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

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM
Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 AM
Full Schedule of Services

Pastor's Weekly Message


If you are a faithful reader of these weekly messages you know that I use this space to discuss our weekly readings at Mass. It gives me the opportunity to explore in more depth some of the Bible teaching that is the bedrock and foundation of our faith. This week, however, as we close out our successful Bishop's Appeal for 2017 and prepare for the 2018 Appeal, I want to use this space to clarify why, in addition to our weekly collections that allow us to operate as a vital parish, we will soon begin both the 2018 Bishop's Appeal and a five-year fundraising effort entitled Re-Igniting Our Faith Campaign.

As I announced last week at Mass, the annual Bishop's Appeal is a diocesan "tax" that supplies the diocese with their yearly operating funds. We must pay this tithe either by raising funds from our generous parishioners or paying it out of our operating budget. The diocese does what any one parish cannot do and helps us in our larger ministry as the People of God. The diocese supports the work of Catholic Charities and all that they do to help the poor and needy, the homeless and the sick, the very young and the very old. The diocese pays the salaries of chaplains in hospitals and colleges, assists Catholic schools, educates our future deacons and priests, and provides continuing education for our priests among many other things. Every parish in our diocese contributes to these important projects through the annual Bishop's Appeal.

Re-Igniting Our Faith is a 5-year, once in a generation fundraising effort that the diocese is asking every parish to begin this year as well. This campaign will ask each parish to meet a goal based on a multiple of its annual operating revenue. It asks each parishioner, if you are able, to consider making a donation of five times your annual contribution payable over the next five years in order to guarantee the vitality and vibrancy of your parish long into the future. 70% of the funds raised in this campaign remain in our parish. We will use those funds to: 1) Invest in our youth and guarantee excellent youth programs for years to come including our strong and excellent CYO basketball program; 2) Invest in our aging facilities to upgrade them and make them more accessible to the larger community; 3) Be more socially active by assisting other parishes and not for profit agencies that are not as blessed as we are; and 4) Build a parish endowment fund that will guarantee the future of our parish long into the future. 30% of what we raise will go to the diocese to support funding of our retired priests and additional support for the education and formation of an increased number of new vocations to the diaconate and priesthood.

Over the next weeks and months you will be hearing from a member of our committee to ask you to consider giving a 5-year pledge to this effort. Please keep this important project in your prayers. We are very blessed at St. Matthew's with a community that is gifted in many, many ways. Let us give thanks to God for those blessings and continue to seek ways in which we can share those gifts with others in their need.
 
Fr. Chris 
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Seasonal Messages


SPRING ENRICHMENT
Our Diocese’s Spring Enrichment 2018 program will be at the College of Saint Rose in Albany from Wednesday, May 16 – Friday, May 18. Throughout these three days there will be just over 100 two hour courses and workshops and 25 hour-long mini-courses for adult faith formation, ministry training, spiritual enrichment, and catechist/youth minister/Catholic school teacher certification. Check the diocese’s website (www.rcda.org/springenrichment) to view the  schedule, brochures and registration form or contact either your parish’s faith formation/religious education program or the Diocesan Catholic School Office (518-453-6602 or spring.enrichment@rcda.org) for more information. Registrations received by the School Office by Friday, April 20 are eligible for the early registration discount, new this year, register online and save $5; otherwise, register in advance by May 9.