The Word of God is given to us as the Word of life, which transforms, renews, and does not judge in order to condemn, but heals and has forgiveness as its aim. A Word that is light for our steps!”
Pope Francis, Twitter.com; June 22, 2020
Adult Faith Formation is for ANY adult seeking to grow in the Catholic faith through prayer, study and a lively participation in the Sacraments.
If you are interested in becoming Catholic, or in completing the Sacraments of Initiation as an adult, you can find out about the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults by clicking HERE or by emailing Rachel Willoughby at rachelw@stmatthewcatholic.org.
Pre-Lent Speaker Series with
Father Michael O’Loughlin
Join us for three nights of meditation and conversation on Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving to help us prepare for a fruitful Lenten journey!
Monday, Feb. 6
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Wednesday, Feb. 8
7 to 8:00 pm each night in the Church
There will also be a daytime talk for those unable to attend in the evening: Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 10:30 am to noon in the Banquet Room.
Father O’Loughlin is the pastor at the Proto-Cathedral of St. Mary in Sherman Oaks, California. He is a co-host of What God Is Not and The Catholic Stuff You Should Know podcasts. He was raised Roman Catholic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a teenager, he fell in love with the Byzantine Catholic Church. He was ordained a priest for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix in May 2005. He enjoys bi-ritual faculties to celebrate the sacraments in the Roman and Byzantine Catholic Churches. He formerly served as the co-director for the Office of Young Adult Ministry for the Eparchy and continues to offer discussion series for young adults throughout the Los Angeles area.
God wants to give you more.
How will you respond this Lent?
Has your relationship with God grown stale? Has it lost its spark? Are you plagued by a particular sin? Something you can’t shake? Are you just tired from the day-to-day grind of your life? These all show that God wants to give you more. And this Lent can be when God gives it to you.
Fr. Mark Toups leads readers inward to invite the Lord to heal those areas where they need it most. Readers will receive daily guidance as well as supplemental videos, to help enter more deeply into Lent and remain focused throughout the season.
Tom Sperrazzo and Jack DeMao
Feb. 15 (kickoff); March 1 (check-In)
9 to 10 am OR 7 to 8 pm
Consecration date: March 20 (after 9:00 mass)
$15
In the midst of crisis, confusion, and a world at war with the Church, it is time to come home again to our spiritual father, St. Joseph.
Join Tom Sperrazzo and Jack DeMao in consecrating yourself to St. Joseph.
The 33-day consecration will begin February 15, and two introductory sessions are offered: a morning session from 9 to 10 am and an evening session from 7 to 8 pm. Materials will be available for pick up at that time.
Midway through the 33 day self-study, there will also be a “progress” session, to discuss any questions and receive more details about the consecration.
The Consecration is scheduled for March 20, after the 9 am Mass.
Please contact Tom Sperrazzo with questions regarding the program and consecration.
NOW AVAILABLE!
Winter/Spring 2023 Programming
If you are interested in participating in one of our classes, please see below for the current and upcoming offerings. Registrations can be submitted as follows:
- online with a credit card: simply click on the blue title of the class and you will be redirected to Faith Direct. You may check out as a guest without creating a Faith Direct account, should you so desire. If troubles come up with Faith Direct, please contact them directly so that they can assist you in completing your registration.
- in person: complete a paper registration in the Saint Matthew church office and pay by cash or check (we are only able to take credit or debit payments with online registrations at this time).
Edwin & Nithiya Francis
Thursdays, February 9 to March 23
7 to 8:30 pm
($20)
(click image to register)
The Search
Why are we here? What is life all about? What happens when we die? These are some of life’s deepest questions, rooted in the human heart’s deepest desires: happiness, love, beauty, meaning. Where can we find the answers to these questions and these desires? Until satisfied, we are left questioning, longing, and searching.
The Search video series guides viewers through an arc of seven episodes, examining the great big story of everything—life and death, sorrow and happiness, science and faith—as astrophysicists, psychologists, astronauts, neuroscientists, professors, athletes, artists, and the beauty of the cosmos all point to one big (and perhaps surprising) conclusion: that Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church have the best and most satisfying answers to every one of the questions and desires of the human heart.
The Catechism in a Year
Father Mike Schmitz will host this new podcast and walk you through reading the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 days.
Additionally, to supplement this self study, consider joining Rachel Willoughby the first Thursday of each month for discussions on the material covered. She will help you make connections between the sections of the Catechism, give suggestions for additional resources, and answer questions.
To listen to Fr. Mike’s podcast, join the Facebook group and/or sign up for the reading plan, please click HERE.
To RSVP for Rachel’s discussion group, click image above.
Rachel Willoughby
January to December 2023, once a month*
7 to 8:30 pm
Free
* Dates: 01/05, 02/02, 03/02, 03/30, 05/04, 06/01, 07/06, 08/03, 09/07, 10/05, 11/02, 12/07
Ongoing prayer groups/classes:
Lectio Divina
Thursdays from 10 to 11 am
Beginning June 23, 2022
no fee
Lectio Divina is a method of reading, meditating on, and praying with the Sacred Scriptures. We will come together as a group to read and meditate on the readings for the upcoming Sunday and prepare together to receive the many gifts that God desires to give us each week through his Word.
It’s recommended that you bring a Bible and a journal with you so you can really dive in to the Word of God, but if you don’t yet have a Bible or a journal you are welcome to come, and we will have the readings and some paper available for you.
Men’s Bible Study
Tuesdays, beginning July 26, 2022
7 to 8:30 pm
no fee
Develop fellowship as you delve into God’s Word and how to apply it to your daily life. Encourage and support each other as you reflect on the Scriptures. Join us starting Tuesday, July 26, from 7 to 8:30 pm in the New Life Center.
It’s recommended that you bring a Bible and a pen and notebook with you so you can really dive in to the Word of God.
Classes currently in progress:
Terry DeMao
Wednesdays, 10 am to noon
Oct. 19 to May 31
Ballantyne Campus
Genesis (a Catholic Scripture Study)
Without Genesis, the rest of the Bible is incomprehensible. Unveiling no less than the creation of the world and everything in it, including human life, as well as the birth of sin and the promise of a Savior, Genesis is packed with fascinating images and layered theological insights that require careful study.
Genesis is the first key to unlocking the chest that enables us to understand the Bible as the Universal Church always has. To find the priceless gems inside, we need a good roadmap to learn how the 50 chapters fit together and fit with the rest of the entire Bible.
Let Steve Ray and Fr. Kauth guide you on a 1,500+ verse deep-dive into the richly puzzling spiritual depths of Genesis.
The Bible Timeline:
The Story of Salvation
The Bible Timeline® study program takes you on a guided journey through salvation history. Presenter Jeff Cavins will show you how fourteen of the Bible’s narrative books tell the biblical story from beginning to end, teaching you how to read and understand the entire Bible and introduce you to the wonderful narrative of Scripture in a way that will transform your life.
Christine Corbly
Wednesdays, 10 to 11:45 am
Sept. 7 to March 22
Waxhaw Campus
Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible:
A Quick Journey Through the Bible
You Can Understand the Bible!
The Bible is at the heart of our faith and our relationship with God. Much more than just another book, it is a “place” where our heavenly Father comes down to meet us and speaks to us with love.
Reading the Bible should bring us closer to Christ, but many people find it hard to even begin. This course aims to make the complex simple—to give people a way to read the Bible and understand it … and so experience its life-changing power. This is the clearest, easiest, and most accessible way to understand Scripture.
Jane Brock
Mondays, January 9 to March 13
9:45 to noon
Deacon Joe Becker
Thursdays, January 12 to February 9
7 to 8:30 pm
The Eucharist and the Mass
The Eucharist and The Mass – what is really happening?
Come explore the Eucharist and the Mass in a new and deeper way! Join Deacon Joe in studying the Eucharist as real presence, sacrifice, and communion.
Then, dig deeply into each part of the Mass and learn more about what is truly happening and how to more fully enter into the mysteries.
Revelation:
The Kingdom Yet the Come
Perhaps no book of the Bible fascinates people more than Revelation. Yet relatively few people have studied it, especially from a Catholic perspective. Revelation: The Kingdom Yet to Come is an intriguing study that shows how the kingdom established by Christ in his Church is intimately connected with the kingdom of heaven.
Discover what the mysterious figures and images of Revelation mean and see how Revelation is more than an apocalyptic vision of the “end times.” Explore the Church’s teaching on the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Understand how God, the Divine Bridegroom, and the Church, his spotless bride, enter into a heavenly, holy, and mystical marriage every time we celebrate Mass.
Ron Groover
Mondays, January 9 to April 3
7 to 8:30 pm
Karen Geiger
Thursdays, January 12 to February 23
7 to 8:30 pm
Fulfilled:
Uncovering the Biblical Foundations of Catholicism
(PART TWO)
Have you ever been unable to explain the “why” of Catholic beliefs? Have you ever wondered why the Old Testament sounds so different from the New Testament?
In the Old Testament, God began building a plan and laying a foundation for the beautiful traditions of the Catholic Faith. That plan was fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament.
Fulfilled: Uncovering the Biblical Foundations of Catholicism is an apologetic approach to sharing the Catholic Faith using the Old Testament Tabernacle as a blueprint for God’s plan. While it is designed as a faith-sharing Scripture study, you will also gain an understanding of some of the most questioned Catholic teachings. Fulfilled will reignite your love of Scripture and help you share and defend the Catholic Faith with the Word of God.
Part Two – Drawn into the Divine Mystery focuses on elements of the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and how they connect to the Magisterium, the Eucharist, incense, Mary, and more.
Catholicism:
The Pivotal Players
Bishop Barron continues on his journey to take people around the world and deep into the Catholic Faith, unlocking the truth behind the Catholic Church’s most influential people. This multi-part film series program illumines a handful of saints, artists, mystics, and scholars who not only shaped the life of the Church but changed the course of civilization.
CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players is the best way to immerse yourself fully into these holy men and women. You’ll go deeper into the lives of these extraordinary people with experts who have written each lesson commentary under the direction and approval of Bishop Barron.
Charlie Knatz
Wednesdays, January 11 to February 15
7 to 8:30 pm
(Free)
(click image to register)
Carolyn Klika
Tuesdays, January 10 to March 28
7 to 9 pm
Surviving Divorce:
Hope and Healing for the Catholic Family
Surviving Divorce was created to bring hope and healing to those who have experienced the pain and loneliness of a broken marriage. It is for the newly separated and divorced and those still struggling with issues many years later. It will help you answer questions, restore hope, and begin authentic healing.
Through personal testimonies of Catholic men and women who have experienced the breakdown of their families, and who courageously share their stories with heart, humor, and wisdom, you will witness the healing power of Christ. You will laugh, cry, and identify with their journeys from heartache to healing.
This program will help you:
- Work through the emotional upheaval of separation and divorce.
- Find personal healing and hope.
- Discover a deeper understanding of God’s love for you.
- Gain wisdom and comfort from experts and others who share your experiences.
- Navigate new concerns like custody, court hearings, and finances
What We Believe:
The Beauty of the Catholic Faith
What is the Catholic Church all about? What does it mean to be Catholic? What do Catholics actually believe?
The Catholic Church is extraordinary. Founded by Christ himself, the Catholic Church is where we encounter God in his Word, his sacraments, and his saints. The Church faithfully proclaims the fullness of faith, leaving no truth out. It proclaims the fullness of life, leaving no person out. It calls all to repent and to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the source of all life and salvation.
Maybe you’ve been Catholic your entire life. Maybe you’re just beginning to explore the Catholic Faith. Wherever you may be in your journey, you will be profoundly moved by the beauty and the richness of the Catholic Church.
What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith was filmed on location in Rome. In it you will discover what Catholics truly believe, who Catholics truly are and how we are called to live, the blessings of Creation, redemption, and newness of life in the Holy Spirit and the profound gift of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of our Faith, and how to imitate Christ through prayer, through personal conversion, and through love for others.
Christine Corbly
Tuesdays, January 10 to March 14
Noon to 1:30 pm
Kathleen Taddonio and Regina Hoffman
Wednesdays, January 25 to March 22
9:30 to 11 am
Moving On After Moving In
We welcome ladies new to the area and invite you to join our upcoming nine-week study of God’s role and love in the process of your moving transition.
Are you struggling to get your family settled and the kids in a new routine? Do you want to meet other women who may feel a loss of identity due to their moves? Are you yearning for an answer as to why God has brought you to this new place?
Our team will embrace and encourage you as we read the book After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On After Moving In by Susan Miller. This book and the weekly discussions serve as a vehicle for personal, spiritual and communal growth and support. The $20 cost covers the books and materials for this study. The study is on Wednesdays, January 25 through March 22 2023, from 9:30 to 11 am.
For more information, email Kathleen Taddonio or Regina Hoffman at welcomeministries@gmail.com.
Resources and Ministries
Christ Renews His Parish
Living Your Strengths
Living Your Strengths is a ministry designed to help adults maximize their God-given talents in all aspects of life – personal, professional, and spiritual.
So often we are told that to be successful and achieve our goals we need to stop doing this, or start doing that, or work on improving our weaknesses. What if we shifted our focus and started concentrating on doing more of what we are good at doing, and using our limited time and energy to develop our talents and strengths? Who did God plan for YOU to be? See below for the lineup of Strengths offerings available at St. Matthew! No prerequisites, except to take the assessment and discover your Top Five. The ministry uses Gallup’s Clifton StrengthsFinder®, an online assessment tool, as the starting point.
COMING IN JANUARY 2023: Living Your Strengths One Day Workshop (2 options)
OPTION 1 – NEW TO LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS
Saturday January 7, 2023
9 am – 4 pm
Cost: $40.00
New Life Center Banquet Room
*** Registration includes the Living Your Strengths book, the Top Five Clifton Strengths assessment and lunch.
REGISTER HERE
OPTION 2 – REFRESH/DIVE DEEPER
Saturday January 7, 2023
9 am – 4 pm
Cost: $20.00
New Life Center Banquet Room
*** Registration includes workshop day activities and lunch.
REGISTER HERE
STRENGTHS EXPLORATION
Sign up during our annual regularly scheduled offerings or form your own small group and contact us!
Strengths Exploration is a six-week, 90 minutes per week, small-group program designed to help you discover your God-given talents and begin to shift your focus away from fixing your weaknesses. Participants learn to start spending time and energy on doing more of what they are good at doing. With the guidance of trained facilitators, groups begin by exploring each individual’s CliftonStrengths top talent themes—their regular patterns of behavior—and determine how to apply these talents in their personal, professional and spiritual lives to fulfill God’s purpose for each. Positive and uplifting. Sessions typically commence during January and September. Watch the bulletin for more information, or email: lys@stmatthewministries.org.
STRENGTHS COACHING
Strengths Coaches are available for free one-on-one sessions to help you to set goals and apply your God-given talents and strengths. People typically meet once or twice with a coach, to receive guidance on further understanding of the results of the CliftonStrengths assessment, and embrace and unleash their potential in life. Coaching is one of the elements of the Exploration sessions, but we also encourage anyone who has taken the assessment to meet with a coach. Taking the CliftonStrengths assessment (see above) is required to participate. Find the list of Strengths Coaches Bios and contact one of your choice.
To find out about dates of the next offerings, to volunteer or to ask a question, contact:
Valerie Menzel, 862-668-1707 or Leanne Burnett, 704-241-4081, or email lys@stmatthewministries.org.
Young Adult Ministry
Young Adult Life Ministry provides young adults (20s–30s) single or married opportunities to grow in their faith and be active in the St. Matthew community through spiritual, service, and social activities. We welcome all young adults, members or non-members of St. Matthew, to join us for our events.
Email Rachel at rachelw@stmatthewcatholic.org to get connected!
Divine Mercy
Moving On After Moving In
We welcome ladies new to the area and invite you to join our upcoming nine-week study of God’s role and love in the process of your moving transition.
Are you struggling to get your family settled and the kids in a new routine? Do you want to meet other women who may feel a loss of identity due to their moves? Are you yearning for an answer as to why God has brought you to this new place?
Our team will embrace and encourage you as we read the book After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On After Moving In by Susan Miller. This book and the weekly discussions serve as a vehicle for personal, spiritual and communal growth and support. The $20 cost covers the books and materials for this study. The study is on Wednesdays, January 25 through March 22 2023, from 9:30 to 11 am.
For more information, email Kathleen Taddonio or Regina Hoffman at welcomeministries@gmail.com.
To register, please click HERE
Peace and Social Justice Ministry
Centering Prayer
The Centering Prayer group is not currently meeting.
For more information, contact: Janie Normile: 914-489-9525 or normilejgm@gmail.com.
In a busy world, a time for silence is a rare experience. However, authentic spirituality always embraces silent time with God. Centering Prayer is a practice that invites us to be present to God as God is present to us. It is a process that transforms us and brings inner peace into our lives. These sessions will present a brief background into the Centering Prayer practice, an explanation of the prayer process and an experience of prayer.
Childcare will not be offered until further notice, and children are not permitted inside the classrooms with their parents. There will be no food served during any classes and we ask you refrain from bringing food. Please feel free to bring your own coffee cup, water or beverage of your liking.