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As I prepare for our anniversary, I find myself reflecting deeply on who we are as a Christian community—our identity, our culture, and our shared life of faith. There are many ways to describe what makes a community what it is. Some may speak from the richness of our traditions; others may emphasize our mission and vision. All these perspectives apply to our parish. Yet, more than anything, I believe what truly defines us is that we are a community of persons.

Each one of us—regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or social standing—has a place, a voice, and a role to play. What unites us goes beyond inclusivity or diversity. Our acceptance of one another is not born of duty or politeness, but of our sacred calling to love one another as Jesus has loved us. This love gives us a foretaste of the Kingdom to come, that eschatological fulfillment when all will be restored as children of God. We seek to discover God’s beauty, goodness, and truth shining uniquely in each person, and we challenge ourselves to build relationships that transcend differences so that God’s presence may dwell among us.

As I watched the video messages shared by so many of our parishioners (soon to be shared on our website) and admired the prayer quilt woven with countless hopes, prayers, and blessings (soon to be offered on the anniversary), I felt profoundly inspired, uplifted, and grateful to belong to this community.

Some of you may feel that you have not given or received much, or that your time here has been brief. Even so, know this: your presence, your story, is an essential part of our shared story now and to come—and our story is part of God’s Story. Without you, the picture of St. Matthew ’s would not be complete. We need every person to grow. Together, we continue this journey of becoming love itself. As we celebrate our anniversary, I invite you to be a witness—of what God is doing in your life and in our parish—and through your presence, let us joyfully witness God’s love unfolding among us.

From Fr. James