St. Thomas More

Parish History

St. Thomas More Parish was founded in 1996 when it split from St. John Neumann Parish to serve northern Irvine's growing Catholic community of about 1,000 families. Its earliest Masses were celebrated in a local middle school before the parish moved in 2000 to a warehouse-like property on Remington (now the site of Our Lady of Peace Korean Catholic Center). After the Diocese of Orange made land available near the intersection of Marketplace, Irvine Boulevard, and Jamboree Road, the parish relocated again and held its first Mass in a new parish hall in late 2009. Construction of a permanent sanctuary began 17 years later, with a $30 million groundbreaking on April 25, 2026.

Believe & Build Capital Campaign

The Believe & Build campaign, relaunched in 2017, raised more than $27 million from approximately 40% of the parish's registered families — over 1,000 pledges in total — toward a 20,400-square-foot, 950-seat sanctuary with the Holy Eucharist placed at the center behind the altar. Capital Campaign Chair Lisa VanDorpe and pastor Father Eugene J. Lee led the effort through years of delay caused by changes in diocesan leadership and the COVID-19 pandemic. The groundbreaking theme — 'For Christ Always: Treasuring Our Past, Envisioning Our Future in Faith' — captured the marathon nature of the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

• Architectural style: Tuscan-inspired, designed to harmonize with the existing campus
• Original master plan by LPA Architects
• Sanctuary will seat 950 (200 more than current parish hall)
• $27M+ raised from 1,000+ pledges; $30M total project budget

Mass and Worship Schedule

St. Thomas More celebrates daily Mass Monday through Saturday at 8:00 AM, with an additional evening Mass Monday through Friday at 6:00 PM. Saturday Vigil Masses are offered at 4:00 PM (Vietnamese/English) and 6:00 PM (English). Seven Sunday Masses are scheduled — three English, one Spanish, one Chinese, and additional morning and evening English Masses — with the 8:00 AM daily and 9:30 AM Sunday Masses livestreamed at @stmirvine. The 9:30 AM Sunday Mass is also designated 'Act of God' in the parish's published calendar.

Faith Formation and Religious Education

Director of Faith Formation Barbara Catiller oversees the Religious Education Program (REP) for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, with Lisa Busch coordinating Junior High REP and Vacation Bible School. Classes meet on the parish campus and require fingerprinting and Safe Environment training for all volunteers, in line with diocesan policy. First Communion and First Reconciliation are prepared through REP, while Confirmation is handled separately by the Youth Ministry Office for high-school students.

• REP Office: (949) 551-8029
• REP website: stmrep.stmirvine.org
• Baptismal certificate required for REP registration
• Letter of Transfer required for families registering from another parish

Confirmation, Youth, and Young Adults

Director of Confirmation & Youth Ministry Michael Fahey, alongside Confirmation Administrative Assistant Jimena Peralta and High School Youth Minister Arlyn Pandes, prepares teens for the Sacrament of Confirmation through two years of formation, mandatory rehearsal, and sponsor participation. Confirmation ceremonies have recently been celebrated by Bishop Vann in late May at the parish. A FOCUS Missionary team (Steven Debolt and Emily Ambrosio) supports campus and parish outreach, and a Young Adult Ministry gathers adults in their 20s and 30s for fellowship and formation.

• Youth Ministry Office: (949) 551-8602
• Youth website: www.stmirvineym.org

Adult Faith Formation and Spiritual Development

Director of Adult Faith Formation Tara Reynaud, with team members Denyse Gagnon and Mary Jane Rin, coordinates Small Faith Communities, Bible Focused Formation (English and Spanish), Christ Renews His Parish retreats, Cursillo, OCIA, the parish Library, Marriage Encounter, and When Women Pray. The parish also hosts FOCUS Missionaries who disciple college-aged Catholics and young adults.

OCIA — Becoming Catholic

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA) is led by Sonny and Marie Obillos, who accompany inquirers through the rites, catechumenate, and Sacraments of Initiation. The OCIA team can be reached at (949) 668-5201.

Liturgical Ministries

Music Director Kwang Nguyen leads the parish's music program and coordinates wedding music. Liturgical roles are filled by Altar Servers (Mary Jane Rin), Lectors (Ed Ferguson), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Nico Pagone), Sacristans (Pam Ocampo), Ushers (Frank Ornelas and Joe Martin), and an Art & Environment team (Amee Cuevas) that decorates the worship space for the liturgical year. Eucharistic ministers also bring Communion to the Homebound (Fran Necikowski).

Cultural and Language Communities

St. Thomas More reflects Irvine's multicultural Catholic population through dedicated ministries for several communities: Chinese Ministry (Deacon Leonard Sun), Vietnamese Ministry (Huan Le), Hispanic Ministry (Victor Cota), and Filipino Ministry (Mernie Empalmado). Each community celebrates Mass in its own language — Vietnamese Vigil at 4:00 PM Saturday, Spanish at 1:00 PM Sunday, Chinese at 3:00 PM Sunday — and gathers for additional devotions, Bible studies, and cultural events throughout the year.

Service, Outreach, and Social Justice

Outreach is central to parish life. The Homeless Lunch Ministry (Jessica Silva and Kim Lee) feeds those in need in Orange County; St. Vincent de Paul (Rick Lamoreux) provides direct aid to the poor; Respect Life (Chris Gonzales) prays and advocates for the unborn and the dignity of life; the Knights of Columbus Council #13111 (John Royston) leads works of charity; and STM Veterans (Sgt. Bob Kohler) supports parishioners who have served in the armed forces. Bereavement (Rosie Muñoz) and Grief Share (K.C. Riley) walk with families through loss.

Parish Staff and Office

Parish operations are led by Business Manager Mireya Moreno, Office Manager and Bulletin Editor Lisa Bergler, and Facilities Manager Ed Ferguson. The Front Office is open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM. After-hours pastoral emergencies are routed through (949) 551-8601 ext. 7. The parish also publishes a weekly Sunday bulletin that lists the coming week's schedule, liturgical ministers, and ministry news.

• Text-to-Give: (949) 919-5494
• Email: [email protected]
• Religious Education: (949) 551-8029
• Youth Ministry: (949) 551-8602

Mission Statement

"Welcoming all, we, the Spirit-filled parish of St. Thomas More, value our Roman Catholic faith by celebrating the sacraments, breaking open the Scriptures, and joyfully offering ourselves in service to others. Under the inspiration of our patron saint, we seek to build a caring community that embraces the values he modeled of friendship, integrity and courageous love of God."