About St. Thomas Aquinas · Wichita, Kansas
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church is a large, vibrant parish in northeast Wichita, Kansas, established in 1957 by Bishop Mark K. Carroll and today serving more than 1,500 families in the Diocese of Wichita. The parish operates a K-8 Catholic school enrolling nearly 500 students, is a stewardship parish organized around the pillars of Hospitality, Prayer, Formation and Service, and offers daily Mass, perpetual-style Eucharistic Adoration, and an extensive network of ministries from Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul to youth groups and RCIA. Its priests, lay staff, and volunteers run programs for all ages — Children's Liturgy of the Word, Parish School of Religion, STAY and Ignite youth ministry, Totus Tuus, Meals on Wheels, The Lord's Diner, Mission Outreach, Act 2 bereavement support, and more.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- St. Thomas Aquinas (theologian and Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew C. (Matt) McGinness
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Thomas Aquinas offers a robust Catholic life for every age and stage: weekday and Sunday Mass with multiple Mass times each day, ongoing Eucharistic Adoration from Sunday afternoon through Friday evening, and a K-8 parish school that educates nearly 500 students in faith and academics. Through its stewardship Pillars of Hospitality, Prayer, Formation and Service, parishioners actively participate in ministries such as St. Vincent de Paul home visits, The Lord's Diner, Knights of Columbus Council #10242, RCIA/OCIA, STAY and Ignite youth groups, Parish School of Religion, Totus Tuus, Meals on Wheels, Food Drives, and bereavement support — giving newcomers concrete ways both to grow in holiness and to serve Wichita's neighbors in need.
Mass times at St. Thomas Aquinas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to daily Mass
- Saturday 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Adoration times
- Sunday 2:00 pm through Friday 6:00 pm (continuous Eucharistic Adoration)
- Closed Sunday 6:00 – 8:00 pm (during evening Mass)
- Closed Wednesday 6:00 – 7:00 pm
- Closed Monday–Friday 6:00 – 10:00 am
Parish History
St. Thomas Aquinas was established on August 15, 1957 by Bishop Mark K. Carroll to serve the growing number of Catholic families in northeast Wichita. Within two years the parish had built and dedicated a $350,000 K-8 school (staffed by the BVM Sisters), and by the early 1960s was expanding again with a new chapel and school wing. After a long capital campaign under the protection of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Bishop Eugene J. Gerber dedicated the present church on June 3, 1984 — complete with the 'Aquinas Organ' and a skyline-defining steeple. The parish's 1997 VISION pastoral plan introduced Mission Outreach, and the institution of Eucharistic Adoration in 2000 along with a redesigned sanctuary has shaped its current identity. Today, with Fr. Matt McGinness as seventh pastor, the parish family numbers roughly 1,500 households and is guided by a Second Pastoral Plan published in 2019.
Our Patron: St. Thomas Aquinas
Former parishioners of the Church of the Magdalen and Holy Savior chose St. Thomas Aquinas — the great medieval theologian, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church — as the parish's patron when it was founded in 1957. His feast day is January 28, and remarkably Fr. Daniel J. Spexarth began his tenure as pastor on January 28, 1999, the feast of the patron.
- Title: Doctor of the Church
- Feast day: January 28
Worship & Sacramental Schedule
Mass is celebrated up to six times a day on Sundays (with a Saturday Vigil) and twice on most weekdays, giving parishioners abundant opportunities for daily Mass. Confessions are heard 30 minutes before every daily Mass and during a generous Saturday window. The parish maintains a near-continuous Eucharistic Adoration schedule from Sunday afternoon through Friday evening, with brief closures to allow for evening services.
- Sunday Vigil Mass: Saturday 5:00 pm
- Sunday: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, Noon, 6:30 pm
- Weekday Mass: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 6:30 am & 8:15 am; Wed 6:30 am & 6:30 pm; Sat 8:00 am
- Confessions: 30 minutes prior to daily Mass; Saturday 3:30–4:30 pm
- Eucharistic Adoration: Sunday 2:00 pm through Friday 6:00 pm (closed 6–8 pm Sunday and 6–7 pm Wednesday for evening services; closed Mon–Fri 6–10 am)
Priests & Staff
The parish is led by two diocesan priests: Fr. Matt McGinness as pastor and Fr. Will Stuever as parochial vicar. A dedicated lay staff manages the school, business operations, faith formation, youth ministry, and stewardship. The Knights of Columbus Council #10242 provides additional visible leadership, with Micah Taylor serving as Grand Knight.
- Rev. Matthew C. McGinness — Pastor (ordained 1989)
- Rev. William P. Stuever — Parochial Vicar
- Mary Pat Ayres — Director of Stewardship
- Maddy Hammer — Leader of Youth Ministries
- Shelly Babich — Business Manager
- Maria Stillman — Church Office Manager
- Anne Schneider — Bookkeeper
Stewardship & Apostolates
St. Thomas Aquinas is a stewardship parish that organizes all ministry around four Pillars: Hospitality, Prayer, Formation and Service. Through the parish's Apostolates program, parishioners commit to pray, participate, and give — annually fulfilling stewardship pledges that make the parish's school, Adoration chapel and outreach work possible.
- Pillar 1: Hospitality
- Pillar 2: Prayer
- Pillar 3: Formation
- Pillar 4: Service
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education is offered at every age. The Parish School of Religion (PSR) provides K-8 catechesis for children attending non-Catholic schools, with classes on Wednesday evenings in the parish school classrooms. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass from October through April, with adult catechists teaching age-appropriate lessons on the Sunday Gospel.
- PSR: K-8, Wed evenings 6:00–7:15 pm (Grades 1–8 begin in September; Kindergarten begins in January)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — during 10:30 am Sunday Mass, October through April
- VIRTUS training required for catechists
Youth Ministry
Two weekly youth groups anchor middle and high school faith life at the parish, supplemented each summer by Totus Tuus, a week-long archdiocesan-style youth mission.
- Ignite (Middle School Youth Ministry, grades 7–8): Thursdays 7:00–8:30 pm in the School Cafeteria
- STAY (High School Youth Group, grades 9–12): Sundays 7:30–9:00 pm
- Totus Tuus 2025: June 22–27
- Diocesan events: TEC, Prayer and Action, Steubenville Conferences, Dream Conference
- Altar Servers: required for all 5th–8th graders; select 'Masters of Ceremony' continue past 8th grade
Order of Christian Initiation (O.C.I.A. & O.C.I.C.)
Adults preparing for full membership in the Catholic Church journey through O.C.I.A. (formerly RCIA), while children ages 6–14 are prepared through O.C.I.C. Parishioners are invited to serve as catechists or sponsors.
- O.C.I.A. classes: Thursdays 6:30–8:00 pm in Allen Hall (began September 5, 2024)
- O.C.I.C. for children ages 6–14 — catechists needed; VIRTUS training required
Service & Outreach
Outreach is a defining mark of the parish, guided by the Mission Outreach apostolate and the Corporal Works of Mercy. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference conducts hundreds of home visits each year, helping neighbors with rent and utility assistance and connecting them with community resources. Parishioners also serve at The Lord's Diner, deliver Meals on Wheels, run food drives, prepare funeral dinners, and minister to the homebound.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference — home visits and rent/utility help
- The Lord's Diner — monthly service on the 30th (afternoon 12–3 pm and evening 5–8 pm shifts)
- Meals on Wheels — two-consecutive-weekend deliveries every 4–5 months
- Food Drives — twice yearly, delivered to a local food bank
- Funeral Dinners — three rotating teams of volunteers
- Act 2: Living After Loss — mutual support for Catholics who have lost spouses
Sacraments
Information on Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and the OCIA process is published on the parish website, with Godparent Certificate of Eligibility forms available for download and clear pathways for adults (O.C.I.A.) and older children (O.C.I.C.) seeking initiation.
- Baptism Preparation Course required for first child (before birth recommended)
- Godparent requirements: confirmed Catholic, age 16+, received Eucharist, not the parent
- Recommended baptism within one month of birth
- Adult baptism prepared through O.C.I.A.
Knights of Columbus Council #10242
Chartered in 1990, the parish's Knights of Columbus council is active in fraternal, charitable, and parish life — including taking a 1:00–2:00 a.m. Tuesday hour of Eucharistic Adoration each week. Any practicing Catholic gentleman 18 or older associated with the parish is welcome to join.
- Chartered 1990
- Meetings: 1st Monday of the month, 6:30 pm in the Assembly Room
- Grand Knight: Micah Taylor
- Deputy Grand Knight: John Exline
- Financial Secretary: Jorge Fernandez
- Adoration hour: Tuesday 1:00–2:00 am
Parish School
The parish operates a kindergarten through 8th-grade Catholic school, originally dedicated in August 1959 for $350,000 and staffed by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The school today educates nearly 500 students each year and is described by the parish as its most significant mission — committed to forming the whole student in faith and academics.
- Established 1959 (originally taught by BVM Sisters)
- Enrollment: ~500 students
- Grades: K–8
- Mission: 'to educate and develop the whole student through exceptional academics and formation in the Faith'
Facilities & Grounds
The parish campus includes the 1984-dedicated church with its prominent steeple and the 'Aquinas Organ,' Allen Hall (a large meeting room in the church basement), the parish school (with a lower-level chapel added in 1964–65), and a parking lot and plaza dedicated by Bishop Thomas Olmsted on August 15, 2002 and accented by a statue of Mary with the Child Jesus and a welcoming statue of Jesus at the parking lot entrance. A conference room named for Rev. Sean O'Shea was added in 2018.
- 1984 church with landmark steeple
- Allen Hall (lower level / basement meeting space)
- School with lower-level chapel (1965) and north wing
- Plaza and parking lot dedicated August 15, 2002
- Statues of Mary with Child Jesus and Jesus at the entrance
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick J. Holloran, SJ1957–
First pastor; also president of Chaplain Kapaun Memorial High School. Named pastor when the parish was established by Bishop Mark K. Carroll on August 15, 1957.
- Rev. Matthew C. McGinness2008–present
Seventh pastor; installed by Bishop Jackels at a special Mass on October 12, 2008. Focused on instilling hospitality and stewardship; oversees the parish family of ~1,600 households.