What to Expect

We welcome all who share our mission to love, to serve and to be hope!

We welcome people who attend Mass regularly, those considering making a return to the Catholic Church and first-timers equally.  At St. Thomas Becket you will find a warm, real service to lift you up during Mass and keep you going all week long. 

Because we see many visitors each week, our priests typically provide helpful instructions throughout Mass so our visitors understand our traditions and may participate fully and with confidence.  

Of course, we'd love for you to join us at St, Thomas Becket!  We come in all shapes, size, gifts and abilities.  We provide a number of accommodations to offer a special welcome:

• Handicap Accessible  Our building is handicap accessible, from designated handicap parking spaces to automatic doors.  
• Wheelchairs Available  Wheelchairs are available for your use while attending a Mass or an event at St. Thomas Becket.  Wheelchairs are located in the alcove on the north side of our common space next to the statue of our patron saint, St. Thomas Becket.
• Hearing Assistance  We offer assistive devices at the rear of the church to ensure parishioners and visitors can hear the service clearly. 
• Large Print Worship Aids  We use printed worship aids during our service to allow everyone to follow along with songs, special prayers, etc.  Large print worship aids are located at a table in the rear of the church.

Children are welcome and valued at our Masses!  We welcome families in several ways:

• Busy Bags are located on pegs along both rear walls in the sanctuary.  These bags are designed to keep children engaged and learning about their Catholic faith during Mass.  Each bag includes a variety of books, puzzles, coloring pages -- all with a faith-based theme -- and crayons.  Grab a Busy Bag on your way to your pew before Mass, encourage your children to take and use what they like and return unused pages along with the bag to the peg after Mass.  

• Sharing God's Story (ages 4 and 5 years) is filled with age-appropriate faith-sharing activities and offered during both Sunday morning liturgies October through April. The children sing, pray, hear a Bible story, talk about the story and do a craft project. The children are invited up to the front of the Church after the opening prayer and depart as a group with volunteer adult and teen leaders. They return before the celebration of Eucharist.

• Children's Liturgy of the Word (ages 6 - 9 years) provides the same Sunday readings heard at Mass by the adult assembly and gives the children an opportunity to learn about their faith with age-appropriate faith-sharing questions and prayers. After prayers, readings and sharing, the children have a discussion based on provided questions. Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is offered during both Sunday morning liturgies October through April. The children are invited up to the front of the church after the opening prayer and depart as a group with volunteer adult and teen leaders.  They return before the celebration of Eucharist.

From flip-flops to oxfords and sports uniforms to business suits, you will find it all at our Masses.  Be relaxed or dress up -- we'll be happy to see you! 

We realize the difficulties joining a close-knit community and we work hard to minimize the barriers that can exist to new parishioners and visitors.  If you'd like to grow your connections and meet new people at St. Thomas Becket, consider just a few options:

• Stick around after Mass, enjoy our hospitality and introduce yourself to those around you.
• Register with the parish and look for an invitation to a new parishioner breakfast.
• Sign up to become a greeter.  There's no better place to meet people than to help welcome every single person who comes through our doors.
• Volunteer to be a catechist / small group leader for one of our children and youth programs.
• Find a justice or outreach team that aligns with your passions.
• Join a social event planning committee.
• Attend a class that aligns with your interests.
• Sign up for our weekly e-Bulletins and check our website regularly to see what's happening around church.  There are many ways our community comes together within our building and out in our community on a weekly basis.

There are two things to consider to stay updated on what's happening in the St. Thomas Becket community: 

• Subscribe to our e-Newsletters  By subscribing, you will receive an email containing everything you need to know: Mass updates for the weekend, upcoming social events, justice & outreach events, and classes for all ages and anything else we think you may want to hear.  You will also receive occasional emails with funeral announcements and information on significant services or holidays. 

• Regsiter as a Parishioner  Once you know you want to officially join our community -- after a single visit or months of checking us out-- we'd love to have you register as a parishioner. 

Parking is plentiful for our weekend Masses.  Our largest lot is on the north side of the building with access to our main entrance.  There's also a smaller lot on the south side of the building. 

Both parking lots include marked handicap parking spaces and automatic door openers.

We encourage parishioners and guests to arrive a little early.  We have greeters ready to welcome you at the door and make a nametag for you to wear so you too may be 'called by name'. 

We love our hospitality after Mass, a tradition that began at our first Mass in 1990!  Most weekend Masses, we serve coffee, lemonade and doughnuts or cookies after Mass to provide a casual way to meet new people and maintain your St. Thomas Becket community.