Welcome St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in International Falls, MN! 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.
40 Hour Devotion
40 Hour Devotion
at
St. Thomas
March 27-29, 2015
The Forty Hours Devotion begins
Friday, March 27
7:00pm
Inspirational Message, Praise, and Worship
Opportunities for Confession
During the next 40 hours, the Blessed Sacrament remains on the altar in a monstrance. We are all invited to father for personal prayer in adoration of our Lord.
Adoration continues
until 10:30am Mass Sunday, March 29.
If you would like to sign up for an hour or more of Adoration, please call Carol Youso at 283-3769.
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
Communion Services
| Monday | 2:00 pm the Villa Apartments 2nd and 4th Mondays |
| Thursday | 11:00 am Ranier Roost |
| Thursday | 1:30 pm Ridgeview |
| Friday | 10:00 am West Falls Estates |
Office Hours
Friday: 8 am - 1 pm
Staff
- Fr. Ben Hadrich, Pastor
- Fran Zaren, Deacon
- Pat Bjorum, Pastoral Minister
- Mary Harms, Parish Administrator
- Jean Johnson, Faith Formation
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
Poll shows majority support for religious freedom in marriage debate
02/18/15 11:49 pm
A recent Associated Press poll shows that while a plurality of Americans support the legalization of same-sex marriage, a majority believe that the religious liberty of those who object to such marriages, including owners of wedding-related businesses, should still be respected.
The poll, which was conducted between Jan. 1 and Feb. 2, shows that 44 percent of Americans favor legalization of same-sex marriage, 39 percent oppose it and 15 percent “neither favor nor oppose” legalization of such marriages.
Read MorePoll shows majority support for religious freedom in marriage debate
02/18/15 11:49 pm
A recent Associated Press poll shows that while a plurality of Americans support the legalization of same-sex marriage, a majority believe that the religious liberty of those who object to such marriages, including owners of wedding-related businesses, should still be respected.
The poll, which was conducted between Jan. 1 and Feb. 2, shows that 44 percent of Americans favor legalization of same-sex marriage, 39 percent oppose it and 15 percent ?neither favor nor oppose? legalization of such marriages.
Read MoreMartyrs in Libya ‘whispered’ name of Jesus before death, bishop says
02/18/15 11:36 pm
The 21 Coptic Christians who were beheaded by Islamic State militants died as martyrs, invoking the name of Jesus, said an Egyptian Catholic bishop.
In line with Pope Francis’ assertion at morning Mass Feb. 17, Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Giza told the Fides news agency that the “diabolical” video of the Christians’ massacre, intended to “spread terror,” was a testament to their martyrdom in the faith.
Read MoreFr. Ben's Biblical Blog
Parish Mission Messages
Link to Davis Walsh Talk
Link to Fr. Brandon Moravitz Talks
Link to Bishop Sirba Homily
Fr. Ben's Podcasts
The Greatest Story Ever Told Session #17: Luke, John
03/03/15 9:12 pm
We conclude the three Synoptic Gospels by examining Luke. Â Highlights from Luke include Jesus seeking and saving the lost, the narratives from Jesusâ early life and the orderly account provided by the Evangelist. Â We also look at Johnâmy favorite book in the Bible! Â In the prologue, Book of Signs and Book of Glory, John writes for one simple reason: to inspire belief.
You will note this session is longer than normalâwe had a great time of question/answers based on our teaching about the Eucharist in John 6.
Read MoreMass Readings
Weekly reading
Readings for the Week of March 1, 2015
- Sunday: Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 / Rom 8:31b-34 / Mk 9:2-10
- Monday: Dn 9:4b-10 / Lk 6:36-38
- Tuesday: Is 1:10, 16-20 / Mt 23:1-12
- Wednesday: Jer 18:18-20 / Mt 20:17-28
- Thursday: Jer 17:5-10 / Lk 16:19-31
- Friday: Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a / Mt 21:33-43, 45-46
- Saturday: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20 / Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
- Next Sunday: Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17 / 1 Cor 1:22-25 / Jn 2:13-25