Dear Brothers and Sisters, A warm welcome back to all of our Faith Formation students and teachers! It’s an exciting time, as we start to see the life and the learning that will be happening here over the course of the academic year. For our students, we’re very excited that you’re back for another year of learning about the faith and growing in your relationship with God. I’d really emphasize the idea of growing. Faith Formation isn’t a sort of school where you happen to be learning about God. It’s a time when you grow closer to Jesus by experiencing him in your teachers, in your friends, in the stories from the Bible, and in the Church’s teaching. Our whole parish is praying for you! For our teachers, I can’t say thank you enough. Your commitment to serve our community like you do is genuinely inspiring. Your dedicated work makes sure that we accomplish one of the most important things that happens at St. Thomas: passing on the Catholic faith to another generation. And for the whole parish, I’d encourage all of us to make a commitment to continuing our own “Faith Formation,” even if we don’t have a formal program on Sunday morning. In any journey, if we don’t keep moving forward, we lose precious time. My invitation would especially be to find a niche in our parish, if you don’t already have one, where you can take another step forward on your personal faith journey in the company of fellow parishioners. Just watch the bulletin, and you’ll see plenty of opportunities. Or if something else is on your heart, feel free to chat with me, and perhaps we can start something new! Let’s say a special prayer for our students and teachers as they begin Faith Formation. Through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of the Church, and St. Thomas, the patron of those who seek to grow in faith, may we all open our hearts to be more deeply shaped by Christ in the coming year. God bless,