8:00 am Ushers Lou & Sue Hurrle Lector Matt Dickerson, Rob Rhinesmith Server Sam & Will Jackson Euch. Min. Jeff Young Gifts Young Family Sunday, December 1, 10:45 am Ushers Tony Garst, Bill Dierckman Lector Eran McCarty, Wes Nicholson Server Everett & Ashton Burns Euch. Min. Deacon Tony Gifts Dierckman Family

Activities for the week of Nov. 24— Nov. 30

Sunday 9:15 am RE Classes 9:15 am Bible Study

2:00 pm Confirmation Birthline Sunday

Monday 6:30 pm Bible Study 7:30 pm Pray the Rosary in church Tuesday 7:00 pm Adult Choir Wednesday 7:00 pm Parish Council Thursday 9:am Thanksgiving Day Mass

Friday Saturday

Volunteers the week of Nov. 24 – Nov. 30

Collection Counters—Team D Homebound Minister-Stephanie Garst PV Nursing Home —Faith Martinez TB Nursing Home —Rosemary Ritchie

Offerings for the week of November 17, 2019 Sunday Collection: $3,908.00 Average Weekly Online Giving: $900.00 Weekly Collection needed for Budget Including Online Giving $4,135.00

Special Collections week of November 17, 2019 Military Services: $120.00

Bishop Simon Brute : $1,110.00

Let Us Pray, Lord, in your loving mercy please bless your servants who are in need of healing and strength: Maryann Bakel, Bailey Barnett, Sally Borowicz, Angela Dierckman, Kim Garst, Daniel Hayes, Daryl Johnson, Doug Ley, Scott McCarty, Brenda Reynolds, Bill Smith

All the sick and suffering from our parish, those serving in the military, and our homebound, hospitalized and nurs-ing home residents.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

The Sanctuary Candle near our Tabernacle burns this week:

In memory of Steve Snyder By Faith Martinez

If you would like to have the 14 day Candle dedicated for someone living or deceased, or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office. The offering is $10.00

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Dn 1: 1-6, 8-20; Lk 21: 1-4 Tuesday: Dn 2: 31-45; Lk 21: 5-11 Wednesday: Dn:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Lk 21: 12-19 Thursday: Dn 6: 12-28; Lk 21: 20-28 Friday: Dn 7: 2-14; Lk 21: 29-33 Saturday: Rom 10: 9-18; Mt 4: 18-22 Sunday: Is 2: 1-5; Rom 13: 11-14; Mt 24: 37-44

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults:

PLEASE NOTE: CHURCH OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28TH & FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29TH FOR THANKSGIVING.

Happy Thanksgiving

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Mass Intentions if you would like to have a mass said for a loved one living or deceased, please call, mail or stop in the church office or you can put in an envelope marked mass intention and place in the collection basket. The usual stipend amount is $10.

Religious Education

Let’s Build A Float!

The youth of St. Thomas will again be participating in the Fortville Winter Festival parade. The festival is on Satur-day, December 7. We have secured a bay at the parks barn on West Church Street to build the float. The parade starts at 1:00 PM. We will be doing a traditional nativity scene again. We will need Mary, Joseph, angels, Wise Men, shep-herds and creatures great and small. We will need volun-teers to help assemble the float and some supplies. We have some costumes here but everyone should create their own costume. Our participation is a great way to evangelize in our community and do something fun, too. Our float was the best one in the parade last year and I was so proud of our kids. Please plan to participate again this year. I wanted to share with you one last time my gratitude for your help with the Thanksgiving food boxes that were dis-tributed in Fortville on November 16. With your generous help the impact that was made looks like this in numbers: total of 202 families drove through and received a Thanks-giving food box, total individuals 694, with 3.5 family mem-bers per household. While we loaded boxes into cars we heard stories about those served. One family had a fire re-cently and lost everything. Another family the wife lost her job. We saw many of the same faces on Saturday that we see weekly at the FCC Food Pantry and the Main Street Food Pantry and the monthly Gleaners MFP. While the stories and the need can be heartbreaking, it is wonderful to know that we all helped through donations and prayer. I also want to take this opportunity to ask all of our parents to make sure that you are reading the emails that are sent from the Office of Faith Formation. We do have the need for parent help within our program. As our program devel-ops and becomes more layered and detailed it will become necessary to have help preparing and running our programs. Please make sure that you are giving your time and talent whenever you can. There will be no RE classes on Sunday, December 1 over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Classes will resume on Sun-day, December 8. Please remember that the first Sunday of Advent is December 1. From the Office of Faith Formation:

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! Godspeed, Theresa

From the Messy Desk of Fr. Rob

Dear Parishioners:

Happy Thanksgiving! Every Thanksgiving I am reminded of a Thanksgiving Day many, many years ago. It was just my immediate family sitting at the dinner table, and my mother announced that before we eat we each had to name one thing we were thankful for. My dad went first, followed by the oldest son, Pat. Then, it came to my brother Mike’s turn, and he blurted out with much joy, “I am thankful that I am not sitting next to Rob!”. To this day, he still will make that comment, which brings much laughter to the table. Thanksgiving is a very special time to spend with fam-ily and friends. I am grateful for many things in my life: my family, good health, many friends, and St. Thomas Parish. I am truly grateful and honored to be the pastor here at such a wonderful parish. It has been a great blessing to be here among all of you. I contin-ue to pray for you and give thanks to God for your presence here. I am also very grateful for the wonder-ful staff we have here at St. Thomas. They are a tre-mendous asset to our Parish. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! On the morning of Thanksgiving, we will be having a Thanksgiving Day Mass, beginning at 9am. Following the homily, I will bless any food items that will be pre-pared for your Thanksgiving meal. Just set whatever items you have, with your name on them, in front of the altar, or you may keep them with you in the pew, whichever you choose. The blessing will cover all food that is present. Have a blessed week! Fr. Rob

OUR CONDOLENCES To the family of Mary Weir who passed away on Tuesday, November 19, 2019. The funeral mass was held here at St. Thomas the Apostle on Satur-day, November 23rd with celebrant Fr. Robert J.

Hankee officiating. May her soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

Children’s Christmas Choir For all children grades K-12 who would like to sing in the Children’s Choir for the 5:00 PM Mass on Christmas Eve.

Our Practices will be in the choir loft on:

Thursday, December 5th 7:00-8:00 pm Thursday, December 12th 7:00-8:00 pm Thursday, December 19th 7:00-8:30 pm

For questions please call Stephanie Garst 317-407-7257

A big thank you to all those who came out to help with our Parish Fall Work Day last Saturday.

Thank you for volunteering your time and talent in making our church campus beautiful.

Happy Birthday Sunday, November 24: Mark Dudley, Lynne Weaver Monday, November 25: Joe Gehring Tuesday 26: Joe Cerda Wednesday, November 27: Ruth Moll Thursday, November 28: Emily Jackson, Madison Spencer, Nicholas Spencer Friday, November 29: Saturday, November 30: William White

11441 Hague Road fishers, IN Craig Willy Hall

FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER

Thursday, November 28, 2019 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Vegetables, Rolls & Dessert

Thank you On behalf of Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary, I wish to thank the parishioners of St Thomas Church for your hospitality in welcoming me at your Masses last weekend. It was a pleasure to celebrate Mass with your community and speak of our work helping young men discern a vocation to the priesthood. Your support and prayers are vital to the future of vocations in our Archdiocese. To learn more about Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary, please visit: www.bishopsimonbrute.org

or follow us on facebook: www.facebook.com/BruteSeminary. See the seminary for yourself at: https://bit.ly/2ujy931.

May God bless you, Fr. Joe Moriarty

Save the Date: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown Indy is hosting the 8th annual Christkindl Village on December 12-15. The Christkindl Village is located at St. John Catholic Church (126 W Georgia Street, Indianapolis) on the West block of Georgia Street, in St. John’s parking lot and in the old Pan Am Arena on Georgia Street. All are welcome! Admission is free and open to the public. Activities are in-doors or inside heated tents, come out and enjoy authentic Christmas traditions December 12-15 in Downtown Indy at St. John’s Christkindl Village! www.stjohnsindy.org/village.