We ask that parishioners please continue to make a regular offertory gift. If you join us for Sunday Mass, please place your Offertory donation in one of the collection baskets at the exits.

We invite you to use electronic giving to set up a recurring donation or to make a one-time gift. If you haven’t yet enrolled in FaithDirect, our electronic giving program, you may do so at St. Matthew's Faith Direct page (Church code DC284). To make an online gift now using PayPal or your credit or debit card, click here.

On Saturday, August 15, Archishop Gregory will celebrate the 8am Mass for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All are most welcome to attend.

How does the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary help us in our journey? Read Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI's thoughts on this question in a 2012 feast day homily. And let us pray for Pope Benedict's recovery (see the Catholic Standard article).

Come, enjoy the peace and beauty of the Cathedral and the joys of the Eucharist weekdays at our 12:10pm Mass. This week's celebrants are Msgr. Jameson, Fr. Choi, and Fr. Hurley. Doors open 30 minutes before Mass. A written guide to participating at Mass during the pandemic is available. See the guide.

Missing the Cathedral but can't make it back yet? Try our Cathedral virtual tour, with background accompaniment by our Schola Cantorum. Take the tour.

The sacrament of reconciliation is celebrated in the North Conference Room by appointment. You may call the rectory at 202-347-3215 to schedule a time for the sacrament, leaving a message if no one picks up. Messages are picked up daily. A priest will return your call and provide further details. Please note that social distancing is observed and masks are worn. Read more on the sacrament.

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction is an ancient form of Christian listening and accompaniment. We provide and refer those interested to qualified spiritual directors who may be clergy, vowed religious, or laypersons, for monthly conversations. Contact Theresa Prymuszewski for more information.

Find reflections for the coming week.

Monday, August 10 (St. Lawrence)

2 Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26

Tuesday, August 11 (St. Clare)

Wednesday, August 12 (St. Jane Frances de Chantal)

Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22; Matthew 18:15-20

Thursday, August 13 (Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus)

Ezekiel 12:1-12; Matthew 18:21—19:1

Friday, August 14 (St. Maximilan Kolbe)

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63; Matthew 19:3-12

Saturday, August 15 (The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56

On Saturday, August 22, the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, Msgr. Jameson will celebrate Mass for our 21 RCIA Elect and Candidates and their sponsors and families as they receive their Sacraments of Initiation. One of our Elect in the Spanish RCIA received the Sacraments of Initiation at a special Mass last month. All our RCIA members have waited patiently for these celebrations, delayed by the pandemic. Please keep them in your prayers.

On Saturday, August 29, 12 children from our English Children’s Faith Formation program will receive their First Holy Communion at a Mass to be celebrated by Fr. Benson. Ten children prepared in St. Matthew's Spanish Children's Faith Formation program received their First Holy Communion in July. Please keep all our children and their families in your prayers. 

RCIA is a process for those wanting to explore the Catholic faith and become fully initiated members of the Church. If you are an unbaptized adult who would like to become Catholic, an adult baptized in another Christian denomination who wishes to profess your faith as a Catholic Christian, or a baptized Catholic who would like to complete your initiation in the Catholic Church, we invite you to our virtual Inquiry sessions, Wednesday evenings at 6pm. Contact Theresa Prymuszewski for more information. Our next session is August 12.

This fall, St. Matthew’s Children’s Faith Formation will look very different as we start the year using an online video platform. Our catechists (teachers) will be instructed in the use of this platform. We also are calling forth “helpers” who would be the second adult in the video classroom with the catechist. If you enjoy sharing your faith with our “young Church” and are interested in serving as a catechist or helper, please contact Theresa Prymuszewski.

St. Matthew's Social Justice Advocacy & Education ministry team recently shared on social media that the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is increasing the citizenship application fee by 80% and adding a first-ever fee for asylum seekers. Let's spread the word about the October 2, 2020 effective date of these and other USCIS fee hikes to those who might be planning to apply for immigration benefits. Find more information.

Email St. Matthew's Social Justice Advocacy & Education ministry if you have questions or are interested in joining this ministry team.

Our parish Monday morning ministry to the homeless has continued, with proper precautions, through these months of the pandemic. We serve our guests outdoors, in front of the Cathedral. How can you help?

·    Donate gently worn men’s clothing items: cargo shorts, casual pants, jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers, and work boots (must schedule drop-off)

To help in any of these ways, please contact Norma Canedo. 

You also may be interested in Catholic Charities' latest volunteer opportunities. 

Cathedral Young Adult Coffeehouse is a peer ministry for those in their 20s and 30s that meets virtually on Sundays at 6:30pm. Want to join in? Click here to download and join the CYA Slack group where there's always a conversation. A link to join the online session is sent out via Slack each Sunday.

The leadership of the Hispanic Music Ministry is changing this summer with the departure our much beloved Christine (Soler) John after many years of dedicated service. We thank her for her unique musical contributions and wish her and her husband, Justin, all the best as they raise their two beautiful young children, Kennedy and Jackson. May Christ always be a presence and a protection for their family. Thanks, Christine!

Christian Leaños is a talented vocalist, pianist and composer who has most recently been providing musical leadership at two area churches, Our Lady of Sorrows, Takoma Park and the Shrine of St. Jude, Rockville, as well as for archdiocesan intercultural liturgies. He will begin his work at the Cathedral on August 30 at the 1pm Mass. Welcome, Christian! We are anxious to have you join our parish family and the Music Ministry.

"God wants to feed our spirits in every season; no occasion is too massive or mundane to avoid our turning to God with our needs." These are words - and promises - to draw from as we live through this pandemic. For more inspiration on how to stay spiritually fed, read Msgr. Jameson's August 2 homily, or watch the video of the Mass that was livestreamed from the Cathedral.

Thank you to all who came together online with us in late July to pray for healing, transformation, and unity in Christ Jesus in the face of racism. You can watch this moving prayer service, videotaped in the Cathedral with Fr. Benson presiding, on our YouTube channel via this link. 

Have you seen the Saint or Blessed of the Day reflections by Fr. Hurley on our YouTube channel? Here in one of the most watched videos, he speaks about St. Rita of Cascia who we honored on May 22. Fr. Jack notes, "Often I like to tie in a saint with a connection to the Cathedral. In this case, it was the bringing of roses to Mary’s altar relating to the tradition of Rita, saint of the impossible!"

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