Dear parishioners and friends,
When St. Thomas More University Parish moved in 1979 from our chapel on Boyd Street to our current site at Jenkins and Stinson, about 56,000 people lived in Norman; 17,000 students attended the University of Oklahoma, and approximately 2,000 students and faculty self-identified as Catholics. Today, more than 118,000 people call Norman home; 27,000 students study on the Norman campus and it is estimated that around 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff identify as Roman Catholic. Not only have the numbers increased but the interest in being a part of this faith community continues to grow. Praise God.
The time to expand is now. Making room for the growing number of OU students, young families, established individuals and families and retirees remaining in or returning to Norman, and all those other souls choosing this vibrant university community - converts, lifelong Catholics, people exploring our faith - is urgent. It is our responsibility as disciples of Christ to create room in our hearts and in this place for all who seek to worship him. Please join me in making that happen.
As you learn more about the plans for a true Student Center, a Parish Hall we can use for parish events and celebrations, and most importantly, a new, welcoming worship space with room for a growing parish to worship together (not with some standing in the atrium during Mass or seated in a somewhat detached overflow area) I invite you to engage in the process. Give us your feedback, pray with us about this journey we’ve embarked upon, and support these efforts to the best of your ability. This will take all of us; parishioners, friends, alumni, parents of OU students past and present, and everyone who cares deeply about the spiritual life of Catholic college students. Please contact me or a member of the Capital Campaign Committee with your questions, your suggestions, your concerns and your personal commitment to this project. Be a part of our faith, our future, and St. Thomas More’s next chapter.
Yours in Christ,
Reverend James Aubrey Goins
Pastor and Campus Minister
(405) 321-0990, Ext. 204
jag@stm-ou.org