Our behavior in Church has an effect on other people. In charity, we need to be sensitive to each other and provide a good example.  Not only that, we are coming to Holy Mass first and foremost to give God due honor and worship.

• Fasting for one hour before Holy Communion from all solids and liquids (except water and any medicine you might need to take) is a small sacrifice we offer to Jesus to show our respect and reverence for His true presence in the Eucharist.

• Please note that no food, drink, or chewing gum is allowed in any part of the church: not the Narthex, Chapel, Usher Closet, Cry Room, Nave, or Sanctuary. This includes those who are not receiving Holy Communion.  Chewing gum is never appropriate in a Church, or especially for those who will be receiving Holy Communion  for they would violate the Eucharist Fast and therefore would not be able to receive Holy Communion, along with the obvious disrespect for the dignity of the space, and purpose of Holy Mass.

• Please do not enter the Sanctuary (the area inside the Communion Rail).  This area of the Church is reserved for the priests, deacons, and other ministers who are serving for the liturgy.

• Please be on time for Holy Mass. If for some reason you do not arrive on time, please wait in the Narthex until an appropriate time between the readings to enter quietly, and with as little distraction as possible.

• Please also note that without a legitimate reason, arriving for Holy Mass after the proclamation of the Gospel does not fulfil the requirements for participating in Holy Mass and fulfilling the Sunday obligation.  As well, without a legitimate reason, if you arrive this late, you should not receive Holy Communion.

• As you enter into the Church it is part of our custom to bless ourselves with Holy Water making the Sign of the Cross.   This ritual is also repeated upon leaving the Church.   It is a reminder of our Baptism, that we are children of God, and members of the Body of Christ the Church. 

• If you are able, genuflect before entering a pew as a sign of adoration and greeting directed towards the Our Lord God, truly present Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament.  To make a proper genuflection, bend the right knee to touch the ground.  This is not a half-hearted curtsy, sloppily done, but a conscious, deliberate focusing of body, mind, and soul in an act of reverence and submission directed toward Our Lord and God, present in the tabernacle.  It is also a wonderful tradition to bow the head slightly at the mention of the Name of Jesus. Both the genuflection and the bow are symbolic of one's humility in the presence of the Lord, and our absolute dependence upon God for our very life and well-being.

• As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior Sacramental Confession. The frequent reception of the Sacrament of Confession is encouraged for all.  Confession is offered Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,  & Friday, at 6:00 p.m, every Saturday at 4:00 p.m, and by appointment. More on Confession here.
  
  
• Please stay until Holy Mass has ended, i.e. when the priest processes from the church (And really, if you would like your reception of Holy Communion to be of value, for some time afterward to make an appropriate act of thanksgiving to Our Lord for coming to you in Holy Communion).

• Please dress appropriately and modestly.  See below for our guidelines (Regarding How We Act, Regarding How We Dress, A Challenge to Men, and the post by Bishop Vasa, as well as the videos).

• We ask that men please remove hats and hoods.  In addition, men, please see below for a Challenge for Men, who are meant to lead their families and households by authority, word, and deed.  For Sunday Mass, business casual should really be the bare minimum.  This is the one time during the week that God requires us to come, and give Him the honor, submission, and reverence due Him as our Lord.  It would be good for husbands and fathers to also read the other sections below as well, so as to spiritually lead his family. (Regarding How We Act, Regarding How We Dress, and the post by Bishop Vasa, as well as the videos).

• Please use the Cry Room or Narthex only when needed for young children.  The Cry Room and the Narthex are not places to let your children play and run around.  They are for a mother/father to take the child that is having difficulty behaving, or making it difficult for those in the pews to participate in the Mass.  It is not a place for the whole family to be.  It is only for the child or children having difficulty, and those helping the child.  Please also do not allow your child (ren) to wander around the church or aisles during Holy Mass.  We all know children are adorable.  But they are also adorably distracting.  Adults have a solemn obligation to worship the Lord at Holy Mass, and as wonderful as children are, they can be very distracting when they are allowed to wander throughout the aisles.

• Fellowship with others  is very important.  However, the church is not the place to catch up with friends, or socialize.  It is a place to pray.  Please catch up with other parishioners, friends, and family in the narthex or courtyard after Holy Mass.

• Please enter and exit the Church quietly before and after Holy Mass so people can pray in peace.

• For Non-Catholic Christians: We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for us “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 § 4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 § 3).

• For Non-Christians: We welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we hope and pray for their openness to the salvific message and action of Jesus Christ in their lives. 

• Animals in Buildings: As a general rule, no animals are allowed in any of the buildings at St. Thomas Aquinas, and most especially the Church and Chapel.  The church and chapel are not places for animals.  For those who have any questions in regard to this rule, or have a legitimate service dog such as a Seeing Eye Dog, we ask that you reach out to the office to meet with the pastor first. 
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• Electronic Devices:  Pagers & Cell Phones should be turned off or in a silent mode (not vibrate).  Giving Our Lord the honor and worship that He is due takes precedence over constantly checking notifications.