Who are the priests in the parish?

The priests at St. Tom's belong to a Religious Order called the Dominicans - the Order of Preachers. More information about their vocation, mission and spirituality can be found at www.domcentral.org. The contact information and a brief bio of the priests working at St. Tom's can be found on boilercatholics.org under 'staff' 

Why does the communion procession start from the back of the Church? & Why do most people remain standing after receiving communion?

A few years ago, the previous bishop of the diocese, Bishop Higi, requested all parishes begin following the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal.  The new instructions had a slightly different way for the Communion procession to occur.  The Communion procession begins from the last pew so that "the last shall be first" (Matthew 20:16).  Also, the whole congregation is requested to stand until the last person has received, allowing for a continuous procession and signifying the people are one body. 

Why does a person from each pew have to go up to the altar with a basket for offertory?

In the early church's Eucharistic gatherings, people would gather in one another's homes. They would come bearing the fruits of their labor, whether it was food from their farm and kitchens or maybe a tool crafted in the workshop. These gifts would be shared with members both present and not present. And so today, over 2000 years later, we still bring the fruits of our labor, which is now given more efficiently through the use of a monetary gift, and place them before the altar as our Eucharistic celebration begins. The increase of people bringing our collection to the altar at St. Tom's is symbolic of the many and diverse gifts of our community. This diversity is united in the one body of Christ that we seek to become as we gather.

Where is the tabernacle?

The tabernacle is located in the Eucharistic chapel near the baptistery.

Why doesn't everyone genuflect when entering the pew?

In many Catholic churches, the tabernacle is located in the front of the Church, and so it is appropriate to genuflect before the real presence of the Body of Jesus. At St. Tom's, however, the tabernacle is not located at the front of the church, and so genuflecting is not compulsory.

Where is the Reconciliation Room?

The reconciliation room is located in the northwest corner of the church near the Marian niche.

What is flockNote? & Why should I use it?

flockNote allows you to view the different groups of a parish, and more importantly, allows you to choose from which groups you’d like to receive information. It also allows you to choose how to receive this information (in the form of ’notes’) - via e-mail, sms, facebook or twitter. For more information, check out flocknote.com.

How can I find out more and get involved in the different groups of St. Tom's?

You can check the church website: www.boilercatholics.org. The best way to get involved is by signing up with flockNote by clicking on 'Registration' on the St. Tom's website, and then subscribing to the different groups' feeds to keep updated about them.

Where can I get one of those awesome "Got Catholic?" shirts?

Just ask the office for one! They cost $5.

I have a question/suggestion for St. Tom's - who should I contact about it?

Feel free to talk to any of the priests or staff members you may see at St. Tom's, or you could just e-mail your question/suggestions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it