St. Thomas More Church: A Catholic Parish at the Heart of Allentown
On Flexer Avenue in Allentown, Pennsylvania, St. Thomas More Church stands as a thriving Roman Catholic parish within the Diocese of Allentown. Reverend Monsignor Andrew R. Baker serves as pastor, joined by Father Dominic Civitella as assistant pastor, Fathers Joseph S. Ganser and Monsignor Pat Schoenauer in residence, and Deacons Tom Shubella, Joseph Zubrovich, and James Toolan. The parish combines a busy worship schedule, a Catholic K-8 elementary school, and a wide network of ministries that touch every stage of life, from infancy through the prime of retirement. Named for the 16th-century English statesman and martyr who declared himself "the King's good servant, but God's first," the parish keeps that witness alive through its sacramental life, its care for the vulnerable, and its commitment to forming young disciples.
Mass and the Sacraments
Mass is the heartbeat of St. Thomas More. The church celebrates Mass every day of the week, with two morning Masses Monday through Friday at 7:00 am and 8:45 am, plus an evening Mass on Wednesday at 6:00 pm followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction at 8:00 pm. Saturday morning Mass is offered at 8:00 am, and the vigil Mass for Sunday is celebrated at 5:00 pm. Four Sunday Masses fill the morning and noon hours at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and 12:00 pm, all in the main church. Holy Day schedules are posted in the bulletin as they occur.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered two regular times each week: Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 pm and Saturdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Priests also hear confessions 30 minutes before the 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and Noon Sunday Masses, and by appointment. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place Wednesday evenings following the 6:00 pm Mass, and on the First Friday of each month the parish gathers for Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel after the 8:45 am Mass until 4:00 pm, with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Rosary prayed at 3:00 pm followed by Benediction.
Beyond Mass and Confession, the parish prepares members for all the sacraments. Baptisms are celebrated following the 12:00 pm Sunday Mass; parents attend a baptism preparation class held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Disciples' Room. Marriage preparation begins at least six months in advance with a meeting at the Parish Center. The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the Parish Center at 610-433-7413. Adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or Eucharist enter the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which meets Tuesday evenings from September through May and gathers at the 10:30 am Sunday Mass from November through Palm Sunday.
Family Faith Formation and the Catholic School
St. Thomas More accompanies parents as the first educators of their children. The parish's Family Faith Formation program serves families with children in kindergarten through tenth grade, gathering for monthly Family Gatherings after the 9:00 am Sunday Mass and for monthly parent meetings in the Family Center. The journey moves through the Four Pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the seven Sacraments, using the Blessed program in second grade and Decision Point in eighth grade as children prepare for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. Second graders celebrate First Reconciliation in early February and First Holy Communion in early May. Eighth graders celebrate Confirmation in early February following a candidate retreat and Confirmation interviews.
Vacation Bible School has been a parish tradition since 2003. A team of about a dozen parents runs a week-long program each summer for children entering kindergarten through sixth grade, with seven Bible-based activity stations running from 9:00 am to noon. Teens entering seventh grade and older serve as volunteers.
Adjacent to the church, STM School is a Catholic K-8 elementary school serving parish families and the wider community. The school shares faculty and a calendar with the parish's religious education efforts and is supported in part by the More Bread gift card fundraiser, which rebates a portion of every purchase back to families as tuition credit.
Youth and Teen Life
Teens in grades 9 through 12 are welcomed into STM Youth Ministry, led by Jared Rabold and Allie Yudt. The mission is to foster the moral and spiritual growth of high school students and to help them live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The group meets regularly for fellowship, service, and Mass together. Teens keep connected through an Instagram account and a community GroupMe chat. Adult volunteers willing to serve as examples and mentors to teenagers are always welcome.
Younger athletes find a full CYO sports program. The parish fields teams in volleyball, basketball, cross country, track and field, and co-ed Little Raiders programs for grades 1 and 2. Volleyball is a fall sport for girls in grades 5 through 8, with JV (instructional) and Varsity (competitive) levels. Co-ed cross country is open to all children from kindergarten through grade 8 and practices three times a week at the Allentown Rose Garden. Boys and girls basketball runs from biddy level through high school, with tryouts in October and games played in parish gyms throughout the Lehigh Valley. Spring track and field, co-ed volleyball, and Little Raiders Lacrosse round out the athletics calendar, with most programs open to all STM children regardless of the school they attend. Financial aid is available for parish and school families. The STM Soccer Club offers MicroSoccer for the youngest players, intramural and travel play from age 8 onward, and active registration. Scouting also thrives at St. Thomas More, with Boy Scout Troop 439, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts all chartered through the parish.
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Natalie Pionegro directs music and liturgy, overseeing a choir program with open auditions. The Adult Choir welcomes anyone 18 and older, rehearses every Thursday from early September through the end of May, and sings at all 10:30 am Sunday Masses from early September through early June as well as other parish liturgies. The Teen Choir is open to all high school students, public, private, parochial, or homeschooled, and sings once a month at a 9:00 am, 10:30 am, or 12:00 pm Mass from late September through early June. Lector and Cantor ministries are open to high school students and adults and are scheduled on a rotating basis through an electronic system that matches each volunteer's availability. Altar servers, drawn from those who show a desire to grow closer to the Lord, assist the priest at Mass with reverence and a sense of the privilege of the role. Ushers, lectors, cantors, catechists, and Eucharistic ministers, both at Mass and on home visits, complete the lay liturgical team.
Fellowship Groups for Every Age
The parish runs an active calendar of fellowship organizations. The Knights of Columbus, an international Catholic men's organization focused on faith, family, fraternity, and service, maintains its own council. Men of St. Thomas (M.O.S.T.) fosters the spiritual, physical, and intellectual development of men, cooking and serving the parish breakfast in the fall and winter months and a Spaghetti Dinner on the last Sunday of February, with proceeds donated at the pastor's discretion. The Women's Guild brings together women of all ages in leadership, service, and spirituality, hosting Designer Bag Bingo, organizing meals for new moms, and supporting parish events; membership dues of $20 per year fund the calendar and community outreach. Prime Time is a social and informational group for men and women age 55 and over. Although run by STM volunteers, it is ecumenical and open to all community members; the group meets the second Thursday of each month from March through December at 1:00 pm, enjoying local musicians and guest speakers on health care, financial security, estate planning, and elder law, and organizing regional trips. Meals for Moms provides home-cooked meals to new mothers and their families in the weeks after a baby's arrival.
Bible Studies and Adult Formation
Adult formation weaves through the week. The Daily Cup is a women's Bible study and fellowship group welcoming women of all ages. The Men's Morning Bible Study gathers early every Friday at 6:45 am in the Disciples' Room from September through June. A Thursday Morning Bible Study examines a particular book of Scripture from 9:30 to 10:30 am in the Disciples' Room. Wednesday evenings feature a topical lecture series at 7:00 pm in the Disciples' Room on faith, doctrine, and history. Retreats and workshops enrich the year at intentional moments. The parish also subscribes to FORMED, an online gateway to Catholic movies, talks, eBooks, and Bible studies from providers such as the Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology; parishioners can register free of charge using the parish zip code and watch content on a smartphone app.
Respect Life Ministry
The Respect Life Ministry witnesses to the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death and organizes its work around four pillars established by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Prayer Pillar organizes a monthly pilgrimage to pray the Rosary outside an abortion clinic in Bethlehem and staffs Monday one-hour prayer shifts during the twice-yearly 40 Days for Life campaigns outside the Allentown Planned Parenthood. The Pastoral Care Pillar supports women in crisis pregnancies and those suffering after abortion through Sidewalk Advocates for Life, Bright Hope Center's mobile ultrasound unit, Rachel's Vineyard and Project Rachel post-abortion healing retreats, the diocese's You Are Not Alone ministry for poor prenatal diagnoses, and regular diaper and baby-item collections for local pregnancy-help centers. The Information and Education Pillar provides research and links on alternatives to abortion, chemical birth control, physician-assisted suicide, and end-of-life threats, and connects parishioners with Students for Life, Pro-Life Future, Generation Life school presentations, and Silent No More Awareness. The Public Policy Pillar actively supports laws and policies that defend the dignity of life at every stage. Catholic Charities of the Allentown Diocese, Bright Hope, and Cay Galgon Life House are the local pregnancy-help partners, and the parish promotes Natural Family Planning through diocesan resources.
Outreach to Those in Need
The St. Vincent de Paul Ministry brings Christ's compassion to those in urgent need in the local community. Volunteers provide emergency food and basic needs, financial assistance for rent and utilities in cases of eviction or shutoff, and referrals to community resources, all with confidentiality and discernment. In 2025 the ministry assisted 54 individuals and their families. Support comes through designated collection envelopes in September and March, donation poor boxes at the holy water fonts and front pillars of the church, and cash or check gifts placed in the offertory basket. The annual Christmas in July appeal highlights the year-round nature of the work.
The parish partners with neighboring St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church in supporting Family Promise of the Lehigh Valley, an organization that helps families experiencing homelessness regain housing. St. Thomas More parishioners co-host families at St. Timothy approximately two weeks a year and support fundraisers such as Sip and Mingle in the fall and Homecoming in the spring. The parish Drop 'N Go Food Drive collects non-perishable items and hygiene products several times a year in the Hope Building parking lot. Rock a Bye Angel is a parish outreach providing faith-centered support to parishioners who have lost a child in pregnancy or neonatal infancy.
Bereavement, Prayer, and Support
The Bereavement Support Group meets each fall and spring for a three-month program facilitated by Jerry Herauf, MA, MDiv, a St. Thomas More parishioner and Hospice Chaplain who is also certified in Ignatian spiritual counseling and direction. Sessions meet Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and Saturday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Parish Library. Participants reflect on and share their grief, work through Alan Wolfelt's book Understanding Your Grief, and grow spiritually through personal prayer.
Prayer groups gather throughout the week. The Divine Mercy Cenacle meets twice monthly on Tuesdays in the church Library, with morning and evening sessions, under the chaplaincy of Deacon Tom Shubella. The Flame of Love Cenacle meets every Tuesday in the Chapel after the 8:45 am Mass. The In-House Prayer Retreat Series uses the works of Michael Gaitley, MIC, for extraordinary prayer journeys through the year. The First Saturday Devotion gathers after the 8:00 am Mass on the first Saturday of each month to pray the Rosary and spend 15 minutes meditating on the mysteries, with Adoration during the Rosary and Reconciliation available, fulfilling Our Lady of Fatima's request. The Marian Prayer Group and an Intercessory Prayer ministry round out the prayer life of the parish.
Parish Life and the Parish Council
Re-established in the spring of 2021, the Parish Council works with the pastor to build a parish community centered in Christ. Seven lay members (four elected and three appointed by the pastor, serving three-year terms) connect the parish, support the pastor, foster encounter with Christ at Mass, enhance communication, ensure opportunities for prayer and spiritual renewal, create discipleship opportunities, and encourage evangelization. Current leadership includes Caitlin Shutte as president, Andrew Guman as vice president, and council members Andrew Lawler, Mark Quaranta, Lori Samer, and Dennis Morton. The Council's current initiatives include forming a long-range strategic plan, enhancing the music program, re-establishing a parish Lenten weekend retreat, building the parish database for communication, and working with the Finance Committee on monthly bulletin financial reports.
The STM Business Directory connects parishioners with local businesses and services run by fellow members of the parish and school. Giving to the parish is supported through electronic funds transfer and online donations, with both weekly parish offerings and a Capital Campaign appeal; checks made payable to St. Thomas More Church may be mailed to the rectory on Flexer Avenue. The More Bread gift card program lets families earn tuition credit for STM School by purchasing gift cards to stores where they already shop, with 60% of rebates returned as tuition credit.
Welcoming New Parishioners
Newcomers register through the parish office or through the online First Time Registration link. The rectory is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and on weekends from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Parishioners can sign up for the mailing list to receive news and announcements. The pastor's regular bulletin column invites every household into the work of evangelization: "At the end of Mass, we hear the words to 'go forth.' The missionary impulse is central to our faith in Christ. He told us to 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.'"
Getting to the Parish
St. Thomas More is on Flexer Avenue on Allentown's west side, reached most directly from Cedar Crest Boulevard (Exit 55 off Route 22 or Interstate 78) by way of Lincoln Avenue. From the Pennsylvania Turnpike, drivers take Exit 33 and follow Route 22 east, then Route 309 south, picking up Route 78 east to Cedar Crest Boulevard. From ABE Airport, the parish is about 10 minutes via Airport Road, Route 22 west, and Cedar Crest Boulevard south, with a short jog down Lindberg Avenue to Flexer. A printable map of the parish campus and a Google Map link are also available.