Special thanks to our host Sarah and our storytellers Karen & Christopher Gavin’s for sharing their faith journey of love with us at our Feb. Agape Latte. A few take ways: remember Karen’s 3 L’s “Church, Family, School”! Surround yourself with similar minded friends who will can be your rock. And love can be found in the most unexpected ways… for God is love. Happy Valentine’s Day to you. Click for more photos

St. Matthew’s Church in Voorheesville, welcomes the IHC Mystery Players who will present the “The Way of the Cross” on Friday, March 3, 2023 at 7:30 pm. The Immaculate Heart Central High School (IHC) Mystery Players is comprised of High School Students who brings the Stations of the Cross to a modern level through the use of special lighting, music, pantomime and paraliturgical readings, recreating the Paschal Mystery in a moving dramatic presentation. The IHC Mystery Players have ministered extensively throughout New York State, as well as in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Canada. We strongly encourage everyone to attend this unique and powerful Lenten prayer experience. This year, St. Matthew’s is the only local location for this Lenten Presentation that you won’t want to miss. Please be advised, small children may be frightened due to the nature of the play.

We thank all of our Scouts, leaders and scout families who joined us at our Scout Mass to celebrate the connection between scouting and our faith. Our Diocesan Patch celebrating Scouting and our Eucharistic Revival reminds us all to be His welcoming light to all. Thank you for being a scout. Thank you for being His light to All! Click here for more photos.

Join us for the next installment of the "Furthering Your Faith" Series on Wednesday, February 15th at 6pm. Fr. Stephen Yusko will present the topics of Heaven and Hell at Christ the King Church. This event presentation is free and open to anyone. The talk will begin at 6 pm followed by an opportunity for questions. Following the presentation, Eucharistic Adoration will be held from 7-8pm, with Priests available to hear confessions during this time. “Furthering Your Faith” is a collaboration between parish networks in the Capital Region, offering monthly lectures on a variety of topics germane to Catholic life. Each one-hour talk will be followed by a period of prayer, featuring an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.

Thank you St. Thomas for pulling together 21 Bags of Love filled with household items, treats, soup, peanut butter, festive kitchen towels, napkins and MORE! Our Bags of love our finding their way to our homebound seniors during home visits with our Pastoral Care Associate, Julie Bablin and her wonderful volunteers. Special shout out to our young church and all who shared warm greetings of love in the form of homemade cards. We thank our Creation Care Team and all you Clynkers for purchasing the bags. Excellent work TEAM LOVE! “Everything should be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14. Click here for more photos.

Take a risk for God! Enter the mission field where bold action meets lasting outcomes. Over 750 priest alumni discerned a sacred call later in life. Maturity with God’s grace can move mountains. Can you leave it all to follow Christ? Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, Weston, MA is offering ‘First Friday Visits’ on: February 3rd, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Option to attend virtually or in person. Holy Hour and Evening Prayer. In Person includes dinner with the seminarians and a tour. Virtual includes a Zoom visit following Holy Hour. Make a resolution to be courageous. Consider a priestly call. Contact: [email protected] or 781.899.5500 ext. 134. www.psjs.edu.

Thank you St. Thomas for continuing to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors! Our Regift it Christmas Drive was so successful that items donated were not only given to Sr. Maureen Joyce Center but were also shared with their neighbors at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless! Rob from Miracle Network drove off with a van full on needed items for their weekly food boxes for Veterans! Special shout out to our young church, Savannah, Laney and Luke for sorting and greeting! Thank you St. Thomas for warming the hearts of our neighbors this January! For more pictures, click here.

9 Days for Life is an annual novena for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. Please join us spiritually and sign up by clicking here or join us January 19-27 at 9am on Facebook.

Special thanks to our young church for joining us for our Carnival Stress Busters! With the assistance of our yoga instructor Mary Poust, dietician Mary Flynn, CORE parents Cat Adlerman, Cathy Teplitzky, CORE members GiGi Sitzer and Sarah Bernasconi we discussed tips to S.H.I.N.E.! Sleep, Humor/Hydrate, Iesus (I is the greek letter for J) I Am Keep Jesus the center of our lives, Nutrition and Exercise! S.H.I.N.E. St. Thomas “it’s not just for kids” Click here for more pictures.

Thank you to those who donated for the Christmas Altar flowers. Click here to see the full list of donors.

Join us for the next installment of the "Furthering Your Faith" Series on Thursday, January 19th at 6pm. Fr. Dan McHale will present the topic of Purgatory at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar, NY. This event presentation is free and open to anyone. The talk will begin at 6 pm followed by an opportunity for questions. Following the presentation, Eucharistic Adoration will be held from 7-8pm, with Priests available to hear confessions during this time. “Furthering Your Faith” is a collaboration between parish networks in the Capital Region, offering monthly lectures on a variety of topics germane to Catholic life. Each one-hour talk will be followed by a period of prayer, featuring an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.

Young Adults are invited to First Saturday Devotions: Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 8 AM, Rosary at 8:30 AM, and 9 AM Mass on January 7th at Blessed Sacrament Church, 607 Central Avenue in Albany. This will be a recurring event every First Saturday of each month.

Thank you SnOw much St. Thomas for sharing HIS LIGHT and LOVE with our neighbors this Advent and Christmas Season! Together we created a “WHITE OUT!” We packed stockings, car trunks and Bruce McShane’s Truck with needed goodies, household items, and personal care items. You brought HIS LIGHT to St. James Food Pantry, seniors at the Van Rensselaer Heights low income apartments, South End Children’s Café s, along with Sr. Maureen Joyce Center and even our own seniors served in our Pastoral Care Ministry! God bless you for sharing your blessings with our neighbors and the Christ Child! Special shout out to our young church, Joe Garry, Barbara Leonard and Bruce McShane for greeting and organizing your blessings. Click here for photos.

Blessings to all who participated in our Advent Night of Service at home. Together we created 20+ blankets, 30 Christmas Goodie bags for Personal Care Residents, 60 favors of Senior Luncheon, adorable pine cone trees, Christmas Cards & Gift Tags, decorated clothes pins as clips, tied scarves, braided pillows and shared so much JOY & LOVE with our parishioners served in our Pastoral Care Ministry. God bless you for your gift of time and for Shining HIS LIGHT! Merry Christmas! Click here to see more photos

The thirty-fifth annual Community Christmas Dinner, for Town residents and Bethlehem community church members, will be hosted by the First United Methodist Church, 428 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar on Christmas Day in Fellowship Hall. Hospitality begins 1:30 p.m. followed by a 2:00 p.m. turkey and ham dinner with all of the trimmings. This festive occasion is made possible through the help, coordination and gracious donations from town churches, civic organizations, Bethlehem Senior Projects, Inc. individuals and the Town of Bethlehem Senior Services Department. Bethlehem Senior Transportation will provide transportation for Town residents over 60 years of age. To make dinner reservations or arrange for transportation, please contact the Senior Services office at 518-439-4955, extension 1176. There is no charge for the dinner, but a good will offering will be accepted. Those who wish to make a monetary donation for the occasion can do so by contacting Bruce McShane, Christmas Day Committee Chairman at 518-928-3035. If Covid numbers rise we may change to delivery only.

A Blue Christmas Celebration is a service to attend if, despite all the decorations, the cards, the music playing in the shops, the concerts and parties and the advertisers who want you to believe that you can buy wonderful, you don’t really feel very much like celebrating. Somewhere to come if the idea that a Merry Little Christmas is all you need for your troubles to be miles away has a decidedly hollow ring to it. Join us on December 20th at 7 pm at Christ the King Church.

The Diocese of Albany is coordinating a series of Hope and Healing Masses, one each month in each of our seven Vicariates. The purpose of these Masses is to acknowledge that each person experiences trauma, abuse, or grief at different points in their life. Many people suffer in silence. It is the goal of the Diocese to assist all who struggle, to offer them Christ’s healing presence in the Mass, and to provide mental health support and resources for those who may need them. Please join us for the Hope and Healing Mass in the Beverwyck Vicariate: Sunday, December 18, 2022, 10:00am Mass St. Pius X Church 23 Crumitie Rd. Loudonville, NY 12211 Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, Celebrant and Homilist Afterwards, members of the Diocesan Hope and Healing Team will be available to talk, as well as local counselors and mental health professionals. For more information and local resources click here.

Thank you to Julie Buhr, our December Agape Latte presenter and host Sarah Bernasconi. Click here for pictures

You are invited to An Advent Retreat: Is This Who We've Waited For? Saturday, December 17 from 9-11:30 am at the Joshua House in Altamont. Accept the gift of this Advent Season, take time for yourself and God. Consider why we prepare ourselves for this child to be born in Bethlehem. Click here to sign-up for the retreat.

Special thanks to all those who in solidarity with our sister parish in Mexico, prayed the Rosary for the last 46 days in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Special thanks and blessings to our Pueblo to People Committee, Fr. Rick, Fr. Dan, Deacon Ramon Bonifacio and Fr. Tom Hayes and all who joined in honoring our Mother Mary in the celebration of the Mass and Rosary. We thank Bruce McShane and George Harder for assisting with hospitality. Our Lady our Mother continue to hold us close in your mantle of love! Click here for more photos