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

We are excited to kick off the Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive (MMWHD)! Together, we continue to build a “Bridge of Hope” by providing food, sustainability projects, and education to our brothers and sisters locally and around the world.

Many in Haiti are struggling due to food shortages, poor living conditions, and lawlessness. Our MMWHD effort is working to build a “Bridge of Hope” by creating hope, love, and joy through the support of the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) in Cap Haitian, and Hands for Haiti, which operates St. Marc School in Tremesse. 

This year marks the 23rd year of our Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive, and more than ever, we are counting on your generosity to help us reach our goal and continue our mission to provide food and support to the hungry and homeless locally and around the world.

The drive will be conducted in two parts:

Part One: Fundraising:

The fundraising campaign will take place from July 12 – August 3. The goal is to raise $400,000 which will be used to:

• Provide funding for the Missionaries of the Poor to purchase food and critical supplies for distribution in Cap Haitien.
• Continue to fund sustainability projects including subsidizing the education of students at St. Marc School; expanding the sewing trade school and the agricultural trade school; starting a welding and solar trade school; continuing to invest in irrigation, wells for clean water, and solar power initiatives; and continuing to support tilapia harvest and egg production.
• Continue to support feeding children in Venezuela and a boy’s hostel in India.
• Provide food and funds to assist Charlotte area food banks.

Participate in the Annual Hoops for Hunger 3v3 Tournament which will take place on Saturday, Aug. 2. To learn more or register, click the button below.

Part Two: Meal-packing:

Join us for the in-person meal-packing event which will take place in the St. Matthew Parish Center on Saturday, August 16. The goal is to assemble 300,000 meals. It takes a village – please consider signing up to help! Meals from our meal-packing event this year will be sent to Atulado Ministries in Cuba where the meals will be distributed to churches feeding the poor in their communities.  

Please visit the web pages listed below to find out more, register to participate, or donate to this amazing cause!

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.

Support and Donate to the St. Matthew Catholic School Wildcat Aunnal Fund

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the 2024-2025 Wildcat Annual Fund, themed “Joy in Service.” Together, we celebrate the joy of serving others in our community—whether through our meal-packing event, in-school service projects, serving meals to the homeless, or helping our neighbors in Western North Carolina.

Our goal this year is to raise $75,000 to support Catholicity, professional development, technology, and cultural enrichment.

Join us in making a difference in St. Matthew Catholic School and the broader community as we embrace the joy of giving back and finding joy in service! We invite you, and anyone who loves Catholic Schools, to help us meet our goal by donating today. Gifts of all sizes make an immediate impact and are tax-deductible. By supporting our mission through the Wildcat Annual Fund, you play a pivotal role in creating a brighter future for our school.

Click the video to watch a special 2024-2025 Wildcat Annual Fund message from St. Matthew Catholic School Principal, Kevin O’Herron.

Are You a Guest or Are You a Host?

“We find ourselves longing for a real presence – that is, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that unites us with Christ really present in the Eucharist.”

“So what do we do as the People of God? What do you and I do as a community of faith that desires not only to be really present, but desires to come to know our God, who is really present?”

“In order for us to be really present, we have to be together in communion. Present.”

“We will follow the Lord. May we begin to realize that. This journey of real presence isn’t and can’t be done alone. It has to be done with one another. So we come and worship as one – with one voice, but not alone. That’s how presence is experienced, because we’re social beings at the core.”

“The work of faith requires preparation. You don’t just show up, I’ve told my parishioners all the time: there are two ways to come to church – you’re either a host or a guest. Too many people walk into church as guests. The hosts realize that they’ve been given a gift and they want to share it. They’re looking for ways to help people experience that gift, to help people be really present. Are you a guest or are you a host?”

Excerpts from Bishop Michael Martin’s homily – Corpus Christi 2024 Ways We Can Be Hosts

Rededicate to Worship 

• Volunteer for our liturgical ministries: ushers, ministers of the Word, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Mass coordinators, sacristans, altar servers, choir and greeters.
• Actively participate in the prayers, responses, songs and more. 
• Attend the Children’s Mass and encourage your children to be a part of the celebration.
• Foster a welcoming and hospitable atmosphere at our parish.
• Engage fully in the Mass as a shared responsibility.

Encounter Jesus in the Eucharist

• Embrace our Sunday obligation as a personal invitation from Christ.
• Give thanks for the Eucharist and receive the Eucharist as often as possible.
• Participate in Eucharistic Adoration and our monthly parish enrichment.

Enrich Our Faith 

• Take part in our adult enrichment programs.
• Support and engage with your children as they form their faith. 
• Join parish activities designed for all age groups.

Bring the Real Presence into the World 

• Let our revitalized worship inspire acts of service and hospitality.
• Volunteer for one of our outreach ministries. 
• Invite someone to Mass or one of our parish events.

Join Us as Hosts! Think about how you and your family can actively contribute to our parish community, bringing the True Presence into our daily lives and the lives of others. There’s more for us to do than sit in the pew. 

You Belong Here!