A prayer service for the Season of Creation, the Chrism Mass, the Feast of St. Matthew, and the Red Mass are all upon us. Much to celebrate, including news of Director of Music Ministries, Tom Stehle, being named Pastoral Musician of the Year!

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. Thank you for your continued support.

Msgr. Jameson in last Sunday's homily invites you to be with us at Mass each Sunday, in person or online. He promises, "Christ does the rest. He takes our love, no matter how weak or tentative, and transforms it, transforms us, by his love! For 'where two or three are gathered together' in his name, there he is in the midst of us!"

Read the Rector's homily.

"Let there be greening, birth from the burning, water that blesses, and air that is sweet, health in God's garden, hope in God's children, regeneration that peace will complete." ("Touch the Earth Lightly," by Shirley Erena Murray, sung during service)

Join the Creation Care Team of St. Matthew's Social Justice Ministry and Fr. Benson as presider as we give thanks for God's gift of creation in words and music, acknowledge the damage done to our planet, and affirm our will to change course. The service will be available for viewing at 3pm on Saturday, September 13.

This year’s Chrism Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral on Monday, September 14 at 4 pm. During this annual liturgy, normally celebrated during Holy Week, the sacred oils to be used throughout the archdiocese for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and the Anointing of the Sick are blessed. Our priests renew the promises made at their ordination, reaffirming their commitment to Christ, to his Church and to priestly ministry during the Mass. This year's Chrism Mass is not open to the public.

The universal Church observes the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, on Monday, September 21. St. Matthew's celebrates that day as a solemnity at the 12:10pm Mass. On Sunday, September 20, our parish family celebrates our patronal feast with special readings and prayers at the 10am and 1pm (Spanish) Masses. As usual, both Masses are open to the public for in-person attendance and will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. 

68th Annual Red Mass

The 68th Annual Red Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral on Sunday, October 4 at 10am, with Most Rev. Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, as principal celebrant and Most. Rev. Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, as homilist. This year's Red Mass is not open to the public. Sunday Masses at 7am, 1pm (Spanish) and 5:30pm will be open to the public as usual. Read more about the Red Mass, which is organized by the John Carroll Society.

Above, (1) RCIA Elect prepare for Baptism at Mass with Sacraments of Initiation, August 22, celebrated by Msgr. Jameson (2), Msgr. Jameson celebrates Confirmation at that Mass, and (3) Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass of Peace and Justice at the Cathedral on August 28 (photo credit: Catholic Standard/Andrew Biraj)

At the August 28 Mass of Peace and Justice (photo above) celebrated at the Cathedral on the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, Archbishop Gregory announced a new Archdiocesan initiative, “Made in God’s Image: Pray and Work to End the Sin of Racism.” It will promote pastoral activities and outreach including prayer, listening sessions, faith formation opportunities and social justice work.

Read the Archbishop's homily.

Fr. Hurley's Saint of the Day video reflection featured St. Peter Claver on the feast of this 17th century saint, celebrated on September 9. St. Peter's ministry to African slaves brought forcibly to the New World (present day Colombia) earned him the title “Saint of the Slaves."

The feastday included Archbishop Gregory's celebration of a Mass at St. Peter Claver Church in St. Inigoes, Maryland. The Mass was part of a nationwide Day of Fasting and Prayer called for by the U.S. Bishops to make reparation for the sin of racism and to recommit to seeking racial justice.

Thank you to all who came together with us on Saturday, July 25 to pray for healing, transformation, and for the unity among us that is made possible in Christ Jesus. If you missed it in late July, you can still watch this service featuring the words of Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA and Isaiah and a moving homily by Fr. Benson.

Find reflections for the coming week.

Monday, September 14 (Exaltation of the Cross)

Numbers 21:4b-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17

Tuesday, September 15 (Our Lady of Sorrows)

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a; John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35

Wednesday, September 16 (Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian)

1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13; Luke 7:31-35

Thursday, September 17 (St. Robert Bellarmine)

1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 8:1-3

Saturday, September 19 (St. Januarius)

1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49; Luke 8:4-15

"Some fell into good soil and . . . produced a hundredfold.”est

Please pray for the repose of the souls of Dan Stevens, a long-time parishioner, and of Tomas Quenga Cruz, the father of parishioner Charmie Vince and the father-in-law of St. Matthew's Deacon Bob Vince.

This fall, St. Matthew’s Children’s Faith Formation will look very different as we start the year using an online video platform. Orientation for parents, children and catechists will be held at a virtual session on Sunday, September 27 at 8:45am - mark your calendars.

Download the 2020 - 2021 St. Matthew's Registration Form. 

Download the Archdiocese of Washington Permission Form for Online Learning.

Our catechists (teachers) will be instructed in the use of our online video platform for Children's Faith Formation. 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.

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 to attend.

Always God's Children, the Cathedral's ministry to gay and lesbian persons and their families and friends, will host an online video chat using Zoom at 3:30pm on Sunday, September 13. To join this virtual gathering, email Eve Tushnet for details on how to connect. Read more about AGC.

The Social Justice Committee will hold a virtual fundraising drive from Monday, September 14 to Saturday, September 19 to help support low-income families of the Adopt-a-Family program. Donations will be used to purchase Target gift cards. To donate, click here, then scroll down to click on the Donate button. Please specify that the donation is for the Back-to-School Drive. Contact Norma Canedo with questions.

Organist Colin MacKnight inaugurates the fall 2020 portion of the newly resumed Cathedral Great Organ Concert Series with a recital on Wednesday, September 30 at 12:40pm, open to the public and livestreamed from the Cathedral. Come, bring a friend, and enjoy this 40-minute program in person, or watch live or later.

On Sunday, October 25 at 3pm, enjoy a special all-Liszt concert on both the Great Organ and the Steinway Concert Grand Piano. Details will be available shortly.

St. Matthew's Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Director of Music Ministries, Tom Stehle, has been named Pastoral Musician of the Year by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. NPM salutes Tom's leadership, generosity of spirit, and commitment to mission, and the distinction of receiving Papal awards for his service during visits by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Congratulations and thanks, Tom, for glorifying God in the sharing of your many gifts with us.

The Overstory in October

The Cathedral Book Club resumes with a virtual discussion on Tuesday, October 20 from 7 to 8pm of "The Overstory," the popular Pulitzer Prize winner by Richard Powers. It's a fascinating look at how several strangers with their own stories are brought together by trees, in an effort to save the continent’s decreasing virgin forest. Details will be available shortly.

In a late August letter to priests, Archbishop Gregory acknowledged the challlenges of operating during the pandemic and announced steps to reduce costs by about 10%. The restructuring affected 34 ADW employees and included staff and hours reductions, and reductions of print editions and publication frequency of the Catholic Standard and El Pregonero newspapers. "Let us remain flexible and in tune with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and our Blessed Mother ..." he wrote.

Annual Appeal Update

On behalf of Archbishop Gregory, we thank parishioners who have donated to the 2020 Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. Parishioners across the archdiocese have contributed $10 million for the many charitable works supported by the Annual Appeal. Our parish currently stands at 65.5% of our goal of $351,000. If you have not yet made your gift to the Appeal, you may visit appeal.adw.org to do so.

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