This past Wednesday we celebrated the Feast of the Apostle Matthew, the tax collector Jesus called to follow him, and the author of the gospel.

When we were in Rome, we visited a church named after Saint Louis, King of France. In this church, a cardinal named Matthew had bequeathed some money to have his patron, Saint Matthew the Apostle, honored and so a side chapel was decorated with paintings depicting the life of this Apostle. It’s one of the most famous post-reformation paintings by Caravaggio.

The first painting is called and depicts “The Calling of Saint Matthew”. In this painting, Jesus’ face is the light source, His hand is like Adam’s on the Sistine Chapel ceiling (Jesus being the new Adam), and Matthew’s head is bowed humbly, with his hand pointing at himself in a “who, me?” attitude.

The second painting depicts Saint Matthew eagerly writing his gospel under the inspiration of an angel. The third and final painting depicts his martyrdom. Tradition says he was killed while saying Mass by a soldier sent by an African king. This African king tried to marry his own niece, who was a nun, and Matthew called him out on it, just as John the Baptist had done with King Herod.

When Advent begins this November, we begin the Cycle A readings which use the gospel of Matthew as the main source. He has several unique stories about Jesus, including the Nativity story we all love, Joseph’s dreams, the flight to Egypt, and Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham, our father in faith.

It has the traditional beatitudes that are often read at funerals as well as the conflicts between Jesus and the Jewish leaders and the last judgement. It presents Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, and often quotes the Old Testament and how Jesus fulfills those prophecies. It ends with the Great Commission, the charge to go and make disciples and baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and the promise that he will be with us until the end of time.

As we prepare to dive back into this Gospel again, it might be a nice thing if we were to sit down and read it through beforehand, so that we can have the whole context of the Gospel before it is broken up in segments to be read at the Mass. It isn’t the shortest Gospel, but if you start to read through it now, I guarantee you'll get through it in time for the “new year”. Fun fact too, the Gospel of Matthew is placed first in the New Testament because it is the most quoted by early Church writers. So challenge yourself to go through this Gospel before we start using it again at Mass. Let’s re-discover why those early Church writers were so intrigued by this Gospel. Saint Matthew, pray for us!

-Deacon Mike Powers

Thank you to our Festival Committee and all of the volunteers that made last weekend a success! What a wonderful way to enjoy and celebrate our community! We also want to extend our gratitude to our Fall Festival sponsors: Simply Secure Storage, Party Time Liquor, and Premier Banks.

We are so appreciative of your support!

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) begins this fall.

Do you, or someone you know, wish to join the Catholic Church and/or receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist for the first time as an adult or learn more about your Catholic Faith? Preparation for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults begins this October.

Registration forms can be found here, on our website, or in the back of church. Contact Kay Mottaz at 651-842-6022 or email her at kmottaz@presentationofmary.org with any questions.

Bonnie Thibault will be serving with St. Paul's Outreach as a full time missionary at their national office in Mendota Heights, MN. St. Paul's Outreach aims to build an authentic Catholic community on college campuses, help students develop a personal relationship with Christ that lasts beyond college, and combat the loneliness, isolation, and societal pressure that countless students face each year. Bonnie will be speaking after Mass on Sept. 24-25. She is building a support team of individuals and groups that journey with her financially and prayerfully on mission and is in need of additional help. If you or someone you know is interested in hearing about her story and joining Bonnie's financial support team, she can be reached through email at bonnie.thibault@spo.org or by calling 740-632-3289.

Join us at 10am on Saturday, October 1st outside the Kennard Street Entrance with your furry, feathered, or scaled friends for the Blessing of the Animals in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

It will be October 18th at noon. The menu is penne pasta with meatballs, salad, Italian bread with butter, and cookies for dessert. Cost for lunch is $13. Entertainment is a Barbershop Quartet. Please bring hats, scarves, and mittens to donate to those in need (both adult and youth sizes). Register by Friday, October 14th by calling Teri Garrity at 651-303-2145.

Faith Formation classes will be starting next month and will take place in the Parish Center after the 9:30am masses on Sundays. Registration forms can be found on our church website or picked up in the Kennard Street entrance or at the Parish Office. The schedule of classes and start date will be available soon. Questions? Email fr.ly@presentationofmary.org.

If you, or anyone you know, would like an opportunity to share your love of music with those of us in the parish, then please consider joining the Music Ministry. In this ministry, we will work together to bring our passion to all who worship with us. There is an Adult Choir, a Children’s Choir, and plenty of room for instrumentalists. Please reach out to Pam Herbert (pherbert@presentationofmary.org) with interest or any questions!

“He who sings prays twice.” -St. Augustine

We are in the process of re-aligning our development and advancement efforts for Presentation of Mary Church and School. To support this effort, we are asking Presentation of Mary parishioners & school families to complete an anonymous survey which can be found here. The information we gather will help us grow and strengthen our parish & school. Paper copies of the survey will be available at the Parish & School offices as well as at the back of the church. A collection box for paper copies will be at those locations. We prayerfully ask that you complete this survey by September 30th.

The School Board recently undertook a project to review our school vision, mission, and values (VMV) to ensure they are a true reflection of our foundation. Families, parishioners, and stakeholders provided input and suggestions to this important work, and we are pleased to share with you the results of the project. Visit the School Board table at the Festival to obtain a copy of the finished product. It can also be viewed on our school website at https://presentationofmaryschool.org/.

Our 3rd Grade students learned about the Chinese Moon Festival, enjoyed Moon Cakes, and decorated their own lanterns! They had a great time exploring another culture's traditions and discovering the beautiful ways people around the world celebrate the seasons and the bounty of God's earth.

Our soccer season has begun and volleyball won't be far behind. Check out the game schedules to pick which games you want to attend!

Presentation of Mary's 5th Annual Beer Bust is coming! It will be on Saturday, October 15th from 2-6pm at Roddy's Bar & Grill in North St Paul. Tickets are available at the school or parish offices, or by contacting Mary Davini or Tracy Aguirre. Cash or checks accepted, please note you'll need exact change - we don not have change at the school or parish office.

If you have any items you'd like to donate (tickets to events, gift cards, sports memorabilia, them baskets, booze, beer, wine, etc.)

contact Mary Davini or Tracy Aguirre.

We hope to see you all there - it's always a blast!

Do you know anyone looking for a welcoming community and an excellent academic environment for their children? Presentation of Mary School welcomes children from infancy through eighth grade. Visit our website at presentationofmaryschool.org for more information.

Next week we kick off our parish Stewardship Renewal. Stewardship materials that explain what stewardship means at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be available to all families in the mail. Over the next few weeks, please pray about your role in our parish. On October 15-16, each parish family is asked to make commitments of prayer, participation, and generosity. You are also invited to visit our Ministry Fair after Saturday and Sunday masses that weekend. Come learn more about all the great ways you can get involved. Make it your goal this year to find one new thing that interests you and sign up. We’ve been waiting for you!

The Loaves & Fishes Ministry provides hearty and nourishing meals to those in need at Dorothy Day, and hopes to continue to offer this much needed service far into the future. Collections for Loaves & Fishes will be taken this weekend. Please drop donations in the canisters located at all church entrances.

Protection of Youth: All employees, and volunteers who interact with minors, are required to complete and maintain safe environment credentials (E3) through the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. To ensure successful completion of these requirements or if you have any questions regarding our safe environment practices or would like more information on what is needed to volunteer, please contact our Safe Environment Coordinator: Kay Mottaz @ 651-842-6022 or email kmottaz@presentationofmary.org.

To learn more about reporting suspected abuse, please also visit: www.safe-environment.archspm.org/report-abuse/Report.