From the desk of the pastor for July 26, 2026

The Lord be with you. We are taking a brief pause from our articles on the history of the Church to go over some good news.

First, on behalf of my family, I want to express our sincere gratitude for the many prayers offered for my Mom. As of her last scan she is cancer free! Even though her chemotherapy treatments are done, she will likely need a few months to regain her strength and stamina. Nevertheless, we are very grateful for the prayers and kind words offered. God bless you!

Second, this weekend we are celebrating the dedication and blessing of our new playground! I want to thank our staff for their contributions to this project especially our principal, Ms. Cosgriff for her fundraising acumen. Because our school secured grants and a special donation, we were able to move forward with this project. I know that a number of people have wondered how this got done before the roof. Our initial timeline actually had the roof being done first, but the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz delayed the roof’s start a great deal.

Third, speaking of the roof, we have a start date: August 13th! The weekend before the roofers begin, we will have announcements and a whole article going over what is happening. To simplify matters too much, part of the parking lot will be closed and weekday Mass will have to have to happen elsewhere. Our Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses, however, should happen in the church without issue.

Fourth, our parish has begun our participation in the Called to Flourish: Our Church for the Future Campaign. This campaign is a diocesan wide effort meant to strengthen especially our parishes, our evangelization, our worship, and our outreach in the Diocese of Cleveland. In the coming months, you will hear more about the goals of the campaign and what it means for our parish.

Our goal at St. Thomas More is to raise $540,000, of which the parish will keep 50%. Any amount raised above the goal, the parish share increases to 80%. You may receive an invitation through the mail, by email, or by a phone call. When that invitation comes, I encourage you to respond and take part with an open and prayerful heart. Your presence and your participation matter.

We also need volunteers. The success of this campaign will depend on parishioners willing to share their time, talents, and love for our parish with others. If you feel called to help, please contact the parish office to learn more.

Most importantly, I ask for your prayers. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide all of us during this journey and that Called to Flourish will bear abundant fruit in our parish, throughout the Diocese of Cleveland, and in the lives of all those we serve.

In His Sacred Heart,

Fr. John