Welcome to the parishes of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Columban! Founded in 1905 the church has been our faith home for more than 100 years and is a testament to the faith of the proud, resilient and independent people who first settled in our area.
Please explore our website for information about the Catholic faith, parish events, our publications, and much more! We encourage visitors and new parishioners to become involved in our parish community and the many events and programs we offer to grow in faith.
Mission Statement
Mission Statement of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
Love God. Love our neighbor. Seek the lost. Make disciples.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
“For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). |
St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Columban
We are blessed with amazing patrons at St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Columban parishes.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was an Itali
an Dominican friar and a Catholic priest. His “introduction” to our faith is a five-volume work entitled Summa Theologica. He is a doctor of the Church and famous for his brilliant writings in philosophy and theology. It has been said that he would dictate up to five different works at the same time with his scribes! At the end of his life, Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, “Well have you written of me, Thomas, what shall be your reward?” Famously, Thomas replied, “Only you, Lord.” The feast day for St. Thomas Aquinas and our parish is January 28th. He is the patron saint of Catholic schools, colleges, schools and students.
St. Columban (559-615) had a heart for monasticism and missionary work. After fleeing Ireland to avoid temptations of lust, Columban entered a cloistered monastery and eventually worked with his companions throughout Europe to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. He was known for his discipline, especially in his rule of life and spiritual practices. His personal holiness, toughness, witness to marriage and fidelity to the pope continue to inspire us today. The feast day for St. Columban and our parish is November 23rd.
Mass Times
St. Thomas
- Saturday- 5:00 pm
- Sunday- 10:30 am
- Monday- 8:30 am
- Tuesday- 8:30 am
- Wednesday- 8:30 am & 3:30 pm (Falls Care Center every other week)
- Thursday- 8:30 am & 1:00 pm (Littlefork Care Center same week as Falls Care Center)
- Friday- NO MASS
St. Columban in Littlefork
- Sunday- 8:30 am
Confessions
4:00pm on Saturday at St. Thomas and 30 minutes before every Mass
Office Hours
Friday: 8 am - 1 pm
Staff
- Fr. Ben Hadrich, Pastor
- Fran Zaren, Deacon
- Les Hendrickson, Parish Secretary
- Patty Crane, Bookkeeper
- Jean Johnson, Faith Formation
- Sabrina Etienne, Coordinator of Faith Formation
Online Stewardship
Mass Readings
Weekly reading
Readings for the Week of May 21, 2017
- Sunday: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 / Ps 66 / 1 Pt 3:15-18 / Jn 14:15-21 or Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 / Ps 66 / 1 Pt 4:13-16 / Jn 17:1-11a
- Monday: Acts 16:11-15 / Ps 149 / Jn 15:26--16:4a
- Tuesday: Acts 16:22-34 / Ps 138 / Jn 16:5-11
- Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22--18:1 / Ps 148 / Jn 16:12-15
- Thursday: Acts 18:1-8 / Ps 98 / Jn 16:16-20
- Friday: Acts 18:9-18 / Ps 47 / Jn 16:20-23
- Saturday: Acts 18:23-28 / Ps 47 / Jn 16:23b-28
- Next Sunday: Ascension: Acts 1:1-11 / Ps 47 / Eph 1:17-23 / Mt 28:16-20
Fr. Ben's Biblical Blog
Fr. Ben's Podcasts
Eucharistic Adoration
Click here to listen to Fr. Drew Braun 40 Hour Devotion Talk:
http://bhadrich.podbean.com/e/the-power-of-eucharistic-adoration-fr-drew-brauns-talk-at-40-hour-devotion/
Click here to listen to the Theology of the Body talk by Kevin Pelon:
http://bhadrich.podbean.com/e/kevin-pilons-40-hours-theology-of-the-body-talk/
Donut Sunday
Everyone loves Donut Sunday!
Held every Sunday in the gathering space after the 10:30am Mass
Please stay and linger after Mass to visit with friends, meet new parishioners, and of course,
enjoy a delicious fresh baked donut!
Volunteer now for your chance to be the most popular person at Mass on Sunday.
It's a great way to serve others.
There are no donuts to buy and everything is provided.
It's easy and fun, even children can help
Volunteer as an individual, couple, with a few friends or as a family.
Sign up here
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or call the parish office at 283-3293
or email
Volunteer at St. Thomas
We are welcoming parish and encourage all members to become active in a ministry or volunteer in an area where your gifts and talents will best serve the church.
The following is our list of ministries we currently have available for all to join. If you are interested in learning more about a specific ministry please contact the parish office for further information.
Altar Server
Sacristan
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Funeral Lunch Committee
Homebound Ministry
Faith Formation (Children and Adult)
Tabernacle Society
Welcome Ministry
Usher
Music Ministry
Lector
Knights of Columbus
Catholic Daughters
Diocese News
Father Richard Kunst: Jesus appeared only to his disciples — for good reasons
05/17/17 1:24 am
May 2017 is an important month, because it marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s appearance to the three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. I had every intention to write on the subject of Our Lady’s appearance this month, but as I sit at my computer writing this column, it is Easter Monday, so the resurrection is vivid in my brain right now, and since Mary appeared in Fatima for six months, I will have other opportunities to explore this important occurrence.
It is not possible to improve upon Christ’s resurrection and his appearances on Easter Sunday and the 40 days that followed, but that does not mean that I wouldn’t have done it differently. What do I mean by that? Well, there are two things I would have wanted to do differently had I been the resurrected Christ. (I know this sounds heretical, but bear with me.)
Read MoreFather Michael Schmitz: Our duties to family members include love, but with wisdom
05/17/17 1:20 am
Question: There is a family member who keeps intruding in my life. I want to love them well, and I don’t want to go against God’s teaching about the duty we owe to family, but their constant interruptions and negative attitude are really affecting me and my family. What can I do?
Answer: This is an important question, both for those who need a reminder that we have an obligation to the people around us and for those who need to remember that our families do not have an absolute claim on our time, energy, or resources.
Read MoreBetsy Kneepkens: Children marrying outside the church is a mother’s worry
05/15/17 3:49 am
My grocery store trips are never short. You can ask my husband. Even if I just have one or two items to pick up, a five-minute jaunt turns into a half hour or 45-minute excursion.
The reason is that grocery stores are much more than a place to purchase staples. They are opportunities to connect with friends and acquaintances you have not seen for a while. I rarely run into the same people, and the wide array of friends make each grocery run refreshing and worthwhile, even if I come home with nothing.
Read More