60TH

ANNIVERSARY

1963 – 2023
 
The Parish community of St. Thomas More will be gathering together over the next two years to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of our great parish.
How did we start?
St. Thomas More Parish had its beginnings on December 3, 1962, when Rev. Patrick F. Joyce, pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Caldwell, N. J., was assigned the task of initiating a parish for the Catholic families of Fairfield.
This temporary arrangement was continued until Wednesday, June 29, 1963,  when Rev. George P. Hresko, was appointed as the first permanent pastor of St. Thomas More Parish.
At this time the Catholic families in Fairfield numbered about 575, and although the Catholic growth in the area had been gradual, archdiocesan authorities felt that the potential growth was enough to warrant a full-time pastor.   A certain sign of the growth of St. Thomas More was the appointment of our first curate, Rev. John R. Doherty, who came to our parish in June, 1964, just one year after the appointment of our pastor.
A momentous occasion for our young parish was the First Mass in our new church on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1965. The church was crowded to overflowing by enthusiastic parishioners. The impact on the life of the parish of having our own church was obvious from the fact that our normal Sunday Mass attendance of 1150 people leaped to 1850 on this memor­able day!
 
We have many events planned for the 60th Anniversary of our existence as the signs of our gratitude and hope for the future.
 
We will begin our celebration with the
HOLY MASS on Sunday,
JUNE 25 at 12Noon by
Most Reverend Bishop Manuel Cruz
followed by parish family lunch in our O’Connor Hall.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
 
 
Further information on the Schedule of 2023-2025 planned events to follow in the near future.
 
1965 – 2025
In service To God and community!

            St. Thomas More parish community will host Fr. Jakub Dębicki, a missionary priest, who has been working in the Ukraine for the past 6 years near Lviv. Fr. Jakub is a pastor of All Saintsparish in New Yarichiv, where he currently runs a charitable kindergarten and daycare for the poorest children in the region. Due to the war, the need to expand, with plans to build 2 more kindergartens, is necessary to facilitate many children emigrating from the occupied territories in the East of Ukraine.
Currently the kindergarten takes care of over 200 children and young people from various parishes, and they are anticipating that the number of refugee children emigrating to the West, seeking shelter and education, will double.  Fr. Jakub will speak about this very sensitive and troubling time in the Ukraine.
We ask you kindly to be generous to this very important and much needed cause and to continue to pray for all the men, women and especially children affected by this senseless war. 
Thank you and God Bless You.