At St. Matthias, we acknowledge that we worship on the traditional and unceded territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and we commit ourselves to deep reconciliation and healing
Welcome! We are so glad you came by!
If you're visiting St. Matthias, here's what to expect:
We remain an “all ages” group. We welcome you on your own, with a partner, or with your whole family. We strive to be an inclusive community and welcome into full membership and leadership those from the LGBTQ2I+ community.
The Sunday Morning service includes readings from the Christian scriptures, hymns, prayer, and preaching. Each week, we celebrate the Eucharist (also known as Communion or The Lord's Supper) where we commemorate the last meal of Jesus and his friends. All people are welcome to receive communion.
We now know that "respiratory illnesses" are part of our environment. Although we've emerged from the deep days of pandemic, we remain careful of each other's health. Some of us prefer to wear masks. The celebrant and chalice bearer use hand sanitizer before communion, and we keep it available for others. We stay home when we might have a contagious illness or are otherwise required to self-isolate.
When the weather permits, we enjoy opportunities to worship outdoors (if you happen to arrive at ten and find no one around, check out the courtyard!).
On Thursday mornings, we gather in our chapel for a more informal Eucharistic celebration that includes our shared reflections on the coming week's readings.
Our forms of worship are adaptations of ancient Christian practices.
Some of us dress formally, and others casually. Please come dressed as you wish.
Our music repertoire is eclectic; drawing from traditional hymnody, anthems, and more contemporary expressions of worship such as Taize chants, modern hymns, and praise songs. We have a wonderful music director who supports us in our musical worship with an excellent organ, a lovely pedal organ, and a grand piano. We have lots of parking for bikes and cars.
We meet to share refreshments every Sunday after worship in the hall -- please take this as your standing invitation! Whenever we can, we love to gather over a meal. You'll see some reminders of 2023 Christmas Day Lunch and the 2024 Shrove Tuesday Pancakes & Sausages Lunch. You're always invited when we gather!
Please do drop us a line if you have any questions or suggestions! You can write to admin@stmatthiasvictoria.ca or wardens@stmatthiasvictoria.ca .