"The Catholic Community of St. Thomas of Canterbury in Bolton welcomes you with great joy".

That message is addressed primarily to all newcomers to this parish, and to all visitors to the parish or to this parish web-site.

It could sound pretentious but it is not intended to be so. It seeks simply to express our calling and our desire to build a true sense of community in which all are welcome and truly belong.

A parish is not just an administrative sub-division of the wider church; it is the Church in its local, living reality. The Church is a community, or a communion, of faith, of life and of love. That is true both of the Universal Church and of the local church. For most of us, our real sense of belonging will be found within our own parish. It is primarily here, in our own parish, that we can experience what it means to be Church, and therefore what it means to be members of the Family of God.

With large numbers of people it is not easy to achieve a universal sense of community, but it is a call to which we try to respond and into which we welcome you. In our effort to follow Christ we do try to reach out to each other, to be welcoming and supportive of one another. And we invite you to join us in that spirit.

Please do not hesitate to ask for further information or to enquire about the possibility of becoming involved in any area of parish activity. This is an open community. There are no closed doors. You are indeed welcome to be as active a member of the parish family as time and other commitments allow..

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To see the responses to the Faith in the Future consultation click here

To read the Report of the July Deaney Meeting click here