Ricardo Rodriguez finds St. Matthew statue in Mexico City for Rocky Mountain House parish

Ricardo Rodriguez located a fiberglass statue of St. Matthew in Mexico City to celebrate the 100th anniversary of St. Matthew Parish in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.

Rodriguez, a visually impaired parishioner, began searching for the statue in December 2025 after being contacted by parishioner Karen Carmichael. While visiting family near Mexico City, Rodriguez visited several stores to present options to Carmichael. After pausing the search during the Christmas and Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe season, Rodriguez traveled by bus to the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine in mid-January.

On Jan. 14, Rodriguez found a store that could make the statue out of fiberglass. Rodriguez obtained a quote for approval by the pastor, Father Raj. Carmichael coordinated the deposit with the store and sent the money to Rodriguez to complete the transaction.