FR. CLEM – Please continue to keep Fr. Clem in your thoughts and prayers.

EXITING MASS TRAFFIC CHANGE–VERY IMPORTANT
Beginning the weekend of January 18 & 19, there will be a new weekend Mass vehicle exit procedure in effect.  This change is due to increased traffic on Hypoluxo Rd and concerns for the safety of our parishioners and the Wildlife officers who are directing traffic. For all future weekend Masses, all exiting traffic will be required to exit to the right onto Hypoluxo Rd.  There will no longer be any left hand turns out of the Church property.  Cones will be set up in the exit ramp to merge all vehicles into the right hand turn lane by the tall palm trees. This will allow a continuous exiting traffic flow, as the right hand lane of eastbound Hypoluxo Rd will be blocked by the Wildlife officer’s vehicle at the entrance into the MCB.  For those parishioners who need to head west, there is a U-turn lane a short distance from the MCB exit, and U-turns are also possible at the traffic light at the entrance to Winston Trails.  While we understand that this may cause a minor inconvenience, the lives and safety of our parishioners are of paramount importance to us. Please obey the officers, and be patient with each other in merging into one exiting lane.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

PARISH SPAGHETTI & MEATBALL AND SAUSAGE & PEPPERS DINNER – Join us on January 26, 2025 from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M in the Parish Center for a delicious Italian-themed dinner.
Adults – $20/pp or Family – $50 (includes children up to age 12).
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR ON THE DAY OF THE DINNER.
Dinner is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the CCW.
Tickets will be available at the Parish Center after all weekend masses and during the weekdays, they are available at the Parish Office.

ST. MATTHEW ANNUAL LENTEN DAY OF REFLECTION – Our Annual Lenten Day of Reflection will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 9 AM to 2 PM, with Father Dan Daza-Jaller. This is a great opportunity to prepare for our Lenten journey as Ash Wednesday is March 12, 2025. Attendance is free, and a light lunch will be provided. Please reserve your seat by calling the office at 561-966-8878, by March 5th.

MCB & RECTORY ROOF REPLACEMENT AND ADA RAMP FOR MCB UPDATE – Work has now finished on both the Roof Replacement Project and the ADA Ramp Project at the Western end of the Parish Center. We have received the final bills for these projects and they have been paid out of the Parish savings account. The total for both projects is $709,273 which has created a huge hole in our savings account. Financial help from our parishioners is desperately needed at this time. Only $137,432 has been donated to date for the $709,273 cost of these two projects. Special envelopes are located at all exits of the MCB and special collections have been planned, but your help is needed now . Please consider donating to these now completed, and desperately needed, repairs. We are losing hundreds of dollars of interest on the Savings account monies that were withdrawn to fund these projects.

SERRA CLUB – Saint Matthew Parish is proud to announce that the Serra Club is now meeting in the Parish Hall! The Serrans will have a breakfast meeting in the Parish Hall with a guest speaker most months (please see the Parish Calendar for the updated schedule). Breakfast will be prepared and served by the Knights of Columbus. Everyone is welcome to attend. Breakfast is served at $25 per person for non members. Please consider attending breakfast by emailing your rsvp to Kathy Reese at katereese@comcast.net.

• Zacchaeus’s conversion

• Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem

• The parable of the wicked tenants

• Questions of Taxes Man’s resurrection, Messiah 

• The widow’s offering

Please bring your Bible with you and if you haven’t done so already it would be a good idea to have it tabbed. It makes it so much easier to work through the Bible. 
Please check the Parish Calendar for the updated schedule.

Here is the link to purchase your material. Click Here

You can select the one year only video on-line access at $6.95, the workbook only for $27.95 or both for $34.90. Unclick the “Untroubled by the Unknown: Trusting God in Every Moment” as we don’t need that book. You will need the workbook because you will be making daily responses to daily verse readings. 

CONGRATULATIONS! – The Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito has approved Brett Troskey and Dr. Felix Rodriguez to begin the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program of the Diocese of Palm Beach. Congratulations to Brett and Dr. Felix as they begin their 5-year journey to becoming permanent Deacons!

GIFT SHOP HAS MOVED! – The Parish Gift Shop is now located in the Parish Center (southwest corner). It is now open after all weekend Masses.  Please stop by and see what items are available for purchase. Here are two special items which are available for a limited time in the Gift  Shop.

 

ST. MATTHEW MOM’S GROUP –The Saint Matthew Mom’s Group (SMMG) provides opportunities for Catholic moms and their kids to build new friendships, support and pray for each other, and grow in faith.

We would love for you to join us!
Contact Stacey McCaffrey to join the mailing list:

SaintMatthewMomsGroup@gmail.com

JUBILEE 2025 13 DAY SHRINES OF ITALY TOUR – Fr. Leonard is organizing a 13-Day Shrines of Italy Tour from September 15 – 27, 2025. The cost is $4,390.00 Per Person From Miami. This includes Roundtrip Air Transportation From Miami, First Class Hotels (Double Occupancy), 2 Meals A Day (Buffet Breakfast & Dinner), Daily Sightseeing With English Speaking Tour Guides, Entrance Fees, Airport Taxes, And Fuel Surcharges – (Which Might be Subject To Change). View of Venice, Padua, Florence, Siena, Pisa, Assisi, Loreto, Macerta, San Giovanni Rotondo and Rome. To register, come or call the Parish Office– Hours 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. (closed from 12 Noon to 1 P.M.) You will also receive a brochure with the details of the tour. Ofc number is 561-966-8878.  You are encouraged to make your reservations soon, as spaces are limited and are filling rapidly!  Offered by Spiritual Director: Fr. Leonard Dim, St. Matthew Catholic Church – Lake Worth, FL.

CCD– The 2024-2025 class schedule was distributed at the first class, and is also available on the “Religious Education” Tab, as well as the Parish Calendar.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR – St. Matthew’s Children’s Choir is open to all students in first grade or above.  We will sing once per month at the 9:00 A.M. Children’s Mass. The Choir is a wonderful way to praise God and bring a new dimension to the Mass. Please come join us as we “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” (Psalm 100).

NEW TO THE PARISH OR NEVER REGISTERED?? – Are you registered in the Parish? Please do not assume that you are registered in the Parish just because you attend Mass here. If we have no record of your Parish membership it could be quite embarrassing to us, or to you or your family, when someone wishes to make wedding plans, have a baby baptized, or if you have been asked to act as a sponsor for baptism or confirmation. Please fill out the Registration Form below and mail it to the Parish office, or place it in the collection basket.

 

THE POPE VIDEOS – The Pope Videos is an official global initiative to disseminate the Holy Father’s monthly intentions. It is carried out by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer). Since the year 2016, The Pope Videos has had more than 150 million views across all its social networks, and is translated into more than 20 languages, receiving press coverage in 114 countries. The project is supported by Vatican Media.  By clicking on the link below, you will be taken to a new tab on our website which will allow you to view content on The Pope Videos website.  We have made it available in English and Spanish. It will be updated automatically, so be sure to check back regularly.

http://st-matthew-church.com/?page_id=2584

 

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION TAX INFORMATION FOR DONATIONS – Contributions from an individual retirement account (IRA) pre-existed the stimulus bills and continue to be an attractive means for making a charitable gift. After being waived in 2020, required minimum distributions (RMDs) from IRAs resumed in 2021. Even though the age at which the RMD kicks in has been raised to 72, you can still make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) starting at age 70½. If you are aged 70½ or older, you may authorize your IRA administrator to transfer up to $100,000 per year (cumulatively) to one or more qualifying charities (St. Matthew qualifies as such). The amount you transfer will not be added to your taxable income, and it will count towards your mandatory distribution requirement. Whether you are required to make a minimum distribution or not, you can, at any age, designate St. Matthew Parish as the beneficiary of all, or a percentage, of your IRA. Completing a simple change of beneficiary form from your IRA administrator will allow funds to pass to St. Matthew’s tax-free after your lifetime.

 

2024 DIOCESAN SERVICES APPEAL (DSA) –  The 2024 DSA Appeal has ended and our commitment for 2024 was $136,000.   With the help and recent generous donations of our parishioners, we have finally met our goal for the first time in 8 years. Thank you for your generosity!!  Please remember that any shortfall has to be made up by taking money from the Parish Operating Fund to fulfill our commitment. The 2025 DSA will begin soon. Please make a monthly pledge to help us meet this year’s commitment. Envelopes are available at the exits of the MCB, and may be placed in the collection basket at weekend Masses.

 

BINGO IS BACK! – Bingo has started up again every Thursday in the Parish Center. Doors open at 5:30 and play begins at 6:30. Refreshments available. Appropriate sanitation measures will be observed.  Bring a Friend and make friends too!

 

E-Mail Address Updates:  The Parish is trying to update its database of e-mail addresses to facilitate communications in a more cost-effective manner. We can potentially save over $1500 by sending an e-mail versus mailing a letter to all our parishioners.  ADDED NOTE:  If you have disconnected a landline or changed cellphone numbers in the last few years, please call the Parish Office at 966-8878 and update your phone number and e-mail address. We thank you in advance for your help.

There is never a better time to enroll in Faith Direct, which will allow automatic donations without mail or postage. You can click on the Faith Direct eGiving icon link on the upper right of this page to begin the very simple enrollment process.

 

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Please Note:

The Florida Catholic is now available in electronic format. Copy the link below into your web browser in order to access the latest edition (click on the icon in upper right of the page to download the latest edition):
https://digital.thefloridacatholic.org/Florida-Catholic-06052020-e-Edition/

PARISH CALENDAR  – Have you checked out the Parish Calendar yet?  Did you realize you can access the Calendar right here on the Parish Website?  Just click on the Calendar Tab and you can see all the upcoming events in the Parish for the next year.  Parish Ministry Schedules, CCD Class Schedules, CCW & Men’s Club events and schedules, Youth Ministry activities and schedules, and much more, are all found on the Calendar.  CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

ST. MATTHEW KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS – Meets monthly at 7:30 P.M. every second Monday in the Parish Center.  St. Matthew Knights of Columbus is a ministry of St. Matthew Parish, open to all adult male members of the Parish, that provides an atmosphere for fostering Christian fellowship and a sense of community among the men of the Parish aimed at strengthening family life in our Parish. We serve as a support group and provide a structure to assist with various Parish religious celebrations, social events and Parish service projects.  St. Matthew’s Knights of Columbus Council 11669 will celebrate Mass as a group every second Sunday of the month at the 10:30 Mass. Rosary Program will begin at 10:00 A.M. We encourage all Brother Knights to attend and join us in prayer. If you have any questions, please contact John Hunt, Financial Secretary at 561-236-8313.

eGIVING (FAITH DIRECT) FOR PARISH OFFERTORY COLLECTIONS – 175 parishioners have taken the time to enroll in eGive with Faith Direct, the Parish’s direct debit program for Offertory giving. Enrollment is very easy and can be done either on-line or by filling out a color tri-fold form. This program will eliminate the need to write checks or search for cash at the last minute each weekend. You can personalize your giving with many available options. Enroll on-line using our Parish website link, or fill out one of the tri-fold enrollment forms at the MCB exits and mail it to Faith Direct directly. Further information can be obtained by calling Faith Direct at 1-866-507-8757 (toll free) or by e-mailing your questions to info@faithdirect.net. Faith Direct has also just introduced a mobile app for both Apple and Android, available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.