The Holy Apostle Matthias
After Judas by transgression fell from his apostleship (Acts 1: 25), and hanging himself out of despair ended his life with a wretched and shameful death (Matt. 27: 5), then, that the number of the Twelve not be lacking, all the disciples gathered in one place after the Ascension of the Savior (the number of men and women being 120), and they chose two men from among them, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was also surnamed Justus, and Matthias, and they set them in the midst. Then they prayed to God and cast lots, "and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles" (Acts 1: 15-26). And thus, having taken the place of Judas, Matthias fulfilled the work of apostleship and the prophecy concerning Judas, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David: "And his bishopric let another take" (Ps. 108(109):8). After this, it is said, Matthias preached the Gospel in Ethiopia, and completed his life there in martyrdom.
In an effort to meet the $250,000 fundraising goal of the COVID-19 Parish Relief Fund, and in the spirit of a unified Metropolis, the Metropolis Council recently voted to authorize a gift of up to $25,000 toward the Fund. Throughout August, the Metropolis of Chicago will match $1 for every $2 donated to the Fund.
We all know that the Church faces critical ministry challenges. Research shows that 60% of young people fall away from the Faith as they grow into young adults. And did you know that a new study has found that ⅓ of people have stopped attending church altogether during the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve completely disconnected, and aren’t even streaming services. Why? And what can we do to connect people (especially youth and young adults) to the Church?