St. Matthew's Parish
16079 88th Avenue V4N 1G3 Surrey, BC, Canada

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: On Monday, October 27, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia, made the following statement: It ...is now the expectation that people will wear a non-medical mask in public spaces. In light of this statement and in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our Province, I am urging that all parishioners wear masks during Holy Mass, except for the reception of Holy Communion. Exceptions are made, of course, for those who cannot wear a mask because of a disability or medical condition. I wish also to take this occasion to remind everyone that, as a result of direct consultation with the Public Health Officer and for the safety of all, the faithful are strongly recommended to receive Holy Communion only on the hand, for the duration of the pandemic.

Sacraments Available during Lockdown!!! Dear St. Matthew's Parish community, The recent provincial suspension of public Masses has been difficult news for us all. We have made some changes, however, to ensure that your spiritual health remains strong as we look ahead to Advent.... EUCHARIST: You have two options to receive Holy Communion immediately after our 3 Sunday Masses (5:30PM Sat, 10:30AM Sun, 5:00PM Vietnamese): 1. Watch the livestream in your car in the Church parking lot. Immediately after Mass, remain in your vehicle and the priests and deacon will bring Communion to you. 2. If you are driving from home, line up your vehicle in front of the Church along the handicap parking where the priest will be waiting. Communion will be available up to 30min after the Mass. Please note there are currently only 3 Sunday Masses. CONFESSION will be available in the Church on Saturdays in Advent: Saturday, Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12: 11AM-Noon Saturday, Dec 19: 3-4PM When you arrive, send one person to the front door to give a phone number and be placed on a waiting list. You will remain in your car until it is your turn for confession, when we will call you at the number you provided. Baptisms, Funerals, Weddings: are still permitted, with a maximum of 9 family members + 1 priest. This information is subject to change as new orders are issued. Parish updates will come as often as needed, so help us by telling your friends and family to make these flocknote messages are NOT in their junk mail!

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The Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Vancouver remains committed to doing its part to help stem the tide of this pandemic by following Dr. Bonnie Henry’...s new public health orders. "I am saddened," stated Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB , "that the celebration of Mass with a congregation, a comfort and strength to so many, has to be suspended at this time. Most of our parishes are already livestreaming Mass, and I encourage the faithful to participate in this way. Our churches will remain open for private prayer and individual Confession. Funerals, weddings and baptisms will continue to be celebrated with no more than 10 people. If we act with determination now to decrease the spread of the virus, we hope that we will be able to celebrate Christmas joyfully and with greater participation.

For our parishioners who are wondering...-Fr. Lucio

Our Deacon Raffaele Salvino was recently a guest on the Proclaim Podcast: https://weareproclaim.com/podcast/71 He talks with others about the impact of relationships in the journey to discipleship and vocation. They discuss why relationships matter and the missionary skill of 'matchmaking': taking God's grace and matching it with people's needs.

Gardens of Gethsemani is offering parish envelope users 10% off sacred burial space during the month of November. More info at the link below.

The Light of the World by William Hunt. -Fr. Lucio-

Our 8:30AM mass is back on. Thank you for your patience, everyone. -Fr. Lucio

Support our Seminarian Raffaele Salvino by signing your name at the link below!

Happy Feast Day of St. Matthew! When the parish was first founded in 1983, we wanted a name that was not duplicated in the diocese, would be strong and well known, and of all the suggestions, St. Matthew was chosen. Back then, we often joked among ourselves that his occupation as a tax collector gave certain character to the life of our parish. :P St. Matthew pray for us!

There's only a few spots left to register for the Upper Room conference at St. Matthew's! Have you registered yet?

Our parish is a host site for the Upper Room Conference 2020! Learn more and register at www.upperroomvancouver.com

Attending Mass this weekend? Don't forget these safety guidelines in place: Register with your parish in advance Elderly and those with underlying condition...s encouraged to stay home Use the restroom before arriving Sanitize your hands before entering Masks are optional (in accordance with the Ministry of Health) Congregational singing kept to a minimum Keep 2 metres apart No gathering before or after Mass Those receiving on the tongue should receive last Sunday obligation remains lifted

Registration for PREP this year can be done online with a credit card or by dropping off cash/cheque at the parish office with a physical registration form. Click below to learn more.

Our internet is back! We'll continue live streaming all Sunday Masses today on our YouTube channel.

Good morning, everyone. Our internet is down at the parish since Saturday afternoon and we are not able to live stream our masses at this moment. We will let you know as soon as we have the internet service back. Thank you for your understanding. God bless. -Fr. Lucio-

Join men from across the lower mainland for the Man's Destiny 2020 Men's Conference. Discover what makes our Catholic faith so full of Truth and Richness.

Join us for our FREE annual Man's Destiny Men's Conference taking place online with former Methodist Pastor and now Passionately Catholic Keith Nester. Keith will challenge and inspire you with three powerful talks designed to help you discover the person God has created you to be.