Church of St. Matthew – Bulletin Insert
December 8, 2024
Second Sunday of Advent
2024 Advent and Christmas Schedule
Private Confessions
Saturdays • 3:00 to 3:30 pm
Sundays • after the 10:15 am Mass
Saint Paul Civic Symphony Concert
Sunday, December 8 • 3:00 pm
Men’s Club Auction
Wednesday, December 11 • 7:00 pm
Christmas Bake Sale, Boutique and Craft Fair
Saturday, December 14 • 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Sunday, December 15 • 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Breakfast with Santa
Sunday, December 15 • 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Christmas Story and Carols
Tuesday, December 24 • 3:45 pm
Christmas Eve Mass
Tuesday, December 24 • 4:15 pm
Christmas Day Mass
Wednesday, December 25 • 10:15 am
The Feast of the Holy Family
Saturday, December 28 • 4:15 pm
Sunday, December 29 • 10:15 am
Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
Wednesday, January 1, 2025 • 10:15 am
On the Loss of Fr. Steve Adrian, our Pastor Emeritus
Fr. Steve passed to heaven last Sunday, December 1, at 8:36 a.m. I know our community and many others mourn his loss. Please keep him in your prayers.
Funeral information as of Wednesday, December 4:
• Fr. Steve’s Funeral is on Saturday, December 21, at 11:00 am at the Church of Saint Matthew. Archbishop Hebda will preside and Father Michael Joncas will give the homily.
• Visitation will be 3:00 – 7:00 pm on Friday, December 20. Vesper Service starts at 7:00 pm. All-night Vigil after the Vesper Service until the next morning, Saturday, December 21 at 7:00 am. Visitation resumes at 9:30 am on Saturday, December 21.
• Vigil sign-ups are available in the back of the church.
• The funeral will be livestreamed to the Social Hall and other locations.
• See our website, st-matts.org, for updates.
Phil Grant, Administrator
Men’s Club Holiday Auction
Wednesday, December 11, 2024,7:00 PM
Church of Saint Matthew Social Hall
The Men’s Club Holiday Auction to raise funds for Parish and Community of Saints Regional Catholic School families will be held at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, December 11. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Food and refreshments will be provided.
Items auctioned include: gift cards, homemade foods, fruit boxes and donated items. Accepting donations of gift cards, homemade foods (cookies, holiday candies, your home canning specialties) and gift baskets. Contact Tim Nowak at 612-269-9471 or bring your donation to the auction.
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Dispensation Decree
Archbishop Hebda has issued a decree granting a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception which is transferred this year to Monday, December 9, 2024.
Archbishop Hebda wrote in his decree:
“As we each honor this special day dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, the Patroness of the United States of America, let us reflect on her unique role in salvation history and ask her intercession for this nation.”
Saint Paul Civic Symphony presents “Winter Romance”
Sunday, December 8, 2024, 3:00 PM
Church of Saint Matthew
- Beethoven: Overture “Leonore” No. 3 in C major, Op. 72b
- Beethoven: Romance for violin and orchestra Nos. 1 & 2 (Cecilia Belcher, violin)
- Diamond Dukas: Symphony No. 4, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
As always, the concert is free of charge!
For more information: spcsmusic.org/december-8-2024
Calling All Bakers, Treat and Candy Makers!
Your skills and creations are needed for the Rosary Society Christmas Bake Sale the weekend of December 14 and 15.
As you begin baking and making items for this holiday season, please bake and make some extra and donate it to the Rosary Society’s Christmas Bake Sale.
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. The money raised is used to cover our operational costs and the annual donations we make to charitable organizations, including Saint Matt’s, Casa Guadalupana, Loaves and Fishes, Neighborhood House, Neighbors, Inc., and Our Lady of Peace Hospice Home.
Please drop off your creations at the St. Matthew Social Hall on Saturday, December 14, starting at 9:00 am. Call the office (651-224-9793) and leave a message if you need someone to pick up your donation.
Thank you in advance, for your support.
Saint Matt’s Rosary Society
Thank You!
St. Matthew would like to thank Kim Ahern, the Ahern family and the Evergreen Industries for their donation of Christmas wreaths and garlands. These beautiful greeneries fill our worship space during the Advent and Christmas seasons!
Retirement Fund for Religious – Support those who have given a lifetime
Religious Sisters, Brothers, and Priests have dedicated their lives to service—praying, teaching, and caring for those in need—usually for little to no pay. Today, their religious communities do not have enough retirement savings. The annual Retirement Fund for Religious helps enable many religious communities to meet their pressing retirement needs for the essential care, medicine, and daily needs of thousands of senior women and men religious. Your contributions also support newer religious communities with their retirement planning. In 2023, together, the faithful of our archdiocese donated $428,604 to the fund.
We thank you for your past generosity and ask when the 2024 collection takes place this weekend, if you’d please give generously and gratitude to our religious sisters, brothers, and priests.
To contribute, specially marked envelopes are available in the back of the church. Make checks out to the Church of St. Matthew with “RFR” in the memo line.
The Sounds and Sights of Saint Matthew
The Bells of Saint Matthew will ring on Monday, December 9, 2024 for Living and Deceased Rosary Society Members.
The Bells of Saint Matthew will ring on Thursday, December 12, 2024 for Living and Deceased Rosary Society Members.
If you would like to schedule a day to ring the bells or a week to light the sanctuary lamp for your special memory, person or event, please contact the parish office at 651-224-9793 by 1:00 PM, Monday – Thursday.
Come Join Boy Scout Troop 288
Boy Scout Troop 288, chartered by Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, has spots available to join our Troop. The first four boys, age 10 or in the 5th grade and above, who sign up, will have their registration fee ($205.00 value), paid for the first year. There will be fundraisers available to help pay for the second year.
For more information contact Scoutmaster Simon Haeg at or call 651-308-8622.
Parish Mailing
We recently sent out our Advent mailing. If you have not received it, please notify Angela in the parish office (651-224-9793 or ). We want to make sure everyone’s address is up to date.
Neighborhood Development Alliance is Hiring!
Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA) is hiring a full-time Bilingual (Spanish and English) Home Ownership Advisor. In this role, you will provide customer service support for NeDA’s programs and be the first point of contact for consumers seeking information about home ownership, financial counseling, foreclosure assistance, and home improvement. For more information, visit nedahome.org/job-openings or email .
NeDA is a bilingual (Spanish/English) HUD-certified housing Counseling agency that focuses its resources on providing housing and financial coaching services to Minnesota’s Latino and low-income communities.
Minnesänger WINTERFEST
German Carols & Motets
St. Boniface Catholic Church
629 Northeast 2nd Street, Minneapolis
Sunday, December 8th at 7 pm
germanchoir.com
$20
St. Matt’s Director of Music and Liturgy, Cristina Czaia, sings with this choir!
December Baptism Preparation Canceled (for Children 6 years and younger)
Baptism Preparation meetings at St. Matthew are canceled for the month of December. They were previously scheduled for Tuesday, December 17 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, December 21 at 10:30 AM. For more information —please contact Cristina Czaia () or call the Parish Office (651-224-9793).
Monthly Scripture Study – Gospel of Luke
St. Matthew is offering a monthly Scripture Study, centering on the Gospel of Luke, facilitated by Zach Czaia. The third meeting is on Tuesday, December 17 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM in the Parish Center Community Room (first floor). You do not have to have attended the first meeting to join. Let Zach know if you’re planning to come, or if you have any questions at .
Rosary Society December 10th Meeting
All women of the community are invited to the December 10th Rosary Society meeting, which will be held from 12:30 to 2:00 pm in the lower level of the Parish Center. Join us as we share family traditions and memories as we get ready for the Rosary Society’s Christmas Bake Sale, Boutique and Craft Fair which will be held Saturday and Sunday, December 14th and 15th.
No Coffee Sunday in December
There is no Coffee Sunday in December. It will return on January 12, 2025.
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