Author: rubinski

St. Matthew’s R.C. Parish
16079 88th Avenue, Surrey, B.C. V4N 1G3
Tel: 604-589-2448 Fax: 604-589-2344
Website: www.saintmatthews.ca.
School: www.stmatthewselementary.ca
St. Matthew’s Preschool Tel: (604) 589-1222

April 15, 2018 3rd Sunday of Easter
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.
Lk 24: 45-46

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REGULAR MASS TIMES
SUNDAY: English Masses - 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM,
12:30 PM, 7:30 PM; Vietnamese Mass 5 PM
SATURDAY: 9:00 AM / Anticipated Mass at 5:30 PM
WEEKDAYS: Monday to Friday (except TUESDAY) 8:00 AM
Tuesday 7:00 PM
Friday Night—Mass at 7:00 PM (Vietnamese)
***except First Friday (in English)
CONFESSIONS
Weekend & Daily Masses: half an hour before each Mass

PARISH OFFICE
Rev. Tien Tran, Pastor ttran@rcav.org; frtran@hotmail.com
Rev. Nixon D’Silva, Asst. Pastor nixsil2007@gmail.com
604-589-2083 Rectory
Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
604-589-2448 office@saintmatthews.ca
Parish Admin: Mrs. Letty Regis
Ms. Caroline Mrazek
Mrs. Stephanie Chessell
Bookkeeper: Mrs. Melanie A. Narvaez
P.R.E.P. Mrs. Trish Van Vliet prep@saintmatthews.ca
Maintenance Mr. Lorne Ward lorne@saintmatthews.ca

Regular Devotions
Holy Rosary
20 minutes before daily Mass
Divine Mercy
Tuesday after the 7 PM Mass
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Saturday after the 9 AM Mass
First Friday
After the 8 AM Mass -
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
12:00 noon Benediction
6:25 PM—Holy Rosary

UPCOMING EVENTS
April 19 1:30 PM and 7 PM Elementary School Spring Show Gym
April 19 6:30 PM Alpha Film Series JH
May 11 10 AM to 11 AM Altar Servers’ Workshop Church
May 13 2 PM Wedding Anniversary Mass (see details inside)
May 19 7 PM Fr. Tran’s Ordination Anniversary Gym
June 9 6 PM Spring Dinner & Dance—80’s theme Gym
Second Collection
April 15, 2018
Work of Vocations
Monday 7:30 PM St. Matthew’s Prayer Group Jubilee Hall
Tuesday 1 to 4 PM Fifty Plus Social Jubilee Hall
2nd Tuesday 7:30 PM Knights of Columbus Jubilee Hall
3rd Tuesday 7:30 PM CWL Jubilee Hall
Wednesday 9 AM St. Matthew’s Soup Kitchen Kitchen
Thursday 10 AM Legion of Mary Upper Room
Thursday 4:30 PM Junior Legion of Mary Fireside Room
Thursday 7 PM Bible Study Church
Every 2nd Friday 9 AM St. Vincent de Paul Meeting Upper Room
Saturday 9:30 AM RCIA Room 129

BAPTISM:
MARRIAGE:
FUNERALS:

By appointment with a minimum of 2 months’ notice (during pregnancy) so that instructions can be given to parents and godparents about the duties and responsibilities assumed in this Sacrament.
A minimum of 6 months’ notice with one of the parties registered in the parish and practicing his/her faith. The Marriage Preparation course is mandatory. Please ask for “Guidelines for the Celebration of Marriage”.
Please call the parish office before making arrangements.

“Why do questions arise in your hearts?” After the resurrection, the apostles experienced their fair share of incredulity. Jesus had died—John had been there—and now the tomb was empty. What should they believe? Was the Jesus before them truly real? And who was Jesus really? It’s no surprise that the apostles were initially “startled and terrified” to the extent that they “thought that they were seeing a ghost.”
Jesus has compassion on His confused friends. Once He affirms His non-ghostly identity - “look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.” - Jesus gets down to business. He has risen from the dead, but life would not continue as normal. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He spoke in parables and veiled prophetic language. His followers likely thought much of His words were metaphors, some symbolism for the person and their relation to God. Now Jesus has something else in mind. He “opened their minds to understand the scriptures,” making known the connections between His own words and deeds and “everything written about [him] in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms.”
Why now? Why this increased depth of understanding? The answer lies in the shifting role of the Apostles. “You are witnesses of these things.” The treasury of truth is no longer Jesus’ responsibility alone but our own. Then and there, the apostles are appointed to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins and the mercy of God. This message is no longer only for the Jewish people but “all the nations.” This is our invitation! We have the rich heritage of the Church’s teaching. By sacramental grace, God’s “peace” is “with [us].” We, too, are sent to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and the hope that belongs to His call.

Wedding Anniversaries
Join us for a special Mass celebrated by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, honouring couples celebrating their milestone anniversaries: 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th & 60th+ years of marriage.
Mass will be on Sunday, May 13 at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew Parish, Surrey. Reception to follow in the parish gym with exhibitors present in the Jubilee Hall. Register your milestone anniversary here: http://rcav.org/marriage-anniversary/. All are welcome to witness and celebrate the milestone anniversaries of others this Mother’s Day!
THE THIRD SCRUTINY
Good and forgiving God, the Easter Sacraments are drawing near and Your children who are preparing for baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist confess their faith in You. Help them to strive against worldly desires and rescue them from ignorance of You. Give us courage to walk with them as they approach Your altar for the first time and receive You in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Help us to be models of Christian life for them and welcome them to the Mystical Body of Christ. We ask all this in Your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
As the priest places ashes on our forehead, we hear him say “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” When we receive ashes, we remember our own mortality. We are reminded that we have limited time on this earth and we ought to make the best use of it that we can!

PREP (Parish Religious Education Program)
Mite Boxes are due back in support of our Seminarians at Christ the King in Mission. Please hand them in to your teacher!
April 7 & 8: Thank you to all the chaperones who came to the Retreat. A big thank you to the Service Team who led the Retreat. We are truly blessed to have such a talented group of youth who shared their faith with our young students.
April 18—Grade 6 Parent Meeting (PREP & SME) with Fr. Tran—”Expectations of the Confirmation Program”
April 21—Grade 2 & CIC2 Mass (PREP & SME) - Theme is “We Share”. Please meet in the Fireside Room at 5:10. Don’t forget to bring your unleavened bread to share!
April 25—Grade 7 Parent and Student Meeting—meet in the gym.
Trish Van Vliet – prep@saintmatthews.ca or call 604-589-2448 ext.233
Trish Van Vliet – prep@saintmatthews.ca or call 604-589-2448 ext.233

FIFTY PLUS GROUP
Social 1 to 4 PM every Tuesday
in the Jubilee Hall

CWL Corner
We are still celebrating this great event in our religious calendar. Jesus, the Son of God, was risen from the dead and everyone was so hesitant to believe this. But once it registered, they all became bold in their messages, they were unstoppable. All the readings from Easter onwards show this. Nothing could keep the apostles from proclaiming this miracle and they performed many miracles in the name of the Risen Christ. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Are we also bold and fearless proclaiming our faith? Do we show through prayer and actions that we believe in the Risen Christ? Ria Ling

Fr. Tran’s 25th Anniversary of Ordination:
Good news! Plans for Father Trans’ Anniversary Celebration on May 19 are well under way. Tickets will go on sale after all Masses the weekend of April 21. They will be available for two weeks. Tickets are $20.00 each and include a lovely buffet dinner.

LIVE THE LITURGY
Why are you troubled? Life can easily get the best of us. Anxiety, worry, doubt, and uneasiness are just some of the things that can trouble our hearts. Often we are troubled about temporal things. Sometimes our faith troubles us and we wonder where God may be. If we allow Jesus to open our minds so we can understand the Scriptures and the significance of His passion, death, and resurrection, we can begin to trust that God’s plan includes something much more than the current concern of our minds. Jesus can then become a Light of revelation who helps us keep our lives in perspective and persevere.

Pro-Life Ministry: For all you crafters out there, here’s a shout out for some help. We’re looking for volunteers of all ages to help knit/crochet baby booties/bonnets/sweaters etc. for the Pro-Life Ministry fundraiser. In preparation of the “Spiritually Adopted Baby” who is now almost 3 months old, we will have 6 months to put our talents to good use. All items will be showcased at our October 6 vigil here at St. Matthew’s. Whether you would like to knit/crochet or donate yarn remnants, needles/hooks, all help is greatly appreciated. There will be an information session available soon to provide patterns and further instructions. If you’re interested to help, please email perchotte@yahoo.ca or call 778-785-7877. It’s all about bringing awareness that every life matters .. from conception to its natural end.

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SCHOOL NEWS:
St. Matthew’s Elementary School: Our annual Spring Presentation will take place on Thursday, April 19, 2018 in the school gym. Each class will present a song and students’ art work will also be displayed. Admission is by donation of a non-perishable food item to our local food bank. Shows will be held at 1:30 PM and 7 PM. All parishioners are most welcome!
Spring Flower Sale: This is the final weekend that the elementary School will be taking orders for their flower/plant sale. Order now for Mom and that special lady for Mother’s Day. All paid orders can be picked up after 3 PM on May 8 in the Fireside Room. Thank you for supporting the school in its efforts to purchase outdoor play equipment. All payments must be received by April 15.
Pancake Breakfast—April 22: After a bit of a break, the school will be hosting the next Pancake Breakfast on April 22, after the morning Masses. Everyone is invited in the school gym to enjoy a complete breakfast. Tickets are $5 each or $20 for a family of 5. It’s an all-you-can-eat event, so please come out and support our students in raising funds for their ongoing library needs. Thank you in advance and we hope to see you there!

You’re invited to a Totally Awesome 80’s party!
Save the date of June 9 for our annual Parish Spring Dinner & Dance. It will be a night filled with great food/drinks & entertainment … Fr. Nixon & The Nostalgics will be making an experience; so make sure you don’t miss out on this event of fellowship & fun! Tickets are $40 each, and can be purchased from the Welcome entre after weekend Masses, and from the Parish Office during normal business hours.

Be a Part of a Great Night by appearing in the Spring Dinner & Dance Souvenir Program. Have your family photo of all occasions included in this year’s event program. Submission deadline is May 4, 2018. Black & White: Half page $60; full page $120; Coloured full page $250. You can also include your company/business advertisement and get great exposure to a well-breadth community.

Altar Servers’ Workshop: Saturday, May 12, 2018,
10 AM to 11 AM, in the church. Please register with Mrs. Sandi Luongo 604-530-1893.

Civilly married and want to marry in the Church?
On August 25, 2018, 1:30 PM, Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB will celebrate a mass wedding for civilly married couples at OLGC in Surrey. It will be a beautiful community celebration that will cost very little to the individual couples. You can be part of it. Delay no longer; get married in the Church. It is easy! For more details, call the parish office or email: gbarcelon@rcav.org.

ALPHA is coming to St. Matthew’s! “Come join us for dinner … it’s on us!” ALPHA is a great program for those who want to know more about their faith, their life and their values. Each week we cover a new topic about our faith and the meaning of life. We meet in small groups of about 5 or 6 people and after watching a video, have a short discussion in an open and informal way. It starts right here at St. Matthew’s on April 19 at 6:30 PM and there is no charge. It’s fun and you will meet new people. For more information or to register, please visit our website www.saintmathews.ca. ALPHA is for anyone seeking answers to big questions in their lives. So, if you or someone you know would like to learn more about their faith, join us … the dinner’s on us!

CWL Bursary: Application forms for the CWL Bursary for graduating students are available at the Religious Articles Room. Applicants for this $750 bursary must be a child or grandchild of a CWL member. Deadline for applying is May 31, 2018.

Estate & Memorial Planning Workshop: These presentations by the Archdiocese of Vancouver Catholic Cemeteries deal with matters you may not have thought about before but will help you gather your thoughts before you write your first will or prepare to update your will. Learn about the beauty and dignity of the funeral rite and how to formulate pre-need arrangements. Also, by attending the workshop you will receive 10% off your burial arrangements. Tuesday, April 17, at St. Joseph’s Parish, Langley. For more information, contact Catholic Cemeteries by email at info@gethsemani.bc.ca or call 604-531-2141. You can also register online at www.rccav.org/events.

Sunday Coffee: HELP is needed with serving coffee after the 10:30 AM Mass on Sundays. If you can help, call Ron Fournier at 604-589-2932 or see him after the Mass any Sunday.

Electric Typewriter: Thanks to the overwhelming response to our search for an electric typewriter for the parish office. We now have what we need, so thank you!

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Marie Hamann; Virgilio & Desiree Pino; Ryker Slaney; Veronica Wong; Julian Kawalilak; Carol Ward; Liz Da Costa; Annemarie Belgardt, Tommy Contreras; Richard Ciezki; Pasculito Seminiano; Anacleto Bellosillo; Aquilina Faustino; Willy Wailand; Erika Ross; Manuel Alidio; Cathie Sullivan; Amelia Real; John Rossi; Dominic Celio; Noemi Masi; Ester Maceda, Walter Slaney; Cita Pastor; Martin Sask; Pinky Castillo; Ennet Zalamea; Bob Chessell; Nenita Cabilan; Genoveva Lactao; Patrick Youngberg; Suann Zore; Wayne Montgomery; Perla De Peralta; David Thomas, Lydia Soliven; Victor Miller; Gerry Della Mattia
If you submit a name to the Prayer List, it is your responsibility to inform the office should his/her circumstances change. Priority on this list given to parishioners and families, as space permits.

World Day of Prayer for Vocations: On April 22, Good Shepherd Sunday, the Church will be marking the 55th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations—a time when the whole Church is united in praying that more men will answer God’s call to be the visible face of the Good Shepherd in our world. All are invited to pray the Rosary, especially as a family, with the intention of an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. We invite you to reflect and pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, starting April 22 to 28. Visit rcav.org/pray-for-vocations to view these special meditations on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary with a vocations theme.

Were you married outside the Catholic Church?
If you are married, but were not married in the Catholic church, we would like to offer you an opportunity to have your marriage regularized with the Church. Please make an appointment with our priest to discuss having your marriage convalidated or “blessed”.
Sacrament of the Sick. What was referred to as “Last Rites” is now called “Anointing of the Sick” administered by a priest when one is “in danger” due to sickness or old age. Please call the Parish Office to arrange.
Hospital/Care Home Communion Visits. Please remember to let the Parish Office know whenever you or a loved one is hospitalized or moved into a Fleetwood area care home. The Parish has a dedicated group of people who will bring Holy Communion weekly to you or yours. Please phone Deacon Raul Abella 778-512-9163 for a visit and to receive Holy Communion.

CONTACT LIST—ST. MATTHEW’S PARISH MINISTRIES
African Community Ms. Tina Obiwumma aneledom@hotmail.ca
Altar Servers Mrs. Sandi Luongo 604-530-1893
BLD Community Mr. Nilo Diguangco 604-591-2301
Bible Study Mrs. Gail Estrada bible_study@live.com
Catholic Women’s League Mrs. Ria Ling ria_ling@hotmail.com
Choirs: Fri 7 PM Mr. Hahn Nguyen henryq.nguyen@yahoo.ca
Sat 5:30 PM Mr. Danilo Bernabe 604-710-5407
Sun 8:30 AM Mrs. Kathleen Grosjean 604-576-2867
10:30 AM Mr. Peter Luongo 604-530-189 12:30 PM Mr. Homer Garcia askmymusic@rocketmail.com
12:30 PM (last Sunday) Ms. Tina Obiwuma aneledom@hotmail.ca
5 PM Mr. Vincent Nguyen vien4cdsurrey@gmail.com
7:30 PM Ms. Nannette Lenoue-Guze 778-836-9501
Couples for Christ Mr. & Mrs. Jon Javier jon2ejavier@yahoo.com
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Mrs. Germana Brotto 604-583-1488
Fifty Plus Group Mr. Claude Poirier 604-589-6007
Greeters & Gift Bearers Mrs. Stella Lemos 604-338-5070
Hospitality Committee Mrs. Maureen Fadum 604-589-9679
Knights of Columbus Mr. Michael Kumar 604-379-6903
Lectors Mr. Jon Javier 778-846-2586
Legion of Mary Mrs. Carmen Caballero 604-576-5735
Liturgy of the Word for Children Mrs. Nenita Capili 604-951-0830
Pro-Life Ministry Mrs. Genevieve Perchotte 778-785-7877
Parish Education Committee Mrs. Katrina Bellosillo 604-644-7686
Parish Pastoral Council Mr. Bill Bouwman 604-581-9316
Preschool Enquiries Pre-school office 604-589-1222
Principal Miss Deborah Welsh 604-589-7545
R.C.I.A. Fr. Nixon D’Silva nixsil2007@gmail.com
St. Matthew’s Prayer Group Ms. Josephine Copon 604-723-2535
Mr. Steve Potusek 604-597-8202
St. Matthew’s Soup Kitchen Mrs. Belle Carson 604-588-0690
St. Vincent de Paul Mr. Eric Andres 604-589-2448
Ushers Mr. Doug Thomas 604-218-2722
Vietnamese Community Mr. Hoang Minh Nguyen 778-708-0506
Young Catholic Family Group Mrs. Pam Abramski ycfg@saintmatthews.ca
Youth Ministry Mr. Matthew Furtado 778-898-6317

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