A VOLUNTEER PARISH I feel blessed to be at St. Matt’s. We have a great community! A big reason: our many volunteers. To take last weekend, for example: we had volunteers running a Fish Fry and Ham Bingo; setting up for Fr. Steve’s talk, counting money, assisting in various liturgical ministries—it’s marvelous! (See also Volunteer […]

FACILITIES FUNDRAISING I’m pleased to report that we’ve received more than $20,000 in cash and pledges to support our current capital needs projects: the main electric panel and the school’s flat roof. Thank you to everyone who’s contributed so far! While 20K is a lot of money, we need around $350-400K to for the panel […]

FUNDING OUR FACILITIES—PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Next month, I’ll complete my second year here at St. Matt’s. I’ve learned a lot about this great community since I began. As a former history teacher, it’s been fascinating to dig into the history. The other day, for example, I saw a copy of a 2003 letter from Fr. […]

FUNDING OUR FACILITIES At our most recent Parish Finance Council meeting on February 23, we discussed how our fiscal year 2023 expenses (7.1.22 – 6.30.23) compare to what we budgeted. We noticed that we’re over budget when it comes to maintenance and repairs. I asked our accountant for details. Here are the major items in […]

MINISTRY OF LECTOR Earlier this month, we offered a lector workshop, led by Moya McGinn-Matthews of Christ the King parish in Minneapolis. The workshop was for all lectors, as well as for those interested in becoming a lector. The workshop went well. The 14 participants reflected on what it means to be “Proclaimers of the […]

CHURCH What comes to mind when you hear the word, “church”? When I was a child, I’d think of the Catholic church building where I attended Mass. Years later, with the benefit of theology courses at St. Thomas, I learned the word church could refer to more than a building. Indeed, church can refer to […]

ISAIAH’S WORDS FOR ST. MATT’S Who else noticed how the Prophet Isaiah’s words last weekend (58:7-10) were a remarkable survey of our parish missions? I mean, c’mon: • Share your bread with the hungry (Loaves & Fishes; Food Shelf) • Shelter the oppressed and the homeless (Casa Guadalupana) • Clothe the naked (Isaac’s Blessing Bags) […]

PARISH COUNCIL At our January 26 Parish Council meeting, someone suggested we start putting Capital Needs donation envelopes in the back of the church. I think that’s a good idea. (Not everyone receives the bi-monthly envelope packet, which includes Capital Needs envelopes.) We’re planning some major capital projects this year, such as replacement of the […]

“I BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU’RE DOING HERE” Pop quiz: what comes to mind when I say, “What is St. Matt’s about?” Take a moment. I’ll wait. Ready? OK, for me, several things come to mind. First, we have a strong emphasis on social justice. That’s apparent when you start naming our ministries, such as Loaves […]

WHERE WE WORSHIP: A HOUSE OF WELCOME “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” (Hebrews 13:1-2) Hospitality. It’s one of the many things I’ve appreciated about St. Matt’s since I began work here in 2021. I notice it when greeters by our entry doors offer a […]

WHERE WE WORSHIP: A HOUSE OF PRAYER I recently ran across a great line from the prophet Isaiah (56:7): “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” There are two main reasons I like the line. The first is that Isaiah clearly supports wide ranging hospitality. That works for me. […]

WHERE WE WORSHIP I was delighted to see so many people at Mass during the Christmas season! I like the feeling of solidarity with fellow believers. We’re strengthened by everyone’s presence. It also helped that our church building, where we worship together, was wonderfully beautiful during the past few weeks. Many thanks to all those […]

HAPPY NEW YEAR! (AND CONTINUED CHRISTMAS WISHES) I hope your Christmas season has been splendid, with many opportunities for time with loved ones. I know I’ve enjoyed worshipping at St. Matt’s, spending time with friends and family, and having my daughter in town for Christmas vacation. Special thanks to music director Jill Kilzer, our choir […]

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Welcome, one and all, to St. Matt’s for Christmas 2022. We’re glad you’re here, celebrating Christ’s birth with us! Christmas is a season that involves the giving of gifts. I’ve often been reminded of that lately, every time I see the many gifts this community has given to Isaac’s Blessing Bags. There’s another […]

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE WORLD? One of the hallmarks of our parish is our respect for people as they are. I see evidence of that on a regular basis. Visitors and new members often comment on our hospitality, and our willingness to accommodate requests for sacraments. We also offer opportunities for change and […]

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR RETIRED RELIGIOUS Our second collection today supports religious sisters, brothers and order priests. They devoted their lives to prayer, service, and works of mercy. Most ministered for little or no pay. Their religious communities do not have enough retirement savings. Your gift helps to furnish medications, nursing care, and other necessities. Please […]

HAVE A BLESSED ADVENT Happy New Liturgical Year! The season of Advent starts our church calendar anew; sorry I missed greeting you in last week’s bulletin. One reason I look forward to Advent each year is that we have the opportunity to sing special hymns of the season: Advent season, that is—with its hymns of […]

SIGNS OF THE TIMES In a recent homily, Fr. Steve talked about the signs of the times. As he said, it is wise to pay attention to them. It is prudent to act on them. He went on to compare the early 1960s with today. In response to the signs of the times in the […]

ON SYNODS AND SYNODALITY Perhaps you’ve heard of the worldwide synod process initiated by Pope Francis? Or not? After all, most media don’t pay much attention to synods, admittedly a somewhat obscure topic. So, let’s review. In Roman Catholicism, a synod is basically a type of meeting, or a series of meetings. Our local Archdiocese […]

WAIT, WHAT, WHICH COLLECTION? I occasionally imagine Old Testament religious leaders saying something like this: “This week’s special collection of goats supports the poor people living on the north end of Jerusalem. Please be generous.” More to the point, our faith tradition from ancient times has asked for support through prayer, time, and treasure—whether our […]

THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE It’s November. Traditionally, this is the month when we Catholics collectively remember our deceased family and friends. How do we do that here at St. Matt’s? One of our traditions is to write their names in our Book of Remembrance. Look for that book near the front entrance of the church, […]

DATA, DATA, DATA Have you ever heard the saying, that to a person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail? I sometimes feel that way with regard to requests for data. That is, to a person with a computer, everything looks like data. Such is our modern world. For example, we fill out a […]

VATICAN II, 1962-1965 The Second Vatican Council opened its first session in October of 1962. If you’re old enough to remember it, what comes to mind? (If you’re not old enough for personal memories, I’m still interested in what comes to mind. How has the Council affected your faith journey?) The first thing that comes […]

LOCAL SUPPORT (1)  . . . comes in several forms, such as prayer, volunteering, and financial. As I mentioned last week, we’re not sending out a general stewardship letter this fall. Rather, we simply ask you to continue supporting our faith community as best you can.  Start with prayer. If you can volunteer and/or contribute […]

CAPITAL NEEDS Many thanks to all who attended last Saturday’s Fix-It Dinner! Together, we raised $2,000 towards installing safety equipment such as cameras. It was also a great social event for our community. Special thanks to chefs Greg, Steve and Greg for the delicious food! Speaking of safety equipment and other capital needs, you might […]

UP ON THE ROOFTOP Last week, Englund Roofing began needed maintenance on the roofs of our Parish Center (PC). During the bidding process, their inspectors praised whoever installed the PC roof years ago. That was nice to hear. Because of that past work of good quality, Englund recommended only maintenance work, e.g., caulking and scupper […]

STORIES AND FOOD I don’t think there’s any coincidence that stories and food are at the core of our Catholic faith life. What do I mean by that? I’m referring to several connected realities. One of them happens at Mass, which always features Scripture stories, followed by a ritual meal. More formally, we speak of […]

QSA Update I’m pleased to report that Quantum STEAM Academy (QSA), the charter public school leasing our school building, has increased its enrollment yet again. Classes began August 29, and I recently visited the school to talk with its director and teachers. Now heading into its third year, QSA expects over one hundred students for […]

GRATITUDE I’ve heard it said that we should express gratitude every day. With that in mind, I want to thank everyone who helped out with last Saturday’s Mass in the Park. I know it’s a lot of extra work for musicians, sacristans, food preparers, and others. That extra work contributed to our special tradition in […]

FINANCE COUNCIL, BUDGET Our Finance Council meets 11 times a year, always seeking to manage our parish finances as well as possible. At our most recent meeting on July 28, for example, we reviewed the status of our million-dollar mortgage loan with Catholic Finance Corporation (CFC). A little history: In May of 2016, St. Matt’s […]

AIR CONDITIONING AND ELECTRIC WORK Well! I’m sure glad to have the air conditioning working again. That’s a good thing for all of us. Because of supply chain issues, it took several weeks to get all the AC parts needed. Both inside and outside components needed work. Soon, we’ll get a bill for the AC […]

Welcome Dinner Have you recently joined or rejoined St. Matt’s? I ask because we’re having our first post-pandemic Welcome Dinner on Tuesday, July 26. We’ve mailed out invitations to new and returning members, based on available information in our parish database. It’s possible we missed people. If you’re new or have returned to St. Matt’s […]

CAMP, COOPERATION, AND COMMUNITY Last week, I wrote a bit about one of my favorite weeks of the year: Danebod Family Camp. I’ve attended since 1981, enjoying my hobbies of singing, dancing, crafts, conversation, and more. As I mentioned, one of our camp discussions drew on Oliver Burkeman’s 2021 book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management […]

ON VACATION AND MORTALITY “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” At least that’s what George Gershwin et al wrote back in the 1930s, in the opera Porgy and Bess. Friends and I sang that song a couple of weeks ago. I was on vacation at a place called Danebod Family Camp, in Tyler, Minnesota. We […]