Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Thomas the Apostle,
We are in the height of summer and even though our students are out of school and many of our parishioners are away for the summer we are still working hard at the church and the school to get everything ready for when our friends and parishioners return. I would like to update you on some items so you stay in the loop:
Website Update/Redesign
As I wrote to you a while back, we have been working to update our school and church website. We have been working with a consultant and have received input from parishioners and school and church staff. THe project is underway and we are working on next steps which include getting a mockup of a new website soon.
Asbestos abatement in school
We were able to do asbestos abatement in six classrooms on the second and third floors of our school building. The asbestos was confined to the glue and the tiles on the floor which have been removed safely. We are replacing the floor with carpet squares that can be replaced when damaged or severely stained.
We’re hiring teachers!
My principal, Ken Koll, and his assistant principal have been doing the yeoman’s work of hiring our new teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. As of this writing we are still in need of a middle school math teacher and a middle school english teacher. Pray for them and their success in finding a good candidate for these very important roles.
A note regarding the increased Violence in the city:
Over the fourth of July weekend there were over 100 shootings in the city and I fear, between the time of my writing and publication of this article, there will unfortunately be more shootings and deaths in the city and in our community. As a resident of the city that we all love I find myself continually bereft at the loss of life due to gun violence. Actions should and must be taken by our city officials to address this systemic issue and to reverse the tides of violence in our city. Our residents, families, and children deserve to have a space that is safe for them to enjoy in peace. We not only pray for peace but I would encourage all of us to take actionable steps to end violence in our city.
Warm regards,
Fr. Trail
Read it in our Sunday bulletin at https://stapostleparish.org/parish-life/current-bulletin/