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
- Sabrina Etienne, Coordinator of Faith Formation
Online Stewardship
Mass Readings
Weekly reading
Readings for the Week of September 24, 2017
- Sunday: Is 55:6-9 / Ps 145 / Phil 1:20c-24, 27a / Mt 20:1-16a
- Monday: Ezr 1:1-6 / Ps 126 / Lk 8:16-18
- Tuesday: Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 / Ps 122 / Lk 8:19-21
- Wednesday: Ezr 9:5-9 / Tb 13 / Lk 9:1-6
- Thursday: Hg 1:1-8 / Ps 149 / Lk 9:7-9
- Friday: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a / Ps 138 / Jn 1:47-51
- Saturday: Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a / Jr 31 / Lk 9:43b-45
- Next Sunday: Ez 18:25-28 / Ps 25 / Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5 / Mt 21:28-32
Fr. Ben's Biblical Blog
Fr. Ben's Podcasts
The Gospel of Christ: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
09/25/17 4:27 am
Nic Davidson’s Talk at our Mission on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017
09/25/17 4:22 am
St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist: Thursday, September 21st, 2017
09/25/17 4:18 am
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
Faith in the Public Arena: Gender ideology is colonizing — not cultivating — student minds
09/07/17 3:52 am
Our schools should be places where children are trained to pursue the true, the good, and the beautiful — or, at the very least, equipped to honestly and rationally engage with objective reality. A school should be a place of education, not ideological instruction.
But a “transgender toolkit,” approved on July 24 by the state’s School Safety Technical Assistance Council (SSTAC), is a clear instance of that vital mission being flipped on its head. The recommendations of the toolkit, advertised as a means of combating bullying, instead distort reality and impede real education.
Read MoreBetsy Kneepkens: Camp Survive’s transformations are best seen up close
09/07/17 3:49 am
Every August I look forward to the same bus ride: I get to chaperone middle schoolers from the east side of our diocese to Camp Survive.
I see this as a privilege, and I am left wondering why others are not vying for this job. Few situations place you in the midst of adolescents at a time when they are most real. For many, this week is the first time away. For others, they go without knowing anyone else. And still others think they have everything all figured out. The one-and-a-half hour bus trip is an annual education in the lives of young people, and I love every second of it.
Read MoreBishop Paul Sirba: Camp Survive was an opportunity to consult with young people
09/07/17 3:48 am
The energy was palpable. The welcome was hearty and sincere. The enthusiasm was contagious. Where else can you experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit in a forum with hundreds of young people, junior counselors, a prayer team, and some extraordinarily dedicated chaperones in a beautiful setting? Camp Survive is the place.
The Diocese of Duluth, under the leadership of Father Mike Schmitz and Heather Serena and their collaborators, have been hosting Camp Survive at Big Sandy Camp and Retreat Center for years. This work of the Lord continues to bear great fruit.
Read More