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Nov 18, 2015 | Susan Manville

St. Thomas the Apostle, Nassau Bay To Celebrate 50 Years

On Sunday, December 6, 2015, St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church and School will celebrate 50 years of presence in the Nassau Bay, Clear Lake, and space community. The Right Reverend C. Andy Doyle, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, will celebrate baptism, confirmation, and renewal of ministry with St. Thomas’ rector, the Rev. Mike Stone at 6:00 p.m.. Beginning at 4:30 p.m., current and former church and school members will have an opportunity to share memories of St. Thomas’s past amidst heavy hors d’oeuvres and music provided by the Clear Creek High School Symphony and there will be a reception with cake and champagne after the service.

 

First Easter gathering at St. Thomas in 1967.

The first planning meeting for a mission parish was held on December 21, 1964, the Feast of St. Thomas, with the Rt. Rev. John Hines, then the Bishop of the Diocese of Texas. The Clear Lake area was expanding rapidly and the 6-acre tract owned by the Diocese was located in Nassau Bay. The first Holy Eucharist was celebrated in a meeting room of a local motel on January 3, 1965 by the Rt. Rev. Scott Bailey and was attended by about 35 people. These parishioners also decided to start a school for young children in the area and the church then became known as St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church and School. Groundbreaking for the new church and school was on March 6, 1966 and the school opened in September of that year with 78 students in a classroom wing, completed before the church. The first worship services were held October 2, 1966 with the first Easter serves occurring in 1967. The mission parish became a full parish in January, 1969.

 

With the church’s proximity to NASA, St. Thomas has served as the spiritual home and school for many of the Apollo astronauts, including Charles Bolden, former astronaut and current NASA Administrator. The Nearly New Shop Resale Shop opened in 1971 as an extension of the Episcopal Church Women and has underwritten scholarship and service throughout the world over the years.

 

The new sanctuary and renovation and expansion of the former sanctuary into the parish hall, named Krist Hall, began in 1992 and completed in September, 1994. The renovation of the central hallway was completed in 2010. During this time, the school has continued to grow with up-to-date technology and curriculum and a highly qualified teaching staff. The faculty and school have earned numerous awards, including being voted Best Private School in the Bay Area.

 

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church and School has grown in facilities and in the number and variety of ministries to meet the needs of the parish, school and community. The large number of outreach programs the church and school participate in has also grown to reflect St. Thomas reaching out into the larger world to serve God and his people. For more information on services and programs of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church and School, call 281-333-2384 or go to the website at www.sttaec.org.