Welcome to the Church of Saint Matthew, a faith-filled community located in Tolland, Connecticut. We are a Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich.
We extend a warm welcome to all who attend our church. We hope that you will find our parish community a place where your life of faith will be nourished. We also hope that you will share your special talents within the community.
Your prayers, your presence and your talents are most welcome. Please introduce yourself after Mass.
May God bless all of us.
PASTOR'S REFLECTIONS
May 6, 2012
My Dear Friends in Christ:
Next Sunday, May 13th, is the 40th Anniversary
of Ordination to the Priesthood for Father Bill
Olesik. This is a very significant day in his priestly life and
as his parish family we want to recognize this milestone.
Therefore, there will be a parish reception in his honor
in the parish hall after the 10:30AM Mass. Because of a
First Communion celebration at this Mass, Father Bill will
be saying the 8:30AM Mass that day, but we will hold the
reception after the 10:30 Mass. There will be more time to
be with Father Bill than after the 8:30. We hope that many
of you will be able to attend. If you can't be there, please
extend best wishes to Father Bill when you see him. St.
Matthew Parish is blessed to have him on our staff. He is a
very dedicated and faithful priest of God and has served
with great distinction in the Diocese of Norwich for all these
years.
As many of you know, Father Bill is in charge of
the Propagation of the Faith in our Diocese and each year
assigns missionary societies to parishes to conduct the
annual Mission Co-op Appeal. This year he has asked the
Diocese of Balasore, India to make the appeal here at St.
Matthew's. This is Father Joe Chacko's diocese and I am
working with Father Joe to find a suitable weekend for him
to come here to make the appeal this summer.
"Congratulations, Father Bill! We love having you
here at St. Matthew's. Many more happy and healthy years
in the priesthood!"
Sincerely,
St. Matthew Preschool _____________________________ New Class Available
St. Matthew Preschool has opened
up an afternoon session for 4 year
olds. Anyone interested in signing
up their 4 year old for this preschool
program please contact AnnMarie Galdau by email, or by phone at (860) 872-0200. The classes will meet on Monday, Wednesday
and Thursday afternoons from 12:15-3:00.
Application forms can be picked up in the Parish Office or downloaded here.
Haiti Mission _____________________________ Help a Child in Haiti
The St. Matthew Underwriting Campaign for Haiti Mission gives parishioners the opportunity to help a child go to school. Parishioners who would like to support our mission to St. Pierre School in Ganthier may pick up a flyer on our windowsills or at the entrance to the Parish Center, or download a contribution form here. While these are tough economic times in our country, many children in Haiti have no opportunity for an education and don’t know where their next meal will come from. Help us help them! Now!!
Haiti Earthquake _____________________________ Please Help
For the immediate and desperate needs of the people of Haiti, we recommend direct donations be made online, by mail or by phone to either the Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich or to Catholic Relief Services by clicking one of the buttons below:
For one-time or recurring donations directly through St. Matthew to St. Pierre Parish and School, please click the link below and choose "Haiti Fund":
St. Matthew Parish Carnival _____________________________ May 24 - 26, 2012
6pm - 10pm
St. Matthew's Church Carnival will be here
before you know it! Bowdoin Amusements
will return again to provide great
rides and fun for all. Local entertainment
will be on stage nightly. And of course great food to indulge
in!
Advanced wristbands will be sold after
CCD classes on May 7th, and also after all Masses the weekend of May 19 & 20. Jane Palmer will be calling volunteers
soon; please call her at 860-875-0022.
Religious Ed. Teachers Needed _____________________________ Please Help
Teacher/Aide sign up boards for religious education for the 2012-13 school year are posted on the whiteboards at the entrance to the parish center. If you are being called to teach or aide, please write your name in the box indicating the grade, date and time that you would like to teach/aide. We do provide training!
Defending Religious Liberty _____________________________ May 6, 2012
Recently, the five Connecticut democratic candidates running for the nomination for the U.S. Senate stated that they would support the idea of allowing abortions to be performed at Catholic hospitals. Abortions are a violation of the natural law and are prohibited by the four Catholic hospitals in Connecticut. As in the case of the federal health care mandate, we cannot permit the government to trample on our religious freedom by requiring us to go against our religious convictions.
Please contact the offices of your Congressional Representatives
and United States Senators to express your opposition to the mandate.
For addresses and phones numbers, please visit:
www.ctcatholic.org or www.archdioceseofhartford.org.
U.S. CONGRESS The Hon. Joseph Courtney
101 Water St., Ste. 301
Norwich, CT 06360
Ph 860-886-0139
800-225-5605 (In CT)
U.S. SENATE The Hon. Joseph Lieberman
One Constitution Plaza, 7th fl.
Hartford, CT 06103
Ph. 860-549-8463 (Voice)
860-225-5605 (In CT)
860-886-2974 (Fax)
The Hon. Richard Blumenthal
90 State House Sq., 10th floor
Hartford, CT 06103
Ph. 860-258-6940
860-258-6958 (Fax)
The Annual Catholic Appeal is our way of supporting the work of The Catholic Church, both in our parish and throughout Eastern Connecticut. The church is called to be the visible sign of God's presence in the world. We as believers can reach out to the needy, the hopeless, the elderly, in sharing the light of faith through educational programs, and the many other ways in which the Annual Catholic Appeal serves God's Church. We are all members of the family of God – rich and poor alike. As God's disciples we are called to take care of each other. Please be generous with your gift to the 2012 Annual Catholic Appeal.
_____________________________
Many Catholics have inherited their faith without a conscious choice. Many of us have never been exposed to the solid faith formation provided by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Why Catholic? uses small faith community sharing (or individual study) to reference, read, pray and treasure our rich Catholic heritage. Together we explore the rich history of our Catholic Faith and share our own experiences. You will find you are not the only one who is curious and who wants to explore their Faith.
Come explore why we are Catholic.Our next session starts in October and will run for six weeks. The programs meet once a week, and we have days, afternoons and evening sessions available.
Won't you join our small faith communities to share your faith experiences? There is no need to have attended other sessions.
If you would like to experience this faith enriching program, please contact Brenda Falusi at (860) 871-4494.
Thoughts on Stewardship _____________________________ 5th Sunday of Easter
May 6, 2012
"Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and
truth" - 1 John 3:18
How do we love in deed and truth? The answer is through stewardship—
giving some of our time to spend with Our Lord in prayer,
giving some of our talents to do ministry in the parish, giving
some of our financial blessings to support the work of the Church.
St. Matthew Preschool has opened
up an afternoon session for 4 year
olds. Anyone interested in signing
up their 4 year old for this preschool
program please contact 
For the immediate and desperate needs of the people of Haiti, we recommend direct donations be made online, by mail or by phone to either the Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich or to Catholic Relief Services by clicking one of the buttons below:
St. Matthew's Church Carnival will be here
before you know it! Bowdoin Amusements
will return again to provide great
rides and fun for all. Local entertainment
will be on stage nightly. And of course great food to indulge
in! 
Recently, the five Connecticut democratic candidates running for the nomination for the U.S. Senate stated that they would support the idea of allowing abortions to be performed at Catholic hospitals. Abortions are a violation of the natural law and are prohibited by the four Catholic hospitals in Connecticut. As in the case of the federal health care mandate, we cannot permit the government to trample on our religious freedom by requiring us to go against our religious convictions.
