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Does Jesus feel distant or close? Want to Know his Plan for You?
Discover How!
The St. Tom’s faith community created its newest Pastorate Plan with this goal: fostering one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Everyone's relationship with Jesus is different. Like our relationships with others, walking with Jesus Christ involves getting to know Him, welcoming Him into our lives, relationships, and decisions; gathering with others who share this relationship in the Church; and sharing the fruits of that closeness with everyone.
Regardless of where we find ourselves, St. Tom’s has pathways for all to discover and deepen our relationships with Jesus Christ.
Walk with Him and find purpose, meaning, and joy on the journey towards discipleship.
Read on to learn HOW:-
St. Tom's Baseball Diamond as our Path to Discipleship: With this model (below), we approach our spirituality in an intentional/conscious manner. The model offers us an awareness of where we are pursuing our spiritual journey, but it is NOT a linear, prescriptive path. You don't round the bases, and then you are done. It simply means that our faith formation should be intentional (pursuing growth opportunities along all bases) and an ongoing, lifelong growth experience.
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The Dominican Pillars of Spirituality: Since 2000, the Dominican Friars from the Province of St. Albert the Great in Chicago have served the parish of St. Tom's. The order's guide to spirituality includes a balance of activity in prayer, worship, community, and service. St. Tom's ministerial approach has long followed this direction. See which ministries fall under each pillar by navigating the drop-down menus on our website.
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Pastorate Plan: If you'd like more details and updates on our Pastorate Plan, follow this link to learn more.
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1. St. Tom's 'Baseball Diamond:'Our Pathways (Programs, Ministry Call-outs)
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Click on each of the "base" headings below for links to learn more about St. Tom's faith formation programming open to all parishioners.
For individual ministry call-outs, visit the Parish Calendar and be sure to sign-up for Boiler Catholics' weekly Flocknote (email).
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Explore programs that address life's big questions, learn how to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, and become part of our parish family.
- Dining Disciples (started, new groups are forming)
- OCIA - Joining the Catholic Church
- Ministry to the Baptized
- Sycamore
- Boiler Awakening - Participants (October 18 to 20, 2024)
- Ignite Small Groups (Boiler Catholic Students)
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Engage in programs that help better our life-giving Catholic faith passed down by the Apostles and their successors.
- Religious Education (Pre-K to Grade 9), (Starts Sunday, January 21)
- Ignite Small Groups (Boiler Catholic Students) - Leaders) (weekly, small group meetings)
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With our hearts on fire, share our God-given gifts with others through witness and participation within our parish family.
- Spring Discipleship Training (Starts in January 2025)
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Express our love for Jesus by carrying out His mission and sharing our time, talent, and treasure.
- Liturgical Ministries
- Joyful Greeter; Ushers
- LifeGuides (A team of resident parishioners, college students, and confirmed high school students teaching Youth Religious Education . Email Carolyn McKinnis for more information.).
- Spring Break Mission Trips (Call-out Information; Trip Information)
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2. The Dominican Pillars of Spirituality
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Introduction
Founded more than 800 years ago, the Dominicans' rich spirituality binds the friars together and distinguishes them from other religious orders.
The most telling attributes are sometimes characterized as the “Four Pillars of Dominican Life”—Prayer, Study, Community, and Ministry/Service (Preaching)—inspired by the example of St. Dominic, said to be always “talking to God or talking about God.” Other distinctions include those revealed in the lives of our Dominican saints and the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the history of the Order.
"We seek to balance these four aspects of our lives in order to serve God in the best possible way. It is this balance that constitutes the "Holy Preaching" through which they most effectively proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ." (Resource: https://www.opcentral.org/about/spirituality)
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Prayer
The celebration of the liturgy is the center and heart of our life.
Use the drop-down on the "Prayer" tab of our website to learn more about the sacraments, how to explore and join the Catholic faith, and the many St. Tom's ministries that can support your spiritual journey as a student or resident parishioner of St. Tom's.
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Community
Community life calls us to bring the good news to the world with sharing supportive love to others in our journey of faith..
Use the “Community” menu to explore the nearly 20 St. Tom’s ministries in support of our Community pillar of faith life.
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Study
Through study, we seek to understand the Word in order to deepend our love of God and help others encounter HIm..
Use the "Study" tab to explore your options for growing the intellectual side of our faith.
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Service
The pillar of service comes to life for us in acts of love as the hands and feet of Christ in serving others.
Explore the options on the "Service" tab to learn more and get involved.
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