Registration material, calendar for the upcoming school year is now available on the Religious Education tab of the STM Web Page.    We are expecting record enrollment this coming year - register early to gauarantee your childrens space.   Also, at this location you can find an evaluation form of the just ended class year.   Please let us know how we can better serve your religious education needs.

We are tentatively scheduling an intensive religious education experience for grades 6,7 & 8 for the summer of 2009.   For 3 weeks - 4 days per week - and 2 hours per session:  your child will receive all education materials that would be presented in a regular school year.    Need and availablility of teachers will determine if we proceed with these plans.   More info to be coming forth

Monday evening marked the end of 6 years of Religious Education at Centro Inc.   The North Liberty factory had allowed over 1200 children to experience Religious Education.   Fr. Marty Goetz celebrated mass for the children and teachers.    We thank Father for celebrating mass and we thank Centro Inc. for their years of generosity.    Next September we look foreward to beginning class at our new location - the Education Station.    More details will be coming.

           Stewardship of Talent

Religious Education at St. Thomas More Parish

A primary responsibility for all of us is to be good stewards of our faith.  We are good stewards when we share this faith with others.  Parents have the primary responsibility to pass their faith on to their children.    The Religious Education program at St. Thomas More works in partnership with our parents to accomplish this goal. 

The parish religious education program and our Catholic school play key roles in passing on our faith.  Jean Eckstein knew this many years ago when she set up our parish religious education program.    We are still proud of this outstanding program today. 

In 2002, under the leadership of Jim Verry, we expanded our religious education program by adding an additional host site.  Classes were held on Monday evenings at Centro Inc. in North Liberty and Wednesday afternoon and evenings at our church.   At Centro classes were held in conference rooms, waiting rooms, meeting rooms, and even stair wells.  We have been most grateful to Mr. Gary Rozek for the use of this building.  Centro has gone so far as delaying remodeling projects, to allow us to continue to use the facility. They can delay no longer, as we were informed last fall that we would need to find a new location.  We look forward to moving to our new site at The Education Station in North Liberty this  August .

 Our Religious Education Program also serves families from the other Iowa City Parishes. About one-third of our students come from St. Mary’s, St. Patrick’s, St. Wenceslaus and the Newman Center. 

We recognize our catechists of 2007 – 2008 for their outstanding stewardship of talent.  They have truly shared their talents with others and have been model stewards of their faith.

Teachers:

Susan Baker-Clark                               Michelle Marks

Carla Brinkman                                    Rita Meyer

Mary Brykit                                          Bridget Petesch

Tracy Christopher                               Gary Redlinger

Jeannie & Thad Collins                        Teresa Rose

Connie Cook                                        Colleen Schilling

Judy, Len & Emily Duncan                    Liz Smoczynski

Sara Eoriatte                                        Jennifer Stachera

Kerrie Feeley                                       Susan Stenzel

Connie & Abby Goldsmith                   Lindsey Supple

Sandy Griebel                                     Jenny Thoeny

Maria Gudenkauf                                Andrea Tyson

Laurie Harris                                       Janet Vest

Stephanie Harris

Stephanie Holley                                            Volunteers/Helpers

Emily Huinker                                                 Lauri Deninger

Donna Jondle                                                 Keith Feldman

Amy Kakavas                                                      Sean Holley

Kelly Kuehn                                                   Shawn Schwickerath

Sarah Larison                                                Maragaret Swack

Mary Jo LeBlanc                                             Jim Verry

Whitney Lemon

Carol Manternach

  The youth of our Parish on April 16th were allowed to get a “taste” of all the ministries available at mass here at STM.   Stations were available to show the kids what it is like to be a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Usher or Acolyte.    Any of the students wishing to become involved in a full time ministry will be encouraged to do so.

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campaign-update-2008-03-09.pdf    Here is the text of the announcement that was made at all masses this past weekend regarding the progress on the “New Season” Campaign.

Over the weekend, St. Thomas More Parish in Iowa City officially kicked off its capital campaign to build a new church in Coralville. Speakers at each weekend Mass discussed the plans for the new church and announced that the parish’s leadership has already secured over $650,000 in pledges toward the campaign.

The parish has been serving Iowa City area Catholics for over 60 years and is known for its religious education programs and high parishioner involvement in religious and social ministries.

In 2005 St. Thomas More was chosen out of the four parishes in Iowa City to relocate to the Coralville/North Liberty area. The flourishing Catholic community in the area known as the Northwest Corridor has been in need of a parish for many years and will join longtime St. Thomas More parishioners to form a community that will continue to grow in its mission. Since June of 2006 St. Thomas More has been ministering to the Northwest Corridor by celebrating a Mass every Sunday at 8:30 AM at the Brown Deer Golf Course Clubhouse and has seen its parishioner base grow substantially with Catholics in the area joining in anticipation of the move.

The goal of the St. Thomas More…A New Season capital campaign is to raise $2 to $2.5 million to complete Phase 1 of the parish’s Master Plan. Monies raised, combined with proceeds from the sale of the current church property, will be used to fund the project. Phase 1 will include a 500-seat sanctuary, a full basement which will serve as a social hall and space for religious education, administrative office space and a nursery. Subsequent additions include the conversion of the Phase 1 sanctuary to a narthex and the addition of a permanent 1000-seat sanctuary, religious education wing and social hall. (Artist’s sketches and a floor plan may be downloaded from the Master Plan page - click here.)

The building will be located at 12th Ave N and Dempster Drive in Coralville. The parish is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, incorporating a “green” building design by leaving a compact footprint, avoiding wetlands and preserving the natural landscape of the site. The building will be constructed entirely of natural materials and natural light will be available throughout the entire complex. In addition to those features, the facility will be fully handicapped accessible and will include plenty of parking.

The campaign will be conducted from now until the beginning of November and will include a 5-year pledge period. Those who are planning to join the parish are encouraged to register with the parish now, and if possible, participate in the campaign by calling the St. Thomas More Parish Office at 337-2173.

Your comments and input are welcome. Please e-mail Steering Committee chair John LePeau.