On behalf of all of the wonderful Christians who are part of our faith community,thank you so much for visiting our Internet home! We encourage you to visit the various areas of the site to learn more about what we have to offer.
At St. Thomas, we do our utmost to provide gracious hospitality to all we encounter, both within the doors of our lovely church and outside in the world at large. Our aim at St. Thomas is stated clearly in our Vision Statement, and we urge you to click on the appropriate link here to learn what we strive to be about.
Our charming parish church has been serving Berea and the Southwest portion of Cuyahoga County, Ohio (the Cleveland area) since 1893 in this location, and for many years before that in others. We are nestled in the midst of the beautiful Baldwin-Wallace college campus and just one block from the quaint downtown historic district of Berea.
We cordially invite you to come and worship with us next time you are in the area! We very much look forward to personally greeting you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and introducing you to our active and growing community of believers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church!
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Gayle Catinella Rector
Thursday Service:
10:00 am - Mid-week Eucharist
Saturday Service:
05:30 pm - Contemporary Eucharist
Sunday Services:
08:00 am - Holy Eucharist Rite I
09:30 am - Family Friendly Service
10:30 am - Holy Eucharist Rite II
Message from Gayle
Wednesday 22 May, 2013
Greetings!
This Friday I will be spending the day at the Strongsville Rec Center helping to set up for After Prom. While this might seem like frivolity to you, I see it as outreach. On the outside I look like an ordinary mom, a volunteer like all the rest. At some point though, there is a subtle shift and it happens when someone pokes the person they are working with and says, did you know that woman there is a priest? Or it happens in the course of a conversation, as I ask about someone's life while hanging some enormous likeness of a Disney character, they will then ask about my life and at some point say, Oh...a priest (and immediately wonder if in all of our previous conversation they said anything offensive).
Sometimes this gets tedious, but mostly I don't mind. I want people to know about St. Thomas. I want to do good things in the community. I want people to know that holiness is a practice that needs to be pursued inside and outside of church. I don't mind questions about doctrine or how churches are different. I am graced when someone asks me to pray or shares a difficult life situation. Being a Christian is all about integrating our faith in our everyday lives. It is a challenge and a blessing.
As we begin the summer season, let's not forget about God and church. Let's not forget we are a community that is sustained because we gather together. Let's use every opportunity we can to tell people about St. Thomas, and invite them to come. See you this weekend!
