The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., is a Catholic cathedral, most commonly known as St. Matthew's Cathedral. It and is the seat of the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington. As St. Matthew's Cathedral and Rectory, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.[3]
Mosaic, Saint Matthew's Cathedral (2011)Nave, St. Matthew's Cathedral (2005)
1840 to 1900
During the 19th century and part of the 20th century, Washington D.C. was part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. As the city continued to grow, Archbishop Samuel Eccleston allowed Reverend William Matthews and parochial vicar Reverend John Philip Donelan to erect St. Matthew' Parish in that city. It was named after Matthew the Apostle, who was the patron saint of civil servants. [4][5] The first St. Matthews church was constructed at 15th and H Streets. While not yet completed, the church was dedicated on November 1, 1840.[4][6][7]
By 1890, the first St. Matthew's Church was no longer adequate for the needs of the parish. Monsignor Thomas Sim Lee in 1892 purchased a property on Rhode Island Avenue, NW, for a new church. He hired the architect Christopher Grant LaFarge, who had worked on the design of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Devine in New York City. The parish accepted LaFarge's design in 1893 and the cornerstone for the new church was laid later that year. The first mass in the new St. Matthew's Church was celebrated on June 2, 1895. [7]
1900 to 2000
The St. Matthew's dome was installed in 1913 and the church was dedicated later that year.[7]
In 1939, Pope Pius XII suppressed the Archdiocese of Baltimore and erected the Archdiocese of Baltimore-Washington. He designated St. Matthew as a co-cathedral, with the same status as the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, Maryland.[8] Eight years later, Pius XII erected a separate Archdiocese of Washington, with the Cathedral of Saint Matthew as the sole cathedral.[8]
The first notable funeral mass offered at St. Matthew's was for Manuel L. Quezon, the president of the Philippines, who died August 1, 1944.[9] Quezon had been in exile at that time in the United States due to the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. He was interred temporarily at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. When World War II ended in 1945, Quezon's remains were transferred back to the Philippines.
In 1957, a solemnrequiem mass was offered at the cathedral for US Senator Joseph McCarthy. The mass was attended by 70 senators and hundreds of clergymen; the cathedral was filled to capacity.[10]
Mother Teresa visited the cathedral in 1974. The Russian artist Leonid Bodnia later created a statue of her and a homeless man, which was placed inside the cathedral. Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass in the cathedral in 1979. His visit was commemorated with a bust from the American sculptor Gordon Kray.[7]
2000 to present
In 2000, the archdiocese undertook a full restoration of St. Matthew's Cathedral. On the exterior, the contractors replaced rotten wood and eroded copper under the dome, adding a new protective membrane. Broken or missing slates were replaced on the roof and the facade and window frames were all repaired.[11]
For the interior of the cathedral, the mosaics and murals were all cleaned and restored as needed. Structural support issues in the ceiling were addressed and water damage was repaired. The electrical system was updated and new lighting installed.[11]
Pope Francis, on a 2015 papal visit to Washington, presided over a midday prayer service at the cathedral.[7]In 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cathedral hosted an archdiocesan easter mass via livestream. The mass was celebrated by Archbishop Wilton Gregory with no worshippers in the cathedral due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Prior to the 2021 inauguration of Vice President Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States he attended mass at St. Matthews. He was joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi[12] and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.[13][14]
In August 2024, a requiem mass was held at the cathedral for Ethel Kennedy, a human rights advocate and the widow of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. It was attended by Joe Biden, Former President Barack Obama and Former President Bill Clinton.[15]
In October 2025, a man was arrested outside of St. Matthews on charges of processing a Molotov Cocktail and making threats to injure or kidnap people. The cathedral staff had previously obtained a trespass order barring the individual from the cathedral campus.
Architecture
Exterior
Designed by architect C. Grant La Farge, St. Matthew's Cathedral is in the shape of a Latin cross measuring 155ft ×136ft (47m ×41m). It has a seating capacity of approximately 1,200. The building is constructed of red brick with sandstone and terra cotta trim. It is in the Romanesque Revival style with Byzantine elements. The cathedral is capped by an octagonal dome that extends 190ft (58m) above the nave. The dome is capped by a cupola and crucifix that bring the building height to 200ft (61m).[16][17]
Interior
The interior of the cathedral is decorated in marble and semiprecious stones. It has a 35ft (11m)mosaic of St. Matthew behind the main altar that was created by the American painter Edwin Blashfield. Both structural and decorative elements underwent extensive restoration between 2000 and September 21, 2003, the feast day of St. Matthew.
Near the entry of the St. FrancisChapel is a burial crypt with eight tombs intended for Washington's archbishops. Three former archbishops, Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle, Cardinal William Baum, and Cardinal James Hickey, are interred here.
Events
Red mass
Commemoration of where President John F. Kennedy's casket was placed for his requiem mass (2016)
St. Matthew's celebrates one of the most famous red masses in the world.[18][19] The cathedral celebrates a red mass every year on the day before the Supreme Court of the United States begins its term. The mass is normally attended by the Supreme Court justices, along with members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, and other dignitaries.[20]
President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 became the first US president to attend the red mass at St. Matthew's. President Harry Truman had attended the mass nine years earlier, but as vice president.[21]
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