The Valley Catholic August 22, 2017 | Page 5

COMMUNITY tvc.dsj.org | August 22, 2017 5 50th Anniversary for Parish that Punches above its Weight By Kathy Mattingly Saint Thomas of Canterbury Parishioner In 1967, Saint Thomas of Canter- bury Parish began its tenure on the border of Campbell and West San Jose with an empty stretch of land, an old farmhouse and a small, donated stat- ue of the patron saint. Often referring to themselves as The Family of Saint Thomas, parishioners pitched into the hands-on tasks of painting and fi xing up the rectory (farmhouse), including remodeling the porch to include an indoor/outdoor confessional. We also took on the tasks of plan- ning religious education, selecting textbooks and organizing teachers to conduct classes in the home. There were outdoor Mass celebrations and fundraising picnics where we spread out blankets on the ground. Mass was celebrated in Nordahl Hall and baptisms at Sacred Heart “for Saint Thomas.” Always we have loved to feed peo- ple, whether ourselves at hospitality after Mass and at all kinds of dinners and dances, or strangers at Inn Vision or the rotating shelter when it was housed at another local parish. Under the leadership of Father Dave Mercer, our parish has contin- ued to display its heart for the poor in recent years, nearly tripling our contribution to Catholic Relief Ser- vices Rice Bowl Lenten collection and creating a Homeless Support Action Team that provides Blessing Bags, single-portioned laundry soap and sandwiches to homeless individuals and organizations serving the un- housed poor. A newly arrived parishioner put it this way, “I have found a special gem in a residential part of Camp- bell, bordering on West San Jose. It’s Saint Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church and it’s on McCoy Avenue. It has a small town feel to it, it is quaint and unassuming yet has a great big heart in the many ministries that they are doing for the community. I am glad I found it.” We are a collaborative parish. The “Longest Night” service sponsored by our bereavement team and also our “Senior Lunch Bunch” program reach beyond our borders. Our parishioners partner with other volunteers to serve people who sleep in their cars at Saint Lucy’s Safe Car Park. Father Dave, our pastor, attracts both parishioners and visitors alike, exploring such topics as “How Pope Francis Is Changing the Church” or “Can a Catholic Be a Democrat/Republican?” We are so grateful for the encour- agement given by wonderful people in the Diocese like Kathy Fanger. “As Catholic Cemeteries Parish Outreach Coordinator, I keep abreast of the weekly diocesan parish bulletins. I am so inspired by the breadth of Social Ministries at Saint Thomas of Canterbur y. You are a small yet ac- tive, alive community, very connected to one another in worship, fun, and encouragement of youth and young adults and outreach. To think that your parish has one entire page in the bulletin which lists opportunities to reach out to brothers and sisters in the community is amazing!” We hope that our 50th Anniver- sary celebration provides encourage- ment and renewal as we try to live up to our traditions. Over the course of nine days in September, starting with a Parish Appreciation Dinner on September 9, there will be Wel- come Home receptions after Sunday Masses, an Inter-Faith Multi-Cultural Prayer Service on Monday, September 11, a Newcomer’s Welcome Dinner, a Family Movie Night, a Meet the Pas- tor reception and talk, a Friday Night Sock Hop, and a Saturday Night re- ception and display of arts and crafts loaned by talented parishioners. The week will end with our second An- nual Chili Cook-Off and Fun Fest benefit for the Homeless Support Action Team. The Neig hborhood Sol ida r it y Prayer Se rvice and the several recep- tions are planned as events to which all the neighbors and friends of Saint Thomas of Canterbury Parish are cordially invited. For more i n format ion contact Kathy Mattingly at [phone], or [email protected], Al Smith at (408) 374- 4339 or [email protected], or the parish offi ce at [phone]. CCH153_CarDonateAd2_4.937x6in_PressQuality.pdf 1 8/10/15 7:41 PM American Flag Retirement Ceremony The Knights of Columbus 4 th De- gree Saint Joseph Assembly #2246 from Milpitas along with the Ameri- can Heritage Girls Troop #0319 from Saint Frances Cabrini held a Flag Retirement Ceremony at Saint Vic- tor’s Parish on June 14 . The Knights of Columbus replace old worn American Flags with new ones. They reserve the old ones until a ceremony can be organized and the fl ags are retired by burning them with all the proper honors given to our National Flag. The American Heritage Girls and their leaders performed the ceremony while the Knights of Columbus Color Corps provided the Honor Guard. We want to thank the American Heritage Girls for their patriotism and community support for providing this service. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Donating Your Vehicle Rebuilds Hope Vehicle Donations Support Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement Program Free Towing  •  Fast & Easy  •  100% Tax Deductible Contact Us Today at CarDonationCC.org or 1 [phone]