Let's Keep Pope Francis in Our Hearts and Prayers as he continues on his path to recovery.

Message of the Holy Father Francis for Lent 2025.

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Operation Rice Bowl Turns 50!

Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Catholic Relief Services' Operation Rice Bowl! Since 1975, Operation Rice Bowl has inspired Catholics in the United States to pray, fast, learn and give, as we increase our understanding of our global community. Your support will not only help local families but also families from around the world. We encourage you to participate in Operation Rice Bowl at home with your family and loved ones by taking home a Rice Bowl donations box located at all entrances of the church. Use this box to deposit spare change and other monetary donations and return it at the Cathedral. Let’s make this 50th year a testament to our faith and generosity! For more information, please contact Anthony Arreaga at aarreaga@stmatthewscathedral.org.

Lent and Holy Week Brochures

Get ready for this season of reflection and renewal by exploring our Lenten Brochures, available in both English and Spanish. Click the links below to access the brochures. Lent & Holy Week Brochure HERE. Folleto en Español AQUÍ.

Stations of the Cross Every Friday and Sunday of Lent

The Stations of the Cross are prayed in English every Friday of Lent, immediately following the 5:30pm Mass, and in Spanish on Sundays at 2pm.

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 all 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. As we gather in the presence of the Jubilee Cross, we are reminded of our shared journey of faith, unity, and the call to live out Christ’s mission of hope and love. 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.

Spiritual Reading

Selected by Fr. Joseph McHenry

From St. Basil:

The wise man must not boast of his wisdom, nor the strong man of his strength, nor the rich man of his riches. What then is the right kind of boasting? What is the source of man’s greatness? Scripture says: The man who boasts must boast of this, that He knows and understands that I am the Lord. Here is man’s greatness, here is man’s glory and majesty: to know in truth what is great, to hold fast to it, and to seek glory from the Lord of glory. The Apostle tells us: The man who boasts must boast of the Lord. He has just said: Christ was appointed by God to be our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption, so that, as it is written, a man who boasts must boast of the Lord.

Boasting of God is perfect and complete when we take no pride in our own righteousness but acknowledge that we are utterly lacking in true righteousness and have been made righteous only by faith in Christ.

Paul boasts of the fact that he holds his own righteousness in contempt and seeks the righteousness in faith that comes through Christ and is from God. He wants only to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to have fellowship with his sufferings by taking on the likeness of his death, in the hope that somehow he may arrive at the resurrection of the dead.

Here we see all overweening pride laid low. Humanity, there is nothing left for you to boast of, for your boasting and hope lie in putting to death all that is your own and seeking the future life that is in Christ. Since we have its first fruits we are already in its midst, living entirely in the grace and gift of God.

It is God who is active within us, giving us both the will and the achievement, in accordance with his good purpose. Through his Spirit, God also reveals his wisdom in the plan he has preordained for our glory. God gives power and strength in our labors. I have toiled harder than all the others, Paul says, but it is not I but the grace of God, which is with me.

God rescues us from dangers beyond all human expectation. We felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death, so that we might not trust ourselves but in God, who raises the dead; from so great a danger did he deliver us, and does deliver us; we hope in him, for he will deliver us again.

Meditation on Zoom

Meditation Group meetings on Zoom are led by L.J. Milone, Director of Faith Formation, each week on Sundays and Wednesdays. Join us to discover a meditation practice deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus. Immerse yourself in a space of healing and refreshing silence. READ MORE.

Jubilee Events Led by St. Matthew's Faith Formation Director

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. These special gatherings are designed to renew our hearts, strengthen our community, and draw us closer to Christ through reflection, prayer, and fellowship. 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.

Women in the Old Testament

Join us as we meet women who helped establish a monarchy, defended Israel’s interest and reflected God’s image in unique ways. Explore stories of Judith, Esther and others who played important roles in salvation history. Mondays, from March 3 to March 24, 7pm via Zoom. READ MORE.

Lent Adult Faith Classes Open to All

Join us for a series of classes for adults covering the following topics: the Trinity, the Incarnation and Grace, the Hard Sayings of Jesus, the Our Father, the Scrutiny Gospels, and the Paschal Mystery. Wednesdays during Lent, from March 12 to April 9, 7-8:30pm, in the North Conference Room. For more information, please contact L.J. Milone, ljmilone@stmatthewscathedral.org. READ MORE.

Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux

Come to a series of evening retreats on the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux! Join us for a transformative experience as we explore her profound spirituality. Learn how small acts of love and humility can lead to a deeper relationship with God. Whether you're seeking peace, inspiration, or spiritual growth, this series offers a peaceful space to reflect and grow in faith. All are welcome! Tuesdays, March 18 through April 8, 7-8:30pm, in the East Conference Room. READ MORE.

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, March 24, 7-10pm, in the Cathedral.

Cathedral Book Club

Join us as Fr. Jack leads a discussion of "Dagger John: Archbishop John Hughes and the Making of Irish America," by John Loughery. All are welcome to join the discussion! Thursday, April 10, 7-8:15pm in the West Conference Room.

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.

Faith, Ecology and Hope

Join the Care for Creation Green Team on Thursday, March 20, 6-7pm, for their monthly meeting via Zoom! Please watch the film Faith, Ecology and Hope (HERE) and discuss with St. Matthew’s Creation Care GREEN Team this much-admired short film. Let it spark conversations and inspire action.

Social Justice Committee Simple Lenten Meals

Join us during Lent for a Simple Lenten Meal. We serve Simple Lenten Meals in the North Conference Room on the Friday evenings of Lent, following the 6pm Stations of the Cross. Join us for the sustenance of food and fellowship! Each Friday we collect donations to benefit a different charitable organization. For more information, please contact Anthony Arreaga at aarreaga@stmatthewscathedral.org. Friday, March 21, 6:30pm, in the North Conference Room.

Easter Gift Card Drive

Assist local families of low-income this Easter by donating online to our 2025 Adopt-a-Family Easter gift card drive. Donate grocery gift cards (Walmart, Safeway or Giant, $25 or $50) or make a financial donation to be used to purchase gift cards.

• Donations may be delivered to the rectory office or mailed to the rectory (we would like to receive donations by Sunday, March 23, 2025).
• Donations will be accepted by volunteers before or after Masses on the weekend of March 22/23, 2025.
• You may also donate online on our Social Justice Committee webpage. 

Lenten Food Drive

The Social Justice Committee invites you to participate in a Lenten Food Drive organized by the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation and St. Matthew's Cathedral. The Foundation, which serves low-income individuals and families of the District of Columbia, will ensure that your gifts are distributed to those in need. 

Most Needed Items:

• Canned tuna or chicken
• Cheerios (or other cereals low in sugar)
• Canned vegetables (green beans, corn, peas)
• Canned soup (hearty varieties are best)
• Peanut butter and jelly (plastic containers)
• Baked beans, mac & cheese, Chef Boyardee
• Pasta and pasta sauce
• Giant Food $25 gift cards

Your donations of non-perishable food items will be gratefully accepted at all Masses on March 22/23, and March 29/30, 2025. READ MORE.

Annual Earth Day Clean-up

Celebrate Mother Earth’s new burst of life this spring with some spring cleaning of our river! In this Jubilee Year of renewal and hope, the Creation Care Green Team will again join the annual Earth Day Clean-up sponsored by the Anacostia Watershed Society for the benefit of all living in its watershed and for future generations. Saturday, April 26, 11am-1pm. Registration closes April 5. You can find detailed information and the registration link HERE.

Always God's Children

Always God's Children is the Cathedral ministry to persons who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and their friends and family members. Sunday, April 6, at 3:30pm, in the West Conference Room.

Schola Cantorum: Winter Hiatus and Choir Openings

The Schola Cantorum is on winter hiatus until Ash Wednesday, March 5, and the First Sunday of Lent, March 9.

There are currently openings in the Schola Cantorum for experienced tenors or altos. 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, particularly during Holy Week. 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.