Celebrating 75 Years: A Welcoming Place
Sometime in October of 2022 we were driving along Bloor Street when something caught my eye. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and I could see a man standing in front of the church, leaning on the handrail, openly facing the street. He was wearing clerical attire and appeared to be enjoying the warm weather with a peaceful gaze. It was the quickest glance but I was struck by the notion that I don’t recall seeing a Reverend or Priest standing outside before. They are almost always tucked away inside the church, available exclusively to those who already belong to the congregation. It made me smile to see this Reverend standing in front of the church as though he was beaming an invitation to all who passed by.
That day I checked out St Matthew’s website and watched a beautiful welcome video demonstrating what to expect during a service and I knew my 9 year old son and I would absolutely love to worship here. I also learned from the website that the happy looking fellow standing outside was Reverend Philip.
At our first service many parishioners introduced themselves and let us know about the family service where we were delighted to see children of all ages singing, praying, and learning about Jesus and the Gospel together. My son received a heartfelt blessing from Reverend Philip and made a lovely craft in Sunday school.
We are so grateful for St. Matthews church and all the beautiful souls who make it such a special place. Thank you for welcoming us in with open arms.
Vanessa James-Locke