About St. Thomas More · Kansas City, Missouri
St. Thomas More Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph, serving the Red Bridge / south Kansas City community at 11822 Holmes Road. Founded in 1964 under Monsignor John Huhmann and formally dedicated in 1966 by Bishop Charles Helmsing, the parish grew alongside its parish school, which today educates roughly 500 students in grades PK–8. The parish's stated mission is 'to provide a welcoming, inclusive and loving community by proclaiming and living God's Word through worship, education, and social justice,' a vision lived out through daily and weekend Masses, perpetual-style adoration in summer, robust faith formation for children and adults, and partnerships with Seton Center and a sister parish in Guatemala.
- Established
- 1964
- Patron
- St. Thomas More
- Rector
- Father Matt Rotert
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
Why belong here
St. Thomas More is a large, multigenerational Catholic community anchored by its own parish school of about 500 students, with daily Mass options (including 6:15 a.m. weekday Masses) and a full sacramental and formation life. Visitors and parishioners can join OCIA inquiries, the children's and youth choirs, the Knights of Columbus, the Men of STM group, SPRED for developmentally delayed adults, Grief Peer Support, the Green Team, and ongoing outreach like reStart sack lunches and the parish's long-standing sister-parish relationship with San Andrés, Itzapa, Guatemala. It is the kind of parish where hundreds of 'engaged members' volunteer weekly to carry out its ministries of worship, education, and social justice.
Mass times at St. Thomas More
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00–6:00 PM
- Thursday 5:00–6:00 PM
- Saturday 7:15–8:00 AM
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- Adoration is offered during the summer months from after the 11:00 AM Mass through 9:00 PM (parishioners sign up for an hour beginning at noon).
Parish History
St. Thomas More Parish traces its origins to spring 1964, when a 'Future Site of Saint Thomas More Catholic Church' sign went up at 118th and Holmes and Monsignor John Huhmann was appointed to build a new parish of about 250 families out of territory that had belonged to St. Catherine of Siena. The first Mass was offered July 9, 1964 in O'Reilly Hall at Avila College; the church and school were dedicated by Bishop Charles Helmsing on July 10, 1966; and the school opened that fall with 203 students in the first five grades. A 1983 building campaign under Monsignor William Blacet produced the present, larger church (seating about 650), and a 1984 master plan added More Hall, a new priests' residence, and converted the rectory into the parish office. Over the decades the parish has been served by a succession of pastors — Father Bill Bauman (1992), Father John Weiss (2003), Father Don Farnan (2006) — and celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2014. In 2023, Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. amalgamated the neighboring St. Catherine of Siena Parish into St. Thomas More, which retained its name and gained the former St. Catherine territory while remaining in Deanery IV.
- 1964 — parish established; first Mass July 9, 1964 at O'Reilly Hall, Avila College
- 1965 — ground broken for church and school
- 1966 — church and school dedicated by Bishop Charles Helmsing on July 10, 1966
- 1983 — present larger church completed under Msgr. William Blacet
- 1992 — Father Bill Bauman becomes 4th pastor
- 2003 — Father John Weiss becomes 5th pastor; 50 school seats opened to non-parishioners
- 2006 — Father Don Farnan becomes 6th pastor; campus unification continues
- 2007–2009 — three-year Capital Campaign: school renovation, expanded narthex with elevator, re-framed stained-glass windows, new parking lot
- 2014 — Golden Jubilee / 50th Anniversary
- April 29, 2023 — amalgamation of St. Catherine of Siena Parish into St. Thomas More Parish
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by Father Matt Rotert as Pastor, with Father Sam Miloscia serving as Associate Pastor and Deacon Tyrone Gutierrez assisting. The parish office staff includes Joan Sandford (Office Manager), Veronica Dean-Bonnichsen (Director of Operations), Mary Begnaud (Receptionist), Bob Sandford (Publications & Music Director), Jylian Hudson (Funeral & Wedding Liturgist), and Scott Dulle (Building & Grounds Director). Parish office hours are Monday–Wednesday 8:45 AM–3:30 PM, Tuesday–Thursday 8:45 AM–5:00 PM, and Friday 8:45 AM–1:00 PM.
- Father Matt Rotert — Pastor ([email protected], x204)
- Father Sam Miloscia — Associate Pastor ([email protected], x203)
- Deacon Tyrone Gutierrez — ([email protected])
- Joan Sandford — Office Manager (x202, [email protected])
- Veronica Dean-Bonnichsen — Director of Operations ([email protected])
- Bob Sandford — Publications & Music Director (x212, [email protected])
- Jylian Hudson — Funeral & Wedding Liturgist ([email protected])
- Mary Begnaud — Receptionist (x201, [email protected])
- Scott Dulle — Building & Grounds Director ([email protected])
St. Thomas More School
St. Thomas More Catholic School is a major ministry of the parish, serving approximately 500 students in PK–8 at 11800 Holmes Road, directly adjacent to the church. The school's mission is to educate all students through a vigorous, relevant, and faith-based curriculum that positively impacts God's world, with pillars of Parish/School Relationship, Staff Support & Retention, Technology, Professional Development, and Math & Language Arts Curriculum. The current principal is Tracy Stewart, with Dan Garrison as Assistant Principal. Tuition for K–8 is $5,000 for the first active-parishioner student (with multi-child discounts) and $8,000 for non-parishioners; the cost of education per student is $9,200, with the parish subsidizing $4,200 per parishioner student. Financial assistance is available through MOScholars at brightfuturesfund.org.
- Enrollment: ~500 students, PK–8
- Address: 11800 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131
- Phone: 816-942-5581
- Principal: Tracy Stewart; Assistant Principal: Dan Garrison
- Tuition K–8: $5,000 first parishioner student; $8,000 non-parishioner
- Financial assistance: MOScholars via brightfuturesfund.org
- Website: stmkcschool.org
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Adults
The parish offers formation for every age. Children and Youth Faith Formation runs alongside the parish school program. Adults inquiring about the Catholic faith gather through GIFT (Growing God's Family) on Tuesday evenings in More Hall, and through the parish OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process — open to baptized and non-baptized, Catholic and non-Catholic inquirers with no obligation to become Catholic. SPRED, an adult group for people with developmental disabilities, meets about every other Monday evening in More Hall to share their faith. Additional formation and enrichment opportunities include Grief Peer Support, Living Waters, and Fresh Fire prayer gatherings.
- Children & Youth Faith Formation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Tuesdays 6:15–7:30 PM, More Hall
- GIFT — Growing God's Family / Growing in Faith Together
- SPRED — biweekly Mondays, 6:30–8:30 PM, More Hall
- Grief Peer Support Group — Bauman Library
- Living Waters — Monday evenings in Church
- Fresh Fire — Friday evenings in Church
Liturgical & Music Ministries
St. Thomas More's worship life is supported by a robust team of lay liturgical ministers, coordinated through Sharon Arnett in the parish office. The music program includes a Children's Choir (Monday afternoon rehearsals in the Choir Loft), an adult Choir (Wednesday evening rehearsals in the Choir Loft), and an Ensemble (Wednesday evening rehearsals in Church), all of which serve the parish's Sunday and school Masses. Bob Sandford serves as Publications & Music Director.
- Children's Choir — Mondays 3:15–4:30 PM, Choir Loft
- Adult Choir — Wednesdays 6:30 PM, Choir Loft
- Ensemble — Wednesdays 5:00 PM, Church
- Music Director / Publications: Bob Sandford
- Liturgical ministries coordinator: Sharon Arnett
Parish Life, Service & Outreach
Parishioners at St. Thomas More have long been described as 'engaged members,' with several hundred volunteering weekly or monthly across ministries. Outreach includes weekly reStart Sack Lunches, the Green Team environmental ministry, and the Uplift Ministry. The parish maintains long-standing partnerships with Seton Center, a sister-parish relationship with San Andrés, Itzapa in Guatemala, and a twinning relationship with St. Louis Parish on Swope Parkway. Men's, women's, family, and scouting groups — Knights of Columbus, Men of STM, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts — round out parish life.
- reStart Sack Lunches
- Uplift Ministry
- Green Team
- Knights of Columbus — monthly meetings in More Hall
- Men of STM — Friday-morning donuts and program (6:15 AM)
- Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts
- Seton Center partnership
- Sister parish: San Andrés, Itzapa, Guatemala
- Twinning parish: St. Louis Parish on Swope Parkway
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
The parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven sacraments, including Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist (in cooperation with the parish school and Children's Sacramental Preparation), Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation. Jylian Hudson serves as the parish's Funeral & Wedding Liturgist, and marriage preparation is coordinated through the parish office. Confession is offered at the published weekly schedule and by appointment.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Confirmation — parish and school programs
- First Eucharist — Children's Sacramental Preparation
- Marriage preparation — parish office, 816-942-2492
- Anointing of the Sick / Funeral & Wedding Liturgist: Jylian Hudson
- Reconciliation — weekly schedule and by appointment
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Thomas More Parish is located at 11822 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131, on the south side of the city in the Red Bridge neighborhood. The parish office can be reached at 816-942-2492, with office hours Monday–Wednesday 8:45 AM–3:30 PM, Tuesday–Thursday 8:45 AM–5:00 PM, and Friday 8:45 AM–1:00 PM. The most current parish information is published weekly in the bulletin (stmkc.com/bulletin), and visitors are invited to subscribe to parish email updates at stmkc.com/emailme. The parish also live-streams Masses on its YouTube channel at youtube.stmkc.com.
- Address: 11822 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131
- Phone: 816-942-2492
- Parish office hours: M–W 8:45 AM–3:30 PM; T–Th 8:45 AM–5:00 PM; F 8:45 AM–1:00 PM
- Bulletin: stmkc.com/bulletin
- Live-streamed Masses: youtube.stmkc.com
- Email signup: stmkc.com/emailme
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor John Huhmann1964–
Founding pastor; appointed June 1, 1964 to establish the new parish with 250 families.
- Monsignor William Blacetthrough 1983+
Pastor when the larger, present church was completed in 1983.
- Father Bill Bauman1992–2003
Fourth pastor (began June 1992); led eight-room school addition (1996) and built relationships with Seton Center, the Guatemala sister parish, and St. Louis Parish twinning; retired 2003.
- Father John Weiss2003–2006
Fifth pastor (began July 2003); formed new Pastoral Council in 2005; began unification of parish and school.
- Father Don Farnan2006–
Sixth pastor (began July 2006); continued campus unification and launched 2007 three-year Capital Campaign.
- Father Matt Rotertpresent
Current pastor (as of the February 8, 2026 parish bulletin); oversees the parish after the 2023 amalgamation with St. Catherine of Siena Parish.