 We are excited to announce the opening of our new hospitality space at St. Thomas of Canterbury! Last Tuesday, Fr. Alejandro joined the Outreach Bible Study to bless the refurbished set of rooms — including a kitchenette, bathroom, meeting room, and living room — on the second floor of the church. Starting in June, our parish will again offer open-door hospitality from 1-5 PM every Monday at St. Thomas of Canterbury for our neighbors experiencing homeless. We do help connect people with social services, but the primary aim is to offer a friendly and welcoming environment for people to hang out, enjoy a cup of coffee or water, and enjoy fellowship. Consider joining our hospitality team! If you would like to learn more and/or are interested in getting involved, please email volunteer Walker Nelson. 
We are pleased to present the latest parish Outreach Newsletter! Over the last six months, the Food Pantry has provided 7,143 individuals with household staples and the Soup Kitchen has served 26,786 meals to our guests. This and more are celebrated in the Spring 2025 issue of the newsletter. Inside, we highlight the voices of our volunteers and express our gratitude for on-going partnerships with other Catholic parishes. (Click here to download the PDF.)
How can you get involved...
Thank you to Saints Peter and Lambert Parish for donating pantry goods and household items to our Food Pantry. The important work of this ministry would not be possible without collaboration from our larger Catholic community! We are deeply grateful for this on-going partnership. See what items are on our food pantry wishlist by clicking here.
Thank you to the anonymous donor who sent our Soup Kitchen items from the Amazon Wish List. We are grateful for this continued generosity!  May is the month of Mary! Throughout the month, we hosted different celebrations in honor of the Virgin Mary and for Mother's Day. The Vietnamese and Laotian communities crown the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at St. Thomas of Canterbury every Sunday for the entire month. Parishioners lead a procession to lay roses at Our Lady's feet. *Photos courtesy of parishioner Francis Khook Mothers, godmothers, and spiritual mothers honored with roses and a blessing at all Masses on Mother's Day Sunday. May Crownings are a long-held tradition at our parish. Traditionally, children who have just made their First Communion have the honor of crowning the statue of our Blessed Mother. After Mass, parishioners gathered on the front lawn to crown the statue of Mary and to place roses at her feet. Afterwards, there was a parish picnic.
*Photos courtesy of parish volunteer Bridget Essi & Damian Chlanda The monthly Coffee Social at St. Thomas of Canterbury church (4827 N. Kenmore) will be replaced by the picnic 🍉 after the May Crowning on Sunday, May 18. There will be no social on the fourth Sunday of this month, instead parishioners are encouraged to attend the May Crowning picnic after the 11:30 AM Mass. 💐 Images: Photos from last year’s May Crowning at St. Thomas of Canterbury church.
Last Saturday, our parish celebrated Santacruzan! This Filipino celebration honors the Philippines' deep devotion to the Virgin Mary and commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena. This year marked the 38th year of the festivities in our parish community. (The first celebration took place at St. Gregory the Great in May 1988.) Mass at St. Gregory the Great church was followed by a neighborhood procession. The Reinas (Queens) and sagalas (other characters like "Ave" and "Maria") and angels all played a special role in the festival. The procession ended with a reception full of food, music, and dancing. Click "Read More" for the entire photo album! *Photos courtesy of parish volunteer Luana Lienhart, OFS
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