We’re celebrating 40 years as a parish with Mission 40 – A Year of Impact!

This year, we’ll mark every year of God’s blessings with 40 ways to be the Church. Each quarter, join us to serve, pray, and grow in fellowship.

This October, we’ll begin simply—by uniting in prayer. Imagine thousands of us pausing at 3 pm to pray the Our Father, donating to our coat drive, and coming together in fellowship at the St. Matthew Fall Festival.

Coat Drive Information:
Share warmth with those in need. We are collecting new and gently used coats on Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12 at both campuses. All donations will go to families in need as the colder months approach. Please drop off your coats in the designated bins before or after Mass. 

Stay tuned… more details to come!

Friday, Oct. 24, 6-7 pm, Parish Center Parking Lot

Bring your little ghouls and goblins for an evening of family fun at our annual Trunk or Treat! Parishioners will decorate their car trunks and hand out candy in the church parking lot — a safe, festive way to celebrate the season.

Come in costume, and see the creativity of our community on display! Families, teens, ministries, and groups are invited to host a trunk — it’s a great way to share smiles and spread a little joy.

Want to host a trunk?
Sign up at stmatthewcatholic.org/faithfamily.

Join us for a spook-tacular evening of faith, fellowship, and fun! 🎃

Sunday, October 26

11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Join us after the 10:45 am Children’s Mass for our Fall Festival! Celebrate the gift of faith and the beauty of the fall season with your St. Matthew family. Enjoy food trucks, a giant inflatable slide, bounce houses, petting zoo, mini golf, pumpkin toss, and more—fun for all ages!

Come for Mass, stay for the fellowship, and make lasting memories with your parish community.

Interested in becoming part of the St. Matthew Wildcat Family?

St. Matthew Catholic School invites prospective families for the 2026–2027 school year to attend the Fall Open House on Sunday, October 26, 2025 from 1- 2:30 pm. Families with children entering Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through 5th grade are encouraged to join.

Come explore our classrooms, meet our dedicated teachers, and see firsthand the joy of learning at St. Matthew Catholic School, where God’s greatest gifts, His children, grow and thrive in a loving Catholic environment.

Please register below to attend. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the many opportunities our school provides!

If you are unable to attend the open house, you are invited to schedule a small group tour online. Tours will resume in November.

Open House: Oct. 26 from 1 – 2:30 pm

Location: St. Matthew Catholic School, 11525 Elm Lane, Charlotte, NC 28277

Email: tours@stmatthewschool.net

Phone: 704-544-2070

** Update as of Aug. 12: Times have changed for the Waxhaw Campus as well. Effective immediately, confessions at Waxhaw will be on Saturdays from 2:30 – 3:30 pm. Confessions will no longer be held on Sundays. **

Dear Parish Family,

As we enter this new chapter together at St. Matthew, I want to thank you for the warm welcome and your openness as we find our way together as a parish community.

Beginning immediately, we will no longer offer confessions at the main campus on Sundays. Instead, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available on Saturdays from 4 to 5 pm in the church confessionals. Confessions on Wednesday will remain from 9 to 10 am, and the confession schedule at the Waxhaw campus will remain unchanged. I and the other priests are, of course, still available by appointment as well.

This change allows both our priests and parishioners to give their full attention to the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist – the heart of our Catholic life. The change in location also aligns with our desire to celebrate the sacraments with reverence in the church.

I know that change takes time, and as I have said before, this new chapter will take us a while to wrap our heads around it. However, if we remain rooted in love and prayer, I truly believe the Holy Spirit will bear abundant fruit in our parish. Please be patient with one another and with us as we walk this journey together. 

I am grateful for your understanding and continued faithfulness.

In Christ,
Father Cahill
Pastor

 

The 2025 Diocesan Support Appeal (DSA), themed Reflecting God’s Light, provides essential funding for over 50 ministries and programs that help fulfill our mission to grow as a community of praise, worship, and service in the Piedmont and western North Carolina. Bishop Martin invites us to prayerfully consider a “stretch” gift to the DSA, serving Christ by supporting thousands of Catholics in our diocese. To contribute online, visit www.charlottediocese.org/dsa and select “Saint Matthew” as your parish to ensure your gift counts toward our parish goal.

Our parish community thrives when everyone shares their gifts in service to the Church. We invite you to consider serving in one of our liturgical ministries! Whether you have a warm smile to welcome others as a greeter or host (usher), a deep love for the Eucharist as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC), a calling to proclaim God’s Word as a lector, or a heart for reverent preparation as a sacristan, your service makes a difference. We also need altar servers to assist at Mass, choir members to lift voices in praise, and parishioners to serve in our production ministry to enhance our liturgies. Join us in making our worship beautiful and welcoming. Your parish family needs you! Please follow the links below to visit the individual ministry pages.

• Altar Guild
• Altar Servers
• Arts & Environment
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
• Hosts
• Mass Coordinators
• Mass Greeters
• Ministers of the Word
• Music Ministry
• Production Ministry
• Sacristans
• Seams of Faith
• Welcome Desk

Need Help Finding a Place to Serve?

Do you want to be involved at St. Matthew but aren’t sure where you best fit? We would love to talk to you! Take a minute to fill out the form below to get started or contact Rossana Alvarez, at ralvarez@stmatthewcatholic.org.

Did you know the Catholic Church supports organ donation as an act of love and self-giving? Both Pope Francis and St. John Paul II have encouraged this life-saving practice, describing it as a meaningful way to show charity and solidarity. St. John Paul II described it as “a genuine act of love,” while Pope Francis called it “a testimony of love for our neighbor.” By offering the gift of life to those in need, organ donors live out Christ’s call to love our neighbor in a tangible way.

 

Right now, Joe Buonanno, a long-time member of our parish community, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant. If you feel called to help, please visit http://www.giftforjoe.com/ for more information.

 

Let us keep Joe and all those awaiting transplants in our prayers, and may we strive to embody Christ’s love through acts of kindness and generosity.