About St. Thomas More · Manhattan, Kansas
St. Thomas More Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Salina serving the northwestern neighborhoods of Manhattan, Kansas, near Kansas State University. Founded in 1981 by 190 families, the parish has grown to roughly 900 households and operates from a 700-seat sanctuary, a parish commons with gym and kitchen, a preschool, and a full K-12 religious education and youth ministry program. Worship includes daily Mass, a Saturday vigil, three Sunday Masses, weekly Reconciliation, and monthly First Friday Eucharistic Adoration.
- Established
- 1981
- Patron
- St. Thomas More
- Rector
- Fr. Frank Coady
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Salina
Why belong here
St. Thomas More is a large, well-resourced suburban parish that takes faith formation seriously — offering a parish preschool, K-6 religious education, a full youth ministry for grades 7-12, and the OCIA/OCIC process for adults and children coming into the Church. Daily Mass and Reconciliation are easy to fit into a busy week, monthly First Friday Adoration gives a clear rhythm of Eucharistic devotion, and dozens of small groups — Thom's Moms, Thomas More Ladies, Knights of Columbus, Marian Prayer Group, GriefShare, Neighbor to Neighbor — give newcomers an easy on-ramp into parish life.
Mass times at St. Thomas More
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:00 p.m.
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month, 5:00–11:00 p.m. (childcare available 5:00–7:00 p.m.)
Our Mission and Parish History
St. Thomas More Parish traces its roots to the early 1960s, when land on the northwest edge of Manhattan was purchased in anticipation of a second Catholic parish. It was formally announced in May 1981; Fr. Loren J. Werth arrived as founding pastor on July 1, 1981, and 190 families gathered the next Sunday for their first Mass in the meadow that would become the church site. Over the next four decades the parish grew to roughly 900 families through the shepherding of five pastors and the building of a parish center (1983), a 700-seat sanctuary (1990), an education wing, a parish commons and office complex (2008), a new rectory (2015), and a 2023 sanctuary renovation.
- Plans for a second Manhattan parish in the works for 20 years before 1981
- Founded July 1, 1981 by Fr. Loren Werth with 190 families
- Werth Hall dedicated January 9, 1983 by Bishop Daniel Kucera
- Sanctuary and Hake Education Wing dedicated October 1990 by Bishop George K. Fitzsimons
- Werth Office Complex and Parish Commons dedicated October 26, 2008 by Bishop Paul Coakley
- New rectory built 2015
- Church renovated and rededicated October 8, 2023 by Bishop Gerald Vincke
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently served by a pastor, a retired pastor in residence, a pastoral associate deacon, and three additional deacons. A professional lay staff directs faith formation, youth ministry, music, communications, finance, and the preschool.
- Fr. Frank Coady — Pastor (also serves as Parish Liturgy Director)
- Fr. Don Zimmerman — Retired Pastor (in residence)
- Deacon Wayne Talbot — Pastoral Associate
- Deacon Buzz Harris
- Deacon Harry Hardy, Jr.
- Deacon Larry Erpelding
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Lay staff support the parish's catechetical, liturgical, administrative, and physical-plant ministries.
- Josefina Gantt — Director of Religious Education (K-6)
- Rick Smith — Youth Minister
- Kelley Smith — Music Liturgist
- Pat Bidwell — Bell Choir Director
- Sandy Erickson — Preschool Coordinator
- Ann Bates — Nursery Coordinator
- Paulette Wilson — Finance Officer
- Bill Hauldren — Director of Communications
- Alysia Baumann — Office Manager
- Gary Suess — Director of Maintenance (with Steve Fief and Cornel Evans, Maintenance)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Thomas More spans early childhood through high school, with sacramental preparation at the customary ages and the OCIA/OCIC process for those entering the Church.
- Preschool Religious Education for ages 3 and 4 (during Sunday 10:30 Mass)
- K-6 Religious Education (Wednesday classes; enrollment opens mid-July)
- Youth Ministry for grades 7-12 (grades 7-8 Wednesday evenings; grades 9-12 Sundays)
- First Reconciliation and First Communion in 2nd Grade
- Confirmation — two-year preparation beginning in 9th Grade, concluded in spring of 10th Grade
- OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation of Children, grades 4-12)
- Extraordinary Sacramental Preparation (ESP) for baptized Catholic children missing sacraments
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Thursday evenings 7:00–8:30 p.m., September through early May
Liturgical Ministries
All parishioners are encouraged to discern a call to liturgical service. As the parish notes, 'The celebration of Mass is a corporate act… All the particular ministries serve this corporate function' (GIRM, no. 27).
- Art & Environment
- Music Ministry and Bell Choir
- Audio/Visual Ministers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Mass Servers
- Ushers
- Liturgical Coordinators
- Children's Liturgy / Puppet Ministry
- Nursery
- Safety Team
Parish Groups, Prayer, and Community Life
Beyond liturgical service, the parish runs a wide array of small groups for spiritual growth, fellowship, and mutual support across every stage of life.
- Thom's Moms
- Thomas More Ladies
- Knights of Columbus
- Young Adults
- Marian Prayer Group and Prayer Chain
- Coffee Club
- Reflection Connections
- Caregiver Support Group
- GriefShare
- Funeral Dinners
- Church Playground and Grounds Committee
- Education Commission
Outreach and Social Action
The parish Outreach Committee works to heighten awareness of social needs locally and globally and to create programs that meet them. It launched the Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) ministry and introduced the parish to the Care Portal.
- Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N)
- Care Committee
- Thrive
- Shepherd's Crossing
- Be Able
- Catholic Charities
- Common Table
- Flint Hills Breadbasket
- Flint Hills Community Clinic
- Manhattan Emergency Shelter
- Seven Dolors Budget Shop and Food Pantry
- Red Cross Blood Drives
- Care Portal (foster-care support)
Contact, Location, and Practical Info
The parish sits on Kimball Avenue in northwestern Manhattan, about a half-mile west of Bill Snyder Family Stadium at Kansas State University. The parish office is open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; online giving, parish registration, and a bulletin are available through the website.
- Address: 2900 Kimball Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502
- Phone: 785-776-5151 (Diocese of Salina listing also shows 785-776-5219)
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Online Giving available via the website
- Parish registration available via the website
- Bulletin published regularly and linked from the website
- Parish website: https://stmmanhattan.com/
- Diocese of Salina parish page: https://salinadiocese.org/parish/st-thomas-more-parish-manhattan/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Loren J. Werth1981–1991
Founding pastor. Arrived July 1, 1981 and shepherded the 190 founding families; oversaw construction of Werth Hall (dedicated 1983) and the permanent sanctuary (dedicated 1990).
- Fr. Kerry Ninemire1991–1995
Second pastor, succeeding Fr. Werth.
- Fr. Melvin (Mel) Long1995–2002
Third pastor.
- Fr. Donald (Don) Zimmerman2002–2015
Fourth pastor; now retired and in residence at the parish.
- Fr. Frank Coady2015–present
Current pastor. Ordained June 12, 1976 at St. Mary Church, Russell by Bishop Cyril Vogel; previously pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Salina and St. Joseph, Brookville (2012–2015); served as Diocesan Administrator for the Diocese of Salina in 2017.