blogtcs.com

PARISH FACTS:

• 

  Inside Glendale's St. Thomas More Parish.

  Established July 1, 1997 with the founding pastor, Fr. James Turner, still leading parishioners. Likely the only diocesan parish to still have its founding pastor at the helm.

• Parish waited three months for an elementary school to be finished so it could have a temporary spot for Mass. Roughly 200 families showed up. Two years later, the parish swelled to 900 families.
• Church dedicated Feb. 1, 2003. It was the last church dedication under Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien’s leadership.
• Now has nearly 3,400 families. Its members raise thousands of dollars annually through a car and cash raffle. Proceeds go to André House, St. Joseph the Worker, Friends of the Orphans, Refugee Resettlement Ministry and more. Details.

SAINT FACTS:

• Literary scholar, lawyer, father of four and chancellor of England, according to his AmericanCatholic.org bio.
• Canonized in 1935. Patron saint of attorneys, lawyers, civil servants and politicians.
• Phoenix’s St. Thomas More Society kicked off a civil discourse series in April. The society also organizes the annual Red Mass at the start of every Arizona legislative term.