The St. Thomas More Society
Who are we?
The members of the St. Thomas More Society of Boston College seek to grow in their love for Jesus Christ and deepen their knowledge of the Catholic faith. The group is moderated by Fr. Ronald Tacelli S.J., who is a member of the Philosophy Department at BC. The St. Thomas More Society (STM) meets every Monday night at 5:30pm in St. Mary's Chapel. From 5:30pm-6:45pm, we participate in Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. During the first half of the hour, we engage in silent personal prayer. During the second hour, the Holy Rosary is recited. Confessions are heard throughout the Holy Hour. Afterward, from 7pm-8pm, we have our "Theology by the Slice," which is held in the Gasson Honors Library.
Why Adoration?
STM members see a strong connection between loving Christ in the Eucharist and loving Christ in our neighbor. As Mother Teresa said,
"In each of our lives Jesus comes as the Bread of Life - to be eaten, to be consumed by us. This is how He loves us. Then Jesus comes in our human life as the hungry one, the other, hoping to be fed with the Bread of our life, our hearts by loving, and our hands by serving."
The time we spend before the Lord, who gives Himself to us in the Eucharist, helps us in turn, give ourselves to others. We agree whole heartedly with one of our heroes, Pope John Paul II, who said that, "The best, the surest and the most effective way of establishing everlasting PEACE on the face of the earth is through the great power of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament."
Why the Rosary?
The St. Thomas More Society has a strong devotion to the Mother of God. Our motto is, "Ad Jesum Per Mariam," which means, "To Jesus, Through Mary." In Pope Benedict's first message after his election to the papacy he said, "I call on the motherly intercession of Mary Most Holy, in whose hands I place the present and future of the Church and of myself." Members of the St. Thomas More Society have found that the Holy Rosary to be a beautiful way to honor the Blessed Mother.
Theology by the Slice
After our Adoration and rosary, members of the St. Thomas More Society meet in the Honors Library in Gasson Hall for our "Theology by the Slice." Each week we invite a different speaker to come and lead us in a discussion about some aspect of the Catholic faith while everyone enjoys pizza. Topics range from the different spiritualities of the Church, various Church teachings, papal encyclicals, the charisms of different religious orders and lay movements, etc.Lectures and Events
Each semester the St. Thomas More Society also sponsors a number of campus wide events and lectures. These topics also vary greatly from discussions about chastity and other moral issues to other philosophical and theological topics. We also work with the Pro-Life Club in leading Pro-Life demonstrations and events both on and off campus.Retreats
The St. Thomas More Society also takes one overnight retreat every semester. Typically, these take place either at the Dover retreat house or at the Jesuit retreat house in Cohasset. These are wonderful opportunities for members to get away from campus and spend some quality time with the Lord and with each other.Contact
Jesuit ModeratorsFr. Ronald Tacelli S.J. ~ ronald.tacelli.1@bc.edu
Fr. Casey Beamier S.J. ~ casey.beaumier.1@bc.edu
Fr. Gary Gurtler S.J. ~ gary.gurtler.1@bc.edu
Presidents
GJ Flannery ~ flannege@mail.bc.edu
Ben Martin ~ martabx@bc.edu
If you are interested in joining the listserv, please contact GJ Flannery (flannege@mail.bc.edu) or Ben Martin (martabx@bc.edu).
