Ascension Sunday

"God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord." (Ps 47)

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June 1, 2025

Readings

Acts 7:55-60 | Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20 | John 17:20-26

(Catholic Standard photo by Mihoko Owada)

Cathedral Choir Honors Earth Day with Music and Message of Climate Action Featured in Catholic Standard Article

The Schola Cantorum at St. Matthew’s Cathedral marked Earth Day with a Service of Lessons and Carols inspired by Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’. Through music, Scripture, and reflections on creation, the service called for urgent care of the planet. Afterward, an eco-fair invited attendees to learn practical ways to live out the message of environmental stewardship. (Click on photo to read the Catholic Standard article!)

Ordination Anniversaries

Msgr. Jameson, Cathedral Rector, celebrated his 57th anniversary of ordination this month! This week is Fr. Hurley's 43rd anniversary of ordination! Let us pray for Msgr. Jameson and Fr. Hurley as they celebrate their ordination anniversaries during the month of May.

Msgr. Jameson - May 18, 1968 (57th)

Fr. Hurley - May 29, 1982 (43rd)

On May 31st, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast commemorates the Blessed Mother’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth and the encounter of Jesus and St. John the Baptist while in the wombs of their mothers.

Join us in praying "A Novena for Life" from May 22-30. Sign up to receive daily novena emails. You can also download and print the full novena.

Join the Retreat at St. John the Evangelist, May 30-June 1, 2025 Scan the QR code above for more details and to register.

Pilgrimage & Celebration of the Holy Jubilee 2025

Schedule of events and more information can be found HERE. Saturday, May 31, beginning at 12pm.

Join us in person or via livestream for the 2025 Mass of Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate

His Eminence, Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington will serve as Principal Celebrant and Homilist for this Mass on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 10am at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

An Ordination is a sacramental ceremony in which a man becomes a deacon, priest, or bishop and is enabled to minister in Christ’s name and that of the Church. A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. A transitional deacon is a seminarian en route to the priesthood. (Livestream coming soon.)

All the faithful are invited to attend this event to celebrate this Ordination!

With praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington joyfully invites you to attend the Ordination to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ

The Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood will take place on Saturday, June 21, 10am, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

This year, the Archdiocese will ordain five men to the priesthood:

• Deacon Marco Cerritelli
• Deacon Gerard Gayou
• Deacon Louis McHale
• Deacon Daniel Morrison
• Deacon Chukwuma Odigwe

An Ordination is a sacramental ceremony in which a man becomes a deacon, priest, or bishop and is enabled to minister in Christ’s name and that of the Church. A Roman Catholic priest is a man called by God to serve Christ and the Church through the reception of the sacrament of Holy Orders. Let's keep them in our prayers.

Jubilee Cross & Jubilee Prayer

At St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the cross in the sanctuary has been specially designated as the Jubilee Cross for the Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope. This sacred cross serves as a symbol of Christ’s love and the hope that guides us through this Jubilee Year. It stands as a focal point for our community, inviting pilgrims to reflect on the significance of this special time of grace and renewal. Next to the cross, the Jubilee Cross Prayer is displayed, providing a spiritual guide for all who come to pray and reflect. We invite you to visit the Jubilee Cross in the sanctuary, where you can recite the Jubilee Cross Prayer or take a moment for personal reflection. You may read the Jubilee Cross Prayer HERE and/or the Jubilee Prayer by Pope Francis HERE. La oración de la Cruz Jubilar en español se puede encontrar AQUÍ.

Jubilee Events Led by St. Matthew's Faith Formation Director - All are Welcome!

Celebrate the grace of this Jubilee year! Join us for a series of meaningful and prayerful events, led by St. Matthew’s Faith Formation Director, L.J. Milone. Embrace this opportunity to grow in your faith. To learn more about these events, please contact L.J. Milone at ljmilone@stmatthewscathedral.org. We look forward to sharing this journey with you. LEARN MORE

Attend a class on the Trinity

Tuesday nights, May 20 to June 10, 7-8:30pm, in the East Conference Room. All are welcome! Learn more HERE.

Meditation Group

Are you looking for a way to explore or deepen your relationship with God? Come to the Meditation Group. You will discover a centuries-old prayer method that consists of simply sitting in silence with God - beyond thoughts, words, and emotions - and opening our mind, heart and whole being to the Ultimate Mystery.

In this workshop, you will learn the basics of Centering Prayer, experience it in a guided setting, and be able to ask questions and share experiences with the presenter and your fellow initiates.

Come, experience a Christian contemplative practice first described in The Cloud of Unknowing, written in the latter half of the 14th Century. It calls one to abandon all thinking and to surrender to God within.

It is a very personal prayer practice but is often practiced in groups. It opens one to God's infinite love and power to heal and opens the door to other related prayer practices around forgiveness and dealing with painful situations and emotions.

Sundays, 1:30 – 2:30pm on Zoom. See the cathedral website for the Zoom link HERE, or email L.J. Milone for the link.

The Beyond of the Spirit: A Pentecost Retreat

Come to a retreat for the solemnity of Pentecost! We will reflect on how the Spirit calls us, the church, the whole world into the Great beyond of God. Learn more HERE.

Saturday, June 7, 9-1pm, in the North Conference Room.

A Song for Nagasaki

Father Paul Glynn, a Marist priest who served as a missionary in Japan for twenty-five years, presents here the extraordinary story of a convert in the historic Catholic district that was ground zero for the devastation from the second Atomic Bomb, dropped on August 9, 1945, and killing a majority of the Catholic population of Japan. The meeting of the Book Club to discuss this moving and spiritual work will take place on Thursday, June 12, 7-8:15pm in the West Conference Room. The discussion will be led by Fr. Jack.

Happy Nothingness: A Retreat Series

Spiritual Teaching and Contemplative Silence

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” — (Mk 6:31)

Each session blends free-form contemplative teaching with ample time for silent prayer. Topics include: letting go as Jesus did, praying beyond thoughts, transforming fear and pain, the nature of faith, the Sermon on the Mount, living in the present moment, the cross as the central Christian practice, the true meaning of the end times, the parables, spiritual living in daily life, love as selflessness and tenderness, allowing God to be God, and exploring mystical nothingness. The teaching will last no longer than 45 minutes, and sometimes even shorter. Sessions always begin at 7pm. Following the teaching, the cathedral will remain open for prayer until 10pm. Participants are welcome to leave at any time. For more information, email the Director of Faith Formation: ljmilone@stmatthewscathedral.org. Monday, June 23, 7-10pm, in the Cathedral.

Mystical Word

A weekly reflection based on the Sunday Gospel reading, written by L.J. Milone, Director of Faith Formation at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Read this week's reflection HERE.

Misa de Corpus Christi en español con Primera Comunión y Procesión de Corpus Christi después de la Misa - domingo 22 de junio a la 1pm. 

Con alabanza y acción de gracias a Dios Todopoderoso, la Arquidiócesis Católica Romana de Washington anuncia con júbilo la ordenación de nuestros nuevos sacerdotes.

La Misa de Ordenación Sacerdotal se llevará a cabo a las 10:00 a.m. ET el 21 de junio de 2025, en la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de la Inmaculada Concepción.

Grupo de Oración

El Grupo de Oración en español se reúne en el salón de conferencias del norte a las 7pm para rezar el Rosario, el martes, 3 de junio.

Santo Rosario por teléfono en español

Todos los días a las 3pm. (347-378-0694, PIN 283 201 937#).

Para más información, envíe un email a Fátima Aybar o llame a la oficina de la rectoría al 202-347-3215.

Social Justice & Community Service Committee

The Social Justice and Community Service Committee mobilizes the parish community by promoting opportunities to serve those in need and to give witness of our faith in Jesus Christ through concrete acts of love and service that overcome our selfishness and indifference. Learn more about the many ways to serve HERE.

Schola Cantorum

There are currently openings in the Schola Cantorum. Prospective singers should have adult choral experience, some sight-reading skills, and a pleasant, agile voice. The commitment of time and focused energy is significant. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, 7-8:30pm, in the weeks when the choir is singing. If you have the appropriate experience and a desire to serve our Cathedral community in this very special way, please contact the Director of Music Ministries, Tom Stehle, at tstehle@stmatthewscathedral.org.