SAVE THE DATES: On Saturday, 21 December beginning at 9am volunteers are requested to assist in the Church's semiannual cleaning. The cleaning is scheduled to conclude by 3pm, and any amount of time you can give that day would be most appreciated. On Sunday, 22 December after the High Massvolunteers are requested to help begin decorating the church for Christmas. On Monday, 23 December at a time to be determined, the decorating of the church will conclude.

CALENDAR THIS!: We are taking orders for official STAH 2025 wall calendars! If you would like a wall calendar for a suggested minimum donation of $30, please place your donation in an offering envelope and label it “calendar.”  Email or phone the Parish Office to use your credit card. Sunday is the only day we can take orders as we must order the calendars this next week to get them before the new year. Extras will not be purchased, but an additional opportunity to order will happen in January.

CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE: On Saturday, 14 December from 9am to 11:30am at the Elks Lodge in Burbank (2322 N Hollywood Way) Parishioner Robert Patrick’s Boozefighters will present a Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the Boy Scouts to benefit Hillsides.  A donation of $8 is requested along with an unwrapped gift for the children of Hillsides.  At 11:30am Fr. Davies will say a blessing as Boozefighters kick their kickstands up and deliver all the toys to Hillsides (940 Avenue 64; Pasadena).  If you are unable to attend the pancake breakfast but would still like to donate an unwrapped gift for the children of Hillsides, please bring your donation to the donation box or Parish Office by Thursday, 12 December.

CHRISTMAS: CLICK HERE if you would like to contribute toward the cost of Christmas flowers and decorations. After clicking when you are redirected to the pay link, make sure to mention your dedication ("In memory of..." and/or "In thanksgiving for...") or email the Parish Office your dedication. The deadline to make a dedication is Sunday, 15 December. The suggested minimum donation is $40. On we'll be decorating the church for Christmas and will need volunteers on Monday, 23 December. More details to come.

STEWARDSHIP: We thank the parishioners who have committed a financial pledge to STAH for 2025. For those who still wish to do so, you may find a pledge card here.

EDUCATIONAL SERIES: Beginning Sunday, 10 November at 9:45am, our next educational series, The Cathedral presented by William R. Cook, Ph.D., will take place in the Sunday School room. More information is here.

ART IN CONTEMPLATION: NEW NIGHTS 19 December & 9 January. The Art in Contemplation lecture series will continue over the holiday season with Tidings of Great Joy: Experiencing the Christmas Story Through Art. More information can be found on the Get Involved tab here.

RALPHS COLLAB: We received a quarterly check from Ralph's in the amount of $252.40! We thank all 62 households who participated, and we invite all Parishioners who shop at Ralph’s to enroll in the Community Program, which makes quarterly donations to St. Thomas at no cost to you or your personal Ralph’s Rewards program. Since beginning this program in 2007, we’ve received $13,649.60! Enrolling is easy: • Go to www.ralphs.com; • Sign in; • Click “My Account”; • Click “Community Contributions”; • Search for organization number YQ092 (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish) and enroll

CATECHUMEN CLASS: If you are interested in becoming a member of STAH or in reinvigorating your knowledge of our faith and worship, consider joining this year’s Catechumen Class.  This course, which meets every Saturday morning at 10:30am, beginning 26 October (save major holiday weekends) and running right up to the Great Easter Vigil, is required of anybody wishing to be Baptized/Confirmed or Received in the Church.  This class is also open to a very limited number of current Parishioners who are interested in learning more, Reaffirming their commitment, and receiving a special blessing from the Bishop. Those who are interested should contact the Parish Office.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING: Will take place in the Large Parish Hall following the High Mass on Sunday, 26 January 2025.  At this meeting, present, eligible Communicants in Good Standing will elect three new Vestry persons to serve a three-year term and three delegates & two alternate delegates to represent St. Thomas at the Annual Diocesan Convention in November 2025 in Riverside.  Those interested in standing for either or both offices must submit a nomination form, which can be found in the Office, to the Parish Administrator on or before Wednesday, 15 January in order to be listed on the ballots. 

ALTAR GUILD: Volunteers are requested to join the Parish’s Altar Guild.  A pair from the guild is scheduled each Saturday to work 9am-11am replacing candles, preparing the Gospel Book and lectern with preprinted lections, light cleaning, and other detailed tasks to prepare the church for the weekend services. The number of assigned shifts depends on the number of volunteers in the guild and their availability, but a volunteer can expect to work at least once a month.  If you are interested, please contact the Parish Office.

BUDDING FLORISTS: We are looking for an additional volunteer or volunteers to help with the weekly flower arrangements seen at the Altar and throughout the Church and Parish Hall each Sunday. The duties would include working with current Parish Florists in procuring flowers at the flower market (the day can be negotiated, but it should be close to Sunday) and arranging them. Our current florists can teach any newbie interested in trying it out. If you are interested, please see Judith Resell or contact the Parish Office.

FLOWERS: There are many vacancies on the signup sheets for Altar Flowers, Coffee Hour, Orchids, and Lamps. Please consider signing up for something in the coming months.

SENIOR MEALS PROGRAM: The City of Los Angeles' Rapid Response Senior Meals Program offers five home-delivered meals weekly at no cost to individuals 60+ who reside in the City of Los Angeles, prioritizing those with the most significant economic and social needs. It is designed to serve as a temporary emergency response to food insecurity among seniors in LA. The meal boxes are delivered once per week to individual residences. CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up.

LAY EUCHARIST VISITOR MINISTRY: After a long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, the Lay Eucharistic Visitor ministry at STAH is being started up again. This is an invitation to anyone who has served previously, or anyone interested in serving in this very important and rewarding work. We use a very brief but beautiful liturgy that Fr. Davies has prepared to bring into homes and hospitals for those who are unable to attend Mass. If you are interested in serving, please contact Joseph Warren. A training/informational meeting will be forthcoming. Also, anyone who knows someone in the parish who might need the Eucharist brought to them on Sunday after Mass, please submit their name to Joseph.

COFFEE HOUR: We thank all those who have sponsored Coffee Hour. There is a sign-up sheet in the Large Parish Hall for those willing to provide for festive fellowship. If you would like to sponsor a Coffee Hour, we have several different options for which you may do so: Provide the goodies yourself (we take care of plates, cutlery, napkins, cups, and coffee); Donate $80+ to the parish, and we’ll do the shopping for you; Directly engage May Catering, our in-house caterer who can do all the work for you and offers three tiers of menus to choose from: Silver Menu – $200 – fruit platter; crudité with ranch dressing; fresh baked cookies. Gold Menu – $300 – all silver menu items plus finger sandwiches; mixed green salad with toasted almonds, dried cranberries and balsamic dressing; artisanal cheese and charcuterie platter with dried fruits, assorted nuts, fresh bread and crackers. Platinum Menu – $400 – customizable menu which includes hot menu items

THE DIGITAL DISCIPLESHIP GROUP is currently looking for new volunteers to help live-stream our beautiful liturgy. We rotate shifts, so feel free to choose the day and time that works best for you. All training and equipment are provided – no previous experience necessary. Please contact Sean Scheidt. We look forward to welcoming you to our amazing team!