I am happy to report together that, with your support, we have accomplished many great things here at St. Thomas More in the past year. With the Church and Parish Office nearing 17 years old, many repairs and improvements are now necessary to keep the parish operating.

This past year, improvements to our facilities include the following:

• Extensive repair to the Church Air Conditioning and controls
• New Roof on the Parish Hall
• Major repairs to Hall and Church doors
• Major upgrade and improvements to lighting in the courtyard and parking lot
• Finalized the building and opening of the Pope Francis Center
• Complete overhaul to the irrigation of the existing landscape
• Purchase of a new Rectory
• Resealing of all skylights and windows in the Church

Dear St. Thomas More Parishioners:

I would like to give you an update on our finances and progress in reducing our debt. It continues to be encouraging to witness the consistent generosity of our parishioners.

For the first quarter of this fiscal year our regular collection is on track of meeting our budgeted amount. We are averaging about $34,000 weekly. We have, however, seen an increase in our building fund collection. Our monthly mortgage payment is $8,000 and we have been averaging around $30,000 in collections. Thanks to your generosity we will be making an additional principal payment. As Fr John had stated, we had a 1.1 million dollar debt. After this payment our debt will be at $900,000.

Hello and Greetings in Christ!

My name is Ivan Garcia and I am the new Coordinator of Youth Ministry here at St. Thomas More. I am beyond excited and blessed to be able to serve this community and I look forward to getting to know the teens, families and parishioners of this great community. I have been involved in youth ministry for over 10 years and I have been a youth minister for the Diocese of Phoenix for over six years. Most recently, I was at St. Joan of Arc which is: 1) my home parish for over 24 years and 2) where I met and worked alongside Fr. John Ehrich. I love youth ministry. It is my passion to help teens get closer to Christ and I believe with great humility that it is Our Lord's ministry and I'm just here to help. I am married to my beautiful wife Nayeli, we have a very energetic, and sassy (takes it after her mom...) 8-month-old daughter named Lily Therese. I love baseball and football (as in soccer. You know, the real football) and I am a HUGE Los Angeles Dodgers fan (I can already hear the boo's...). I have the heart of a servant and I want to serve you in any and all the ways I can. I can't wait to meet you and I pray the Lord continues to bless you and your families!

Dear Parishioners,

It's now been about four months since I arrived at St. Thomas More. I began about the second week of June and, officially, the first of July.

From my perspective things seem to be going very well. I am grateful for your hospitality and for accepting me as your new priest. As we know, any time there is a change in leadership there is going to be growing pains. People have to get used to me and I have to get used to all of you. The best way to do this, it seems to me, is to honor each other and try to presume the good in all that we do.

Dear Parishioners,

Over the course of my time at St. Thomas More I have noticed a good deal of confusion about posture during Mass. I understand there has been an uneven practice at our parish in this regard. Quite a few people have asked me what they should be doing. Undoubtedly, many of you have noticed that our practice here is different from other parishes in the diocese. This isn't a good thing as we are to be in union with our entire diocese regarding the Holy Mass.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states, "With a view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to whatever is indicated in the Missal." (RM 43) Notice that the instruction does not give the priest the option to create his own practice, but to inform the people of what the Church instructs.

Thus I want to clear up for everyone what the Church teaches. There are three times during the Mass when we are not doing what is prescribed by the Church.

Dear Parishioners,

I have given quite a bit of thought as to how we might minister more effectively to families. I think it is important that we do all we can to provide, not just religious education, but other services for parents and their children.

For instance, we now have some chairs in the vestibule for parents to sit if they need to take their children out during Mass. I realize this is a small gesture, but I also hope it may help parents to stay engaged in the Mass during those more challenging times.

We also have Children's Liturgy of the Word at the 9am and 1lam Mass for children ages K-3 to experience the Word being proclaimed more at their level. Then there is our Little Lambs ministry for our smaller children.

Dear Parishioners,

Since I have been here there have been a number of questions about all sorts of things regarding Church teachings, liturgy, etc. Hopefully I can clear some of these things up for all of you. Today, let's look at some important principles regarding liturgy.

Regarding the Sacred Liturgy, the Church actually mandates most things within the Mass and leaves very little up to the discretion of the priest. From the Vatican II document The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy,"

22. 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.

2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.

3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.