Beloved people of God: 

As we emerge from the darkness and cold of winter and rejoice in the beginning of spring, we as a people of faith have just celebrated the great feast of the Resurrection. Spring comes early in our beautiful Victoria, lifting our spirits and renewing our faith, even in this challenging time in the world. This is the hope that we offer to the world. 

Our call as we move towards the feast of the Ascension is to surrender to the will of God and be open to new possibilities. We will come ultimately to the great feast of Pentecost and the celebration of God’s own Spirit poured upon us.  

Thank you to all of you for your participation in our Holy Week and Easter liturgies, and for making Easter Sunday such a joyful celebration.  A special thank you to Pyx Sutherland for her glorious decoration of the cross for Easter. When she came to the church on Saturday, and again, early on Easter Sunday, she brought such great love and care to the task that it brought to mind the image of Mary Magdalene coming early to the tomb on Easter Sunday with her jar of nard to anoint the body of Jesus, only to discover that he was alive. 

This coming week I will be attending the clergy conference in Parksville and will be returning early on Thursday morning for the interment of Aileen McConnell’s ashes at the Royal Oak Burial Park at 11.am. Aileen was a former parishioner of St. Matthias. 

With love and blessings to each one of you 

Rev. Colleen+ 

If you were among the congregation this Easter Sunday, you were fortunate to see the beautiful floral installation that graced our simple wooden cross.  We thank wonderfully talented Pyx Sutherland, aided by her gracious husband Lorne Brownsey, for giving our worship and reflection time this lovely inspiration.  

In the coming days, we'll create a special page on the parish website to show you a range of pictures from our worship.  In the meantime, enjoy this one sample, which was shared with us by Pyx Sutherland.  Watch the "homepage" of our website for news of the Easter page (and an easy link).  We think you'll enjoy the various images, seen through the eyes of several different photographers.  

And, we invite you to reflect on Rev. Colleen's Easter sermon (we've cribbed the "sub-headline" from that sermon ... just to entice you!).  https://www.stmatthiasvictoria.ca/blog/up-close-and-personal-witnesses-to-the-resurrection

Our diocese has begun a project linked to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action #59.  The call urged churches to ensure their members understood their church's role in colonization.  Yes ... a complex topic that richly deserves careful study, discussion, and reflection.  

Jumping quickly to St. Matthias' own story, we'd like to invite you to read the report compiled by historian Jesse Robertson.  A tiny bit of context, if we may ... 

Robertson has examined a wide range of archival and documentary sources for several of the parishes within the diocese. 18 stories are on the diocesan website, as of 8 April 2026.  As you might imagine, the particular stories and situations vary, and we think once you've read one story, you'll want to read them all.  St. Matthias is located within the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, today known as the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations; its grounds are not part of a specific village site, for example.  However, not being a specific village site does not mean the land was not known, used, or travelled.  Joseph Despard Pemberton, a land surveyor for the Hudson's Bay Company was the first private owner of the land, beginning in 1856.  Even that sparse information conveys a wealth of complexity.  Read the report:  https://dq5pwpg1q8ru0.cloudfront.net/2026/02/17/20/13/37/0183815e-c3c9-42fd-b4ed-85ec2a55e252/St.%20Matthias,%20Victoria_Property%20History_Oct20251%20-%20Public.pdf

Read, ponder, reflect -- and let's talk!

On April 25, a Shred a Thon at Broadmead:  Bring your old paperwork for secure, on-site shredding on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the parking lot of Veterans Memorial Lodge. 

On May 2, an opportunity supporting Victoria Hospice.  

Supporting Victoria Hospice.