One day at a Seton graduation ceremony and Mass, two of Tom’s boys were serving as altar boys. It was at that Mass that Tom met Fr. Fasano. Tom found out that Fr. Fasano was having Holy Hour at his church at St. Michael in Annandale, VA. At that time, there weren’t many churches offering Holy Hour, nor Perpetual Adoration. After talking to Fr. Fasano and hearing one of his homilies, Tom decided to begin taking his family to St. Michael’s for Mass on Sunday and the Holly Hour on Wednesday evenings. As Fr. Fasano was re-assigned to other churches and offered Holy Hours and adoration chapels, Tom and his family followed him to his new assignments. All the while, Tom made sure his family attended both Sunday Mass and weekly Holy Hour wherever in Norther Virginia that may be. First St. Michael’s in Annandale; then St. John the Beloved in McLean; then St. Catherine of Siena in Great Falls; then St. Andrew the Apostle in Clifton.
In 2001, a new church was being started. As with many Catholic Churches, it started in a High School very near Tom’s farm in Nokesville. The new church was Holy Trinity Catholic Church, and the founding paster was Fr. Francis Peffley. Tom sensed Fr. Peffley would need help, so he asked Fr. Fasano if he minded that his family begin attending Mass and helping at the new church. Fr. Fasano encouraged Tom to move forward and help Fr. Peffley and his new church as much as possible.
Brentsville District High School became the first home of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Tom was head of the “set up” and “take down” committees at the church every Sunday. Mary Ellen helped setting up the sanctuary. Starting at 7AM Tom made sure all the chairs and other heavy furniture were set up, while Mary Ellen served as the sacristan. After the noon Mass it was then time to “tear everything down” and pack it all away. Tom was normally there every Sunday to ensure everything was stacked away neatly. With the permission of a friendly school janitor, he also built a large cabinet at the school to store all of the liturgical articles. For the next 7 years, Tom and Mary Ellen also went to adoration every week. Tom’s time with Jesus was from 2 AM to 3AM in the morning.
Today, Holy Trinity has over 4,000 registered families and its pastor is Tom’s eldest son, Fr. Thomas P. Vander Woude. Mary Ellen still serves as a sacristan and Tom’s youngest son, Joseph, is a daily communicant and alter server. God is good…