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.
“We find ourselves longing for a real presence – that is, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that unites us with Christ reallypresent 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.
The Diocese of Charlotte is enhancing its Safe Environment program with new, comprehensive policies and procedures updated for today’s issues and needs. Among other updates, the diocese has shifted from Virtus to a streamlined platform called CMG Connect. CMG Connect will combine all of our Safe Environment screening, onboarding, and training in one place for all clergy, employees, and volunteers.
All who volunteer or work in the Diocese of Charlotte will need to be set up and certified through CMG Connect.
Existing Virtus Users: If your Virtus account contains your email address, please look for an email from the diocese or your local Safe Environment coordinator with instructions for how to access your new CMG Connect account.
Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. All are welcome!
Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what’s going on at the altar. They tire of seeing the backs of others’ heads.
Quietly explain the parts of the Mass and actions of the priest, altar servers, choir, etc.
Sing the hymns, pray, and voice the responses. Children learn by copying you.
If you have to leave Mass with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me”
Remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the church, to God, and to one another. Let them know that they are at home in this house of worship.
To other members of our parish:
The presence of children is a gift to the church, and they are a reminder that our parish is growing!
Please welcome our children and give a smile of encouragement to their parents. If you see a parent struggling, please offer to help them!
Deacon Joe Becker, Deacon Lon Phillips, and Deacon Jack Staub discuss why Catholics believe in the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist in this multi-part video series found below.
Check back for more episodes as our parish celebrates the Year of the Eucharist!
#1: The Eucharist with Deacon Joe Becker
#2: The Eucharist (part 2) with Deacon Joe Becker
#3: The Eucharist – The Real Presence with Deacon Lon Phillips
#4: The Liturgy of the Eucharist with Deacon Jim Hamrlik
#5: The Eucharist – Our Salvation with Deacon Jack Staub
#6: Do You Believe? with Deacon Joe Becker
#7: The True Presence – My Relationship with the Lord with Deacon Jack Staub
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3RVuGy1Elk&t=6s
#8: Transfiguration Sunday Homily from Father Darren Balkey
St. Matthew Catholic Church is excited to be participating in the National Eucharistic Revival by celebrating the Year of the Eucharist with events throughout the year.
Upcoming Events:
Family Eucharistic Adoration – Encounter Christ in the Eucharist Together as a Family!
Friday, April 26 from 6 – 7 pm in the church on the main campus.
Corpus Christi – Special Mass and Eucharistic Procession at the AMP Ballantyne
Sunday, June 2 at 10:45 am, details coming soon.
Adoration is simply to show our love for Jesus, to adore Him in the Eucharist – and to allow Him to love us. The purpose of a Family Eucharistic Adoration is to welcome the entire family, including children of any age, to adore Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.
If you have never been to Eucharistic Adoration, don’t worry, we will teach you everything you need to know. Simply come and be led through the loving Adoration of Jesus.
The Eucharistic Revival begins on Sunday, June 11, with the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). It is a three-year journey to bring Catholics and non-Catholics into a closer, more personal relationship with Our Lord. The miracle of the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist heals the soul, brings unity to a torn world, and joy to the heart. In turn, receiving the Eucharist must inspire us to share with all the world the unconditional love of the Mystery.
Stay tuned for more information about the exciting events happening at St. Matthew as we celebrate the Eucharist, and explore what the Church means when she speaks of the “Real Presence” of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is truly transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. During the consecration, the bread and wine are transubstantiated, which means that although they are the same to our human senses, they are actually the real body and blood of Jesus. According to Pew Research Center, only 31 percent of Catholics believe in the True Presence. We all need the healing of this Sacrament, and it is our responsibility as believing disciples to share this good news with everyone.
The first National Eucharistic Congress in 83 years is July 17-21, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Lucas Oil Stadium. Over 80,000 Catholics are expected to attend. You do not want to miss this five-day experience. Click here for more information.
Purpose, connection, peace—these desires are written on our hearts for a reason. The answer lies at the very center of our faith: the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is a joyful, expectant, grassroots movement to restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery here in the United States.
Additional Resources
A project of Ave Maria Press, Ave Explores is an initiative aimed at helping everyday Catholics better live their faith through various topics.
Ave Explores: The Eucharist is a series highlighting the mystery of the Eucharist, how it heals and changes us, and what it means to welcome the Eucharistic Lord into our hearts, homes, and neighborhoods.
Eucharistic Miracles – Database
Michael O’Neill is an author, speaker, and creator of the website MiracleHunter.com, the web’s top resource on Marian apparitions cited in news articles and blogs around the world. O’Neill’s career involves both explaining and exploring miracles. “If I can somehow prove to myself that miracles are in fact happening around the world,” he says, “then that connects me to God somehow.”
As a result of frequent vandalism, the physical mailbox has been removed from the premises. Please do not send any mail to the street address of St. Matthew. All mail should be directed to the parish post office box.
St. Matthew Catholic Church PO Box 49349 Charlotte, NC 28277
All three of our areas of food distribution need volunteers:
Friday morning Pantry Run – In need of drivers and helpers
Using the box truck from the church 2 volunteers each Friday morning of the month leave from the church and drive either to Greensboro or Kannapolis to pick up donations from a grocery reclamation center. Volunteers will load boxes that avg 20-30 lbs a piece. On the return trip stops are made along the way to charities that feed the hungry and usually you are back at the church about 12:30 pm. Volunteers are usually scheduled one Friday a month.
Regional Farmers Market on Remount Road and delivery to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on Tuskaseegee Rd.
Saturdays from Shed A (local farmers) pick up of donated goods in bins about 12:30 pm or From Shed B at 4:30 pmpick up of donated items from vendors. Time commitment is about 1 ½ hrs. You are usually scheduled for once a month. You will use your own vehicle and loads will fill a SUV or pick up space.
Weekly pick ups for local grocery store to designated charity that feeds the hungry
Two of our morning routes that happen weekly need volunteers. A Monday and Saturday morning route needs to be filled at this time. Usual pick up is done between 8-9amand delivered to designated charity of the day. Route usually takes 1 –1 ½ hr to complete.
If you are available to help in one of these ways, please contact Diana Hankins at dhankins48@gmail.com or 706 888-7764. You will receive training and we follow the church guidelines for volunteers.
