Contributions will provide funds to replace parish monies spent on the purchase of the new organ as well as help address poverty in Riley County. This is your opportunity to help: BeAble, Manhattan Crisis Center, Life Choice Ministries, USD 383 Fit Closet, Manhattan Area Relocation Team, St. Isidore's Dollar Dinners, Catholic Charities and The Homestead, as well as, others as need arises in Riley County.

Hosted by Thomas More Ladies & STM Outreach Committee

WINNERS

September 1 - Kathy Redeker

September 2 - Tina Cieslak

September 3 - Laura Haverkamp

September 4 - Kayla McCollough

September 5 - Jenna Weber

September 6 - Dionne Grief

September 7 - Ray Aslin

September 8 - Therese Adams

September 9 - Ellen Brockson

September 10 - Rosemary Duryea

September 11 - Richard Holthaus

September 12 - STM Youth Ministry

September 13 - Vikki Erker

September 14 - Allie Schurle

September 15 - Shirley Rusink

September 16 - Bob Smith

September 17 - Richard Holthaus

September 18 - Erin Colaco

September 19 - Mike Toy

September 20 - STM Religious Ed.

September 21 - Fr. Don Zimmerman

September 22 - Brian Geisbrecht

September 23 - Lindsey Smith

September 24 - Casey Carver

September 25 - Layni Olson

September 26 - 

September 27 - 

September 28 -  ($300)

September 29 -  ($500)

September 30 - ($1,000)

Monday, October 5, 2026

6:30 p.m.

St. Thomas More Utopia Room

Presented by David Garvin

Thomas More was an English lawyer, humanist, author, statesman, and Catholic martyr, best known for his 1516 work Utopia, a political satire envisioning an ideal society. Rising to become Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, he opposed the king’s break from the Catholic Church, resigning in 1532 and refusing to swear the Oath of Supremacy. A champion of conscience and Renaissance humanism, he was executed in 1535. Canonized in 1935, he is remembered as a model of integrity and moral courage.

We will explore the Tudor period of English history with an emphasis on St Thomas More’s involvement with Henry VIII and Henry’s Catholic faith. We’ll cover what Tudor England was like and what drove Henry VIII to break with the Roman Catholic Church, especially after he and Thomas More jointly wrote a book defending the Catholic religion, which prompted the Pope to confer on Henry VIII the title “Defender of the Faith”.   A title the English monarchy still retains today

This presentation will be given by David Garvin, who holds advanced degrees in English history and who has taught history at the college level for over 40 years. David also holds a major in archaeology and has participated in two archaeological digs. Please join us at the Utopia Room on October 5 at 630 p.m.  Cheese and wine will be provided.

Recently a new translation of the Rite of Anointing and Care of the Sick was promulgated by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.  One of the elements that was not new but was emphasized anew is that priests should not be administering the sacrament until there is a fairly imminent danger of death

When asked for clarification, the Dicastery allowed that advanced age could constitute that danger, as could preparation for a serious operation.

This is not really a new understanding.  We have known this for a long time, but we have gotten into the habit of offering the sacrament more broadly than that.  In the past, here at St. Thomas More, we have offered the sacrament after all the weekend Masses once a year.  We are rethinking that in order to comply with the Church’s mandate.

This year, we will be offering the sacrament after the 5:15 Mass on Monday, October 5.  We invite people in advanced age to avail themselves of the Anointing of the Sick.  We generally discourage younger people and even those of advanced age who are in general good health from participating, though we leave that up to your prayerful discretion.  No one who presents him/herself will be turned away.

If there are any people who need assistance to and from the church for this anointing, please contact the parish office to make arrangements.  Of course, if any individual cannot be at the church for the Anointing of the Sick, please call the parish office to request a home visit.

In a world marked by immense suffering, the migration situation stands out as a pressing global issue. The Vatican sponsored World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) is an opportunity for the global church and the Catholic faithful to engage in prayer, reflection, and action on behalf of those who are forced to flee their homes. National Migration Week (NMW) is a uniquely US-based celebration that builds on the ideas promoted in WDMR, all be it applied according to an American context. In 2026 we celebrate National Migration Week September 21-27 and WDMR September 27.

As Catholics, we are commanded by Jesus (MT 25) to provide support and care for the most vulnerable among us, including the naked, the hungry, the imprisoned, and the stranger. Through this outreach we are called to accompany migrants at all stages of their journey: from the point of origin, through transit, and to their destination. 

More information can be found on the USCCB website.

This year’s “Go Make A Difference” Parish Service Day will be Saturday, November 14. The day will start with Prayer and Team Introductions at 8:00 a.m. at STM. Jobs will be completed in the morning and afternoon, with lunch provided. After 4:30 Mass, there will be a soup supper and fellowship in the STM Utopia Hall. Register Online on Jotform. Watch the STM Parish Bulletin, and website for more information.

Click Here to Register 

Welcome to a new addition from our Diocese of Salina Communications Team! This newsletter is simply a way to keep you informed about some of the happenings in the diocese.

From the Diocese...

October 2026

September 2026

August 2026 (Not Published)

July 2026

June 2026

May 2026

April 2026

March 2026

February 2026

January 2026

December 2025

November 2025

October 2025

September 2025

August 2025

July 2025

June 2025

Want to learn some new recipes? Fr. Frank has got you covered! Join our pastor and well known chef, Fr. Frank Coady along with special guests as they test out some of Fr. Frank's favorite recipes.

Videos

Enjoy this article on St. Thomas More's altarpiece, written by the artist herself, Barbara Waterman-Peters. This altarpiece was installed in 2023 during the renovation of the church.

The Altarpiece

We invite all parishioners to share their time and talents with their faith-community in order to build up the Body of Christ. Thus, we encourage you to fill out our Stewardship Form to mark those areas in which you are interested in serving or participating. Current ministers are encouraged to contact the parish office with any contact information updates or to be removed from a ministry or group.

Stewardship Form

Fr. Don Zimmerman recounts his 473 mile journey on the famous

Camino Francés (French Way), starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France

and ending at the tomb of St. James the Apostle in

the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain.

Updates

Current Principal Balance: Loan is Paid In Full

Loan Amount: $888,153.33

OUR LOAN IS PAID IN FULL!!!

Retiring the Debt

We have paid off our debt!  We sent the last payment to the diocese this month.  The debt was down to $106,000.  We had $150,000 left of the Covid money that we received a couple of years ago, so the finance council voted to use that money to retire the debt completely.

Thanks to all who generously contributed to this milestone.  A number of you had continued your campaign pledges for an extra year to help whittle down the principle on our loan.  Others made a donation whenever they could.  That helped us make our monthly payments without having to dip into the General Fund.

So, what is the Covid money?  Some time ago, the diocese informed us that we might be eligible for money to reimburse us for salary expenses during the pandemic.  The government wanted to keep people working during that time.  We applied, and received $162,000.  The finance council decided to set that aside in order to fill the gap whenever we were unable to make our full monthly payments on the loan.  We only had to dip into it twice, so we still had much of it left.  That is what we used to make the final payment on the loan.

Our original loan was $888,000.  As the capital campaign pledges were fulfilled, a large portion of that was paid back.  Thanks to your generosity, the rest was paid off in record time, saving us considerable money in interest.  Congratulations to all.

We urge you to consider continuing to give, even though the debt is paid.  You can transfer those gifts to the Capital Reserve account.  That account takes care of the various emergencies that come up with maintenance of the parish campus.  As our buildings age, we are facing regular expenses, such as replacement of equipment that ages out, grounds maintenance, etc.

Renovation & Loan Details

In the Fall of 2023 St Thomas More Parish borrowed approximately $889,000 from the Diocese of Salina at an interest rate of 4.25%.  This 10-year loan is being used to pay the construction costs on the renovation of our church.  If paid in equal monthly payments over those ten years, the interest alone was projected to be over $182,000.

The parish asked parishioners to make pledges to pay off the loan in a Capital Campaign called “Legacy of Faith”, or LofF for short.  Most pledges were set up over 3 years from mid-2023 to mid-2025 and have now been fulfilled.  Although the loan has not yet been paid off, we are making good progress with many parishioners generously continuing to make donations to the Capital Campaign fund. The current loan balance as of 1/15/2026 is $138,895.60.

Please prayerfully consider a gift to our renovation costs or extending your campaign pledge.  The sooner the parish can pay off the loan, the less interest we will have to pay.  If you would like to make a gift at this time, you may use the link below or send a check with the memo “Campaign LofF”

Thank you for your generous support for our parish’s mission and future.

Give Now

Download Financial Report