St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church stands at 920 Holley Avenue in St. Paul Park, Minnesota, a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis whose story reaches back more than a century. The community worships in English and Spanish, celebrates the seven sacraments, runs formation programs for children and adults, and gathers several times a year for food, fellowship, and fundraisers that have become local traditions. The parish traces its roots to a mission established in 1884, was incorporated under its present name in 1903, and continues to grow and adapt to the families it serves in Washington County today.
From a 1884 Mission to a 1903 Parish
The faith community that became St. Thomas Aquinas began as St. Patrick, a mission church in Langdon Township about six miles north of Hastings, established in 1884. Priests from Guardian Angels Church in Oakdale and Blessed Sacrament Church in St. Paul traveled to serve the mission until it closed in 1900. The sacraments were then celebrated in several buildings in St. Paul Park for the next two years. With the approval of Archbishop John Ireland, the old Langdon mission was moved to the corner of Summit and Broadway Avenues in St. Paul Park, and on January 27, 1903, the faith community of St. Thomas Aquinas was incorporated. The basic church structure from that original location still stands at 700 Broadway.
Father Patrick J. Hart became the first resident pastor in 1915, enlarging the church and building a rectory. Over the following decades, the parish grew through the tenures of Father Edward S. deCourcy, Father James Westfall, Father Charles Eggert, Father Lawrence Keller, Father John Fitzpatrick, Father Tim Wozniak, Father Greg Esty, and Father Joseph Anthony Andrade. Each pastor left a mark: a parochial school opened in 1949, a new church was built in 1969, the mortgage was retired, the parish complex became handicap-accessible, air conditioning was added to the church in 2011, and in 2009 the community marked its 125th anniversary with a yearlong celebration that included an anniversary cookbook, a quilt raffle, a parish mission, an all-school reunion, an outdoor concert, a polka Mass, and a dinner and dance.
Today the parish is led by Father Jimmy Puttananickal, who was officially installed as pastor by Archbishop Hebda, with Deacon Joe Utecht assisting in ministry.
Mass, Confession, and a Bilingual Welcome
Mass is the heart of parish life, and the schedule is built around the working week as well as the weekend. Saturday Vigil Mass is offered at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings, the Rosary is prayed at 8:30 a.m. followed by Mass at 9:00 a.m.
The parish also welcomes Spanish-speaking Catholics with a monthly Mass in Spanish. On the first Thursday of each month, the Rosary is prayed at 6:30 p.m. and Mass is celebrated at 7:00 p.m. The parish phone line offers a Spanish-language option through extension 103, and Angelica Kipka, the parish business administrator, can also be reached at 651-248-0288 for Spanish questions.
Confession is heard on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and on Saturday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. before the Vigil Mass.
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Fridays the office is closed to walk-ins so staff can attend to funerals, staff meetings, and other administrative duties; anyone needing help on a Friday is asked to call ahead to schedule an appointment.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, the visible rites that Catholics believe are channels of God's grace. The sacraments of initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist - are central to membership in the Church. Reconciliation (often called Confession or Penance) and the Anointing of the Sick make up the sacraments of healing, while Holy Orders and Matrimony are the sacraments at the service of communion and mission.
Baptism is normally celebrated on the second weekend of the month at the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Mass or at the Sunday 8:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. Mass. First Reconciliation is prepared for children beginning in second grade and is celebrated during Advent, with First Communion following on the second or third Sunday of Easter. Confirmation preparation begins in high school and culminates at St. Paul Cathedral on a date set by the Archdiocese. Married couples are asked to contact the pastor at least eight months before the proposed wedding, and engaged couples meet with a Marriage Preparation Ministry mentor couple, attend an engaged retreat, and work through several planning steps. The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is celebrated yearly at all Masses in the Fall, and individual anointing is available before surgery, during a change in illness, or prior to death by contacting Father Jimmy. Adults who wish to become Catholic or complete their initiation are welcomed through the OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, a process of prayer, study, and discussion that culminates at the Easter Vigil.
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Adults
Faith formation at St. Thomas Aquinas is described as a partnership between the family and the church, with the goal of raising faith-filled children together. Youth Faith Formation classes meet on Sunday mornings from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. beginning in September, and registration is open to children of all ages - whether they are preparing for a sacrament or simply looking for an opportunity to grow in their Catholic faith, learn, and build friendships. A Liturgy of the Word for Children is offered at the 10:30 Mass from the first weekend after Labor Day through the weekend before Memorial Day, when catechists lead the children out of the church just before the First Reading, hear the Gospel with them, and return them after the Petitions of Faith.
Vacation Bible School is a four-day camp held each June from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for children ages four through fifth grade. The week is filled with energetic song and dance, science experiments, faith-filled videos, active games, interactive skits, and creative snacks, and middle school, high school, and adult volunteers help make it run.
Adults have their own formation rhythms. Adult Faith Formation sessions are offered every Sunday between the 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Masses, and a Wednesday Morning Bible Study meets from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Parish Activity Center. Each Wednesday gathering is self-contained, so participants do not need to attend every week to benefit, and there is no fee; participants are asked only to bring a Bible. Catechists and substitute catechists who lead small groups of students from four-year-olds through Confirmation meet Wednesday evenings from September through the beginning of May.
Faith Formation is coordinated by Karri Norris, who can be reached at the parish office for information about registration, the sacraments, or special circumstances for older children.
Music Ministry
Music at St. Thomas Aquinas is directed by Music Director Pauline Danielson and organized around the parish's main worship service. The St. Thomas Choir sings at the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and occasionally at the Saturday 4:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:00 a.m. Masses. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Instrumentalists with gifts to share are encouraged to participate alongside the choirs to enhance the liturgy.
Liturgical Ministries and the Worship Commission
The Worship Commission coordinates the many ways the assembly takes part in Mass. Lectors proclaim the Scriptures at the table of the Word, a ministry the parish describes as essential because Christ is present in the Word when the Holy Scriptures are read in church. Ushers and greeters open doors, seat the assembly, hand out worship aids, take up the offering, assist with the Communion procession, and offer a warm good-bye and a bulletin at the end of Mass. Eucharistic Ministers are trained to assist the presider in ministering Holy Communion. Altar Servers include young people in fourth grade and older as well as adults, and parent and child teams are welcome to serve together. The Art and Environment Committee plans and decorates the worship space for the seasons of Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Pentecost, and the Ordinary Time periods in between. Each of these liturgical ministries is supported by a commission that meets regularly to coordinate the parish's prayer life.
Community Life and Annual Traditions
The Community Life Ministries gather parishioners for fellowship, service, and a great deal of fun. The Men's Club, open to parish men age 21 and older, meets at 7:00 p.m. in the Activities Building on the first Thursday of the month from September through May. Members prepare and serve pancake breakfasts, run the Calendar Raffle, assist with Advent decorations, take part in spring cemetery clean-up, and get together periodically for fellowship. The Cadillac Dinner, a fundraiser held at Tinucci's Restaurant in Newport, is limited to 200 guests and features dinner, the main raffle, bingo, a 50/50 raffle, and a raffle for dinner for 25 at Tinucci's, with proceeds going to various parish needs. Mardi Gras is a springtime celebration of games, food, raffles, prizes, and fun for all ages, with a long history and a long list of volunteers. The Holiday Craft Fair, held on the first weekend of November, is a popular start to the Christmas season. New moms are invited to a new moms group, and the parish also has a game room and a craft room set up for use by its youth programs.
Social Justice and Outreach
The Social Justice Commission organizes the parish's response to the Gospel call to put Catholic Social Teaching into practice through four key strategies: communicating the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, helping shape just social structures, leading efforts to address the needs of the poor and vulnerable, and supporting care for God's creation. Ongoing projects include monthly Fair Trade sales that support small farmers and safe environmental practices, monthly preparation and serving of a meal at the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul, holiday giving through Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas gifts, and ongoing food collections for Friends in Need, the local food shelf, with a special effort each March in connection with Minnesota FoodShare. Commission members also contribute periodic Social Justice articles to the weekly bulletin and lend through Kiva, an international nonprofit that expands financial access through crowdfunded loans. The parish has hosted a Social Justice Stations of the Cross and has curated a list of resources ranging from Washington County emergency housing services and the 211 line to Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MICAH, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, and the Social Justice Resource Center.
Pastoral Care and Wellness
The Pastoral Care and Wellness Commission seeks to promote wellness of body, mind, and spirit, sharing in the healing ministries of Jesus Christ. The commission encourages a family member or friend to notify the parish office when a parishioner is hospitalized, since hospitals can no longer notify parishes directly because of privacy laws. The Grief Card Ministry offers aftercare to the bereaved through the first year of bereavement, with cards, calls, and occasional visits. The Funeral Luncheon Committee and its volunteers serve a catered meal for the family and friends of the deceased, supporting families in the days surrounding a loved one's funeral. Each spring, around Mother's Day, the commission sponsors a baby item collection to benefit Total Life Care in Hastings.
Safe Environment and the Protection of Children
Providing a safe environment for all children and vulnerable adults is a top priority at the parish. Anyone in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who has regular or unsupervised contact with children, youth, or vulnerable adults is required to complete the Essential 3 credentialing process: a background check conducted by an archdiocesan-approved agency, Safe Environment Training typically delivered through the VIRTUS Protecting God's Children online program, and a signed Code of Conduct that must be renewed every three years. Renewals repeat the background check, the Code of Conduct, and a retraining module every three years.
The Buda Scholarship
The Goldie J. and Lorraine J. Buda Scholarship Endowment Fund provides scholarships for high school seniors or college students from the parish to pursue an undergraduate degree at a Catholic institution of higher education. Annual earnings are divided among qualified applicants, with typical awards ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 per year and the possibility of renewal. Applicants must be registered parishioners (or children of parishioners) with a record of participation in parish life, enrolled in an undergraduate program at a Catholic institution, and able to demonstrate a B average in high school or a C average in college. Applications are accepted from May 1 through June 2 each year.
St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery
Just a short distance from the parish, at 920 Hastings Avenue in St. Paul Park, the parish maintains its own cemetery with grave lots and five columbaria for the above-ground burial of cremains. All cemetery work is handled by parish employees, and all fees are processed through the parish office. Fresh and artificial flowers are permitted in above-ground plant stands, available for $45 from the parish office, and flowers, flags, and other decorations are permissible on the ground from Mother's Day through Father's Day. Solar lights are allowed but must be placed in a plant stand. Shepherd hooks, candles, and flames of any kind are not permitted, and no glass objects may be placed in the cemetery. No flowers or other items are permitted on or around the columbaria at any time, with the same Mother's Day through Father's Day allowance on the ground near the niche. A spring cleaning is scheduled around the middle of April, weather permitting, and any items left at gravesites after the announced date will be discarded.
Staff and Parish Leadership
The parish is served by a small but dedicated staff. Father Jimmy Puttananickal is pastor. Deacon Joe Utecht assists in ministry. Angelica Kipka serves as parish business administrator and safe environment coordinator and is the parish contact for Spanish questions. Allison Lee is the office manager. Karri Norris is the coordinator of faith formation, and Pauline Danielson directs the music ministry. Sue Heuer and Mike Rogeers serve as trustees, and Greg TaBelle chairs the finance council. The Pastoral Council, with the pastor as an ex officio member, advises on ministries, programs, and activities, and representatives from each of the standing commissions - Worship, Faith Formation, Pastoral Care and Wellness, Social Justice, and Community Life - work alongside two youth members and three members-at-large elected for two-year terms.
Joining the Parish
Whether someone is visiting for a short while, has moved to the area, or is returning to the Catholic faith, the parish welcomes them. Newcomers are invited to contact the parish office at 651-459-2131 or fill out a registration form online. Online giving is available through a secure portal, the weekly bulletin and a Google calendar keep parishioners informed, and active social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok share news, photos, and event announcements throughout the week.