St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church - Riverside Campus

Catholic · Liturgical worship · Riverside, CA

Location
Riverside, California 92501
Denomination
Catholic
Worship style
Liturgical
Size
Mid-size
Ministries & emphasis
Liturgical, Sacramental Preaching, Kids Ministry, Youth Ministry, Small Groups, Young Adults
Google rating
★ 4.7 (173 reviews)
Kids ministry
Yes

What visitors say

Me and my family incredibly blessed to have Father Ted at Saint Thomas Parish. He is, without question, the best priest our community has ever had -- and we mean that from the bottom of our hearts. His homilies speak to us in a way that is warm, meaningful, and deeply personal. Every word he shares carries love, wisdom, and grace. The faithful truly look forward to every Mass because of the spirit and joy he brings to our church. We are so happy and grateful that Father Ted is still with us, and our prayer is that he remains at Saint Thomas for many more years to come. His presence is a true gift to this parish and to everyone who walks through these doors. Thank you, Father Ted -- for your kindness, your dedication, and your beautiful heart. You are simply the best! PLEASE READ. I attended Easter 7AM mass this morning. It’s a lovely church and parishioners seemed nice but there are a few things that I would like to address that bothered me. 1. People showing up late. A common problem in our society today. There was a time when people came on time. My mom tells me that when she was going to church as a girl when mass started doors were closed. If someone came 5-10 minutes late the doors were locked. Today I saw quite a few people come in late. A rule should be enforced that if people are late and mass has already begun they should be advised to come to next mass. The next mass today would have been 9:00 am. I was by myself but today 5 minutes after mass had started 3 people came in and squeezed themselves next to me. Needless to say I felt cramped since the 2 people in particular were larger people. They all had time to prepare for mass to start. They knew ahead of time. Come early or don’t come at all. Churches as we all know depend heavily on financial support from its parishioners. Maybe if the powers at be would be more stricter in enforcing some of these rules it might deter people from coming. Well that’s their choice. Better to have fewer parishioners than a multitude who don’t respect schedules. 2. I got there 40 minutes early and was trying to pray and some of the ushers were greeting each other. I have no problem with that of course however they weren’t talking in hushed tones. It was hard for me to concentrate. They were more than old enough to know to be quiet 🤫. Some of us are trying to meditate. 3. The Father. He seemed like a nice man and praises God in his own unique way but I could barely understand what he was saying. I don’t know how long he’s been here in the USA but if he’s been here for any length of time he should be able to speak better English. I got some of what he said but it was obvious he had no sermon prepared. I find that many foreign language speakers who have to talk take shortcuts when they do speak so they don’t have to talk very long if that makes sense. They say the same thing repeatedly but just differently. Father needs to start preparing his speeches ahead of time. He does it extemporaneously. Few people are capable of doing that and get their point across. 5 minutes into her sermon and I had no idea what he was talking about. Language barrier for sure. I like to hear what people especially an ordained member of the clergy on what they’re saying. 4. Last and final thing. I do wish people would dress up more at Easter. Heck people don’t dress for anything anymore. The Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Family and all Royal families in Europe really know how to dress. The British royal family especially could teach Americans a thing or to about tradition and how to dress appropriately for mass. Just saying. Don’t believe me look it up on Twitter or “X.” If this bothered anyone reading this well all due respect not my problem. In closing lovely church, great people, but some changes need to be made like appropriate attire from the parishioners, showing up to mass ON TIME. If you can be on time for work then you can be on time for Church. Beautiful Catholic Church Father Ted is a great pastor/farther And father Celestine 🇻🇦. Beautiful church beautiful everything God bless you who is was reading this This is a wonderful church with very nice, friendly people. If you are looking for a new church look no further. They also have projectors during mass so that you can relax and fully participate a little easier. St. Paul the Apostle in Chino Hills also does this and it makes a huge positive difference. Moved here recently and joined this parish. Everyone was very nice and our family feels welcomed. Whether in USA, Mexico, Japan or anywhere in the world its a blessing we can always find a catholic church.

Is St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church - Riverside Campus right for me?

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church - Riverside Campus may be a good fit if you're looking for liturgical worship, a Catholic church, a church with a kids ministry in Riverside. Every church feels different in person — plan to visit a Sunday service, and check the church's website for current service times.

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