September 20, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters, There’s a lot of energy in the air right now at St. Thomas! The Faith Formation program is back in full swing, and it’s been great to have the kids back in the classrooms learning their faith. God has truly blessed our community, and I’m so grateful to be with the people of this parish in this season of mission and witness. Our Gospel this week is an especially memorable one. It’s a parable about a landowner who hires workers at different points in the day, and to everyone’s surprise, pays everyone equally, regardless of how many hours they worked. It works on many levels, but I’m especially struck by the grumbling of the early crew, who felt like they deserved more. Even if they ended up doing more work than average, they should have been glad for the extra help in working the vineyard! Although we’re not officially into our Stewardship Month of October, this parable letter gives me a chance to highlight one upcoming opportunity for generosity that’s very important to our Diocese: the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, traditionally known in Alabama as Catholic Charities. For those who are new to our area, or who are new to the Catholic Church, this drive is the annual appeal from our Bishop to support a number of important Catholic ministries and social services in our area. There are lots of national organizations out there with similar names, but this one is purely local. When you hear about our Diocese helping out victims of natural disasters or providing services to those in need, much of that funding comes through the annual appeal. The funds also assist with many diocesan ministries. Of note here at St Thomas, I would note that our Campus Ministry is funded in part through this collection. In other words, this an exceptionally worthwhile charity that makes a huge difference for people right here in Alabama. You should be receiving a letter and pledge card about it from the Diocese very soon, and I would encourage everyone to prayerfully consider being part of it this year. Last year, our parish raised nearly $60,000 for this campaign. Many thanks to everyone who took part. Your generosity continues to make a difference for so many people in need. We’ll talk about it at Mass next Sunday, as well, plus have pledge cards available for anyone who didn’t receive them in the mail. Thank you to everyone for the many ways that you look out for the needs of our parish, our Church, and our neighbors. Through the intercession of St. Thomas and Blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin, let’s continue to be committed to service of the Lord and each other. God bless,

Father Jantz