St. Thomas More

Parish Overview & Identity

St. Thomas More is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Sacramento (Butte County, Sutter Buttes Deanery), located at 767 Elliott Road in Paradise, California. Founded in 1948, it is the Catholic presence on the Paradise Ridge and serves a bilingual community of English- and Spanish-speaking families. The parish is currently pastored by Rev. Charles P. (Chuck) Kelly and is supported by two deacons, a parish steward, and an active team of lay ministry leaders.

History

St. Thomas More was established in 1948 and grew steadily over its first half-century, documented in the parish-published jubilee book 'Journeying in Hope: Our Jubilee Year 1948–1998: A History of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Paradise, California.' The original church building was repurposed as the parish hall in 1994. The defining event of the parish's modern history is the November 8, 2018 Camp Fire — the most destructive wildfire in California history — which destroyed most of Paradise, killed 85 residents (including three parishioners), and burned the rectory, parish hall, Family Life Center, and youth house while miraculously sparing the church and school. Parishioners held Mass in Chico in the months that followed, and the first Mass back in the church was celebrated on May 19, 2019, by Bishop Jaime Soto. Under a collaborative leadership model, Parish Steward Greg Kidder directs daily operations while Fr. Martin Ramat (pastor of Our Divine Savior, Chico) serves as supervising priest. In 2022 the diocese authorized rebuilding the Family Life Center, with groundbreaking on the parish's 75th anniversary in February 2023.

• Established 1948
• Jubilee history published in 1998: 'Journeying in Hope'
• Original church became parish hall in 1994
• Camp Fire, November 8, 2018 — fire of unprecedented destruction
• First post-fire Mass: Sunday, May 19, 2019, with Bishop Jaime Soto
• Greg Kidder appointed Parish Steward by Bishop Soto
• Rev. Martin J. Ramat appointed Priest Supervisor
• Family Life Center rebuild groundbreaking: February 2023 (75th anniversary)

Clergy, Staff & Leadership

The parish is led by Fr. Chuck Kelly (Rev. Charles P. Kelly), installed in 2024. Day-to-day operations are handled by Parish Steward and plant manager Greg Kidder, who also serves as liaison with the on-site school leadership. The parish staff additionally includes a secretary and a bookkeeper. Two deacons — Dcn. Raymond Helgeson and Dcn. Mike Mangan — assist the pastor. Fr. Martin Ramat, pastor of nearby Our Divine Savior Parish in Chico, serves as supervising priest.

• Rev. Charles P. 'Chuck' Kelly — Pastor
• Rev. Martin J. Ramat — Priest Supervisor (pastor of Our Divine Savior, Chico)
• Dcn. Raymond Helgeson — Deacon
• Dcn. Mike Mangan — Deacon
• Greg Kidder — Parish Steward / Plant Manager
• Sandra Rodriguez — Secretary
• Maresa Kelly — Director of Religious Education

Faith Formation & Sacramental Prep

Adult Faith Formation at St. Thomas More is led by parishioners dedicated to sharing the Gospel, educating non-Catholics preparing to enter the Church, and providing ongoing education to parishioners. The parish runs the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for prospective adult converts through the parish office, and offers Baptism Preparation for families. Youth Ministry meets in the new youth room on the lower level of the parish hall.

• Adult Faith Formation (inquiries via parish office)
• OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
• Baptism Preparation
• Youth Ministry (lower-level youth room of the Hall)
• Confirmation preparation (15 youth reported preparing in 2022)

Fellowship, Outreach & Service

St. Thomas More's parish life is anchored by ministries that combine prayer, fellowship, and service to the wider ridge community. Knights of Columbus Council 7773 meets monthly in the Small Hall (rosary at 6:30 p.m., meal, then business meeting at 7:30 p.m.). The Table of Plenty Food Pantry joins First Baptist Church and other area churches to provide food weekly to more than 100 families; a food basket in the Narthex collects donations. The parish chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — part of an international network of 800,000 lay Catholics — works in disaster recovery, financial aid, and food insecurity. The signature 'Welcome Home to the Ridge' outreach, launched with a North Valley Community Foundation / Butte Strong Fund matching grant, sends two or three parishioners in STM t-shirts to each new or returning homeowner with prayer and a drought-resistant crape myrtle tree.

• Knights of Columbus Council 7773 (meets 3rd Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.)
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul — disaster recovery, financial aid, food insecurity
• Table of Plenty Food Pantry — weekly food for 100+ families with First Baptist Church and area churches
• Welcome Home to the Ridge — parish outreach to new & returning homeowners
• Respect Life Ministry
• Men's Prayer Group

Women's Guild, Young Adults & Crafts

Beyond service, the parish nurtures community through gatherings that range from formal organizations to craft-and-prayer circles. The Women of St. Thomas More encompasses all women of the parish as automatic members and meets September through May. Lumen Christi is a young-adult ministry for ages 18–35. Two long-running hands-on groups — the Quilting Ministry and the Prayer Shawl Ministry — combine craft and prayer in service to those in need.

• Women of St. Thomas More (all women of the parish are members; meets Sep–May)
• Lumen Christi — Young Adult Ministry for ages 18–35
• Quilting Ministry
• Prayer Shawl Ministry
• Secular Franciscans (fraternity)