Saint Matthew's Church
A Roman Catholic Community
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You Belong Here

 Due to restrictions imposed as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic, reservations are required for weekend Masses and can be made at iTickets.  Please click HERE to be directed to the iTickets website to make your reservation.
Weekend Masses are as follow:
Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM
Sunday Morning at 9:30 AM
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Full Schedule of Services
Weekly Bulletins
Ministry Schedule

LITURGY OF THE WORD SERVICES / CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

Click HERE to be directed to the St. Matthew's website ​Services page that contains links to St. Matthew's Liturgy of the Word Services and Celebration of the Eucharist.

Pastor's Message 

Sometimes a line in a book, an essay or article, and often the Bible will jump off the page and remain stuck in my mind sometimes for days. This week a little piece of dialogue between Elisha, the great prophet and his servant Gehazi, keeps haunting me. In the ancient world, travel was extremely dangerous for many reasons, lack of food or water or places to stay. Our first reading for this Sunday from the Second Book of Kings describes an episode involving a woman of influence who often gave Elisha hospitality in his travels. After a few visits the woman asks her husband  if they could build a guest room for Elisha for whenever he passes through and so they do. Then, on a subsequent visit, this dialogue between Elisha and his servant, Gehazi, occurs: Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?" His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years." Then Elisha  tells the woman that next year on his journey through, she will have a baby. 
 
This little conversation haunts me because for all the times that Elisha stayed with this woman he did not know that she was childless but Gehazi did. How could Elisha miss that glaring fact? Why would Gehazi know this but Elisha be oblivious to it? And why the exclamation point in the text when Gehazi answers "Yes!"? Is he frustrated that his master would not recognize something that to Gehazi was so evident? Is he thrilled that finally Elisha thought to ask to do something for this couple?
 
One of the graces of this pandemic (and, I have heard, for some of you also) is that I have had more time to read. Three of the books I have read that have challenged some of my own thinking about our culture, about how I and we think and behave, about the poor and powerless, about race and history are: "White Working Class; Overcoming White Cluelessness in America", by Joan C. Williams, a distinguished professor of law at the Hastings School of Law at the University of California; "White Fragility; Why it is so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism" by Robin DiAngelo; and the novel "The Water Dancer" a debut novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates. All three books have invited a much deeper reflection on race and privilege, the unconscious blindness that comes from privilege, the experience of slaves and slavery in our countries' history, and the deep need by the poor, the powerless, and the disenfranchised to negotiate not only their own world(s) and culture(s) but the world(s) and culture(s) of those who have power and influence.
 
Listen again to the dialogue in our first reading for this Sunday. Elisha is a great prophet, educated and wise, powerful and influential yet he misses the simple fact that a woman who offers him hospitality time after time is childless. Gehazi, a servant, who is relatively powerless, not terribly influential and most likely not formally educated sees what Elisha has not seen. I am haunted by that little dialogue. How much I (we?) have to learn from the poor, the powerless, the oppressed, the forgotten, people different from us. They will see what and in ways that we cannot or will not see. All we need do is be open to listen and learn.
 
Fr. Chris 
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Seasonal Messages

ST. MATTHEW’S RE-OPENING

St. Matthew’s will be re-opening for weekend masses on June 27-28.  Due to COVID-19 requirements for social distancing and the requirement that St. Matthew’s open at 25% capacity, the number of seats available at each Mass will be limited and you will need to make a reservation.  Reservations can be made at iTickets, by emailing Peggy McQuade at st.mattswelcome@gmail.com or by calling Peggy in the parish office at (518) 765-2805 Ext. 14.  Please see Fr. Chris’ complete letter regarding St. Matthew’s  re-opening here.
returning_to_church_ltr.pdf
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If you plan on attending Mass at St. Matthew’s you need to be aware of the following list of things you should do and know before attending Mass:
  •  Everyone over the age of 2 years must bring and wear a face mask. 
  •  Please bring and use personal hand sanitizer especially before receiving Holy Communion. 
  •  You must register to attend Mass. 
  •  Ambassadors/Ushers will direct you as you enter and exit the church. Please follow their directions and the signs for entering and exiting the church. Entrance to the church will be through the lobby (west side of the building) where you will be greeted. Exit from the church will be through the front doors (Mountainview St. side) at the direction of the ambassadors/ushers. 
  •  Social distancing will be practiced at all times in church. 
  •  At Mass you will be directed on how to receive Holy Communion. 
  •  Music during the Mass will be limited to a keyboard and other instruments only. 
  •  Offertory/Collection boxes will be at the entrances to the church for weekly donations. 
  •  No gatherings can be allowed before or after Mass. 
  •  No bulletins or missalettes can be used at Mass. No food, toys, books, etc. can be allowed into the church.
Visit our new Facebook Page.  You can view it by clicking on the facebook symbol below even if you are not currently on Facebook.

OFFERTORY COLLECTIONS

In this time of social distancing and isolation, please remember that the needs of your parish continue.  You can continue to support your parish through traditional methods (envelopes) or it may be more convenient for you to make your offertory contribution electronically through St. Matthew’s E-giving program.   Please see St. Matthew’s E-Giving page for more information.  We are truly grateful for all who have remained faithful with their financial assistance during this time of uncertainty.

RESOURCES

The Diocese of Albany is keeping Catholics apprised of changes, updates and resources on its dedicated web page: rcda.org/coronavirus. In addition, a Faith at Home page includes links to livestreamed Mass, daily Scripture readings, saints of the day, and suggestions for creating a sacred space at home: rcda.org/coronavirus/resources.

HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS AND ANXIETY
The attached documents provide some insight in how to deal with stress and anxiety in uncertain times​.  We are providing these as a resource for you.​
managing_stress_and_anxiety_during_difficult_times.pdf
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coping_article_part2.pdf
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managing_anxiety_part_3.pdf
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anxiety_part_4.pdf
File Size: 124 kb
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