Saint Matthew

UPDATE (5/15):

This is a very important meeting for all church members, so we hope to see you this Sunday.

Bishop Peter will be speaking with the entire church community and sharing his plans for the future. In addition, we will provide the results of the recently completed Dashboard Listening Sessions. 
 
We initially planned this meeting to discuss our affiliation with the ECC California Diocese. While this is still an important matter, and will be addressed at the meeting, additional information regarding the California Diocese will be provided at a later date with a vote of the community to follow. 

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We will be discussing the joining of the ECC Diocese of California. As required by our Parish Constitution, a vote of the congregation is needed to officially join the Diocese. This is a very important part of the growth of Saint Matthew’s into the future. Please see below for a message from Bishop Peter:

Every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist we do so as an intentional Catholic community of faith. Whenever we do this we recite in the Profession of Faith that we “believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” As an intentional Catholic faith community, joining the ECC Diocese is the Catholic way of maintaining our Catholic identity; it is our organic connection with our Catholic faith and identity. If Saint Matthew Church wishes to maintain our connection with the historic Catholic Faith and with our Catholic identity, then joining the ECC Diocese of California is one way of doing just that. Otherwise, we may risk losing our Catholic identity.

A diocese is a governing unit of the Catholic Church under the jurisdiction of a validly ordained Catholic bishop. The ECC Diocese of California is a valid local Catholic Church. I recommend that the members of the Saint Matthew Church vote to join the ECC Diocese of California as the easiest and most effective way we can maintain our connection with the historic Catholic church as well as preserving our Catholic identity. Remember, we are not a Protestant Church nor are we an Eastern Orthodox Church. We are Catholic! That means something to us of great and abiding importance. It is the reason we exist. To lose our Catholic identity would mean that we would lose our reason to exist! (Raison d’etat)

+Bishop Peter Hickman