This is a picture from Monday's light dusting of snow!...Now we have a bit more don't we!? Our prayers go out to all those who are impacted by the weather this week.  May you be safe, and warm, and sheltered. 

Hopefully by Saturday, getting around will be a little easier and you will join us for our Christmas Eve service at 7pm on Dec 24th. All are welcome. 

There will be no morning worship on Christmas Day. There will be Christmas dinner in the Church Hall at 2pm. Thank you to those who have RSVP'd we are excited to gather with you in fellowship. 

We will resume worship on Sunday January 1st at 10am. 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Worship

Join us as we welcome the light of the world into our midsts with carols, prayer, and holy communion.  

Service begins at 7pm.

All are welcome. 

Beloved parishioners and friends of St. Matthias,  

It has been six months since I came to St. Matthias as your priest and I want to thank you for your warm welcome, as well as well as your patience and cooperation as I learned about the parish and my role in it. It has been a great joy to get to know you individually and as a community: a community that is welcoming, vibrant, thoughtful and conscientious.  

As our bishop has often stated, we are a church in liminal time: a people on a journey who must reflect and consider where the Spirit of God is leading us. It is not an easy place to be and the journey can at times be exhausting and discouraging. Our limited human resources make it necessary to carefully consider the projects and activities we embrace. Many individuals in our community are dealing with personal losses including bereavement and health issues.  

As we celebrate Christmas, we remember that Jesus came on earth to reveal an extraordinary message, a message of hope, peace, joy, and love. He asks us to have love for one another, to be reconciled to one another and to accept one another in all our diversity.  

Jesus said: “I have come so that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” Giving us life is the first purpose for which Jesus came into the world. The second purpose is that the life promised by Christ is a source of joy and hope. By His coming, the promise of our salvation has been achieved: we have been delivered from the slavery of sin. We are now children of God and we will therefore never wander in darkness but always in the source of Light: Jesus Christ Himself.  

Each of us has been entrusted with a special gift, a sacred responsibility: to show others how the mystery of God is among us. We are called to go out into the world and share the message of God’s love for all mankind.  

My brothers and sisters, let the joy of Christmas penetrate our hearts and souls, so that we may become peacemakers, love others as we love ourselves, and love God above all things. Let us be joy-bringers and peace makers in a world that is in such great need.  

With deep gratitude for all you are and all you do. I hold you in my heart and in my prayers this Christmas season, asking God to bless you with hope, peace, joy, and love.  

A blessed Christmas to all, Rev. Colleen   

Bishop Anna shares her Christmas message with the diocese and asks us to reimagine the familiar story of Christ's birth by searching for the deeper truths that are shared with us through the narrative. 

A blessed Advent season to all, and a merry Christmas.

Rev. Colleen and her son will be cooking Christmas dinner (turkey and all the trimmings) in the church hall on Christmas day at 2pm for all who would like to attend. The invitation is open to all, not just members of the parish. If you want to attend, let Colleen know so that she can have an idea of numbers.

RSVP to clissamer@bc.anglican.ca

[And, if you are able to help in some way, rumour has it that Colleen would like to know that too!]

Join us for a quiet time of quiet reflection, music and prayer in preparation for the New Year. All are welcome.

We would like to hear from singers, (acoustic) musicians and readers interested in helping to lead this music-rich service by the end of November: please contact Peter Parker, email incumbent@stphilipvictoria.ca

Please note that as of November 2022, diocesan guidelines recommend that we continue the practice of wearing masks during church worship services. This is based on demographics of our congregations, singing together (including choirs), limited ventilation and physical space.   

What's Taizé? more here

What's a Taizé-style service like? more here

Photo by Mike Labrum on Unsplash

This year the Diocesan Women's Spring Retreat will take place April 21-23, 2023. The facilitator this year will be the Rev. Selinde Krayenhoff. 

The location will be announced shortly. 

More information to come January 2023.