In the late 1950's the neighborhoods around Perring Parkway were burgeoning. To help alleviate the crowded conditions in the four surrounding parishes, twelve acres of land were purchased on McClean Boulevard in 1959, and the following year, plans were drawn up for a school, rectory, and convent before the parish had a name. Construction soon began with cornerstones for the church, parish center, and convent laid in 1960.

          

In January, 1961, the newly appointed pastor, Father Thomas Kelly, held meetings with volunteers in a rented store in the

Hamilton Park Shopping Center. With directories borrowed from other churches, lists of potential parishioners were established and St. Thomas More’s first Mass was celebrated on September 10th of that year. Classes at the school began that same week under the guide of Mother Charlotte Marie and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill.

 

 Pastors succeeding Father Kelly were Fr. Edward Staub, Fr. George Loskarn, Fr. Richard Murphy, Fr. Victor Galeone, Fr. John Cunningham,  Fr. Brian Zielinski, O. Praem., Fr. Pete Literal (Temporary Administrator), and Fr. Richard Gray,  Msgr. James Farmer.  Fr. Jeffrey Dauses is the current pastor.

         

With a dwindling population of children, St. Thomas More School was closed in June, 1988. The school and convent buildings were leased to The Children’s Guild in August of 1988 while the

Cardinal Shehan School was officially incorporated and merged with St. Thomas  More and St. Matthew schools. 

         

The parish mortgage was paid off in full to the archdiocese on January 10, 1997, and was celebrated later that year.