Thomas Merton Center

Members of The Thomas Merton Center community strive to develop a spirituality based on Jesus Christ's message of love, compassion and forgiveness and to live his message in today's world. The TMC community seeks to attract those who are on a quest for a deeper spiritual life and invite them to share in this vision.
 

• To foster a variety of ways by which Catholics and others may develop a deeper spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ and, through him, with God.
• To augment, support and lead the development of ecumenical spirituality, bringing together Christians and non-Christians in areas of common interest and values.
• To build a lay community based on inclusivity and consensus.
• To develop and enhance the faith life of families.

 Model of Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a Trappist monk of the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani near Bardstown, Kentucky. Merton was internationally known for his religious profundity and insightful reflection, his interest in interfaith and social action work on the problems and possibilities of the world. Merton's courageous spirituality was the model for what we intend to do and be at The Thomas Merton Center.
 

Legal Organization
The Thomas Merton Center is organized as a private, tax-exempt, non-profit, independent religious education organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of California. A Board of Directors has legal and fiduciary responsibility for the organization, accountable to the applicable state and federal laws, to its Bylaws, its Mission Statement and its registered members. Though Catholic in its origins, intent, and liturgies, The Thomas Merton Center is an independent religious educational organization, not legally affiliated with any church.
 
Membership
Membership in The Thomas Merton Center is open to everyone without restriction, as are all liturgies, retreats, and spiritual education programs. Nominal membership dues are paid annually. Membership application:

Join (Here)

Renew Membership (Here)
 

• Updated Presider schedule 2/14/2023 (Here)
• Updated Board meeting minutes for 2022, 2/9/2023 (Here)
• Video, Fr Pedigo's Jan 29 Homily (Here)

Memorial Service for Henry P. Organ, Saturday March 25, 10 am 

St Thomas Aquinas Church
Waverley at Homer St, Palo Alto, CA

Please join the community in celebratiing the life of our beloved friend and a founding board member, Henry Pemberton Organ, who passed away on December 8 2022 at his home in Menlo Park, CA. Henry was a quiet, dignified but impactful voice for social justice, for the dispossesed, and for civil rights.

Read Henry's previously published obituary (HERE)  




During Womens History Month take a look at Catholic Women Preach

"We, the people of God, are also invited into the Rhythm of the Paschal journey, which first begins with our receiving blessings, to then become blessings ourselves."

Jung Eun Sophia Park, SNJM



Listen to noted women theologians reflect on the Lenten scriptures as well as issues of the day.

Link to Catholic Women Preach website and this week's video click (Here)

Pope Francis at Ten Years:

A reformers learning and plans

"Catholic traditionalists were wary when Francis emerged as pope for the first time on the loggia of St Peter's Basilica without the red cape that his predecessors had worn for formal events. Yet they never expected him to reverse one of Benedicts signature decisions by reimposing restrictions on the old Latin Mass, including where who can celebrate it..."

Read this  AP article by Nicole Winfield from the San Jose Mercury News (HERE)




Womens History Month Starts March 1 ​​

 ''It's 2023, and while many strides have been made for women in the past few decades, there's still a long way to go. Inequality and sexism still exist in the United States (as well as the rest of the world)."
Womens Day

Learn More (HERE)




NEGOTIATING PEACE IN UKRAINE ISN’T SURRENDER. IT’S CHRISTIAN

BY ADAM RUSSELL TAYLOR
From Sojourner Magazine

Read the Article (HERE)
 

Fr. Xavier Lavagetto Sunday February, 19 Homily

"America wants to be great again, but it all looks like a power grab and Payback. We easily ignore Jesus' words!  .... Dr. Martin Luther King was right 'Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows'..."

The sermon notes are posted (HERE)


NCR Editorial:
What to expect from Congress in the next two years
Read the article (HERE)

"Buckle your seatbelts. It's going to be a wild ride. And any hints we have of some kind of actual Republican agenda indicate that important tenets of Catholic social teaching will be missing from the chaotic mix" 

 

St Thomas Aquinas Masses:

See the St Thomas Aquinas website for mass schedule updates (Here)

Catholic Community at Stanford (Here)

Current TMC Online Bulletin
Old Bulletin Archives (Includes Steeple Talk)

Board Meeting Minutes

GLOBAL CATHOLIC
CLIMATE MOVEMENT

This site has featured information on the Global Catholic Climate Movement (CCCM). See below left. The San Jose Mercury news printed in its December 5 edition that carbon emissions, directly related to the greenhouse effect, have started to rise again after abating for the last few years. We have provided a link to read the article. We hope that all people of faith do what they can to take care of and protect our common home.

Link to the article   ( here)

“On climate change, there is a clear, definitive and ineluctable ethical imperative to act.”
— Pope Francis

The science is irrefutable. There are many ways to act. Please vis[t the GCCM Website to find out what you can do. (Here)

ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME,