Fr. John reflects on his time at St. Matthew's

Farewell from Fr. John

Newly-ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Washington, at the end of the ordination mass, return to the sacristy and receive from our archbishop an envelope containing our first assignment. Then we emerge, wide-eyed with elation and terror, into a churning throng of congratulatory clergy, searching the crowd for our new pastor like a lost child in a supermarket. I wasn’t sure why God was sending me to the Cathedral, what exactly He had in mind.

Five years later I can say that I couldn’t have wished for or imagined a better first assignment than St. Matthew’s.

What makes this such a special place is not just the history, the papal visits, the cardinals’ hats hanging from the ceiling and episcopal emblems on the wall, the Kennedy funeral, the Red Mass for Supreme Court justices… all that is very cool.

It's the People

But what makes St. Matthew’s so special is the people here. A Cathedral rector whose warm affection for every person that crosses the threshold is plainly the glue that binds this parish family together; who was so patient with me when I forgot to communicate things, or messed up his summer vacation plans pretty much every summer, or had crazy ideas like building a baptismal pool. A retired priest in residence who takes genuine interest and finds some connection with everyone he meets, keeping up correspondence with more people than I can fathom. A business manager who keeps the ship afloat, and also brings in baked goods just out of pure generous goodness. A Spanish ministry coordinator who after a long day claims she is leaving the office to go home, then spends hours visiting the sick and homebound. A pastoral associate for liturgy and music whose graceful compliments never fail to lift someone’s spirit. An organist whose musical prowess is surpassed by his humility and kindness, charming each and every one of our thousands of wedding couples. A prolific rector’s assistant whose writing and design communicate parish news through an array of channels. The list goes on and on. So many wonderful staff members, and hundreds of saintly volunteers cheerfully giving their time and talent in the parish.

Especially our Youth!

The youth here at the Cathedral are the best. They amaze me. How resilient they are. How they got through the pandemic, and adapted, and thrived. The ideas, the questions I never would think of. The retreats we did in Pennsylvania, snow tubing, the house in Virginia that was totally not haunted, Six Flags, laser tag, the movies we watched then tried to make up a catechesis to justify why we watched them… those are some of my favorite memories here.

Grateful and blessed

I think God sent me to St. Matthew’s not just to make use of every talent he gave me in order to serve his people, but more than that, to teach me that my limitations and my weaknesses, the ones that push me to ask for help and rely on others, those are really what best serve the glory of God and the good of his people. I am grateful for some of my successes, and even more grateful for some of my failures, and for the patient people that stuck with me through those failures.

I regret every time I gave the impression I was too busy for someone, didn’t have time for them. Jesus was never too busy for anyone. And neither are we. It’s just sometimes I get insecure and anxious about what I think I’m supposed to be doing, and forget there is nothing more important than the person right in front of me. You have all taught me that on many occasions.

In last Sunday's Gospel, Jesus looked around and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.” I am blessed to have so many mothers and brothers and sisters here at St. Matthew’s. Thank you. Pray for me.

— Fr. John

June 23rd Farewell Celebrations

Save the date for Fr. John’s farewell celebrations after the 9am, 11am, 1pm and 5:30pm Masses on June 23 - the date of his last Sunday Mass here as Parochial Vicar.

Let’s keep Fr. John in our prayers as he prepares for this transition and new chapter in priestly life!

Check back for updates, including news of Fr. John’s successor at St. Matthew’s.