According to longtime parishioner Jo Anne Stanton, “All are Welcome” is not just a slogan, but a way of life for the community of St. Matthew in Northwood, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
Reflecting on the parish’s anniversary, Stanton, co-chair of the pastoral council, said she is extremely proud of the growth of St. Matthew over the years.
“When my family moved into the neighborhood in the late ’60s/early ’70s, St. Matthew was not as welcoming as it is now,” Stanton said. “All of the pastors, most recently Father Joe (Muth) and Father Matt (Buening), really live out this mission that all are welcome, and all our parishioners live it as well. I love that about St. Matthew.”
St. Matthew’s parishioners include African Americans, Caucasians and immigrants from more than 40 different countries. The parish is very social justice-oriented and supportive of immigrants, regardless of their status, and LGBT Catholics.
“One of the things we highlight and celebrate at St. Matthew is diversity,” said Father Buening, pastor of St. Matthew and Blessed Sacrament parishes for the last three years. “We are made up of liberals and conservatives all together in a diverse population.”
At the same time as its anniversary milestone, the parish is also facing changes resulting from the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Seek the City initiative, as St. Matthew is preparing to serve as the home for merged parishes including Blessed Sacrament, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, Shrine of the Little Flower, St. Anthony of Padua and Most Precious Blood.
“We are celebrating an important benchmark for our parish, but also a first anniversary, co-founded with all the parishes merging together with St. Matthew,” Father Buening said. “We want to bring everyone together in a positive way to create something new, like a super parish.”
St. Matthew was established in 1949 due to overcrowding at Blessed Sacrament, St. Dominic and St. Bernard. In the first year, 4,000 parishioners registered. In 1951, St. Matthew School opened. The school merged with St. Thomas More School in 1989 to form Cardinal Shehan School. Today, St. Matthew has nearly 1,100 registered families.
“We are committed to helping people,” Father Buening said. “All are welcome and invited to a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.”
According to Father Buening, LBGT ministry is an important part of the parish. Their LEAD ministry (LGBT Educating and Affirming Diversity) was founded in 2010, when Father Muth was pastor. The group enables people to share their stories, pray for those on their journey in their relationship with Christ and let people know they have a home in the Catholic Church.
“Father Joe and some others in our parish were really at the forefront of the ministry, which is geared toward lesbian and gay Catholics, their families and allies,” Father Buening said. “We want them to know there is a place for them. We are all called to be disciples of God, and God loves us all.”
The Immigration Outreach Service Center at St. Matthew was created in 2000 to serve the needs of Baltimore’s immigrant community. It’s now an independent nonprofit organization, offering English classes, tutoring, computer classes, financial assistance, legal aid and housing for women and children.
“This has been an amazing gift to so many of the immigrants in our community,” Father Buening said.
Some other ministries at St. Matthew include BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development), CARES (Civic and Religious Emergency Services), the Fair Trade program, Our Daily Bread, Prison Ministry, Right to Life, Stephen Ministry for those going through difficult times and a Wellness Ministry.
Stanton has been a parishioner at St. Matthew “on and off” for more than 40 years, and her children attended Cardinal Shehan School, located on campus. In addition to her role on the pastoral council, she is a church corporator and a member of the fundraising team, cross-cultural racial justice team, BUILD and the gospel choir.
“With Seek the City, my goal and my hope as one of the leaders in the church is that we will not look like everyone is welcome to come to us – we are all one church,” she said. “A lot of people will be upset, that is the nature of people. But this is an opportunity for us to really demonstrate who we are: children of God.”
The parish’s anniversary celebration will be a parish picnic held on Sept. 21 on the feast of St. Matthew. Father Buening said it will be an old-fashioned revival, with an outdoor Mass where people will have the opportunity to recommit their lives to Christ.
“We recognize this is a new beginning for us,” said Father Buening. “We are excited about the next 75 years, but also the newness that will be coming to St. Matthew – new vitality, new energy and new people – which will be great for the years ahead.”
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