St. Thomas More parish was created in February of 1978. A handful of parishioners worked with Fr. Ralph Brennan to find temporary quarters and begin the search for a permanent site.
On April 2, 1978, the first Mass was celebrated at Forest North Elementary School. Land was soon purchased on FM 620. The community celebrated the dedication of their parish church and the blessing of the Parish Activity Center (PAC) on May 18, 1980.
In 1996, Msgr. Elmer Holtman asked a small group of parishioners to study and implement a plan for the expansion of the church as well as remodeling the Preschool, Religious Education and Parish Office buildings. The former Church of the Nazarene was purchased and became the Life House, which was used for the Life Teen program (high school faith formation). Construction began in August 1999. The project was completed and on Holy Thursday, 2001, the parish celebrated Mass in the enlarged sanctuary. The re-dedication of the church took place on July 1, 2001 with Bishop Gregory Aymond presiding.
The expansion brought us a larger church and a new administration building was built to house the Pastoral Offices. The existing Family Center/office/education building was remodeled into nursery rooms, the Gift Shop, an enlarged Family Center and Library. The Preschool was remodeled and four new classrooms added. A new two-story Religious Education building was constructed that includes office spaces, 12 classrooms, Brennan Auditorium and a fully equipped kitchen. The number of parking spaces was more than doubled.
In the summer of 2000 we jumped at the opportunity to purchase the two adjoining pieces of property complete with houses and outbuildings. This added another 10 acres to our property and the houses became Chelsea House and Fisher House. These spaces are used for meetings, retreats, and a very active social outreach ministry.
St. Thomas More continues to grow both spiritually and in membership: from a small group of nearly 200 Catholic families, the parish has grown to over 3600 families and is still growing. From the beginning, the emphasis of this parish has been on lay involvement and stewardship. As we celebrate many years of service to the community, we look forward to the future and pray that the grace that was present in the beginning, will continue to guide and bless those who call St. Thomas More parish their home.