Standing before Saint Matthews United Methodist Church one might not immediately grasp the depth of its story. Saint Matthews United Methodist Church is more than just a building. It’s a community. It’s a place of worship. It’s a beacon.
This church shares its name with the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle stands as the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle is on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle is dedicated to Matthew the Apostle. He is the patron saint of civil servants. He was a tax collector. The church was established in 1840 by Father William Matthews and Father John Philip Donelan.
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle’s structure is red brick with sandstone and terra cotta trim. It is in the Romanesque Revival style with Byzantine elements. C. Grant La Farge designed it in the shape of a Latin cross. It measures 155 ft × 136 ft. It seats about 1200 persons. The interior is decorated in marble and semiprecious stones. There is a 35 ft mosaic of Matthew behind the main altar by Edwin Blashfield. The dome extends 190 ft above the nave. It is capped by a cupola and crucifix. The total height is 200 ft.
The first notable funeral Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle was for Manuel L. Quezon. He was the president of the Philippines. He died August 1 1944. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery until the end of World War II. In 1957 a Solemn Requiem Mass was offered for Senator Joseph McCarthy.
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle drew worldwide attention after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Richard Cardinal Cushing offered a Pontifical Requiem Low Mass during the state funeral. This took place on November 25 1963. The procession followed to Arlington National Cemetery for the burial.
Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during his 1979 visit. The 1997 funeral of Justice William J. Brennan Jr. also took place here.
A Lutheran funeral service for Chief Justice William Rehnquist was held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on September 7 2005.
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle is the location for one of the most famous Red Masses. Each year the day before the Supreme Court begins its term Mass is celebrated. This requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for the legal profession. Justices of the Supreme Court attend. Members of Congress and the Cabinet also attend. Even the President of the United States sometimes joins.
Dwight Eisenhower first attended as president in 1954. Harry Truman attended nine years earlier as vice president.
In 2020 the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle hosted an archdiocesan Easter Mass via livestream due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Before Joe Biden’s inauguration he attended Mass at the church with congressional leaders.
Near the entry of the St. Francis Chapel is a burial crypt. It has eight tombs for Washington’s archbishops. Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle William Cardinal Baum and James Cardinal Hickey are interred here.
The parish of St. Matthew the Apostle was the fourth established in the District of Columbia. It was dedicated on November 1 1840.
In 1892 Monsignor Thomas Sim Lee purchased the land for the current church. He commissioned Christopher Grant LaFarge to design the new church. His church design was accepted in 1893. The cornerstone was laid and blessed in 1893. The first Mass celebrated in 1895.
In 1939 St. Matthew’s was designated a Cathedral. In 1974 the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On November 25 1963 the funeral of John F. Kennedy was celebrated in the Cathedral. This is memorialized by a marble plaque.
Mother Teresa visited St. Matthew’s in 1974. Pope Francis led Midday Prayer with the United States’ bishops at the Cathedral on September 23 2015.
Saint Matthews United Methodist Church and the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle stand as testaments to faith community and history in Washington D.C. They invite all to reflect on their rich past and enduring spirit.