Welcome

Welcome to St. Matthew’s, the Roman Catholic cathedral of the nation’s capital! The Cathedral serves as the Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, its Mother Church and principal Catholic church in the nation's capital. All have a place here, whether for a brief visit and prayer in one of the Cathedral chapels, for a concert or lecture, or for more sustained and committed participation as a registered parishioner.

Visit the Cathedral

Come by the Cathedral and experience for yourself “a hidden gem,” filled with saints, angels, and other wonders of creation depicted in brilliant mosaics, murals and statues. Find quiet spaces for prayer and reflection, and community in worship. Pick up a one-sheet bulletin at the Cathedral entrance and subscribe to our weekly parish update.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Cathedral

Our 360⁰ virtual tour of the Cathedral takes you to 11 different areas of the Cathedral interior. With a drag or click of your mouse you can look up, down, left, right—all around—and zoom in and out of the main entrance area, the nave, the sanctuary, each of the six chapels, the baptistry, and the burial crypt. 

Interested in Becoming Catholic?

If you are interested in exploring the Catholic faith, St. Matthew's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) will interest you. RCIA is a gradual process of spiritual formation that includes prayer, sharing, and study and occurs in the context of the parish community.

Celebrating the Sacraments

Find information on preparing for and celebrating the sacraments of Marriage, Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, and Confirmation at St. Matthew's Cathedral.

Register and Keep Us Updated

If you are attracted to our Cathedral parish community and attend Mass here, we welcome you to register as a parishioner. While most parishioners reside in the District of Columbia, many live in northern Virginia or Maryland and choose to worship at St. Matthew's.

If you are registered and have recently moved, changed your phone or email address, or added members to your household, please update us so we can stay in touch.

Ministry and Service

We invite you to participate in parish life through our many ministries, parish organizations and volunteer activities. You will find that there is always something, more likely many things, going on at St. Matthew's! We welcome our parishioners and our regular weekday Mass attendees to assist us at the liturgy as Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, Altar Servers, Ministers of Hospitality (ushers/greeters) or as Cathedral Tour Guides.

Conference Room Locations

Many parish activities are held in our conference rooms. Check our FAQs for how to reach our three main conference rooms - the North, the East, and the West Conference rooms.

Become a Friend

For those at at distance, becoming a Friend of the Cathedral is a good way to stay in touch. Each year, Friends receive a letter from the Rector with news of life at St. Matthew’s.